After Trump’s tariff threats, Colombia agrees to accept repatriates from US
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(WASHINGTON) — Following a tense standoff between the nations’ respective presidents, an agreement was reached on Sunday night regarding the return of repatriating citizens to Colombia from the United States.
Conflict ensued earlier in the day after Colombian President Gustavo Petro blocked two U.S. military flights carrying undocumented immigrants from entering the country.
In a retaliatory response, U.S. President Donald Trump posted threats against Colombia on his social media platform, alleging that Petro’s decision “has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States.”
Trump said in the post that he ordered his administration to place an emergency 25% tariff on goods coming into the United States from Colombia, and he threatened to raise it in a week to 50%. Additionally, he said that his administration would issue a travel ban and immediately revoke the visas of Colombian government officials — and those of all of the country’s allies and supporters. Trump further threatened to issue visa sanctions on all party members, family members and supporters of the Colombian government. Finally, he said that he would also enhance Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian nationals and Colombian cargo.
Trump said he would use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to fully impose the aforementioned treasury, banking and financial sanctions.
“These measures are just the beginning,” Trump said in his post. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” No evidence has been produced to show that Colombia forced anyone into the U.S.
The Colombia Foreign Ministry confirmed to ABC News that two U.S. military aircraft had been blocked from landing in Colombia on Sunday. It was not immediately clear if all 160 passengers aboard the flights were Colombian citizens.
“A migrant is not a criminal and must be treated with the dignity that every human being deserves,” Petro said in a statement posted on X on Sunday. It included a video of Brazilian deportees handcuffed after landing in Brazil.
The Foreign Ministry of Brazil also issued a statement Sunday asking the United States to clarify the “degrading treatment” of the deportees.
Petro had issued an early-morning statement on X saying that he objected to U.S. military repatriation planes landing in Colombia — although, the country would accept civilian planes repatriating citizens, he added.
But a U.S. defense official told ABC News that the two U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft had been granted diplomatic clearances. Then, when the planes were already heading south, Colombia notified the U.S. that they would not be allowed to land, the defense official said.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday afternoon, Petro offered to send his presidential plane to bring deportees to Colombia in a “dignified” manner.
Mexico has also denied U.S. military repatriation flights from landing there, a U.S. official familiar with the situation told ABC News, while explaining that such flights are not being prepared until after all diplomatic clearances have been finalized.
Like Colombia, Mexico does not have a problem with contracted civilian aircraft carrying out the flights, the official said, and those are what the Department of Homeland Security typically uses.
Discussions are ongoing, the official added.
In an interview on Sunday with Martha Raddatz — ABC News’ chief global affairs correspondent and a co-anchor of “This Week” — Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, discussed what would happen to countries that won’t take the undocumented immigrants back.
“Oh, they’ll take them back,” Homan said. “We got President Trump coming to power. President Trump puts America first. Mexico didn’t want the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program under the first administration. They did it. They didn’t want to put military on the southern border. They did it.”
But if countries didn’t comply, “then we’ll place them in a third safe country,” he added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a statement on X on Sunday afternoon, saying, “President Trump has made it clear that under his administration, America will no longer be lied to nor taken advantage of.”
“It is the responsibility of each nation to take back their citizens who are illegally present in the United States in a serious and expeditious manner,” Rubio wrote. “Colombian President Petro had authorized flights and provided all needed authorizations and then canceled his authorization when the planes were in the air. As demonstrated by today’s actions, we are unwavering in our commitment to end illegal immigration and bolster America’s border security.”
Later in the evening, the U.S. Department of State added a post saying that Rubio “immediately ordered a suspension of visa issuance at the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular section” and is now “authorizing travel sanctions on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.”
Tariffs are a tax on imports that U.S. companies pay to import their goods, and the higher costs are largely passed on to consumers.
Trump leveraging a tariff of 25% to 50% could have a serious impact on Colombia’s economy because the U.S. is Colombia’s largest trading partner. According to the U.S. State Department, the United States accounts for 34% of Colombia’s total trade.
But that could also hurt American consumers: The U.S. imported $17.5 billion dollars’ worth of goods from Colombia in 2024, according to Moody’s Analytics.
Notably, Colombia is a top supplier of crude oil to the U.S.
