International
On the road with a migrant caravan leaving Honduras
AFP
Hundreds of men, women and children gathered early Saturday morning in the parking lot of San Pedro Sula’s main transit hub, on the edge of the northern Honduran city.
Before the sun rose, many had already departed on foot, carrying the few belongings they had in backpacks or bags towards Corinto, a small Honduran border town on the other side of the mountains.
While their final destination is the United States, their main goal is “a better future for their family,” said a Nicaraguan who provided only his first name, Ovaldo.
Originally from the Nicaraguan capital Managua, he lamented that the situation in his country “is quite difficult,” and his family faced “a very hard road.”
He was accompanied by about 500 other migrants from a variety of countries including Honduras, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Some had even crossed the ocean from Africa.
They will join a nearly endless flow of people attempting to cross into Guatemala, then Mexico and ultimately the United States — which most will not manage to do.
At the Corinto border crossing, the group had arrived all together but broke into smaller groups to go through Guatemalan immigration.
Those who were missing identification or proof of a negative Covid-19 test were sent back into Honduras, according to an AFP photographer on the scene.
Migrants who do make it past will still have more than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) until the US border.
Guatemalan authorities said about 150 people entered the country at unauthorized crossings because they lacked the papers to get in.
A group of about 100 migrants who got past immigration controls were stopped in the jurisdiction of Izabal, near the border, where they threw stones and blunt objects at security forces.
The clashes injured a dozen officers who were trying to get the migrants to turn back, officials said.
The last caravan to leave San Pedro Sula was in January 2021, and contained about 7,000 people.
It was broken up in Guatemala, when hundreds of soldiers attacked the migrants with sticks and tear gas, forcing them to return to Honduras.
Migrants in Saturday’s caravan said they were risking the dangerous journey for multiple reasons: to escape violence from drug traffickers and gangs, but also to start anew after natural disasters such as floods and droughts upended their lives.
International
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
The Vatican reportedly attempted to negotiate an offer of asylum in Russia for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before his capture by U.S. forces last Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
The U.S. newspaper reported that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch about a supposed Russian proposal to grant Maduro asylum. A source familiar with the offer said that what was proposed “was that he would leave and be able to enjoy his money,” and that part of the plan involved Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteeing Maduro’s security.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, the United States carried out a military operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture and detention, along with his wife Cilia Flores, who are now being held in New York on narcoterrorism charges.
The Washington Post also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump may have invited Maduro to Washington for in-person discussions about safe conduct, an offer that Maduro reportedly declined.
International
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
“War is becoming fashionable again, and war enthusiasm is spreading.” Pope Leo XIV delivered a somber assessment of international politics on Friday, sharply criticizing the growing reliance on force by nations at a time when his country of birth is increasing military displays.
While offering New Year’s greetings to the diplomatic corps, the U.S.-born pope — who also holds Peruvian nationality — delivered one of his strongest speeches to date, denouncing the “worrying weakening of multilateralism” and the emergence of what he described as “war enthusiasm.”
From the outset of his address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, delivered in English, the pontiff lamented the rise of a “diplomacy of force, by individuals or groups of allied states,” at the expense of dialogue, warning that such trends threaten the global order established after World War II.
“Peace is no longer sought as a gift or as a good desirable in itself, or as the pursuit of ‘the establishment of an order willed by God, one that entails greater justice among human beings.’ Instead, it is pursued through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominance,” the head of the Catholic Church said, without directly naming any country.
His remarks come amid ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Gaza Strip, and against a broader international backdrop marked by European concerns over a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, a scenario that could threaten the cohesion of NATO.
International
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
The incident occurred at around 4:10 p.m. local time in the Carabanchel neighborhood, in the southwest of the Spanish capital, according to a spokesperson for emergency services.
One person, whose identity was not disclosed, was killed, and nine others sustained minor injuries, the spokesperson said.
When asked about the possible cause of the explosion, emergency services did not provide any details.
Images shared by authorities on their official X account show a partial collapse of the building’s façade.
In October 2025, the collapse of a building under renovation in central Madrid left four people dead.
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
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
-
International4 days agoU.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador reports safest year in its history, security cabinet says
-
International4 days agoU.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
-
International4 days agoFlorida’s ‘Tidal Wave’ operation detains 10,400 migrants in largest ICE joint effort
-
International4 days agoDelcy Rodríguez, key figure in U.S.-Venezuela transition, remains under EU sanctions
-
International4 days agoMaduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
-
International4 days agoColombia to maintain anti-drug cooperation with U.S. after Trump remarks
-
International2 days agoBeijing Says International Support Strengthens Its Position on Taiwan Sovereignty Issue
-
International4 days agoChina urges immediate release of Maduro, seeks emergency UN security council meeting
-
International5 days agoMarco Rubio warns Cuba could be Trump administration’s next target
-
International23 hours agoPetro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
-
International23 hours ago
Trump Signals Extended U.S. Influence Over Venezuela Following Military Operation
-
International23 hours agoLula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
-
International23 hours agoSenate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
-
International4 days agoColombia says border with Venezuela remains calm after U.S. arrest of Maduro
-
International2 days agoJustice Department Misses Deadline as Millions of Epstein Files Remain Under Review
-
International59 minutes agoOne Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
-
International51 minutes agoPope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
-
International48 minutes ago
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture