New York City’s “Big Apple” was dressed in blue and white as the sounds of “Banda El Carbonero” echoed through its buildings. The band proudly represented El Salvador at the renowned Hispanic Day Parade this past Sunday, October 13, an event that gathered over 20 Hispanic countries to celebrate Latin cultural diversity in a vibrant artistic display.

The Salvadoran delegation consisted of 95 participants, including the musical band, a cheerleading squad, a folkloric group in traditional attire, and the official representation of the Salvadoran Civic Committee in New York, according to David Pimentel, artistic director of “Banda El Carbonero.” Pimentel, along with his team of New York-based musicians, volunteered their time and effort to make this performance possible.

“The performance by El Salvador was spectacular and full of energy. Among the participants were 10 young Salvadorans, selected from various musical projects in El Salvador, who traveled to New York to join this significant event. Thanks to generous donations, their plane tickets, lodging, and meals were covered, allowing them to proudly represent their cultural heritage,” said David Pimentel.

The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that a swarm of drones flew over Langley Air Force Base for days in December 2023, but stressed that none of those devices was perceived as a threat.

Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh admitted at a press conference that there were “incursions” and that the number of drones that flew over those facilities located in the state of Virginia “fluctuated.”

“They didn’t seem to show a hostile intention. It’s something we’ve been attentive to,” he said.

The Pentagon confirms flights

The Wall Street Journal reported these flights this weekend and specified that they extended for 17 days and that they usually took place between 45 minutes and an hour after sunset.

The newspaper recalled that federal law prohibits the armed forces from neutralizing those devices near US bases if they do not pose an imminent threat. According to his report, US officers did not believe, however, that they were led by fans given the complexity of the operation.

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Missions were canceled

The newspaper added that Langley’s personnel canceled night training missions worried about possible collisions with the drones and that the F-22 fighters were moved to another base. The last appearance of these drones occurred on December 23.

The Pentagon deputy spokeswoman stressed that the commanders of any base have the authority to protect their forces and infrastructure, pointed out that such air raids in US territory require coordination with other agencies and said she did not know where these aircraft started.

The Government of Venezuela called this Tuesday a “pamphlet” the report of the Independent International Mission of the United Nations (UN), in which alleged crimes against humanity committed by the country’s authorities in the July 28 elections, in which Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed president re-elected, are denounced.

In a statement, Venezuela’s representation before the UN in Geneva “energetically rejected the pamphlet published by the shameful mission,” for being “a novel document” and “a fanciful script,” without responding to the remarks contained in the report.

“That mercenary mission has never set foot in Venezuela. However, it has wasted more than six million dollars on political propaganda in favor of the Venezuelan fascist right,” the letter says.

Venezuela also asserted that the mission uses a methodology and sources of information “widely questionable due to its lack of rigor,” since it takes “as certain stories of social networks and long-line media.”

Security forces in the protests in Venezuela

In a 158-page report covering the period from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024, the mission accuses security forces and pro-government armed civilian groups of murders, enforced disappearances, acts of torture and sexual and gender-based violence.

The security forces were “massively involved” in human rights violations, such as arbitrary detentions, excessive use of force to repress protests, or cruel and degrading treatment, the document indicates, pointing to the civil intelligence services (SEBIN) and military (DGCIM), as well as the Bolivarian National Guard and the National Police.

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He also assures that “the statements of the highest authorities of the State, especially after July 28, incited repression and contributed to generating a climate of hostility and violence.”

Once Maduro was announced as the winner, the majority opposition denounced fraud and assured that its standard bearer, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the Presidency, a claim that has the support of several countries.