Crude oil prices eased off session highs Tuesday, after President Donald Trump abandoned his demand for ships to pay a 20% protection fee to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 1.82% to $79.56 per barrel. Brent futures, the international benchmark, were up 1.98% to $84.95.

“Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Trump demanded the fee Monday in exchange for the U.S. Navy protecting ship traffic through Hormuz. The security situation in the strait has deteriorated over the past week as Iran attacks commercial ships.

The president’s demand for a fee contradicted past U.S. opposition to tolls in the strait. Iran has sought to collect tolls for safe passage but agreed it will not impose one for 60 days under the interim deal it signed with the U.S.

The International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, opposes mandatory tolls in Hormuz as illegal.

U.S. crude oil had traded above $80 per barrel earlier in the session as Washington and Tehran continued to battle for control of Hormuz. The U.S. bombed targets along Iran’s coast Monday in an effort to degrade Tehran’s ability to attack commercial ships, according to U.S. Central Command.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said its forces attacked two supertankers transiting Hormuz with their transponders turned off. The United Arab Emirates’ state oil company ADNOC said two of its tankers were hit by projectiles while transiting the strait, killing one mariner and injuring several others.

The U.S. Navy will reimpose its blockade against Iran at 4 p.m. ET on Trump’s orders, Centcom said in a statement.

Citi had warned that Trump’s proposal to impose shipping fees in the Strait of Hormuz materially raises the risk of further military escalation.

“The possibility that the Iranian regime walks away from the MoU until after the mid-term US elections has also risen, a scenario which would most likely see higher for longer oil prices,” the bank wrote in a report Tuesday.

Roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Shipping traffic slumped after Iran began targeting vessels in the waterway in early March, but had started to recover following Washington and Tehran’s interim agreement.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has once again raised the claim that vote counts in the runoff election held on June 21 were manipulated through the use of certain algorithms, proprietary software, and the alleged involvement of Israeli intelligence firms in the recent presidential election.

According to the highest electoral authority, in the runoff election, far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won with 49.66% of the vote, compared to 48.7% for the progressive and left-wing candidate, Senator Iván Cepeda, who sought to continue Petro’s government plan to strengthen the state and implement social reforms.

Despite this, Petro announced that he does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government because, as he claimed, there was electoral fraud orchestrated from abroad: “We have all the information showing that, starting with an IP server located in Los Angeles, California – owned by the Bautista brothers and integrated into the vote-counting operation – algorithms were used that substantially skewed the vote in favor of Abelardo, the algorithms that rigged the election results were applied to the voter rolls by replacing those who never vote with voters who could vote multiple times or with empty seats at polling stations staffed by homogeneous juries.”

In light of this situation, Petro called for a popular mobilization to reject the incoming government: “We have suffered the harshest blow to national sovereignty since the Spanish reconquest during the years of the ‘Patria Boba’ … The president of Colombia does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government. Abelardo did not win the election. The national majority is called upon this July 20 to raise the cry for national independence in all public squares.”

Regarding the rally, the President said: “I invite you on July 20 to join the security forces and, after their parade, to hear my farewell address as Colombia’s head of state. We will not do this on August 6 or 7 – those are tragic dates. We will do it on July 20 in all of Colombia’s public squares,” in response to threats from a future government he has labeled “fascist.”

In recent days, Cepeda announced that, in light of De la Espriella’s alleged threats of possible politically motivated legal persecution – known as “lawfare” – he will launch a campaign of civil resistance. In recent statements, Petro affirmed that he would join the peaceful and active resistance against the incoming government: “We won’t threaten anyone here, but they’re going to threaten us – and they’re already threatening me – with arresting me and taking me to the United States or assassinating me.”

In response to these statements, the president-elect announced on July 7 that he was suspending talks with Petro’s cabinet regarding the handover of information, citing what he described as an “attempted coup d’état.” “I have just instructed the vice president-elect of the Republic to immediately suspend the transition process with the corrupt government that is ending its term – a government that, through its decisions and conduct, seeks to destroy Colombia,” De la Espriella stated via X.

