International

Venezuela summons the ambassador of Spain for “intervent” statements by the Minister of Defense

Venezuela has called for consultations with the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, Ramón Santos, in the face of what the Government of Nicolás Maduro considers “insolent, intererentic and rude statements” by the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, who criticized the “persecution” and “limitation of fundamental rights” suffered by opponents in the South American nation.

The ambassador, as explained by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil, on his Telegram channel, must appear at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Friday at the request of the Chavista Executive, which considers that Robles’ statements “point to a deterioration in relations between the two countries.”

Maduro’s Executive, Gil explained, has also called for consultation with his accredited ambassador in Spain, Gladys Gutiérrez, although he did not specify if the appointment is for the same date on which Santos must go to the Foreign Ministry or another.

Political crisis

Robles said, after the arrival of opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, to Spain – where he has requested asylum considering that he suffered political and judicial persecution in Venezuela – that what the Government of the Caribbean country does with “many” anti-Chavistas is “unacceptable and unacceptable”

This Wednesday, the Venezuelan Parliament, controlled by Chavismo, proposed a resolution that it hopes to approve to urge Maduro to break “all diplomatic, consular, economic and commercial relations” with Spain, after the Spanish Congress, with the vote against the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), agreed to recognize González Urrutia as elected president.

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The electoral minutes

The opponent, who arrived in Madrid on Sunday, asked for asylum due to the “persecution” he said he suffered after the presidential elections of July 28, whose official victory was granted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to Maduro, a result subsequently validated by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

However, the opposition insists that the winner was González Urrutia, a statement that he supported in the “83.5% of the electoral records” that he claims to have collected through witnesses and table members on the day of the votes, which – he assured – grant victory to the anti-Chavista by a wide margin.

However, the Government of Caracas assures that the minutes that were later published on a website by the opposition are “false.”

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.