International
Venezuela’s Guaido calls for ‘sincere unity’ after election defeat
AFP
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called Monday for “sincere unity” following a disastrous defeat in regional elections the day before.
The fractured opposition broke a three-year election boycott to take part in mayoral and gubernatorial votes but paid for its failure to put up single candidates against President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV).
Opposition figures won in only three out of 23 states, while Maduro allies won 18 governorships and are well-positioned to claim the final two.
The PSUV candidate also took the mayor’s office in the capital Caracas.
Guaido himself rejected the election over fears it would not be fair, and refused to vote.
“It would be unfair to talk of an election failure” in an “alleged election that wasn’t one,” insisted Guido, adding that it was “absolutely flawed” and “clearly unequal.”
“Those that managed to snatch (posts) from the dictatorship is a feat… my respects,” said Guaido.
But he said what happened on Sunday highlighted “the obvious need for unification” among opposition forces if they are to challenge the ruling party, or Maduro in the 2024 presidential election.
“It is an event that should bring us towards greater unity, a sincere unity,” said Guaido.
Guaido has lost much of the luster he gained with his audacious bid in January 2019 to oust Maduro through popular will.
He used this position as then-parliament speaker to declare himself acting president after the legislature dismissed Maduro as a “usurper” over his 2018 reelection that was widely dismissed by the international community.
But Guaido was never able to force Maduro, who maintained the support of the powerful military, out of the presidential palace. and within six months he had lost most of his pulling power.
Although around 60 countries recognized Guaido’s claim to be acting president, much of the opposition broke ranks and rejected him as their leader.
“It’s time to open our arms” to bring everyone back into the same fold, said Guaido.
Election authorities said Monday that 42.2 percent of the 21 million registered voters went to the polls on Sunday, although it is yet to publish final official results.
International
Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
Bogotá and Quito will hold an emergency bilateral summit next week amid recent developments that have strained relations between the two countries.
Tensions escalated this week after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa unexpectedly announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Colombia responded with a reciprocal measure, imposing the same tariff on around 20 Ecuadorian products and suspending electricity exports to Ecuador.
Aware that electricity imports are critical to easing Ecuador’s recent energy crises, Quito further imposed a 30% tariff on the transportation of Colombian oil through its territory.
However, recent statements from the Ecuadorian government suggest that dialogue between the two sides has intensified in recent hours. Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, confirmed that active conversations are under way.
In Colombia, segments of the business sector have welcomed the prospect of negotiations. The National Business Council (Consejo Gremial Nacional, CGN), for instance, urged both governments to restore commercial relations, warning that the dispute “puts jobs and regional economic stability at risk.”
International
Trump-Era Defense Plan Prioritizes Border Security and Scales Back Global Commitments
The U.S. military will prioritize the defense of the homeland and the deterrence of China, while providing more limited support to its allies and elevating Latin America as a key focus of its agenda, according to a Pentagon strategic document released on Friday.
The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) represents a significant shift from previous Pentagon policies, both in its emphasis on allies assuming greater responsibility with reduced backing from Washington and in its more moderate tone toward traditional adversaries such as China and Russia.
“As U.S. forces focus on defending the homeland and the Indo-Pacific, allies and partners elsewhere will assume primary responsibility for their own defense, with crucial but more limited support from U.S. forces,” the document states.
The previous defense strategy, published during President Joe Biden’s administration, described China as Washington’s most consequential challenge and characterized Russia as an “acute threat.”
The new strategy, however, calls for maintaining “respectful relations” with Beijing and makes no reference to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China and allied with the United States. It also describes the threat posed by Russia as “persistent but manageable,” particularly affecting NATO’s eastern members.
While both the Biden-era strategy and the Trump administration’s approach emphasize the importance of defending U.S. territory, they differ significantly in their assessment of the challenges facing the country.
The Trump administration’s NDS sharply criticizes the previous government for neglecting border security, arguing that this failure led to an “influx of illegal immigrants” and widespread narcotics trafficking.
International
Guatemala considers sending high-risk gang members to military prisons
Amid the escalating crisis in Guatemala’s prison system, the government is considering transferring high-risk gang members to military-run detention facilities, a move that analysts say could help address overcrowding and the lack of control in civilian prisons.
The debate has gained urgency following the killing of ten police officers by gang members, reportedly in retaliation after the government refused to meet demands made by Aldo Dupie Ochoa, alias “El Lobo,” leader of the Barrio 18 gang, which authorities identified as responsible for the attack.
Guatemala’s Minister of Defense, Henry David Sáenz, told local media that the possibility of relocating high-danger inmates to military brigades has not been formally discussed. However, he noted that the practice is not new to the Armed Forces and said it is something that “was already being done.”
One example is the detention center located within the Mariscal Zavala Military Brigade, in Zone 17 of Guatemala City, where several inmates are held under military supervision. The facility also houses high-profile detainees, including former official Eduardo Masaya, who faces corruption charges.
In 2015, a ministerial agreement authorized the establishment of the Zone Seventeen Detention Center within the brigade, with a maximum capacity of 114 inmates in Area A and 21 in Area B. The agreement specified that the facility would be used exclusively for civilians or military personnel considered at risk of assassination.
Additionally, since 2010, a prison has operated within the Matamoros Barracks in Zone 1 of Guatemala City, holding dangerous or high-profile inmates. However, media outlets have described these military detention centers as “VIP prisons,” particularly for former government officials such as ex-president Otto Pérez Molina.
Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
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