International

Nicolás Maduro says that “the truth has triumphed” in Venezuela and begins a “new stage”

The leader of Chavismo, Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third consecutive term in Venezuela, said this Sunday that “the truth has triumphed” and that a “new stage” begins in the country, where the political crisis increased after his questioned inauguration on Friday, when the largest opposition coalition denounced the consummation of a “coup d’état”.

However, he said that the South American nation is “in peace, in democracy” and “in full exercise” of its sovereignty, after “the Venezuelan people” – he said – have “triumphed in perfect popular-military-police fusion.”

“Peace, stability, the Constitution, democracy and truth have triumphed, and Nicolás Maduro Moros is president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, sworn in for the period 2025-2031,” he said on Telegram.

In addition, he assured that the country will “build the peace of the righteous” and “the new democracy”, which, he added, will be “revolutionary”.

Maduro was proclaimed winner of the presidential elections of last July 28 by the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by Chavismo, based on results that are still unknown in a broken way, despite the fact that the official schedule approved for the celebration of these votes contemplated their publication.

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The main opposition alliance – the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) – accused Maduro of consummating a “coup d’état”, by assuring that its leader, former ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia, was the winner of those elections, which he supports with 85.18% of the voting records that he claims to have gathered thanks to witnesses and table members.

Much of the international community also rejects Maduro’s controversial third term, including the United States, the European Union (EU) and Latin American countries, such as Peru and Paraguay, which denied legitimacy to the Chavista inauguration.

For his part, González Urrutia, who claims to be the winner of the elections, said on Friday that he is “very close” to his country, “ready for safe entry,” and stressed that Maduro “has violated the Constitution and the sovereign will of Venezuelans expressed on July 28” and “proclaims himself dictator.”

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.