International
The Government of Venezuela says that detained former officials diverted funds to opposition campaign
The Government of Venezuela accused on Tuesday former officials of the municipality of Maracaibo (northwest) – Zulia state -, among them, the former anti-Chavista mayor Rafael Ramírez Colina, of diverting public resources to finance acts of the campaign of the majority opposition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD).
The Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, said that Ramírez Colina – arrested on October 1 – “directly financed” “political and proselytising” activities, as well as “staff payments” outside the payroll of the Mayor’s Office, with resources obtained through the collection of the urban toilet service by seven companies hired for its collection in the capital of the state of Zulia.
Accusations of the Minister of the Interior of Venezuela
The provision of that service “was charged” despite the fact that they “did not collect” the garbage, and that money, as Cabello explained, “was used to finance the First Justice party,” of which the former official is part, and to “finance mobilization activities of Edmundo González’s campaign” in Zulia.
In a press conference, broadcast by the state channel VTV, Cabello reproduced a video showing the opponent Pedro Guanipa, former director of the Mayor’s Office of Maracaibo -detained in September-, confessing that he was aware of the “financing (…) authorized by Mayor Rafael Ramírez for the campaign activities of Edmundo González and María Corina Machado.”
They involve Juan Pablo Guanipa
In addition, Cabello said that former deputy Juan Pablo Guanipa is also involved in this corruption plot, who “was given” about “50,000 dollars a week”, even though his brother Pedro Guanipa said in the video reproduced that the “financing” to “political activities” of the former parliamentarian “throunder’s Mayor’s Office” was about “6,000 dollars a month.”
In total, the embezzlement, according to the minister, exceeds 2.7 million dollars, and “only in the hiring” of the seven companies.
In the last elections, Ramírez Colina supported the candidacy of González Urrutia, leader of the largest opposition coalition, which recognizes him as the winner of the elections, even though President Nicolás Maduro proclaimed him the electoral entity the winner.
International
Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect
Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that migrants must be treated with dignity as he addressed the global migration crisis during a press conference aboard the plane returning from his tour of Africa.
The pontiff answered questions from journalists regarding his upcoming trip to Spain, which will include a visit to the Canary Islands, a region heavily affected by migration flows and growing political polarization surrounding the issue.
“Obviously, migration is a very complex issue and affects many countries — not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. It is a global phenomenon,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV also questioned the role of developed nations in addressing the crisis.
“My response begins with a question: What is the Global North doing to help the Global South and those countries where young people no longer see a future and dream of going north, even when the North sometimes has no answers to offer?” he asked.
While acknowledging that “a state has the right to establish rules for its borders,” the pope insisted that the debate must go beyond border control and address the structural causes that force people to leave their home countries.
International
Authorities Say Teotihuacán Gunman Was Obsessed With Mass Shootings and Extremist Symbolism
Julio César Jasso Ramírez, identified by authorities as the gunman behind the armed attack at the archaeological site of Teotihuacán, had allegedly spent years building a personal narrative shaped by an obsession with historical mass shootings, extremist symbolism, and an increasing detachment from reality.
According to preliminary findings from the Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de México, the 27-year-old suspect, originally from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, acted alone and appeared to have carefully planned the attack.
Investigators also pointed to signs of a severe psychological or psychiatric disorder. One official involved in the case stated that the suspect seemed to live in “his own reality,” disconnected from the world around him.
“I would not speak of a motive; I would speak of psychopathy, a condition, an illness,” the official said while discussing the ongoing investigation.
Authorities reported that Jasso Ramírez was allegedly fixated on mass violence incidents that occurred outside Mexico, particularly in the United States.
Among the items found in his possession were writings, images, and materials reportedly linked to the Columbine High School massacre, the school shooting that took place on April 20, 1999.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue analyzing evidence connected to the suspect’s background and mental state.
International
Iran refuses to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ongoing U.S. Naval blockade
Iran reaffirmed on Wednesday that it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz while the United States maintains its naval blockade against Iranian ports and vessels, amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf warned that reopening the crucial maritime route depends on Washington honoring the ceasefire agreement. According to Qalibaf, Iran considers the deal to be violated due to ongoing U.S. actions.
The Iranian official accused the United States of carrying out a “naval blockade and the hijacking of the global economy,” while also pointing to Israeli military operations in Lebanon as part of the broader conflict affecting the region.
Qalibaf stated that military and economic pressure would not force Iran to change its position. “The United States and Israel failed to achieve their goals through military aggression, and they will not succeed through intimidation. The only path forward is to recognize the rights of the Iranian nation,” he said.
His remarks come amid stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States following direct talks held on April 11 and 12 in Islamabad.
The discussions, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives, have shown little progress in recent days, increasing uncertainty over whether dialogue between the two sides will resume.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced an extension of the ceasefire but decided to keep the naval blockade in place, a move Tehran considers incompatible with ongoing negotiations.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intensified operations in the area by seizing two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of operating without the required permits and escorting them into Iranian territory.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil trade routes, and any prolonged disruption could have significant consequences for global energy markets.
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