Colombia is thus heading toward an uncertain future under a far-right government that is taking office. This government promises to dismantle the peace processes initiated by Petro and his predecessors, to radicalize neoliberalism, and to align Bogotá with Washington’s hemispheric policies, while also promising to initiate legal proceedings against various members of the outgoing administration. In the face of this adversity, leaders of the outgoing administration have vowed to resist through peaceful methods, social mobilization, and the creation of a strong opposition bloc that, although the new administration has not yet taken office, is already taking shape.

Germany recorded 2,656 conscientious objector applications in the first three months of 2026, more than two-thirds of the total registered across the whole of 2025, according to the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA). The figures, reported by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, compare with 3,867 applications for the entirety of 2025 and roughly 3,000 in 2024. If the current rate holds, 2026 would see more conscientious objector applications than any year since Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011. The rise follows the entry into force of new military service legislation at the start of the year. The reform requires young men born in 2008 or later to register for potential conscription, with the Bundestag able to activate compulsory service if voluntary recruitment falls short.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has framed the changes as a response to a deteriorating security environment. “The world has become more unpredictable and yes, it must also be said, more dangerous,” he said recently.

hmm, I wonder who’s responsible for that!

Pistorius has set a target of at least 260,000 active soldiers in the Bundeswehr, with a combined active and reserve force of 460,000 — which would make it one of the largest armies in Europe. The reservists’ association has called for the maximum age for reservists to be raised from 65 to 70. Discussion of a possible requirement for men of fighting age to seek authorisation before travelling abroad for extended periods has added to public unease. Meanwhile, not all Germans are rejecting armed service. 781 people who had previously declared conscientious objector status reversed their decision in 2025. A further 233 did so in the first quarter of 2026.

Mexico City, July 13 (Prensa Latina) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated today that her government is in contact with Venezuelan authorities to continue supporting that country after the devastating earthquakes of June 24.

“Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco is in contact with the interim president of Venezuela (Delcy Rodríguez), and we will also seek her out this week to see what else they need to support them,” the head of the Executive stated.

During her usual press conference, the president alluded to the reception on Friday of the “Yumare” group, with rescuers and health personnel from the National Defense, after their work in the South American nation.

He described the event, held in the central State of Mexico, as very emotional, and highlighted not only the professionalism of the Army members, but also “the dedication and humanism with which they do their work.”

“We will continue to help. We will always help our suffering brother nations in any way we can,” he reaffirmed.

According to official data, the group – made up of 264 members and 18 canine teams, which left for that nation one day after the tragedy – managed to rescue two people, two dogs and recover 92 bodies, as well as carry out 2,059 medical consultations.

Mexico also transported more than 70 tons of food supplies, equipment and tools to that nation by air (through an air bridge with eight flights) and sea (with two Navy ships), collected by the Venezuelan Embassy here and civil society.

In addition, it distributed more than 13 tons of medicines and sent eight electricity generating plants.

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 shook several states of Venezuela on June 24, leaving a total of 4,490 dead and 16,740 injured, as well as severe damage to infrastructure, according to the most recent tally.

Brasilia, July 13 (Prensa Latina) President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva maintains the lead in all scenarios for the first and second rounds of the 2026 elections, according to a survey by the Nexus consultancy released today.

The study, commissioned by the BTG Pactual bank, attributes 40 percent of the voting intention to the president in the stimulated scenario of the first round, compared to 34 percent for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, considered the main representative of Bolsonarism for the presidential contest.

Regarding the spontaneous consultation, where no list of candidates is presented, the president obtains 35 percent of the preferences, while Flávio Bolsonaro reaches 24, a difference of 11 percentage points.

In the other simulated scenarios for the first round, the former governor of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado, appears with five percent; the president of the Mission Party, Renan Santos, and the former governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, with four each; the former magistrate Joaquim Barbosa and the writer Augusto Cury, with two; and the deputy Aécio Neves, with one.

The runoff simulations also place Lula ahead of all his potential rivals.

The closest scenario is against Flávio Bolsonaro, with 47 percent for the current president and 44 for the senator, a difference that remains within the margin of error.

Against Zema, Lula would win by 47 to 40 percent, while against Caiado he would widen the margin to 47 to 38; and the largest margin is recorded against Santos, with 49 percent for the president and 35 for his opponent.

