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Colombia on Edge as Trump’s Post‑Venezuela Threats Stir Regional Anxiety

Colombian military patrol the Simón Bolívar International Bridge in Cúcuta on Tuesday. After the U.S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, members of powerful armed groups started arriving in Colombia from neighbouring Venezuela. Tensions in Colombia have intensified following President Donald Trump’s forceful remarks in the wake of the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The comments have revived long‑standing fears about regional instability and raised questions about the future of U.S.–Colombia relations. Rising Tensions After the Venezuela Strike In the aftermath of the Venezuela attack, Trump issued sharp warnings toward Colombia, accusing President Gustavo Petro of enabling drug production and trafficking. He suggested that Petro’s government “would not be doing it for long,” a statement widely interpreted as a threat of potential intervention. The remarks came amid a broader pattern of aggressive rhetoric toward several countries, s...

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Mixed Bank Earnings Offset Cooler-Than-Expected Inflation News

 


On Friday, January 12th, 2024, the US stock market closed with little change as mixed bank earnings offset cooler-than-expected inflation news that buoyed hopes for interest-rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 118.04 points, or 0.31%, to 37,592.98. The S&P 500 gained 3.59 points, or 0.08 %, at 4,783.83 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.58 points, or 0.02%, to 14,972.76.

Bank of America’s fourth-quarter profit shrank as the lender took $3.7 billion in one-off charges. Wells Fargo’s warning of a 7% to 9% drop in net interest income in 2024 sent the bank’s shares down 3.34%. UnitedHealth fell on higher-than-expected medical costs. Tesla fell after flagging output hit from Red Sea disruption.

The data showed U.S. producer prices unexpectedly fell in December as the cost of goods such as food and diesel fuel declined, while prices for services were unchanged for a third consecutive month, in contrast to Thursday’s hotter-than-expected consumer inflation reading. Expectations for a rate cut of at least 25 basis points by the Fed in March moved up to 79.5%, according to CME’s FedWatch Tool, from 73.2% in the prior session.


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