Petro responded to Trump’s threatened sanctions late Sunday, saying in a post on X that Colombia will impose reciprocal 50% tariffs on U.S. goods.
“I’m told that you impose a 50% tariff on the fruits of our human labor to enter the United States, and I do the same,” Petro said in the impassioned post.
Later that evening, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson threatened in a post on X that Congress is “fully prepared” to pass sanctions and “other measures” against Colombia.
The White House issued a statement shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday saying that Colombia had agreed to all of Trump’s terms, “including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.”
The statement also said that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that Trump had drafted would not go into effect unless Colombia failed to honor the agreement with the U.S.
“The visa sanctions issued by the State Department and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned,” it said.
Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia acknowledged the statement shortly afterward in a video posted to X, stating that Colombia would accept repatriates who are transported back with dignity. He also confirmed that Petro would be sending his presidential plane to retrieve those citizens who had been on the rebuffed military planes, but didn’t specify when that would occur.
The foreign affairs minister said that a high-level diplomatic meeting between the U.S. and Colombia would take place in a matter of days.
“Colombia ratifies that it will maintain diplomatic channels of dialogue to guarantee the rights, national interest and dignity of our citizens,” he said in the video.
ABC News’ Luis Martinez, Selina Wang, Hannah Demissie and Nate Luna contributed to this report.
(BUDAPEST, Hungary) — A 31-year-old American tourist in Hungary who had been missing for several days was killed, and a suspect has been arrested for her murder, authorities said Friday.
Mackenzie “Kenzie” Michalski, a nurse practitioner, was last heard from early Tuesday while visiting Budapest, according to her friends, who spread the word about her disappearance.
The American went missing while at a nightclub on Tuesday, according to Budapest police. Amid the search for her, investigators identified a man she was seen with in several nightclubs, police said.
The suspect — a 37-year-old Irish citizen — was arrested and allegedly confessed to killing her, police said. He allegedly showed police where he had hidden her body, police said. The name of the suspect, who was a “a couple of years the victim’s senior,” according to investigators, was only identified as L.T.M.
Investigators provided more details about the murder during a news conference Saturday.
Michalski and the suspect met at a nightclub and spent the night together going to other venues, according to investigators. They then went to the suspect’s rented apartment and he allegedly killed here there, according to investigators.
The perpetrator then tried to cover up the murder; so he allegedly cleaned his apartment and hid the woman’s body in the wardrobe cabinet while he went out to buy a suitcase, according to the police.
He then allegedly put the victim’s body in the suitcase, rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton with the suitcase in the trunk, police said.
The suspect allegedly hid the victim in the woods, in an area outside Szigliget and then drove back to Budapest, investigators said.
The suspect allegedly made several suspicious internet searches including “Do pigs really eat dead bodies?”, “Texas woman killed by a wild boar,” according to investigators.
Michalski lived in Portland, Oregon, and was a native of Fredonia, New York, according to ABC Buffalo affiliate WKBW.
A friend told WKBW that she and Michalski had been traveling with a group of friends through Europe and had spent three days in Hungary before parting ways on Monday.
The friend, Gretchen Tower, told WKBW that Michalski was staying behind for one more night in Budapest before flying out on Tuesday.
When Michalski never checked out of the Airbnb they shared in Budapest, her friend said she began to worry. Michalski also missed her flight, according to her friends.
After not hearing from her, Tower told WKBW she called the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday to report Michalski missing.
The U.S. State Department said Friday it is aware of reports that Hungarian police have detained a suspect in connection with the disappearance of a U.S. citizen in Hungary. It said the U.S. Embassy is in contact with Hungarian police but has no further comment due to “privacy and other considerations.”
Michalski’s family and friends released a statement on Friday that said they are “deeply saddened to confirm a report published by Hungarian police announcing the death of our beloved Kenzie.”
“Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who dedicated herself to caring for others and making the world a better place,” the statement said. “As a nurse practitioner, Kenzie used her humor, positivity, and limitless empathy to help heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike.”
Her family and friends thanked the U.S. and Hungarian authorities for their “prompt attention, diligence, care, and consideration” as well as those who helped raise awareness about her disappearance.
“We are thankful that Kenzie’s soul is now at peace,” the statement said. “Her memory and legacy will endure in the hearts of all whom she’s touched. To understand Kenzie’s spirit is to wholeheartedly embrace the vast joy and wonder of life. Her wish for the world: fully embrace the present moment, be your authentic self, practice kindness, and always walk in the light.”
(LONDON) — A ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Hamas, with the Qatari prime minister announcing the deal Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Biden announces ceasefire deal
President Joe Biden released a statement saying Hamas and Israel had agreed to a deal, “after many months of intensive diplomacy,” by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
“I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council,” Biden said in the statement. “It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”
Biden also highlighted the three living American hostages who are still being held, and the four remains of American hostages yet to be returned.
What comes next in ceasefire process?
While a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Hamas and Israeli negotiators, the Israeli government still needs to approve the deal.
The deal is expected to be approved, but it will take several votes.
Netanyahu says Philadelphi snag was resolved
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a statement that the snag about control of the Philadelphia axis — the strip of land between Gaza and Egypt — has been worked out.
However, his office said they are still working out several unresolved issues.
“In light of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas has backed down on its demand at the last minute to change the deployment of forces on the Philadelphia axis,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “However, there are still several unresolved clauses in the outline, and we hope that the details will be finalized tonight.”
Trump celebrates ceasefire, takes credit for deal
President-elect Donald Trump immediately posted on Truth Social about the agreement on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
He wrote, in all caps, “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
He then also followed that up with a post taking credit for the deal, though the Biden administration has also been involved in the negotiations.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote.
Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire agreement
A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, more than 15 months into the conflict.
A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Jan. 3 in Qatar. Delegations from Israel and Hamas were dispatched to Doha to resume the negotiations, which were brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The Biden administration also helped broker the talks.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously told reporters the United States wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Blinken on Jan. 6 reported “intensified engagement,” including by Hamas, on reaching a deal, though he added, “We are yet to see agreement on final points.”
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has hit a last-minute snag, with both sides at odds over the Philadelphia axis, a piece of land separating the Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to an Israeli source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
“The Israeli negotiating team was recently informed that the Hamas terrorist organization decided at the last minute to make new demands – this time regarding the Philadelphia axis, in contrast to the maps that have already been approved by the cabinet and American mediators. Israel strongly opposes any changes to these maps,” the Israeli source told ABC News.
Hamas has given green light to ceasefire deal, sources say
Two sources close to the ceasefire negotiations tell ABC News Hamas has given the green light to the agreement.
“We are very close,” the sources said. “The goal (is) an agreement today or tomorrow.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
IDF attacks 50 Gaza targets as ceasefire deal nears
The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli intelligence agencies coordinated to attack around 50 targets across the Gaza Strip in the previous 24 hours, the IDF said in a Wednesday morning post to X.
The attacks targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the IDF said.
It reported strikes in Gaza City in the north of the strip, Khan Younis in the south and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
The targets included “terrorist cells, weapons depots, underground infrastructure, anti-tank positions and military structures,” the IDF said.
The latest wave of strikes came as ceasefire negotiators in Qatar reportedly neared a deal to pause — and eventually scale down — the 15-month-old war.
Israel, Hamas agree on core elements of Gaza ceasefire, but haggling over details: US officials
Israel and the highest ranks of Hamas have now agreed to the core elements of the hostage release-ceasefire deal on the table, but both sides are continuing to haggle over the details of the proposal, according to two officials familiar with the negotiations.
The outstanding differences are seen as relatively minor, but talks are expected to continue into Wednesday, the officials said.
Many of the items that are still being ironed out are tied to stubborn sticking points that have emerged in the past, like the operation of the Rafah border crossing and Israeli security concerns connected to the movement of displaced Palestinians back to their homes in northern Gaza.
The disagreements are unlikely to derail progress at this point, according to the officials.
Two of the three Americans that are possibly alive inside Gaza are poised to be released in the initial days or weeks of the ceasefire if an agreement is reached, but an official said they expect the releases will happen slower than they did during the truce in November 2023.
While they don’t have recent proof of life for the two Americans, the assumption is that they and most — but not all — of the 33 hostages freed under the deal will be returned alive.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
Israel waiting to hear back from Hamas on ceasefire agreement
Israel is currently waiting to hear back from Hamas on the most recent draft language of a ceasefire deal, sources told ABC News.