The survey also reveals regional differences, as Lula obtains his greatest support in the northeast of the country, where he has 54 percent of the preferences compared to 25 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, and he also leads in the southeast.

The senator, for his part, leads the preferences in the south and north-central-west regions; and, among women, Lula registers 45 percent of voting intention compared to 30 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, while among men the senator appears in the lead with 38 percent against 34 percent for the president.

The survey also shows that 36 percent of those interviewed prefer a victory for Lula or a candidate supported by him, 32 percent opt ​​for a candidate backed by former president Jair Bolsonaro and his family, and 27 percent express a preference for a third way.

The survey, which interviewed 2,003 voters by telephone between July 10 and 12, has a margin of error of two percentage points and a confidence level of 95 percent.

The government of Brazil began on Monday the shipment of 48 tons of powdered milk to Cuba as humanitarian aid, according to a statement from the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic, in response to the severe shortages facing the island.

The operation is carried out on two flights of the Brazilian Air Force headed to Santiago de Cuba.

The first flight took off at 2:10 PM this Monday from the Canoas Air Base in Rio Grande do Sul, carrying 16 tons. The second flight will depart this Tuesday from Porto Alegre International Airport with the remaining 32 tons. Both flights are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, July 15.

The decision was made on July 9 during a meeting led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with the Chief Minister of the Civil House, Miriam Belchior; the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro; the Chancellor, Mauro Vieira; the Minister of Agrarian Development, Fernanda Machiaveli; the commander of the Air Force, Brigadier Marcelo Damasceno; and the president of the National Supply Company (Conab), Sílvio Porto.

The coordination of the operation falls under the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC), which is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the food is supplied by Conab.

According to the presidential statement, “new donations of food and medicine are under evaluation by the Brazilian government.”

Santiago de Cuba, the destination city for Brazilian flights, is also the area most affected by Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall as a category 3 hurricane in October 2025 and left a trail of destruction that is still felt in the eastern region of the country.

This shipment is part of a larger humanitarian aid that Brazil announced on March 19, which included 170,000 tons of rice, 150 tons of black beans, and 500 tons of powdered milk, facilitated through the World Food Program (WFP).

In May, Lula’s government also donated medications to treat a thousand patients on the island.

However, Brazilian aid has not been without controversy: in March, there were allegations that products donated by Brazil, Mexico, and Chile were being sold in dollar stores run by Cuban military personnel, accusations that the regime denied.

Additionally, Cuba has a debt of 676 million dollars to Brazil.

Cuba is experiencing its worst energy and food crisis in decades. The cutoff of Venezuelan oil supplies —following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation— and the reduction of shipments from Mexico left the island without fuel reserves in May 2026.

The electrical deficit exceeds 2,000 MW, with power outages lasting between 20 and 36 hours daily in several provinces.

33.9% of Cuban households report that at least one person went to bed hungry, and gasoline can reach nine dollars per liter on the black market.

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Justice suspended for 90 days the visits of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, after the senator published a political letter on social media written by the ex-president, violating court-imposed restrictions.

According to the ruling, Flávio Bolsonaro read and published a letter in which his father endorsed him as a presidential pre-candidate for the 2026 elections and defined him as his “spokesperson” and the “best option” for Brazil.

For Justice Moraes, this conduct violated the prohibition that prevents the former President from using social media, even indirectly.

The decision came after the Court determined that the senator deviated from the purpose of a visit by disseminating political content on behalf of his father. The letter constituted a clear attempt to influence the electoral process from within the confines of house arrest, where Jair Bolsonaro has been held since November 2025.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes noted that the phrase used by Flávio Bolsonaro when presenting the document –“It’s unmissable, a very important message he wants to give to our entire nation”– suggests that the former President had knowledge of the publication. This formulation implied coordinated action between father and son to bypass the communication restrictions imposed by the Court.

The magistrate also sent copies of the case to the Prosecutor General for Electoral Affairs to evaluate a possible investigation for alleged early electoral propaganda, a violation of Brazilian electoral law that prohibits campaigning before the official period begins.

