International
Kamala Harris urges the military to protect Venezuelans in a letter to opponents
The vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, sent a letter to the leaders of the opposition in Venezuela in which she urges the military to protect citizens, and the international community to press for the electoral authorities to deliver the minutes that prove that Nicolás Maduro won re-election in the elections last July.
The Democratic candidate for the Presidency in the November 5 elections warns that a militarized response will only lead to deepening the crisis facing the country after the National Electoral Council (CNE) certified that Maduro had defeated Edmundo González Urritia, the flag-bearer of the opposition, at the polls, according to the letter to which the Miami Herald newspaper had access.
“I strongly urge Venezuelan security forces to demonstrate restraint, respect the human rights and freedom of expression of all Venezuelans, and protect the Venezuelan people from threats and political attacks,” Harris said in the letter.
Last week, the vice president sent the letter to María Corina Machado y González, leaders of the opposition.
In it he also asked the CNE to maintain “the highest levels of transparency” and the international community to pressure this electoral authority to publish the results of the elections.
Kamala Harris recalled in the letter that the violation of human rights and freedom of expression “only deepens the crisis and hinders efforts towards a peaceful and democratic transition.”
He promised that in the United States “we will continue to encour the parties in Venezuela to start discussions about a respectful and peaceful transfer of power in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law.”
The opposition in Venezuela has claimed victory at the polls, but despite the intense protests in the country and the call of the international community, the Maduro Government has not published the minutes of the results to prove that Maduro won re-election.
The opposition published its election records with more than 80% of the polling stations and that demonstrated González’s defeat to Maduro by a margin of more than 2-1.
However, on Thursday the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), controlled by magistrates close to Chavismo, confirmed the official results of the elections, which gave the victory to Maduro, which has been reported as fraudulent inside and outside Venezuela.
The protests after the elections have left about twenty dead.
The leaders of the majority opposition of Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, thanked this Friday the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, for “defending democratic values,” in response to a letter in which the American asks for transparency and the publication of the results of the presidential elections in the Caribbean country.
The standard-bearer of the Democratic United Platform (PUD) – the largest opposition bloc – and its main champion published in X the same message in which they say they feel moved by the recognition of “the leaders of the democratic world” of the “courage and determination of the Venezuelan people to be free.”
“Knowing that we are not alone gives us even more strength. Venezuelans are united like never before. Thank you, Kamala Harris, for defending democratic values, which are the spirit of our victory. Venezuela will be free. Our families will return home,” they said.
International
Austrian man arrested in Croatia with deceased woman as passenger in his car
A 65-year-old Austrian citizen was arrested at a border checkpoint in Croatia after attempting to enter the country in his car with a deceased woman sitting as a passenger, police announced on Tuesday.
The man was detained in a routine check in late November in Gunja, a border area separating Bosnia from Croatia, the police told AFP. Suspicious because they saw “no consciousness or movement” from the passenger, Croatian officers called a doctor, who confirmed the death of the 83-year-old woman, also Austrian, according to her identification.
The woman’s relationship to the suspect is unknown. She had died in Bosnia, and the man intended to repatriate her body to Austria to “avoid the formalities related to transporting a corpse,” according to the police. Croatian media reported that the man was her legal guardian.
Once her death was confirmed, a funeral service took charge of the body.
International
Colombian nationals arrested for human trafficking and disappearance of migrant boat
Colombian authorities arrested two nationals accused of the illegal trafficking of migrants to the United States and of endangering lives due to the disappearance of a boat with 40 people aboard, U.S. Department of Justice officials reported on Tuesday.
Hernando Manuel de la Cruz Rivera Orjuela, 52, and Luis Enrique Linero Pinto, 40, both Colombian citizens, were arrested on December 13 in Colombia at the request of the United States for their alleged involvement in a “transnational human trafficking operation,” the department said in a statement.
According to the charges, the detainees were transporting migrants to San Andrés Island in the Caribbean, where they would then be taken by boat to Nicaragua. The goal was to reach the United States through Central America and Mexico.
The accused are said to have advised the migrants on how to reach San Andrés Island, where they personally received them, arranged accommodations, and “took them to the boats that transported them to Nicaragua so they could enter the United States illegally,” the statement reads.
