International
Maduro leads the march in Caracas for the 33 years of Hugo Chávez’s “rebellion”
Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for his third six-year term in power after elections questioned by the opposition, led this Tuesday a march that toured Caracas to commemorate the 33 years of what he called the “rebellion” of Hugo Chávez, between 1999 and 2013, in reference to the failed coup d’état that the deceased ruler led as a lieutenant colonel.
“February 4 (…) was the rebellion against all forms of domination (…) February 4, 1992, the day of awakening and the Bolivarian rebellion,” Maduro said at the end of the march, which started from Plaza Venezuela and culminated in Paseo Los Próceres, located near the main military complex and academies in the country, Fort Tiuna.
Maduro said that Chavismo has “resisted in a creative, heroic way” and is “advanceding” in its “own model,” so he said that “great, blessed times have come for Venezuela for now and forever.”
“There is no force on earth that will take away the destiny and the great future of Venezuela,” he said.
Together with the Chavista leader, the Minister of the Interior and also first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, pointed out that the soldiers of February 4 are with the revolution “in good times and in bad” and – he added – “if it is in bad times faster.”
“If the enemy made the mistake of making a mistake with us, he knows that he will have an immediate answer, a forceful answer, and we are going to show him that 33 years ago Hugo Chávez rose up with the people to never leave power again,” Cabello said, about the failed coup attempt against then-President Carlos Andrés Pérez, who died in 2010.
This Tuesday, which began with an event in the Mountain Barracks, a building located in the popular neighborhood of January 23 where Chávez’s remains rest, a PSUV congress is expected to begin to propose “to the high political command” the candidates for the regional and parliamentary elections of April 27.
The votes were called by the electoral body – controlled by Chavismo – and have been rejected by the majority opposition, which demands respect for the claimed triumph of Edmundo González Urrutia in the presidential elections of July last year.
In addition, Maduro criticized the Foreign Minister of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha, of whom he said “is not able to defend” the Panama Canal, which US President Donald Trump has threatened to “recover.”
In an event in Caracas, the leader of Chavismo said that Martínez-Acha “lowered his pants” before the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on his recent official visit to Panama, a country that promised not to renew a trade agreement with China and to work with the US Navy to “optimize the priority” of the transit of its ships through the Channel.
“Where is that idiot? What is the name of the Panamanian chancellor’s imbecile? That he pulled down his pants in front of Marco Rubio when he visited him now and is not able to defend the Panama Canal,” Maduro said in a speech.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
International
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Pope Francis, still recovering from pneumonia, appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday and, with a faint voice, wished a “Happy Easter” to the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.
A month after being discharged from a lengthy hospital stay, the presence of the 88-year-old pontiff had remained uncertain, with the Vatican not confirming his attendance ahead of time.
Eventually, the pope made a brief appearance in a wheelchair shortly after 12:00 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and to the world”).
Although no longer wearing an oxygen cannula, the Argentine Jesuit relied on a close aide to read his Easter message, which touched on major global conflicts.
Francis condemned the “dramatic and unworthy humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and called for a ceasefire, while also expressing concern over the “growing climate of antisemitism spreading across the globe.”
He further emphasized the importance of religious freedom and freedom of thought, stating that without mutual respect, “peace is not possible.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
Pope Francis Appears for Easter Blessing, Calls for Peace and Religious Freedom
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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