International

Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency Amid Surge in Criminal Activity

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago announced on Monday that the country has been declared in a state of emergency due to the increase in criminal activity.

The declaration was made by President Christine Kangaloo on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, in response to the escalation of criminal activity that poses a serious threat to public safety, in accordance with the country’s Constitution.

The country has recently witnessed a rise in gang-related violence. In one incident, five people were killed in an attack in Laventille, a suburb of the capital city, Port of Spain, local media reported.

International

New Myanmar law escalates online censorship and surveillance

Myanmar, a military-ruled nation known for suppressing freedom of expression, has enacted a new cybersecurity law granting sweeping control over the flow of information. The law, published in state-run newspapers on Friday, significantly expands the government’s ability to monitor and restrict online activity.

Existing restrictions under the military regime have often relied on vague national security laws to prosecute online content. Additionally, the government has blocked websites and apps at the network level, utilizing censorship and surveillance technology provided by China and Russia, key allies of Myanmar’s junta.

The new law, effective since Wednesday, includes broad provisions targeting media outlets and service providers such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). VPNs, which allow users to bypass network blocks by routing traffic through third-party servers, are a particular focus of the legislation aimed at curbing access to content deemed undesirable by the regime.

Central America

Honduras to send delegation in place of president Castro for Maduro ceremony

Honduran President Xiomara Castro will not attend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration on January 10, an official source confirmed Friday in Tegucigalpa.

In brief statements to journalists, Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Torres said that Castro “will not go to Venezuela” and that a delegation will likely be sent to represent Honduras at Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony.

Regarding the $100,000 reward announced by Venezuelan police for information on the whereabouts of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, Torres remarked that it is an internal matter for Venezuela. However, he noted that the situation “reflects a tense political climate ahead of Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration.”

International

Evo Morales extends revolutionary salute to Maduro and Venezuela

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales (2006–2019) praised the upcoming inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a triumph for the “Venezuelan people” against forces he claims aim to strip the country of its natural resources.

“On January 10, Brother Nicolás Maduro will be sworn in to begin his new term as the Constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” Morales wrote on the social platform X.

According to Morales, “Once again, the Venezuelan people have overcome those who seek to deprive them of their natural resources.”

He added a “revolutionary salute to the people of Chávez,” reaffirming his political solidarity with the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro.