International

Joy and worry for Venezuelans as US shuts land border

Photo: AFP

AFP | Paula Ramon

Jose was reunited with his wife and four-year-old child in the United States minutes after Washington shut its southern border to Venezuelans. But his happiness was short-lived.

His adult son, currently battling through the treacherous Darien Gap jungle that straddles Colombia and Panama, will likely be turned away from the United States — if he even makes it that far.

“Last night I was happier than a child at Christmas,” he told AFP by telephone on Thursday.

“But when I saw the news I immediately called my son and asked him not to continue his journey.”

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AFP has changed the names of migrants interviewed for this story because of their vulnerable status, or the risk of retribution from human traffickers.

Humanitarian program

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced that Venezuelans entering the United States by land will be returned to Mexico, in line with almost all other migrants without visas coming over the border.

Until now they have been granted exceptions because of Washington’s distrust of the hard-left regime in Caracas, which it says punishes political opponents.

Instead, the United States will allow 24,000 Venezuelans to apply for entry under a humanitarian program, similar to a scheme that has welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.

The program — launched a month ahead of elections — is a bid by President Joe Biden’s administration to chart a path between Democratic demands for helping desperate migrants and Republican calls to stem what they paint as a “tide” of illegal migration.

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In the year to September, border authorities encountered more than 155,000 Venezuelans, more than triple the previous year.

Most, like Jose, arrive in Texas.

He set foot on US soil on Sunday after wading across the chest-deep waters of the Rio Grande river near Eagle Pass.

“It was nothing compared to what I had to do to get here,” he said as he stood in the baking Texas sun, his clothes wet and his shoes muddy.

In his backpack were the few clothes he still owned.

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“The others I left on the road.”

Crisis

Millions of Venezuelans have left the country in recent years, fleeing a political and economic crisis under authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro.

Many have traveled to nearby Latin American countries but an increasing number are heading for the United States — despite the distance and the danger.

Videos on TikTok — a main source of news for Venezuelans — show columns of people with backpacks making their way through dense vegetation.

Stories of rapes, robberies, murders and bribery are common among those who make it.

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Jose’s seven-country journey took him a month.

After reuniting with his wife and young child, he thought things were finally coming together, with his 22-year-old son setting off from Caracas to join him.

Then the US government changed the rules.

“I am very sad, and so is he, because we were all going to be together finally,” he says.

“It would give me a lot of pain if he makes such a big effort and they send him back to Mexico, where the people are very good but the immigration agents and the police mistreat us a lot.”

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Jose says his time in Mexico was the hardest part of the trip.

“In the jungle they put a bracelet on you to distinguish those who pay from those who don’t. Those who don’t pay are mistreated.

“In Mexico, the coyote tells you it’s $500, but if you tell him ‘I have $200,’ he accepts it.

“But a Mexican cop will tell you it’s $500 and if you don’t give it to him, he’ll beat you or rob you.”

Maria, who also arrived in Eagle Pass on Sunday, was reunited with her boyfriend in Georgia on Wednesday.

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“I was lucky, but the Mexican agents took my friends and beat them. They detained them for two weeks, and released them somewhere else. Now they won’t be able to get into the US,” she says.

Maria’s boyfriend is overjoyed that she made it to the United States, where he hopes she will be able to get treatment for a chronic illness.

But he frets over what will happen now to his three sisters, who are somewhere deep in the Darien Gap.

“I do nothing but think, I’m happy because Maria is finally here, but I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.

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International

Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict

Air Canada announced on Friday that it will suspend its flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June through late October, citing rising jet fuel costs driven by the conflict involving Iran.

“Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, some routes and less profitable flights have become economically unviable, so we are making adjustments accordingly,” the airline said in a statement.

Despite the suspension, the carrier confirmed it will continue operating 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Air Canada expects to resume its JFK operations after October 25.

Meanwhile, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a temporary ceasefire in the region. However, jet fuel shortages could persist even if the truce holds.

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Fuel accounts for between 25% and 30% of operating costs for most airlines, and carriers worldwide have responded to the crisis by raising fares and suspending select routes due to safety and profitability concerns.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.