International
Venezuela confirms investigation of public officials for corruption
March 20 |
The government of the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, confirmed on Sunday that it is investigating for alleged “administrative corruption and embezzlement”, several citizens who held public positions, reported the state channel Venezolana de Televisión.
Joselit Ramírez, dismissed from his position as head of the National Superintendence of Cryptocurrency and Related Activities (Sunacrip), where a “restructuring” took place, was reportedly arrested together with other officials, local newspaper Últimas Noticias reported.
Reports of arrests in the Venezuelan press have not yet been officially confirmed by Maduro’s government.
Ramirez is on the wanted list for “money laundering and sanctions evasion” of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. State Department, which is offering a reward of up to $5 million for his arrest.
“Ramirez Camacho worked with others to violate and evade Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) narcotics-related sanctions, among other related regulations,” the government agency said.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement points to Ramírez of having ties to Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, designated in 2017 by the US Treasury Department as a “Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker” for “playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking.”
“He facilitated narcotics shipments from Venezuela, including control of planes leaving a Venezuelan airbase and drug routes through ports in Venezuela. In his former positions, he oversaw or partially owned narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including those with Mexico and the United States as final destinations,” the US Department of Homeland Security states.
On several occasions the Venezuelan government, including President Nicolás Maduro, has defended several sanctioned officials, including El Aissami.
“They want to link him to Hezbollah, I know Tareck well, never in his life, he has never had contact with anyone from Hezbollah,” said the Venezuelan president at a public event in 2019.
Other of those investigated in the operation of the anti-corruption authorities were the lawyer Cristóbal Cornieles Perret, president of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of Caracas; and the Fourth Control Judge with competence in crimes associated to terrorism, José Mascimino Márquez, who was in charge of cases where important opposition leaders were sentenced.
The Estafo channel also confirmed the investigation to the mayor of the Santos Michelena municipality of Aragua state, Pedro Hernández, “for issues linked” to criminal gangs.
The Venezuelan Anti-Corruption Police had announced on Friday that it requested the Public Prosecutor’s Office to “prosecute” a series of individuals who could be involved in “serious acts of administrative corruption and embezzlement”.
“The conviction of our actions are the result of a thorough investigation, carried out for months, which points to citizens who exercised functions in the Judicial Power, in the oil industry, and in some municipal mayors’ offices of the country”, states the communiqué.
On the same Friday, in the middle of an act broadcasted by the State channel, Maduro called on his cabinet ministers to “stick to ethics”.
“They have to stick to honesty and selfless public service, service as an apostolate to the people because the power we have does not belong to us, the power I have as president does not belong to me, it belongs to the sovereign people of Venezuela. Let us not forget ministers, comrades who have leadership, I hand over to you and I delegate my trust to you”, said Maduro.
Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, reacted by assuring that with the facts, Nicolás Maduro “confesses” again “where the corruption is”.
“No internal struggle will make them wash their hands. They intend to continue stealing and clinging to power, aggravating the daily life of millions. Not even in a series of narcos was there so much brazenness,” he wrote on Twitter.
For his part, also political leader Julio Borges assured from exile that there is an “internal war” in the government to divide a “loot” among “looters”.
“They are not fooling anyone, Venezuela knows that the corrupt are in Miraflores”, insisted Borges in a tweet.
International
Exclusive Tucson Neighborhood Shaken by Disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother
The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of well-known U.S. journalist Savannah Guthrie, has shaken the exclusive Catalina Foothills neighborhood in northern Tucson, Arizona. For the past eleven days, the area has become the focus of an intensive investigation and constant media attention.
The 84-year-old woman was last seen on January 31, when she returned home after a family dinner. Since then, authorities have released few details about the suspected abduction.
“It is worrying that an elderly person could be the victim of a crime like this in her own home; we are a community of retirees,” Mario Ruiz, a resident who lives near the property, told EFE.
He explained that neighbors in the area tend to respect each other’s privacy, and many homes do not even have fences, surrounded only by the desert landscape about 110 kilometers from the Mexican border.
Support for the family is visible in an improvised altar set up outside Guthrie’s house. Flowers, candles and a message written on a stone — “Please pray, bring her home” — reflect the concern felt by the community.
During a visit to Catalina Foothills on Wednesday, a strong presence of FBI agents could be seen patrolling nearby roads and neighborhoods in search of any clue that might help locate Guthrie.
Officers have been checking bushes, trash containers and surrounding areas near the residence, which is located in one of Tucson’s most exclusive districts, close to shopping centers, private golf courses and resorts.
International
Over 50 Civil Groups Urge House to Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
More than 50 civil society organizations, including Latino collectives and migrant advocacy groups, on Tuesday urged the U.S. House of Representatives to open impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom they accuse of leading a migration policy that is “violent, reckless, and contrary to the Constitution.”
The request was submitted through a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislative leaders. In the document, the organizations argue that Noem has encouraged repressive practices that have left multiple victims and have “intentionally undermined the mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”
Among the signatories are Voto Latino, Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), Hispanic Federation, UnidosUS, and the Latino Victory Project. The groups emphasized that at least 187 lawmakers already support the impeachment initiative introduced in January by Representative Robin Kelly for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
The accusations include the alleged obstruction of congressional access to migrant detention centers and the excessive use of force, with at least 14 people shot since July 2025. They also cite three documented deaths, including those of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
The organizations further criticized the detention of migrant children, pointing to the case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, arrested in Minnesota last month, which sparked nationwide controversy.
They also denounced that operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have resulted in due process violations, unlawful detentions of Indigenous citizens, and disregard for court orders. According to the signatories, Noem has “dismantled” civil rights protections within the DHS and has shown a lack of understanding of constitutional principles such as habeas corpus.
Central America
Guatemala to Phase Out Longstanding Medical Cooperation Agreement with Cuba
Guatemala’s government announced on Tuesday that it will end this year a cooperation agreement with Cuba that has brought doctors from the Caribbean nation to work in the Central American country.
Guatemala’s Health Ministry told EFE that the program, which has been in place for nearly three decades, will be phased out progressively throughout 2026.
According to the same source, there are currently 412 Cubans in Guatemala under the agreement, including 333 physicians.
Cuban medical brigades assigned to Guatemala have traditionally been deployed to various regions of the country to provide primary health care to local communities.
“The decision follows a technical assessment aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the national workforce and consolidating the public health system’s own capacities,” the Guatemalan ministry said.
Earlier this week, lawmaker Sonia Gutiérrez, from the left-wing Winaq party, warned that the move “could be an inhumane act that threatens the health and lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations,” given the historic importance of Cuban doctors in providing medical care.
For that reason, the legislator summoned Health Ministry authorities to Congress, as permitted by law, to provide further details about the decision.
Former human rights ombudsman Jordán Rodas Andrade also weighed in on social media, recalling that “for 27 years Cuban doctors have been the backbone of health care in Guatemala’s most neglected areas,” and stressing that “ending this agreement is an act of ingratitude that leaves the most vulnerable unprotected.”
President Bernardo Arévalo’s government told EFE that, in order to guarantee continued care, it will implement a gradual replacement plan that includes hiring national personnel.
Exclusive Tucson Neighborhood Shaken by Disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother
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