Colombia Earthquake Response: Rescuers and civilians are still digging through rubble after a 7.4 quake struck western Colombia, with President Abelardo de la Espriella saying at least 181 people died, about 2,595 were injured, and hundreds remain missing as search efforts resume and curfews aim to curb looting. Regional Solidarity: Catholic bishops across Latin America sent prayers and messages of support for Colombia’s victims, while the Philippines’ president also offered condolences. Israel-Venezuela Rapprochement: Israel and Venezuela restored diplomatic ties after 17 years, agreeing to a coordination mechanism for consular services and continuing technical cooperation tied to earthquake response and reconstruction. Brazil Tokenization Push: Itaú and OpenAssets joined an ANBIMA-led pilot to test tokenized fixed-income securities and investment funds on distributed ledger tech, moving Brazil’s tokenization experiments toward real-world settlement. US-China Lending Scrutiny: The US State Department warned that China’s overseas lending lacks transparency, raising risks of unexpected defaults in emerging markets. Caribbean Connectivity: A GSMA report says 5G in the Caribbean could reach 23% of mobile connections by 2030, but regulatory upgrades and spectrum access are key to closing the digital divide.