International

Spain deems king Felipe VI’s exclusion from Mexico’s inauguration “unacceptable”

The Spanish government has deemed it “unacceptable” that King Felipe VI has not been invited to the inauguration of Mexico’s elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum, scheduled for October 1 in Mexico City. As a result, Spain has decided not to participate in the ceremony at any level, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sheinbaum, the official candidate from Mexico, secured a decisive victory over opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez in the presidential elections held on June 3. Following her win, the outgoing president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, indicated that the new president might resume bilateral relations, which were put on “pause” in 2022 due to a perceived “lack of respect” from the Spanish side.

“Now that changes are taking place, there is an opportunity with President Claudia Sheinbaum, who is a very intelligent, very respectful, and very fraternal woman, and who also understands the history of Mexico and the world,” López Obrador stated during a conference last July.

In 2022, López Obrador once again directed his criticisms towards Spain, a pattern he has followed since taking office in December 2018. He paused relations between the two countries and called for an apology from King Felipe VI regarding the Conquest.

In March 2019, he sent a letter to the monarch demanding that “the Spanish State acknowledges its historical responsibility” for the offenses committed during the conquest and “offers the apologies or political reparations that are appropriate,” a request that has never received a response.

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Traditionally, King Felipe has attended the inaugurations of Ibero-American presidents, first as Prince of Asturias and later as King. However, on various occasions and for different reasons, the representation has fallen to another high-ranking official of the State.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.