International

Massive demonstration in Washington against Musk’s role in the federal government

Hundreds of people demonstrated this Tuesday in front of the Treasury Department in Washington to complain about the role that tycoon Elon Musk is playing in the Donald Trump Administration.

With posters in favor of the defense of democracy or emphasizing that “no one has elected Elon”, the group protested specifically against the fact that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Musk, has gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment system in order to monitor public accounts.

“Veto Musk from our Government,” claimed the poster of a participant.

The Treasury Department is located a few meters from the White House and the protest coincided with Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the headquarters of the US presidency.

“Elon Musk was not elected. It’s a Nazi nepo baby who breaks everything he touches. And right now he’s locked in a room with his grandfather’s Social Security check,” said Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, representative of the seventh district of Massachusetts.

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The DOGE achieved access to the payment system last Friday, when in the Treasury resigned an official who seemed to be the last who had resisted giving carte blanche to Musk’s department, which is not part of the Government but is a team that exercises supervision of accounts from within.

In addition, it was clarified on Monday that Musk is a “special government employee” and is operating according to the law, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

“I can confirm that (Musk) is a special government employee and that he is complying with all applicable federal laws,” the spokeswoman explained on Monday, although she could not confirm if the tycoon, who does not hold a position in Donald Trump’s cabinet, has obtained a security permit to access sensitive data.

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.