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“It feels like a mockery”

Dear readers,

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Justo Betancourt and his family became symbols of the resistance to Trump's immigration crackdown during the more than six months he spent in ICE detention centers, where he suffered serious health problems and was twice nearly deported to Mexico. Released after his daughter Arianne led a campaign in his favor, he says that Trump's post on Truth Social apparently celebrating his newfound freedom sounds "like a mockery."

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Trump this week also endorsed the winner of the first round of Colombia's presidential election, Abelardo de la Espriella. The far-right candidate has made the most of growing polarization, has used misogynistic and homophobic language, admires Milei and Bukele, and wants to reopen debates over abortion and child adoption rights.

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This week we also bring you an interview with U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, who is torn between another comeback or definitive retirement from the elite: "I hate exercise, after doing it for so long, I deserve a break."

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We hope you enjoy this selection of stories from EL PAÍS USA Edition.

‘It feels like a mockery’: Justo Betancourt, a former detainee at Alligator Alcatraz who received a congratulations note from Trump

The Cuban man and his family became symbols of the resistance to the immigration crackdown during the more than six months he spent in ICE detention centers, where he suffered serious health problems and was twice nearly deported to Mexico

De la Espriella’s far-right banners

The winner of the first round of the Colombian presidential election has used misogynistic and homophobic language, admires Milei and Bukele, promises to cut 40% of state bureaucracy, and wants to reopen debates over abortion and child adoption rights

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Trump, mayor (and emperor) of Washington

The president is shaping the US capital to his liking with works marked by corruption that reflect his authoritarian drift. Two judges have blocked the fund meant to compensate his allies allegedly ‘persecuted’ by Biden

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Secrets, UFOs, and smokescreens: Why Washington is obsessed with extraterrestrials

The release of documents on unidentified phenomena ordered by Trump is the result of activists, politicians, and military figures who have been pushing for years to end what they denounce as a ‘truth embargo’

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Miguel Díaz‑Canel, the steward of the remains of the Cuban Revolution

The president of Cuba, in Raúl Castro’s shadow, has barely been able to push through reforms on the island, which is bordering on collapse

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Ndaba Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson: ‘As a child I wanted to live in a prison, like my grandfather’

The president of the Mandela Institute for Humanity fights to preserve his legacy and supports education as a way to create new leaders who will be critical thinkers

The microbes of Ötzi the Iceman awaken thousands of years after his death

Study of his microbiome uncovers cold-adapted fungi that have been activated and threaten the mummy’s condition

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Simone Biles: ‘I hate exercise; after doing it for so long, I deserve a break’

The American gymnast, who has not competed since the 2024 Olympic Games, is torn between another comeback or definitive retirement from the elite

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How a group of young Italians created an international scandal with their trip to Spain in 1961 to record anti-Franco songs

The Cantacronache group documented the hidden popular resistance to the regime in two albums and a book, unleashing an angry media offensive from the Spanish government that reached Italy and the Vatican

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Thanks, readers