Center-right secures CNE majority ahead of Colombia's 2026 elections
Colombia's Congress voted on 25 August to elect nine magistrates to the National Electoral Council, with center-right forces securing seven seats. The Green Alliance lost its historic seat on the tribunal that oversees campaign finance enforcement and party certification.
ASSESSMENT: The result gives the coalition backing new President Abelardo de la Espriella control of the CNE, which will oversee ballot access, campaign finance and party recognition across the 2026 electoral cycle.
Colombia links oil theft to organised crime
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered a security offensive against crude oil and fuel theft, saying around 123,000 barrels are stolen each month and explicitly linking the smuggling networks to drug trafficking organisations
ASSESSMENT: By explicitly linking fuel theft to drug trafficking, the government is bringing the issue into the same security framework as counternarcotics cooperation, potentially widening the scope for US involvement after De la Espriella agreed to allow US forces to operate on Colombian territory.
Four Colombian Supreme Court justices seek probe of colleague over corruption case
Four magistrates of Colombia's Supreme Court of Justice requested that the Procuraduría investigate Justice Cristina Lombana over alleged irregularities in her handling of a corruption case involving Senator Martha Peralta.
ASSESSMENT: An open clash among sitting Supreme Court magistrates over the handling of a politically sensitive corruption case raises questions about internal governance and judicial credibility at one of Colombia’s most important courts.
Ecuador electoral authority bars Noboa’s leading opponent from local elections
Luisa González, former presidential candidate and the most prominent opposition figure to President Daniel Noboa, has been excluded from Ecuador's local elections by the electoral authority.
ASSESSMENT: Excluding Noboa’s most prominent opponent from a local ballot adds to concerns over democratic backsliding in Ecuador, particularly as the government has increasingly embraced hardline governing methods associated with El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele.
US relaxes sanctions on Venezuela's top telecom operators
The US Treasury issued general licenses relaxing sanctions on Venezuela's state telecommunications regulator Conatel and operator Cantv.
ASSESSMENT: The licenses open a conditional pathway for new telecom providers, expanded operations and joint ventures in Venezuela, signalling targeted US sanctions relief while keeping future investment subject to OFAC approval.