International
Ola Bini, the computer scientist linked to Assange who will be five years old prosecuted in Ecuador
Ola Bini, the Swedish computer scientist and programmer who was arrested in 2019 in Ecuador and accused of an alleged cyber attack for links with the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is on the way to five years prosecuted, without yet seeing the light of the tunnel, despite the fact that a court has already descised to continue the case for lack of evidence.
“This whole process is very frustrating. It has been frustrating for a long time and I still don’t see the end,” he explained in an interview with EFE Bini, who first spent 70 days in pretrial detention and since then is at large, but prevented from leaving the country and forced to report periodically to the authorities.
This has been the life of this now 41-year-old computer scientist in the last five years, who was 37 when he was arrested on April 11, 2019 before he took a flight to Japan, and whom the Government accused of improperly accessing databases of the National Telecommunications Company (CNT).
Bini recalled that it was the Government that linked him to Assange under the accusation of an alleged plot to destabilize the Executive after the eviction of the Australian from the Embassy of Ecuador in London, but emphasized that in the file of the Prosecutor’s Office there is no reference to him.
And despite the fact that in January 2023 a court ruled in favor of filing the process against him, the Prosecutor’s Office appealed the ruling and now it is going to be reviewed by another court that in 2019 already denied Bini the appeal to the pretrial detention order, so for the computer scientist it is not a guarantee of a fair ruling.
“They already have an opinion about my case. So, I do not expect an objective trial or without a conflict of interest, and that is what generates the most uncertainty: not knowing when all this is going to end,” said Bini, who if what he anticipates is fulfilled is already clear that he will appeal to the National Court of Justice, the supreme court.
The Swede commented that he has already had that same uncertainty for five years, that “it can end tomorrow or continue for five more years.”
“I try to have a social life and train to lower my stress a little, but everything is difficult,” lamented Bini, who now works at the Center for Digital Autonomy to promote the protection of personal data and free software, and tries to lead a normal life, despite the fact that he assures that he permanently feels the follow-up of undercover policemen.
“I don’t understand why they watch me in this way. I don’t understand if this is something they do with any (prosecuted) after five years of judicial process and after they have declared my innocence,” Bini said.
For the computer scientist, “Ecuador is experiencing a very complicated situation (with an ‘internal armed conflict’ declared since the beginning of the year against organized crime) and it is not explained that they spend resources to monitor it “when there are all these problems in the country.”
The court that must review the sentence that gave up continuing with the accusation against Bini has tried to set up the hearing on two occasions, but the first did not have an official Swedish translator and then the communication seemed to make it impossible to develop the exhibitions for the Nordic.
Bini emphasized that this hearing is due to the appeal filed by the Prosecutor’s Office, because CNT, which was the private accusation, did not do the same.
According to Bini, the only thing they presented as evidence against them is the alleged photograph of a screen where it is evident that there is no intrusion, because “a connection appears, then a warning and a request from a user and password, and then a ‘time out’ (time exceeded to comply with entering the required information).”
“In this case there was no intrusion because there was a warning, and then nothing happens,” reiterated Bini, for whom also “they had no records of firewalls or other (cybersecurity) systems of CNT,” because “they did not show anything else, and even the reports said that it is clear that there was no intrusion.”
Bini’s case is practically unprecedented in the country, so he and his lawyers have to do a lot of pedagogy with the judges so that they know computer terms and procedures that are familiar to them.
“I understand that these issues have not been discussed before. So, if I am convicted with this type of thing, almost all activities on the network were going to be crimes and that is very dangerous at the same time,” Bini warned.
“I would like to stay in Ecuador, because Ecuador is my home, but of course, I would like to be able to travel and visit my family and friends (in Sweden). So what I would like is just to continue working here and continue living here, but to have my freedom to be with my relatives as well,” he concluded.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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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