International

Cuba and Venezuela reject U.S. Human Rights Report

Photo: Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores

March 21 |

Cuba and Venezuela rejected on Tuesday the most recent report on Human Rights of the United States Department of State (US) while denouncing that Washington uses the issue of human rights as a tool for political expediency.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said through a statement that the U.S. nation “despite maintaining a permanent aggression against the rights of the Venezuelan people, seeks to qualify the actions of other governments”.

The document denounces that the White House “exactly 20 years ago launched one of the most brutal wars in the history of humanity against the Iraqi people, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, implementing torture methods and using weapons of war against civilians”.

“This only goes to show that, for the U.S. government, human rights are simply a tool it uses for its political expediency, based on distorted narratives.”

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In turn, Venezuelan diplomacy affirmed that “once again this report is published to attack sovereign countries, whose decisions are not made with Washington’s consent, while the United States, internally, fails to contain the growing poverty”, among other issues that Caracas denounced.

Likewise, the ministry highlighted that the U.S. has not signed or ratified important agreements such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Rome Statute; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; among others.

Finally, the communiqué concludes by expressing that Venezuela, despite the aggressions of the US and its accomplices “continues to defend the economic, political and social rights of the entire population and will continue to comply with its multilateral commitments to guarantee a dignified life for all its citizens”.

For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denounced the unacceptable slander against his country in the U.S. government’s Human Rights 2022 report.

He added on his Twitter account that with the shameful record of violations and abuses to its own citizens, the northern nation should refrain from stigmatizing others.

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“It tries in vain to disguise its interventionist and interfering behavior,” the Caribbean country’s foreign minister added.

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International

Maradona’s daughter accuses medical team of “horrible manipulation” in court

One of the daughters of Diego Maradona testified in court this Tuesday, breaking down in tears as she denounced what she described as “absolute and horrible manipulation” by her father’s medical team, during an emotional hearing in Argentina.

Gianinna Maradona stated that she and her siblings agreed to home hospitalization after doctors presented it as the best option following the neurosurgery Maradona underwent on November 3, 2020.

The football icon died on November 25 of that year, and the ongoing trial seeks to determine whether the conditions of his home care were appropriate.

According to Gianinna, what the family found at the residence where Maradona was recovering did not match what had been promised. She testified that there was no adequate medical equipment, constant monitoring, or even an ambulance available, despite assurances of continuous care.

“The manipulation was absolute and horrible,” she said during the hearing in San Isidro, near Buenos Aires.

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She accused members of the medical team, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, and psychologist Carlos Díaz, of misleading the family.

“I trusted these people, and all they did was manipulate us and leave my son without a grandfather,” she added.

Later in her testimony, recalling that six years have passed since her father’s death, she became emotional and said she struggled deeply with grief in the aftermath.

International

Trump extends Iran ceasefire after Pakistan mediation request

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday that he will extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire on Wednesday, following a request from Pakistan.

In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump said the truce will remain in place until Iran presents a proposal and negotiations are concluded, regardless of the outcome.

“I will extend the ceasefire until their proposal is presented and negotiations are completed, whatever the result,” the U.S. leader stated.

Trump justified the decision by claiming that Iran’s government is “deeply divided” and noting that Pakistani authorities, acting as mediators, requested a pause in military action until Iranian leaders and representatives submit a unified proposal.

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Venezuelan opposition demands election date and minimum wage increase

A group of opposition members from the Zulia Humana and former political prisoners on Tuesday demanded that authorities set a date for elections in Venezuela and increase the minimum wage, which has been frozen since 2022 and is currently worth just a few cents per month according to the Banco Central de Venezuela.

During a press conference in Maracaibo, Professor Eduardo Labrador stressed the urgency of establishing an electoral timeline. “We demand that a date be set for elections so Venezuelans can have free and transparent voting. It is essential to have that date now,” he said.

Economist Rodrigo Cabezas, who served under the late President Hugo Chávez, also called for an increase in the minimum wage, arguing that it is feasible through economic policy measures, although he did not specify an amount due to limited public data.

Cabezas warned that Venezuela experienced “galloping inflation” between March of last year and March 2026, a stage that precedes hyperinflation—a phenomenon the country has already faced. However, he clarified that Venezuela is not currently in hyperinflation, expressing hope that it will not return.