International
Venezuela’s state bank announces partial share sale
AFP
Venezuela’s state bank said on Wednesday it would sell up to 10 percent of its shares as part of the government’s plan to inject capital into public companies struggling due to a lack of investment.
Two weeks ago, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro announced a plan to sell off parts of public companies.
The Bank of Venezuela is the only state firm so far to have declared a share sale, although it gave no details as to when that would be.
It said in a statement shared on social media that it would “begin the public offer of 5 percent progressively up to 10 percent of its social capital.”
“It is the first step by Venezuelan public companies to offer on the stock market the possibility for citizens, and national and international private economic actors, to take part in the country’s development through instruments of economic democratization.”
The first share sale was supposed to take place on May 16 with the CANTV telephone company, but it never happened and no explanation was ever given.
The Bank of Venezuela is the largest in the country with 15 million customers and was nationalized under the presidency of the late Hugo Chavez (1999-2013.)
It was under the control of the Spanish Santander Group from 1994 until the transfer of its shares to the state in 2009.
Since last year, several NGOs such as Transparency Venezuela have claimed that the government has been negotiating with the private sector with regards to state companies in fields such as farming, tourism and manufacturing.
With the collapse of Venezuela’s vital oil industry and the punishing effects of US sanctions aimed at forcing Maduro from power, the government has been forced to relax various state controls imposed under Chavez.
International
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.
Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.
International
Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced Thursday that the young Mexican woman who proves to have the best ball control skills will receive her personal ticket to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City.
The left-wing leader had previously said she would not attend the tournament’s opening game on June 11 in the Mexican capital and instead planned to give away the ticket number 00001, reserved for her by FIFA.
During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum explained that women between 16 and 25 years old can participate by submitting a video through an official platform.
“What do they have to do? Keep the ball in the air for one minute,” she said, referring to the soccer juggling challenge that will determine the winner.
Among the judges selecting the winner will be Mexican striker Charlyn Corral, the world’s top female scorer who set a ball-control record in 2005, and professional referee Katia Itzel García.
Sheinbaum also revealed that she plans to watch the opening match during a large public gathering with giant screens in the Zócalo, located in the historic center near the presidential palace.
“Very few people will be able to attend the opening. So I will watch it here with the people, and a young woman will represent me and the people of Mexico,” the president said.
Sheinbaum has previously commented on the high cost of World Cup tickets, as well as the difficulty of obtaining them in a metropolitan area with more than 20 million inhabitants.
In the 2026 tournament, jointly hosted by United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico will stage 13 matches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The opening match will take place at the legendary Estadio Azteca, which previously hosted World Cup opening ceremonies in 1970 and 1986, occasions when the presidents in attendance were famously booed by the crowd.
International
Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday rejected claims that the military operation that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was carried out under pressure from the United States government.
Sheinbaum explained that the deployment of federal forces was aimed at executing outstanding arrest warrants against Oseguera Cervantes, who was considered one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States.
“That was not the objective (to ease pressure from the United States). It is very important, and I want to repeat it. This individual had an arrest warrant, or several,” Sheinbaum said, referring to the operation conducted on February 22.
According to the president, the initial goal was to capture Oseguera Cervantes, but military forces responded after coming under attack during the intervention.
“The operation was to detain him. The problem is that they were attacked — the Secretariat of National Defense — and they responded at that moment,” she said.
The president insisted that the action was not carried out in response to external demands, although she acknowledged intelligence cooperation with the United States.
“It was not done in any way because of pressure from the United States, not at all. Of course, there was intelligence information from the United States that was used specifically,” she concluded.
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
Young Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
Claudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoBrazil’s Supreme Court Rejects Bolsonaro’s Bid for House Arrest
-
International4 days agoSpain’s Prime Minister to Address Nation Amid Trump’s Trade Threats
-
International3 days agoWhite House Says Spain Agrees to Cooperate with U.S. Military After Trump Threatens Trade Embargo
-
International5 days agoAnti-ICE Billboard Campaign Targets Immigration Spending in 31 U.S. Cities
-
International4 days agoNew York Announces First 2,000 Seats in Universal 2-K Program
-
International3 days ago
Spain Denies Any Agreement to Cooperate with U.S. Military in Iran Operations
-
International5 days agoTrump Warns of ‘Major Wave’ of Attacks as Iran Conflict Escalates
-
International5 days agoMexico Calls for Immediate Probe After National Dies in ICE Custody
-
Central America4 days agoGuatemala’s Attorney General Fails in Bid for Top Court Seat Amid Corruption Allegations
-
Central America3 days agoNicaragua Held Responsible for Harassment of Opposition Prosecutor and His Family
-
International4 days agoWarner Bros. Developing First ‘Game of Thrones’ Movie With ‘Andor’ Writer
-
Central America5 days agoPanama Canal Monitoring Trade as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Shipping
-
International5 days agoBolivia Orders Three Investigations Into Deadly Military Plane Crash
-
International3 days agoClaudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
-
International19 hours agoYoung Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
-
International19 hours agoTrump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin