International

Von der Leyen urges Caricom to defend peace in Ukraine in the face of “an unpredictable world”

The president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, urged on Wednesday the countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to raise their voices for peace in Ukraine since today’s world is “unpredictable” and it is “more important than ever to remain united.”

“We believe in freedom and people’s right to decide their own future. That’s why you have been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” Von der Leyen said at a press conference as part of the 48th annual meeting of Caricom’s heads of government in Barbados.

“Ukraine is a future member of the European family and supporting them means supporting us. It is also important to ask for peace, not only in Ukraine, but also in the Middle East, Sudan and Haiti,” he added.

These statements come hours after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, called his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and warned him that, if he does not act “quickly”, his country could disappear.

The relationship between Trump and Zelenski has deteriorated following the talks held this week in Saudi Arabia between a US delegation and Russian representatives to end the war, in which neither Ukraine nor its European allies participated.

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The European leader was accompanied at the conference by the new president of Caricom and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, whom she congratulated for her “exemplary leadership” to “fight against climate change that is truly existential” and amplify the voice of small island countries “for the benefit of humanity”.

“We have the goal of making the Caribbean islands feed on 100% renewable energy and we have discussed how to strengthen our cooperation with resilience and preparation to work together when natural disasters hit the area,” said the president of the EC at the meeting, which will last until Friday.

He also celebrated that Barbados is leading the way towards “a green transition and development” and stressed that “renewable energy provides energy independence, energy security and is the energy of the future.”

On the other hand, he highlighted the cooperation between Europe and the Caribbean countries in the field of health, after attending the signing of an agreement between the German institute of biomedical research BioMed X and Barbados.

This is within the launch of four projects of the global community investment initiative Global Gateway, one of which, under the title ‘Renewstable’, is the first for the storage of green hydrogen in the Caribbean.

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In this regard, Mottley welcomed “EU support and cooperation, in particular to confront this existential (climate) crisis and build resilience”.

“Renewable energy is clearly a response to the climate crisis,” said the Prime Minister of Barbados and president of Caricom.

Mottley agreed with Von der Leyen that “the world faces very difficult challenges,” highlighting climate change, which affects the whole world and especially small island states such as Barbados.

Caricom members are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobag

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International

Maduro urges UN to intervene for venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador

Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term in January following his controversial re-election, urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to intervene on behalf of Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador after being deported from the United States.

During a broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Maduro claimed these Venezuelans were “kidnapped”, forcibly disappeared, and held in “concentration camps.”

He also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for failing to release the list of migrants deported on March 16, who were allegedly accused of belonging to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua, which originated in a Venezuelan prison.

“Reports say there are 238 Venezuelans kidnapped in prisons, in concentration camps, in El Salvador. A week after they were taken and thrown into these camps, neither the U.S. government nor Nayib Bukele have published the list of those they have kidnapped in El Salvador,” Maduro stated, calling it a “forced disappearance.”

International

Canada updates U.S. travel advisory amid immigration policy changes

In a coordinated action with several European allies, Canada has updated its travel advisory for citizens visiting the United States, citing changes in immigration policies and law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Finland have issued similar warnings, highlighting stricter border screenings, tighter visa restrictions, and new federal guidelines that particularly affect transgender and non-binary travelers.

These advisories reflect growing diplomatic concerns over how the recent U.S. policy shifts are impacting foreign visitors, especially tourists and long-term travelers. Additionally, this marks a rare instance in which multiple NATO allies publicly warn their citizens about travel to the United States.

International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to meet with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on friday

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum next Friday.

According to statements made to Fox News, the Trump administration official will travel this week to El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico.

On Wednesday, Noem is scheduled to meet with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, with whom she will tour the mega-prison built to detain gang members in the country.

On Thursday, she will visit Colombia, where she will hold talks with President Gustavo Petro and top law enforcement officials.

On Friday, Noem will be in Mexico, where she is expected to meet with President Claudia Sheinbaum and Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente.