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Gustavo Petro denounced that the investigation into electoral expenses seeks to pave the way to a soft coup d’état.

On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her solidarity with Colombian President Gustavo Petro regarding the injustice of the National Electoral Council (CNE) opening an investigation and filing charges against his 2022 presidential campaign for alleged irregular expenses.

“I want to publicly express our solidarity with President Petro. Two years after the elections, the CNE opened an investigation into campaign expenses. He called this action a coup,” she said at the start of her morning press conference.

Previously, the Colombian electoral authorities considered that Petro, his campaign manager Ricardo Roa, and other members of his team should be held accountable for the alleged violation of campaign financing rules, as the CNE suspects they exceeded spending limits and resorted to prohibited sources.

The Mexican progressive leader supported President Petro’s argument that the CNE investigation process was opened outside of Colombian constitution and law.

“So, our solidarity with President Petro. He is practically the only progressive president Colombia has had. We always stand by our support and solidarity. Our policy is to speak out whenever there is an injustice,” the Mexican president said.

On Wednesday, Petro claimed that CNE President Cesar Lorduy set a trap for him to be removed from office using false evidence. While the CNE does not have the authority to decide whether or not the Colombian president should leave office, that institution “opened the door by formulating charges in an unconstitutional manner. It is a prevarication that seeks to unleash a parliamentary coup,” Petro stated.

Approved with seven votes in favor and two against, the resolution of the Colombian CNE marks the first time an electoral tribunal in this South American country has formally opened an investigation into a presidential campaign for exceeding spending limits.

“Invitations were sent to 38 states,” Ushakov said during a press conference, referring to the high-level summit to be held in Kazán.

Thirty-Two countries confirm participation in the BRICS summit, that will take place in Kazan, Russia. The event aims to promote multilaterism and development among emerging economies.

Russian presidential advisor Uri Ushakov announced on Thursday that 32 nations have confirmed their participation in the upcoming BRICS summit.

This year, the event will take place in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22 to 24, under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Global Development and Security.”

“Invitations were sent to 38 states,” Ushakov said during a press conference, referring to the high-level summit to be held in the aforementioned city.

“Of course, this includes both member countries and those wishing to cooperate with our organization. About 32 countries have already confirmed their participation,” the advisor added.

He emphasized that all member countries have confirmed their attendance at the summit. “Additionally, nine of them will be at the highest level, and one country, Saudi Arabia, will send a foreign minister.”

Ushakov also mentioned the possibility that the summit could become the largest foreign policy event held in Russia, given the interest it generates among states pursuing an independent foreign policy.

He stated that invitations were also extended to those states presiding over regional integration associations in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Notable attendees include United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank of BRICS.

The summit will be divided into two segments: a meeting of BRICS member countries (October 22 and the morning of October 23) and then a BRICS+/reach meeting (afternoon of October 23 and morning of October 24), under the theme “BRICS and the Global South: Building a Better World Together.”

In August 2023, the bloc, originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, decided to expand and welcomed Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.

Regarding this expansion, Ushakov clarified in the press conference that the number of countries wanting to become BRICS members or cooperate with them in various ways is growing.

Currently, the BRICS also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. On Monday, the Director of General Affairs of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Carlos Pereira, announced that his country had requested to join BRICS+.

“Cuba has officially requested its incorporation into BRICS as a ‘partner country’ through a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who holds the presidency of a group that is consolidating itself as a key player in global geopolitics and a hope for the Global South countries,” Pereira stated.

During an interview with the TASS agency, Russia’s ambassador to Cuba, Victor Koronelli, confirmed Cuba’s request and recalled that Cuban representatives have already participated in several multidisciplinary events within the BRICS framework over the past year.

He also mentioned that Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has been invited to participate in BRICS Plus/Outreach, a meeting that will take place during the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan.

At the 2023 BRICS Summit, Cuba was invited as the pro tempore president of the Group of 77 + China. On that occasion, Cuban representatives advocated for enhancing synergies and effective coordination between BRICS and the G77.

Additionally, Cuba also defended respect for the United Nations Charter and urged the establishment of a new, more stable, predictable, and diversified international monetary order.

