International
Kenyan President announces sending another 600 soldiers to help Haiti’s security
The President of Kenya, William Ruto, announced this Saturday the arrival of another 600 troops from his country to join the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS), which, under the leadership of his nation, began deploying three months ago in impoverished Haiti to help the Police face the bloody armed gangs.
Ruto arrived this Saturday at the airport of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, where he was received by the president of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), Edgard Leblanc Fils; the director of the National Police, Normil Rameau; and Ketleen Florestal, interim prime minister in the absence of Garry Conille, who traveled to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly, where the Kenyan president will travel after this Saturday’s visit to Haiti.
The Kenyan leader declared that his visit to Haiti had two objectives: the first to meet and share ideas with the Haitian authorities, and the second to visit the base of the security support mission in Haiti, where, as he said in a press conference with Leblanc Fils, he saw “a lot of progress” after the deployment of the mission, which costs the approval of the UN.
Ruto admitted that many people were critical and pessimistic about the mission, approved in October 2023 in response to the request made a year earlier by the Haitian authorities to eradicate the violence of armed gangs.
And that spirit of “dout, criticism and pessimism” still persists because the mission should already have 2,500 agents, but currently there are only 400 Kenyans.
With the arrival of these, he said, there is much more security at the airport, the National Palace, the State University Hospital of Haiti, the Police Academy and also the ports.
“Now we are working to reopen the roads in order to open the country a little more,” said the Kenyan ruler, who said that the spirit of “skepticism, doubts and criticism” is beginning to decrease.
However, he maintained that the force needs the resources and equipment to guarantee security in the country.
“The troops we have in Haiti are not enough. We should have 2,500 men and women in this force. We only have 400. We also have logistical problems. We lack resources. We don’t have enough tools to continue the work,” he said.
But “there is good news. Many more countries are beginning to commit to helping Haiti. There will be a deployment of 20 other countries that have committed to sending people to join the multinational force.”
Kenya will send another 300 people in October, and the same number will arrive in November, he promised.
“The job is difficult, but we are capable of doing it,” he said, pointing out that Kenya is very motivated to help Haiti.
For his part, Leblanc Fils said that the force “has begun to give results,” but that “it is necessary to strengthen the mission by increasing the number of troops and teams, so that it can achieve its objective and allow the State to resume responsibility for the country’s security after this support.”
The deployment of the MMSS began on July 25, with the arrival of 400 Kenyan police, who have subsequently been joined by soldiers from Jamaica and Belize.
The security situation has not recorded significant improvements in Haiti, while by the end of September countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Chad, Benin and Belize are expected to send troops to the country, completing about 2,500 soldiers and police.
Last year, the violence caused, between deaths and injuries, eight thousand victims in Haiti, where criminal groups have come to control 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as other areas of the country, according to UN figures.
In the first half of 2024, victims of violence already rose to almost 3,900, according to a report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (Binuh).
International
HRW Warns Trump’s Influence Has Weakened Human Rights in Latin America
Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that the political influence and rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump have contributed to a deterioration of human rights conditions across Latin America and the Caribbean. In its World Report 2026, the organization stated that several governments in the region have committed abuses against migrants and citizens, or have used U.S. policies as justification to impose harsher repressive measures.
During the first year of Trump’s new term, HRW observed that multiple countries violated the rights of foreign nationals under direct pressure from Washington. Other governments deepened security strategies based on militarization, mass detentions and excessive use of force, according to the report.
“The impact of the Trump administration has undoubtedly been negative in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director. However, she emphasized that “governments in the region remain responsible for defending democracy and fundamental rights, regardless of who is in power in Washington.”
HRW also reported that the United States significantly reduced cooperation funding for human rights organizations and independent media. At the same time, countries such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador passed laws allowing the arbitrary closure of civil society organizations and media outlets, weakening democratic systems and institutional checks and balances.
The organization further criticized what it described as a “double standard” in U.S. foreign policy, which condemns human rights violations in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua while overlooking serious abuses committed by allies such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador. The report also included criticism of the U.S. military attack against Venezuela in early 2026, warning that it could strengthen Nicolás Maduro’s regime and respond primarily to U.S. political and commercial interests.
International
Delcy Rodríguez Takes Control of Chavismo as Venezuela Enters a U.S.-Supervised Transition
With short speeches and an academic image, Delcy Rodríguez—the woman sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president—has taken the helm of Chavismo at a critical moment, as the movement seeks to ensure its survival while the country enters a phase of change overseen by the United States, putting the foundations of the revolution to the test.
Following the military operation on January 3 that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Chavista leadership moved quickly to fill the power vacuum and confront the new political dynamic from within the state apparatus. In this context, Rodríguez has emerged as the central figure tasked with steering the ruling movement through an uncertain transition.
Although she has held telephone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Rodríguez has publicly insisted on Venezuela’s independence and has sharply criticized an opposition that currently lacks meaningful influence within the political landscape.
“Enough of Washington’s orders over Venezuelan politicians. Venezuelan politics must be the one to resolve our differences and internal conflicts,” Rodríguez said on January 25, while defending her proposal for a “political dialogue” with both “like-minded” and “divergent” sectors, which she had presented two days earlier.
International
Epstein Denies Being ‘the Devil’ in Newly Released Video Interview
Jeffrey Epstein claims he was the least dangerous type of sex offender and denied being “the devil” in a video interview included in the latest batch of documents released over the weekend by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The roughly two-hour interview was conducted by Steve Bannon, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, and appears to have been recorded at the late financier’s New York residence on an unknown date.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors. Since December, the U.S. government has released millions of documents related to the case under transparency laws.
“Do you think you’re the devil incarnate?” Bannon asks Epstein in the video interview revealed in the latest release.
“No, but I do have a good mirror,” Epstein replies with a smile, wearing a black shirt and glasses. When pressed again, he adds, “I don’t know. Why would you say that?”
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, also appears to downplay the seriousness of his conviction.
He objects when Bannon refers to him as a “Level Three sexual predator,” a classification in the United States indicating a very serious threat to public safety.
“No, I’m the lowest,” Epstein says.
“But still an offender,” Bannon responds.
“Yes,” Epstein replies.
The exchange comes after Bannon asks Epstein whether he considers his wealth to be “dirty,” suggesting it was earned by advising “the worst people in the world.”
Epstein insists that he made his money legally, while acknowledging that “ethics is always a complicated issue.”
He claims he donated money to help eradicate polio in Pakistan and India, apparently in an attempt to justify the origins of his fortune.
The documents also show that Bannon maintained regular correspondence with Epstein, who offered to help the far-right political figure spread his conservative ideology in Europe.
Since Trump took office in January 2025, U.S. authorities have released millions of pages related to Epstein, along with photos and videos.
These materials have shed new light on Epstein’s ties to high-profile business executives such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, celebrities including filmmaker Woody Allen, and academics and political figures, among them Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
HRW Warns Trump’s Influence Has Weakened Human Rights in Latin America
Delcy Rodríguez Takes Control of Chavismo as Venezuela Enters a U.S.-Supervised Transition
Epstein Denies Being ‘the Devil’ in Newly Released Video Interview
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