International
The US ambassador says goodbye to Mexico without regretting “anything” despite bilateral tension
The US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said goodbye on Monday with a last message in which he assured that he “does not regret anything”, amid bilateral tensions over Washington’s criticism of judicial reform and the production of fentanyl in the country.
“I don’t regret anything. I’m leaving better, feeling that we have a strong and good job, which should be carried out between the two countries more frequently,” he said at a final press conference before leaving the position of ambassador, which he held since 2021 when Democratic President Joe Biden appointed him.
“In more than three years and more than 120 visits, I toured the 32 states of Mexico (…) Our countries have lived a historical cooperation consolidating North America as the main economic power,” he stressed.
The president-elect of the United States, the Republican Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has announced as his candidate for ambassador of the country to Mexico the retired colonel Ronald Johnson, a position for which he must be approved by the US Senate.
Salazar, 69, began his stay in Mexico showing great closeness to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), but over time the relationship became tense until he ended with direct criticism of the Mexican government’s security policy and the judicial reform that the popular election of judges seeks.
The ambassador commented on the controversy surrounding fentanyl, causing a public health crisis due to a wave of overdose deaths in the United States, and that Washington considers to be produced in Mexico and China, so he has redoubled the calls to these countries to fight its production.
“I know what happens, that there is fentanyl in Mexico and I also know that it is produced here,” he said.
However, he indicated that it is “a debate, which occurs or does not occur, does not lead us where we have to go” and called on the Mexican government to maintain collaboration with the United States on this matter.
After Salazar’s departure, the business manager, Mark Johnson, is in charge of the US embassy in Mexico.
Regarding the proposals for mass deportations and tightening of Trump’s immigration policies, the outgoing ambassador acknowledged that there will be “changes” and “fear” among the migrant population in the United States.
It is estimated that about half of the 11 million undocumented people in the United States are Mexicans.
Last week, the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, proposed that this month there be a meeting between the foreign ministers of Latin America to address the challenges of migration before Trump’s arrival at the White House.
Sheinbaum, who has said she is prepared to receive the deported Mexicans, has reiterated “the insistence on the United States that repatriation be made to the different countries of origin,” instead of expelling them all to Mexico.
International
President Noboa Declares New Security Strategy as Ecuador Faces Record Violence Levels
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Tuesday declared the National Comprehensive Security Plan 2025-2029 as a nationwide public policy, a strategy aimed at guiding state actions on security matters over the next four years.
The measure was formalized through an executive decree that activates the plan approved on March 9 by the Public and State Security Council (Cosepe) and replaces the National Comprehensive Security Plan 2019-2030, which had been designated as public policy in 2021.
Under the new decree, implementation of the strategy will be led by the ministries of Interior, Defense, and Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, along with the National Intelligence Center and the National Secretariat for Risk Management. These institutions will be responsible for coordinating actions according to their respective areas of responsibility.
According to the official document, the new plan adopts a multidimensional and comprehensive security approach, with a long-term vision focused on national interests and on strengthening the State’s ability to respond to current threats.
The Ecuadorian government said the strategy seeks to improve coordination among public institutions within the framework of the “internal armed conflict” declared by Noboa in 2024 as part of the fight against criminal organizations operating across the country.
The plan also includes measures to strengthen international cooperation against transnational organized crime, which authorities identify as one of Ecuador’s main security challenges due to its links to drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The government described the document as a roadmap for prevention, protection, response and recovery actions in the face of national security risks, promoting coordinated efforts among state institutions.
Ecuador has remained under an internal armed conflict declaration since 2024, when Noboa intensified operations against criminal gangs that his administration has labeled terrorist organizations. Despite the increased security measures, the country recorded around 9,300 homicides in 2025, the highest figure in its history, according to data from the Ministry of Interior.
The new security plan comes as Ecuador seeks to strengthen its institutional response to escalating violence and the growing influence of organized crime networks.
International
Foreign Medical Teams Race to Prevent Health Crisis in Venezuela Earthquake Camps
More than two weeks after the twin earthquakes that devastated parts of Venezuela and left thousands of people without homes, medical teams from several countries are working to prevent a potential health crisis in temporary shelters where survivors are living in precarious conditions.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck on June 24 have left more than 4,561 people dead and 16,740 injured, according to the latest government figures. The hardest-hit area has been La Guaira state, located near Caracas and considered the epicenter of the disaster.
Field hospitals from El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, Brazil and Spain are now facing the challenge of containing respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal problems and psychological conditions linked to the tragedy.
Among those affected is 54-year-old Darwin López, one of nearly 18,000 Venezuelans who lost their homes and are now living in crowded emergency shelters set up in stadiums, parks, public squares and even sidewalks across La Guaira.
During the first three days after the earthquakes, López focused on rescuing his 44-year-old wife and their three-year-old child from the rubble of the building where they lived.
On Friday, he took another of his children, a 35-year-old man, to a U.S.-operated mobile hospital after he developed severe stomach pain.
“He had a strong stomach ache, and I took him to Pariata Hospital in La Guaira, but it was overwhelmed. So they gave us this alternative,” López told AFP while waiting outside a Samaritan’s Purse field hospital installed in large white tents.
Doctors are now treating him and his family hopes the condition is not serious, although López fears it may have been caused by contaminated food or unsafe water.
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes, international medical teams focused primarily on treating severe trauma cases, fractures and performing emergency surgeries. However, their priorities have now shifted toward addressing post-disaster illnesses and implementing epidemiological monitoring programs to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
Health authorities and humanitarian organizations warn that overcrowded shelters, limited access to clean water and difficult living conditions could increase the possibility of respiratory and gastrointestinal outbreaks among thousands of displaced survivors.
International
France Holds Largest Bastille Day Military Parade as Europe Highlights Strategic Defense
France held its largest-ever Bastille Day military parade on Tuesday, with nearly 6,700 troops, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters and 315 military vehicles marching along the iconic route from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.
The annual parade, held to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution, was centered this year on France’s defense capabilities and Europe’s growing security challenges.
According to the Élysée Palace, the event aimed to highlight “France’s rearmament, France’s strategic autonomy and the strategic awakening of Europe.”
Among the main guests in the presidential stand was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who received a warm welcome upon his arrival, including a greeting from French First Lady Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
Zelensky was joined by 24 European heads of state and government, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The parade also featured military contingents from 35 countries, with around 500 international participants, as well as 25 Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the ceremony.
The event came one day after a new summit in Paris of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of countries committed to supporting Ukraine over the long term. Some members of the coalition have considered deploying troops to Ukraine once a ceasefire agreement with Russia is reached.
The large-scale celebration reflected France’s efforts to reinforce its role in European defense and underline unity among allies amid ongoing security concerns across the continent.
President Noboa Declares New Security Strategy as Ecuador Faces Record Violence Levels
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France Holds Largest Bastille Day Military Parade as Europe Highlights Strategic Defense
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