International

Venezuelan opposition leader urges oil companies to cut ties with “Corrupt and Criminal Regime”

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called on multinational oil companies this Tuesday to stop operating “under a corrupt and criminal regime.”

Venezuela’s oil industry has been under sanctions since 2019, but Washington grants individual licenses for several companies to operate in the country, including the U.S. company Chevron, Spain’s Repsol, and France’s Maurel & Prom.

“These energy companies need to realize that they are partnering with the most corrupt company in the energy sector worldwide, which has been accused of money laundering and even drug trafficking, PDVSA,” Machado said, referring to Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, during a panel organized by the Georgetown Americas Institute in Washington.

“No one knows the nature of the contracts that have been signed, which violates our Constitution. No one knows how much they are paying the regime or how much the government is making from their operations,” Machado added in a virtual connection, just hours after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro joked that she had fled the country.

“It’s not only a matter of the international community understanding how these resources are being used, but I wonder what the shareholders and stakeholders of these companies think about the goodwill and reputation of these firms,” Machado commented.

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“Our message to them is that we want them here. We want them to invest and generate many resources, a lot of money, and many jobs for Venezuela, but not like this — not under a corrupt and criminal regime that violates and is violating Venezuela’s laws,” she stressed.

International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.