International
The United States assures that the war is still avoidable between Israel and the Hizbulah group
The White House assured this Friday that the war is avoidable between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbulá, despite the increase in tension and attacks in recent hours, and added that, despite the fact that the information indicates otherwise, US diplomatic efforts to appease the region continue to advance.
In a call with the press, the White House National Security spokesman, John Kirby, said that “we still believe that there is time and space for a diplomatic solution and we are confident that it is the best way to move forward. War is not inevitable in the Blue Line (which marks the division between Lebanon and Israel).”
Get a ceasefire
US President Joe Biden assured in a cabinet meeting that his entire team continues to work to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and for residents of northern Israel and southern Lebanon to return to their homes.
“Many things do not seem realistic until we get them,” Biden said in relation to the frustrated attempts to mediate for Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to cease hostilities in Gaza and the Palestinian militia to release the hostages.
Kirby referred to information published on Thursday by The Wall Street Journal that assures that after the recent increase in tension with Hezbula, the White House considers the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza, the main front in the conflict between Israel and various militias linked to Iran in the region, before the November presidential elections.
“We will not lose hope and we will not stop working for it (a ceasefire that includes the release of hostages in the hands of Hamas in Gaza),” said Kirby, who reiterated that the main obstacle to an agreement in this regard is the leadership of the Palestinian group, despite recent reports in Israel that indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sabotaged an agreement for months.
The US sees the truce between Israel and Hezbula difficult
According to The Wall Street Journal, in private, White House officials assure that a ceasefire agreement “is not imminent” and “we are not sure that it will ever be achieved.”
The tension in the region returned with the attack of October 7, 2023 from Hamas in Israeli territory, neighboring Gaza, in which almost 1,200 people died.
Since then Israel has maintained a harsh offensive in the Strip that has caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, the murder of more than 40,000 Palestinians and more than 95,550 wounded, according to data from the Ministry of Health in Palestine.
On the northern front, Hezbulah has intensified its rocket attacks on Israel and this country today bombed the suburb of Dahye, in southern Lebanon, which left eight dead and 59 injured, the third time it does so since the beginning of the crossfire in October.
This Friday’s attack comes amid growing tension, after this week two waves of simultaneous explosions in thousands of communication devices carried by members of Hizbulá killed 37 people (some children) and injured almost 3,000 in Lebanon.
US intelligence assumes that the action was the result of a sophisticated Israeli operation to intervene in supply chains and implant explosives in the devices.
International
ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.
The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.
However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
Internacionales
Rubén Gallego says U.S. policy may push for Cuba regime change under Trump administration
Democratic Senator Rubén Gallego said on Friday in Madrid that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has an “obsession” with Cuba and suggested that the administration of President Donald Trump is determined to change the Cuban government by any means necessary.
Speaking in Spanish during a meeting with journalists at the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, Gallego said he believes there could be an attempt to alter the Cuban government, potentially through military or other non-democratic means.
“I think there will be an attempt to change the government of Cuba, it could be through the military or in another way,” said Gallego, who is of Mexican-Colombian origin.
The Arizona senator argued that Cuba does not represent a threat to the United States, describing it as “a very poor island of nine million people.” However, he acknowledged the significant political influence of Cuban-Americans and of Secretary of State Marco Rubio within the current Trump administration.
Gallego also expressed opposition to U.S. military interventions aimed at overthrowing foreign governments, stating that such actions are unacceptable, particularly when their objective is regime change.
He noted that “almost 99% of Democrats” oppose any military intervention in Cuba.
The senator also referred to the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, stating that although Maduro is “a horrible and very corrupt man,” this does not justify overthrowing governments through force.
“If we start arguing that a president is a criminal, what prevents China from saying the same about Taiwan or other nations?” he warned.
Gallego further described the political transition process in Venezuela as a “failure,” arguing that little has changed in terms of governance outcomes.
“We went from one dictator to another, so from a geopolitical and strategic point of view it has been a failure, until we see whether Venezuela achieves a real democratic transition,” he said, referring to Maduro’s replacement by Delcy Rodríguez.
International
U.S. classifies CV and PCC as terrorist groups in major policy shift
The United States government announced on Thursday that it will add the Brazilian criminal organizations Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), a designation set to take effect on June 5, 2026.
The State Department justified the decision by stating that both groups are among the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil and accused them of coordinating violent attacks against police officers, public officials, and civilians.
The designation comes just days after Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro directly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to classify these groups as “narco-terrorist” organizations during a visit to the White House.
Bolsonaro, who is running in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October, has made tougher action against organized crime and prison-based gangs a central part of his campaign platform.
He is part of a political dispute with current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has opposed the U.S. classification, warning it could open the door to potential foreign military intervention in Brazilian territory.
The Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital emerged in Brazilian prisons during the 1970s and have since expanded their influence, now controlling extensive criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, smuggling, and other illicit operations.
According to security experts and Brazilian authorities, both organizations have tens of thousands of members and support networks spread across multiple states in the country.
The U.S. measure aims to increase financial and operational pressure on these groups by restricting funding sources, limiting international mobility, and expanding cooperation in security enforcement efforts.
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