International
Venezuela approves harsh law penalizing support for international sanctions
The National Assembly of Venezuela approved a law on Thursday that includes penalties of up to 30 years in prison and disqualification from holding public office for up to 60 years for individuals who express support for international sanctions imposed on the South American country.
The so-called Ley Orgánica Libertador Simón Bolívar contra el Bloqueo Imperialista y por la Defensa de Venezuela (Organic Law of Liberator Simón Bolívar Against Imperialist Blockade and for the Defense of Venezuela) also includes measures to prosecute individuals in absentia and to confiscate the assets of those who have instigated, called for, or supported the application of these sanctions.
The Venezuelan parliament, controlled by the ruling party, unanimously passed the law in response to the recent tightening of U.S. sanctions against Venezuelan officials.
“They think they are punishing us. With every sanction, we come together even more,” said President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday in response to the latest measures announced by Washington.
Even Deputy Diosdado Cabello, the Interior Minister and considered the second-in-command of the government, described the Ley Orgánica Simón Bolívar as “very severe.”
Another figure from the Chavista movement, Roy Daza, a deputy of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), suggested just before its approval that it was a “complicated” decision, according to local media.
International
Gaza ceasefire at risk after Trump’s ultimatum on hostages, says Hamas
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is hanging by a thread after the Palestinian Islamist movement warned on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats were making the situation “even more complicated” for the ongoing truce in the region.
On Monday, the Republican leader threatened to unleash “hell” in Gaza if Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday, as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement in effect since January 19.
“Trump must remember that there is an agreement (for a ceasefire) that both parties must respect, and that is the only way to bring back the prisoners,” said Sami Abu Zuhri, one of Hamas’ leaders.
“The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters further,” he emphasized.
Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007, announced on Monday that it was indefinitely postponing the next hostage release, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar with the help of the United States and Egypt.
However, the Islamist movement stated that the door for the hostages’ release remains “open” if Israel fulfills its obligations.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Hamas to release the hostages.
“We must do everything we can to prevent hostilities from resuming in Gaza, which would lead to a huge tragedy,”he wrote on the social media platform X.
The ceasefire halted more than fifteen months of conflict in the Gaza Strip, allowing for five hostage exchanges after Hamas took Israeli hostages on October 7, 2023, in return for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
International
Luisa González criticizes Daniel Noboa for hiding after narrow first-round defeat
Luisa González, the presidential candidate from the correísmo movement, compared her electoral confrontation with current Ecuadorian president and re-election candidate Daniel Noboa to “a battle of David against Goliath.” She stated that Noboa “feels like a loser, which is why he hides” after she nearly surpassed him in votes in the first round.
In an interview with EFE, the first she gave to an international media outlet after becoming the main protagonist of Sunday’s electoral night, González expressed her joy over the best result for correísmo in a first round without former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017) as a candidate, calling it “a great victory.”
With 96.31% of votes counted, González (Revolución Ciudadana) received 43.96% of valid votes, compared to 44.15% for Noboa (ADN), leading both candidates to a second round, as occurred in 2023, when the businessman won to complete the term of President Guillermo Lasso.
After the results were revealed, Noboa did not appear publicly on Sunday, and on Monday, he issued a written statement declaring himself the winner of the first round. González found this statement “very amusing,” as she claims to have received two percentage points more than Noboa.
“The one who feels like a winner goes out, faces the media, and says ‘I won,’ just like I’m doing. He feels like a loser, which is why he hides from the media, from his supporters, and from the country,” stated González, a 47-year-old lawyer and single mother of two who aims to become the first woman to win Ecuador’s presidential elections.
International
Gulf of Mexico renamed “Gulf of America” on Google Maps following Trump’s executive order
The Gulf of Mexico was officially renamed the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps.
The name change for the oceanic basin — shared by the United States, Mexico, and Cuba — went into effect on Monday across the country. Both names now appear for Google Maps users outside the U.S., while the Gulf of Mexiconame remains in place in Mexico.
The renaming was carried out after Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” on his first day in office, January 20, asserting that the Gulf should celebrate the United States, not Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico had carried that name since the 17th century.
Google stated that it would comply with the Trump order, but only after an update in the U.S. Geographic Names System (USGS).
Gaza ceasefire at risk after Trump’s ultimatum on hostages, says Hamas
Luisa González criticizes Daniel Noboa for hiding after narrow first-round defeat
Gulf of Mexico renamed “Gulf of America” on Google Maps following Trump’s executive order
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