“These defendants put several migrants on the boat that disappeared off the coast of Nicaragua in 2023,” said Deputy Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, as cited in the statement.
Both men are “directly and personally responsible for the illicit trafficking of migrants on that vessel,” according to the indictment dated October 23.
International
Homemade landmine explosion in Michoacán kills two soldiers, injures five
Two soldiers were killed and five others were injured by the explosion of homemade landmines planted by a criminal group in a mountainous area of the Mexican state of Michoacán (west), the Secretary of Defense reported on Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Monday morning in the municipality of Cotija, a border area between Michoacán and the state of Jalisco, when the military was conducting a reconnaissance mission after receiving information about an armed camp in the area, explained Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla.
“At that moment, an improvised explosive device detonated. Unfortunately, two soldiers lost their lives, and five others were injured,” the military leader detailed. The affected soldiers were airlifted to hospitals in the region by a military helicopter, while the rest of the team continued with the reconnaissance of the area.
Trevilla stated that before the explosion, the military unit had located the dismembered bodies of three people, and upon continuing the mission, they confirmed the camp was abandoned.
Asked about the individuals responsible for placing the explosives, the general suggested they could be criminals linked to the local group Cárteles Unidos, which operates in Michoacán and uses these tactics in their territorial dispute with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the country.
Austrian man arrested in Croatia with deceased woman as passenger in his car
Colombian nationals arrested for human trafficking and disappearance of migrant boat
Homemade landmine explosion in Michoacán kills two soldiers, injures five
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
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
International5 days agoDismembered bodies of five found in Guanajuato pickup truck
-
Central America5 days agoMassive fire destroys 100 shops in Honduras capital market
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador intensifies monitoring of Conchagua seismic activity
-
International3 days agoFrance will send a diplomatic delegation to Syria after 12 years without official representation
-
Central America5 days agoEl Salvador anticipates 125,000 international tourists during holiday season
-
Central America5 days agoPresident Bukele expresses condolences over tragic Los Chorros collapse
-
Central America2 days agoEl Salvador’s $9.663 billion budget for 2025 focuses on key sectors with no new debt issuance
-
Central America4 days agoHonduras Seizes Over 26 Tons of Cocaine in 2024, Marking Major Drug-Fighting Achievements
-
Central America4 days agoCosta Rica takes step toward full membership in Pacific Alliance to Stimulate Trade and Jobs
-
International2 days agoChrystia Freeland resigns as Canada’s deputy PM over dispute with Trudeau on U.S. Tariff Threats
-
International4 days agoGustavo Petro visits the Galápagos Islands for bilateral talks with Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa
-
International2 days agoAt least 12 injured in shooting at abundant life christian school in Wisconsin
-
International2 days agoVenezuela announces 179 new releases in post-election violence cases
-
International2 days agoTrinidad and Tobago Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian dies in house fire with her children
-
International2 days agoEl Salvador’s bitcoin reserves soar in value as cryptocurrency’s bullish surge continues
-
International2 days agoMilan’s Via MonteNapoleone overtakes Fifth Avenue as world’s most expensive retail destination
-
International3 days agoMaría Corina Machado says that Nicolás Maduro is “cornered” inside and outside Venezuela
-
International2 days agoNearly 40 dead in Istanbul after consuming contaminated alcohol in six weeks
-
International3 days agoNetanyahu: “Israel’s policy in Syria will depend on the emerging reality”
-
International4 days agoVenezuelan opposition in Argentine embassy urges Brazil to expedite safe passage
-
International4 days agoMayor Brandon Johnson Vows to Protect Chicagoans from ICE Actions
-
International4 days agoEcuador police intercept major drug shipment destined for Europe
-
International11 hours agoHomemade landmine explosion in Michoacán kills two soldiers, injures five
-
International11 hours agoColombian nationals arrested for human trafficking and disappearance of migrant boat
-
International3 days agoThe new Syrian authorities plan to end compulsory military service
-
International3 days agoLula asks for severe sanction if the guilt of general arrested for coup is proven
-
International3 days ago
The Constitution of Venezuela, a quarter of a century later
-
International11 hours agoAustrian man arrested in Croatia with deceased woman as passenger in his car
-
International11 hours agoEcuador announces debt swap of $1.527 billion to protect Amazon rainforest