As a consequence of the ruling, father and son will not be able to meet until mid-October, after the first round of presidential elections, scheduled for October 4. The 90-day suspension effectively removes Flávio Bolsonaro’s physical access to his father during the critical period leading up to the vote, where the senator is positioning himself as a candidate.

The magistrate also granted a 48-hour deadline to Jair Bolsonaro’s defense team to clarify whether the ex-president knew that the letter would be publicly disclosed. The response could determine whether additional sanctions are imposed on the Brazilian former President, who is already serving a 27-year and three-month prison sentence for being found guilty of leading a criminal organization that attempted to perpetrate a coup d’état to remain in power after his defeat in the 2022 elections.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes further argued that the senator used the right to visit for a purpose different from that authorized by the Court and recalled that a similar precedent occurred in August 2025. That episode was one of the arguments that later led to the imposition of house arrest on the former President, demonstrating a pattern of behavior that the court deemed unacceptable.

The publication of the letter has also provoked a new crisis within the Liberal Party, amid growing tensions between Flávio Bolsonaro and former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro. While Flávio has positioned himself as his father’s political heir, Michelle has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, creating a rift that threatens to fragment the conservative base.

The Supreme Federal Court has maintained a firm stance on enforcing the restrictions imposed on Jair Bolsonaro, viewing the house arrest conditions as essential safeguards against further attempts to destabilize Brazil’s democratic institutions.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck southern Mexico on Monday, with authorities reporting no casualties, significant damage or tsunami risk.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the southern Mexican state of Chiapas on Monday, according to the National Seismological Service (SSN). The quake’s epicenter was located near the country’s border with Guatemala, triggering monitoring and assessment protocols by civil protection authorities.

The SSN said the earthquake’s epicenter was located 64 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo, in the municipality of Suchiate. The event occurred at a depth of 44.2 kilometers.

Mexico’s National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) said there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant material damage following the earthquake. The agency also ruled out any tsunami threat, stating that no significant changes in sea level had been detected along the country’s Pacific coast.

“Following the magnitude 5.0 earthquake recorded this morning, no significant variations in sea level have been reported, and there is no danger to port operations or the population.”

The CNPC added that it remains in permanent communication with state and municipal civil protection authorities to monitor the situation and respond to any developments.

Mexico is one of the world’s most seismically active countries due to the interaction of the Cocos, Rivera, Pacific, North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. Chiapas is particularly prone to earthquakes because it is located above the Cocos Plate, which is subducting beneath the North American Plate.

Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced this Monday the merger of the Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade ministries, appointing seasoned diplomat Felix Plasencia to lead the newly unified cabinet portfolio.

The Bolivarian Government consolidated both institutions into a single structure named the Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign and Foreign Trade Relations.

This strategic administrative reorganization aims to streamline state functions, optimize public resources, and integrate commercial and diplomatic initiatives under a cohesive international policy framework.

The newly unified Ministry of Foreign and Foreign Trade Relations will be led by Felix Plasencia, while former foreign minister Yván Gil takes over the Science and Technology portfolio to drive national development.

Acting President Rodriguez highlighted that Félix Plasencia, an internationalist with extensive diplomatic experience, has the official mission to direct Venezuela’s foreign policy, defend national sovereignty, strengthen strategic cooperation agreements, and promote peace diplomacy across the globe.

Plasencia previously served as foreign minister and has held various high-level diplomatic posts representing the South American nation.

The Venezuelan Acting President also expressed her gratitude to Johan Alvarez, who formerly served as the head of Foreign Trade, and announced that he will assume new responsibilities within the public administration in the coming days.

This structural transformation comes as the country accelerates its recovery and reconstruction efforts following the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes of June 24. By merging diplomatic and trade portfolios, the Bolivarian Government seeks to maximize the efficiency of international cooperation and secure strategic investments necessary for the Venezuela Rises national reconstruction plan.

The unification of foreign relations and foreign trade reflects a modern approach to economic diplomacy, allowing the State to negotiate trade agreements and receive humanitarian assistance with greater agility. This consolidated approach will strengthen Venezuelan position within multilateral blocks such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.

The strategic shift also aims to bypass the obstacles created by illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed against the nation, fostering new commercial alliances under the principles of South-South cooperation and mutual development.