Formed in 2010, BRICS is an economic cooperation group that emerged as an initiative by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Since 2024, this group has included 10 countries, among them Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

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• The American missile destroyer USS Milius patrolling the South China Sea (Archive). (Photo: © Greg JOHNSON, Scanpix Denmark)

Europe Left to Defend Itself

This means that at some point, Europe can expect to be left more alone with Russia than it is now, as the U.S. still has a significant military presence on the continent.

Many believe that the slow pace of European military buildup is worrying for this exact reason.

Putin just has to wait patiently for the powerful U.S. to leave the scene. This will pull the rug out from under deterrence efforts, and once again, there will be room for balalaika.

That’s the analysis.

A Russian challenge, which in itself is a handful for Europe, but the abyss is even deeper than that.

Approximately 1,100 Danish soldiers are deployed. Here's where Danish soldiers are now:

• Kosovo: Danish soldiers have supported the international peace effort in Kosovo since 1999 in the NATO-led KFOR operation. Currently, the Home Guard is handling the mission.
• Latvia: Since August 2024, Danish soldiers have been in Latvia, contributing to securing NATO's eastern flank, with around 800 Danish troops involved in NATO's defense of the Baltic countries.
• Baltic Sea: Denmark continuously contributes to NATO naval forces, which have increased their readiness and vigilance in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Danish Challenger aircraft also patrol the area.
• United Kingdom: After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Denmark expanded its support to Ukraine, including training Ukrainian soldiers and pilots in the UK.
• Mediterranean: Denmark contributes to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), monitoring Europe's external borders in Italy, Spain, and Greece.
• Middle East: Since 1948, Danish soldiers have helped maintain the ceasefire between Israel and several of its neighbors. As the situation in the region has evolved, so have the tasks of Danish soldiers.
• Iraq: Denmark contributes to NATO's advisory mission in Iraq and the international coalition that has supported Iraq in the fight against ISIL since 2014.
• Other parts of the world: There are also a few Danish personnel deployed elsewhere, including in Africa, the U.S., and Korea.

'Quid Pro Quo'

The U.S. expects Denmark and other European countries to help with the Chinese challenge in the Pacific as well.

The idea is that the signal of a united Western world standing shoulder to shoulder and saying "this far and no further" is stronger than just another wagging finger from the U.S., which Russia, Iran, and North Korea already find quite lame.

The U.S. and NATO are, of course, Denmark's primary security guarantees. Two strong allies in a cold and turbulent schoolyard.

So Denmark naturally sends a staff officer to Honolulu if the U.S. wants it. Quid pro quo.

In the video below, Commander and Head of the Planning Department of the Defense Operations Staff Kristian Haumann explains the role of the staff officer in Hawaii.

[Video]

Denmark Still in the Parking Lot

In the long run, it's expected that the desk-bound soldier will be replaced by more combat-ready contributions, such as a frigate, aircraft, or even special operations forces.

This leaves Denmark in an incredibly difficult position. After decades of budget cuts, the rebuilding of the military is just beginning. But the nearly 200 billion extra kroner earmarked through 2032 is almost entirely spent.

And Denmark hasn’t made significant progress on what NATO expects it to be able to do in the Baltics, the Arctic, and the North Atlantic.

If it were a DIY project, Denmark wouldn’t have gotten further than the parking lot of the hardware store by now.

On top of that, Denmark is expected to contribute to deterrence in the Indo-Pacific in the future.

This is a theater where significant demands are placed on military equipment.

Many Danes are impressed by China's electric cars and gadgets. However, China is unlikely to be impressed by a Danish frigate that can’t shoot.

The same goes for the U.S., which expects its allies to be able to participate in so-called 'multi-domain operations.'

• Read also: Politicians open to military contributions to the U.S.: China is a bully.

In short, this means that everything capable of shooting, crawling, and operating in cyberspace, space, land, sea, and air must be able to communicate and work together.

Obviously, this is incredibly expensive. It’s also clear that Denmark is not yet able to play that game.

Danish Staff Officer to Hawaii

• The U.S. Pacific Fleet has its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• The Danish staff officer is appointed for three years, with the option for an additional year.
• INDOPACOM, the Pacific Fleet, employs 375,000 personnel from all branches of the U.S. military.
• The Pacific Fleet’s area of responsibility is vast—it covers about half of the Earth's surface, stretching from the U.S. West Coast all the way to the Indian Ocean.
• The Danish staff officer will network and report back to Denmark but will be under U.S. leadership.
• Source: Danish Defense.