International
Nearly 50 countries sign a declaration at the UN to “re-establish” democracy in Venezuela
A group of 49 countries plus the European Union (EU) signed this Thursday a joint declaration at the United Nations to ask for “re-establishment of democratic norms in Venezuela,” although it did not include a specific appeal to the UN to intervene in the crisis.
The declaration, prepared in the last few hours and read by the Panamanian Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, had very notable absences such as those of Mexico, Colombia or Brazil, and it was not signed by great powers such as China or Russia or any African or Arab state, with the exception of Morocco.
“It’s time for Venezuelans to start constructive and inclusive discussions”
The signatories recall that “it is time for Venezuelans to begin constructive and inclusive discussions to resolve the electoral ‘impasse’,” in reference to the presidential elections of last July 28, whose official results have not been recognized by much of the international community, which insists on the need for the Venezuelan electoral entity to publish the disaggregated results to demonstrate victory and end the crisis, something that has not happened to date.
“Seriously concerned about the allegations of human rights violations”
Likewise, those countries say they are “seriously concerned about the allegations of human rights violations,” among which they detail “arbitrary arrests, arrests, deaths and denial of judicial guarantees, as well as tactics of intimidation against the democratic opposition.”
Edmundo acknowledges his interest in working for the recovery of democracy
For his part, the flag bearer of the majority opposition in Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, who arrived in Madrid on Sunday on a Spanish Air Force plane to ask for political asylum after denouncing fraud in the elections, recognized this Thursday to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, his interest in working for the recovery of democracy and respect for human rights in Venezuela, after being received by the head of the Spanish Executive.
Despite the fact that the statement has been negotiated in the corridors of the UN and has been read at the entrance of the Security Council, the Panamanian foreign minister acknowledged that they are not working together on any resolution on Venezuela, and even added that the position of his country “is very different from that of other countries” although they share the general principle that “democracy” must be restored” in the Caribbean country.
The UN “is promoting democracy”
Asked what the United Nations agencies can do specifically to help overcome the crisis, Martínez-Acha did not answer the question and limited himself to stating that the UN “is promoting democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Despite the fact that the Venezuelan crisis has already lasted six long weeks, the issue has not yet reached the UN Security Council – the highest executive body – and has only motivated statements by Secretary General António Guterres, who has demanded again and again the publication of the complete electoral records and the need for human rights to be respected, without entering into the legitimacy or not of the re-election of Nicolás Maduro
International
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on Saturday with the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar during a stopover on his trip to Asia, officials reported. Qatar plays a key role in maintaining the fragile peace agreement in Gaza.
The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One at the end of the day when it lands for refueling at Al Udeid Air Base, the regional headquarters of U.S. military forces, a White House official said.
This marks Trump’s first trip to Asia since taking office in January. His agenda includes two regional summits, a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and planned encounters with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In Qatar, the previously unannounced meeting will also include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently returned from Israel after working to maintain the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Qatar has been a key mediator in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the conflict began and is one of the guarantors of the peace deal alongside the United States, Turkey, and Egypt.
This week, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss critical next steps in the agreement, including the establishment of a security force in Gaza and the future of Hamas. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a central negotiator since the outbreak of the war following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
International
Maduro Requests Supreme Court to Strip Opposition Leader López of Venezuelan Citizenship
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has requested that the country’s Supreme Court revoke the nationality of opposition leader Leopoldo López, accusing him of promoting a U.S. military invasion of Venezuela, the government reported on Saturday.
There is no precedent of Venezuelans born in the country being stripped of their nationality, and the Venezuelan Constitution explicitly prohibits it. Caracas has previously accused López and other opposition figures of seeking to overthrow Maduro.
Maduro now claims that López and his allies are supporting the deployment of U.S. warships, fighter jets, and troops in the Caribbean, which the White House says are part of anti-narcotics operations. The Venezuelan president insists that the military presence aims to remove him from power.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated on his Telegram channel that Maduro “filed a request with the Supreme Court of Justice to revoke Leopoldo López’s nationality.”
Gil added that the request was made “due to his grotesque, criminal, and illegal call for a military invasion of Venezuela, his ongoing promotion of the economic blockade, and his call for mass killings of Venezuelans in collusion with foreign governments and enemies.”
However, the Dean of the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), the country’s main public university, told AFP that the law does not allow the revocation of nationality for Venezuelans by birth.
International
Pentagon deploys USS Gerald R. Ford after narco-boat operation kills six
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship in the country, to the Caribbean Sea. The mission is part of efforts to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime in Latin America.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the deployment will enhance the U.S. operational capacity to detect, monitor, and dismantle illicit actors and activities within the Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.
He added that the operation will bolster existing capabilities to reduce drug trafficking and counter the activities of transnational criminal organizations operating in the region.
The announcement comes just hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the death of six crew members of a narco-boat in the Caribbean during a U.S.-led operation. The vessel was linked to the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, one of the most violent groups in the region.
The incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between the United States and several Latin American governments, particularly Colombia and Venezuela, following direct statements by President Donald Trump.
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
Maduro Requests Supreme Court to Strip Opposition Leader López of Venezuelan Citizenship
Pentagon deploys USS Gerald R. Ford after narco-boat operation kills six
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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