The two sides are reportedly closer to an agreement than ever before, according to a spokesperson for Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani.
“The ongoing talks in Doha regarding Gaza are fruitful, positive and focus on the final details. Meetings are underway in Doha between the parties to the agreement and we are awaiting updates from them,” the spokesperson told ABC News.
Implementation of the agreement will begin shortly after it is announced, according to the spokesperson.
Qatar expecting ceasefire deal ‘soon’
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a Tuesday briefing that participants in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha are close to a ceasefire deal.
“We expect the agreement to be announced soon,” the spokesperson said during the press conference.
Qatar is a key mediator between Israel and Hamas and has hosted several rounds of ceasefire talks in the capital Doha.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta
61 Palestinians killed in Gaza as ceasefire talks continue
The Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces strikes killed at least 61 Palestinians in the previous 24 hours and injured 281 more in the Hamas-run territory.
The total number of Palestinians killed since the war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is now 46,645 with 110,012 people injured, according to the ministry.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
Hamas says Gaza talks are in ‘final stages’
Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks with Israel are in their “final stages,” adding it hopes “that this round of negotiations will end with a clear and comprehensive agreement.”
In a statement posted to the group’s website, Hamas said it held meetings and consultations with leaders of other Palestinian factions regarding the progress made in ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
“During these contacts, the leaders of the forces and factions expressed their satisfaction with the course of the negotiations, stressing the need for general national preparation for the next stage and its requirements,” Hamas said.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta
Israel hoping for ceasefire announcement ‘soon,’ official says
An Israeli government official told ABC News on Tuesday morning they “hope we can announce something soon” regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
The official said there had been “real progress” on every part of the negotiation in the last few days.
The official added that Hamas has changed and they are no longer “dictating” the terms, but are negotiating. “We are close, but not there yet,” they said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Sirens sound in central Israel after projectile launched from Yemen: IDF
A projectile was fired from Yemen towards Israel, the IDF said in a release early Tuesday morning local time.
Sirens were sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the IDF said.
Latest on hostages in ceasefire deal
Thirty-three hostages, living and dead, are expected to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the ongoing negotiations.
There are 94 abductees remaining in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead, according to Israeli officials.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
‘Real chance’ of ceasefire success, source says
A source close to the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar told ABC News that Israel is waiting for Hamas to approve moving into a final “closing round of negotiations,” adding there is a “real chance” for a “breakthrough” after a diplomatic blitz in Doha this weekend.
“We still have ahead of us a closing round of negotiations,” the source added
Reuters reported Monday that mediators in Qatar handed both Israel and Hamas a final draft of the ceasefire proposal, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
Reuters reported that the official said a breakthrough was reached after talks between Steve Witkoff — President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy — the Qatari prime minister and Israeli spy chiefs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, said Monday “there is progress,” and that the situation “looks much better than previously.”
“I don’t want to say more than that because I realize there are families and they are sensitive to every word, and every sentence,” Saar added. “I hope that within a short time we will see things happening, but it is still to be proved.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Guy Davies
Far-right minister says potential Gaza ceasefire deal represents ‘catastrophe’
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he will not support the potential Gaza ceasefire deal currently being negotiated in Qatar, describing it as “a catastrophe for the national security of Israel.”
“We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing arch terrorists, stopping the war and destroying its achievements that were bought with much blood and abandoning many hostages,” Smotrich wrote in a post to X on Monday.
“Now is the time to continue with all our might, to occupy and cleanse the entire strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders completely and all the hostages are returned.”
-ABC News’ Dana Savir
Netanyahu spoke with Biden on ceasefire and hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he spoke with President Joe Biden on Sunday about progress in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage deal.
A senior White House administration official confirmed the call to ABC News.
“The Prime Minister discussed with the US President the progress in negotiations for the release of our hostages, and updated him on the mandate he gave to the negotiating delegation to Doha, in order to promote the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu’s office wrote in a release about the call.
According to the White House, Biden and Netanyahu “discussed the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region.”
The call comes as Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is in the Middle East for negotiations. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that McGurk is there to hammer out the “final details” of an agreement.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Michelle Stoddart
100 days of Israel’s north Gaza assault
Sunday marked 100 days since the Israel Defense Forces launched its military operation in northern Gaza, with the toll of dead and missing Palestinians now at 5,000 people, according to a report published by the Gaza media office in the Hamas-run territory.
