International

U.S. assumed “temporary custody” of Venezuelan diplomatic headquarters

February 10 |

The United States government assumed “temporary custody” of Venezuela’s diplomatic headquarters in that country on February 6 and will have under its control the real estate and assets until the Venezuelan mission “resumes operations”, confirmed a US State Department spokesperson.

“This action is consistent with the Department’s authorities under the Foreign Missions Act and with U.S. obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ‘respect and protect’ the facilities and property of a diplomatic mission that has been suspended,” a State Department spokesperson responded to Voice of America.

The spokesperson recalled that the Venezuelan embassy in the United States announced the closure of the bilateral mission on January 5 of this year, the date on which Carlos Vecchio ceased to act as diplomatic representative of the interim government, after Parliament of 2015 decided to dissolve the interim that was presided by Juan Guaidó.

The U.S. official reiterated that the United States continues to recognize the 2015 Parliament as the “last” democratically elected institution left in Venezuela.

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The opposition-majority Parliament, which for the third consecutive time extended its mandate, left in office a five-member Council of Administration and Protection of Assets, a body competent to protect all Venezuelan goods or assets abroad.

One of the members of the Council is Fernando Blasi, who was appointed as representative of the 2015 Parliament in the United States. At the moment it is not clear how he will exercise his functions in view of the taking of custody of the diplomatic offices in the United States.

However, Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 Parliament clarified that the action of the US government was “done in a coordinated manner” with Blasi, who, she said, “coordinated the whole process with the State Department”.

“It was not a surprise procedure. We were all officially informed (…) it was what corresponded according to the Vienna Convention. There was presence of members of the mission in the procedure”, states a press release of the NA.

Figuera denied that there were people working in the diplomatic offices and that they were not allowed to enter, as was reported by some media.

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Neither the government nor the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry have reacted.

Venezuela has been going through a complex institutional crisis since 2019 when, arguing that the 2018 elections, in which President Nicolás Maduro was reelected were “fraudulent”, Guaidó, was sworn in as interim president of Venezuela and was recognized by dozens of countries that imposed sanctions and supported the strategy of “asset protection” abroad, but in practice, Maduro never ceased to exercise power.

International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.