Some 9,500 more people have been injured and 2,600 have been detained including women and children, the report said.
Israel continues striking targets across the strip. Over the last 24 hours, IDF attacks killed 24 Palestinians, according to data published by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The report added that 46,565 Palestinians have been killed by Israel throughout Gaza since the war began in October 2023, with another 109,660 people injured.
Israeli attacks in the north of Gaza have targeted civilian infrastructures and hospitals, which combined with a siege of the area have worsened a humanitarian crisis there.
Calling for an end to the war, the Gaza media office report urged the international community — including the UN — to take immediate action to stop the assault and address the humanitarian crisis in the strip.
Israeli strikes on Gaza continued as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched senior negotiators to Qatar for ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks attended by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden’s outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
-ABC News’ Samy Zyara and Jordana Miller
High-level delegations gather in Doha for Gaza talks
For the first time in months, Israeli sources are expressing cautious optimism that a Gaza ceasefire may be within reach before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Officials close to the matter told ABC News on Sunday that a high-level Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad — David Barnea — arrived in Doha, Qatar, for a critical round of talks.
Others participating are Egyptian and U.S. officials including President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden’s outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
Witkoff made a surprise visit to Israel Saturday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, progress on some issues has been made — including the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released and the details of the Israel Defense Forces’ redeployment.
But some outstanding issues remain, including whether Hamas can provide Israel with a list of hostages who are alive. A Hamas official told Saudi media on Saturday that the group is ready to show flexibility.
The first phase of the deal is expected to last six to eight weeks, as the report suggests. A leaked hostage list by Hamas shows the names of two Americans to be released in the first phase. Seven Americans are among the 94 hostages, three of whom are presumed to still be alive.
(SEOUL) — The leader of South Korea’s ruling conservative People Power Party said he is now in favor of impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law, telling reporters “there is no other way,” during a briefing Thursday.
One week ago, ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon suggested similar action against the president, stating that “prompt suspension of his duties is necessary.”
But those intentions were, in part, waylaid by a motion of impeachment that had already been initiated by the opposition party.
When that motion moved through South Korea’s National Assembly, lawmakers in the People Power Party declined to join in the vote.
That left Yoon in power — and the ruling party back where it started.
“Since it has been confirmed that President Yoon Suk Yeol has no intention of resigning early, an immediate suspension from office is necessary,” Han said Thursday morning in Seoul. The sentiments echoed those he shared the previous week, and again carefully avoided using the word “impeachment.”
However, this time, Han was slightly more specific about the intentions behind his words, stating, “Our party members should attend the National Assembly and vote according to their consciences at the next vote.”
In a late-night speech last week, Yoon declared martial law in the country. The move, which touched off a wave of protests, included banning political activities and called for a stop to the “dissemination of fake news” and the manipulation of public opinion.
Within hours, the National Assembly voted to demand that the president lift the martial law order — which he soon did.
“From the time martial law was declared until now, we have consistently taken a firm stance that those involved in martial law, including the president, should be severely punished, and we will continue to do so,” said Han. “The president should be immediately suspended from state affairs, including the right to command the military. We must prevent any further confusion, and now there is only one effective way to do so.”
South Korean police then raided the president’s office on Wednesday as a part of the ongoing investigation into the martial law declaration.
Embattled president says he will ‘not avoid’ responsibility for martial law crisis
In a defiant speech on Thursday, local time, Yoon said he will defend himself if his critics try to impeach or investigate him.
“Whether they try to impeach me or investigate me, I will speak for myself. I will not avoid legal and political responsibility regarding the declaration of martial law,” Yoon said.
Yoon explained why he believed he needed to invoke martial law, saying he felt the “majority opposition party continued to abuse its constitutional authority and repeat unconstitutional measures,” causing him to “exercise the president’s authority within the framework of the Constitution.”
“I intended to prevent the collapse of the liberal democratic constitutional order and normalize the function of the state,” Yoon said.
Yoon’s statement came just hours before the opposition party was expected to submit a new impeachment motion against Yoon, which could come up for a vote on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
