International

Venezuelan people will pay tribute to Hugo Chávez

Photo: @gestionperfecta

March 5th |

The Venezuelan people will mobilize this Sunday in the country’s capital to pay tribute to the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chavez on the tenth anniversary of his physical departure.

The Venezuelan Government arranged several points in the city of Caracas from where citizens may mobilize towards the Cuartel de la Montaña, to pay their respects to Hugo Chávez.

With a vigil at the place where the remains of the Bolivarian leader rest, authorities, young socialists, leaders of social movements and international guests received the tenth anniversary of the physical departure of Commander Hugo Chavez.

During the ceremony, the first vice-president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, expressed that they will not get tired of honoring Hugo Chávez.

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The Venezuelan politician said that they hope to leave the footprints and works of Comandante Chávez so that in 200 years the world will talk about the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution.

The PSUV leader commented that Chavez belongs to all men and women who have the desire for freedom in the world as he is an ethical, moral, struggle, battle and great victories referent.

As part of the activities to pay homage to the revolutionary leader, since Friday, around one hundred intellectuals and guests from all continents participate in the World Encounter for the validity of the Bolivarian leader’s thought, where they highlighted the validity and imprint of the revolutionary leader.

The day before, Venezuelan singer-songwriters offered a tribute concert to the social and political leader, which was attended by the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, the first combatant and deputy Cilia Flores and the first vice-president of the PSUV, Diosdado Cabello.

Latin American leaders such as the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Raúl Castro; the president of Bolivia, Luis Arce; of Grenada, with his foreign minister, Joseph Andall, and the former vice prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Earl Asim Martim, arrived in Caracas to participate in the commemorative activities.

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From Honduras arrived former President Manuel Zelaya (2006-2009), Xiomara Zelaya, President of the Commission for Regional Relations and Integration, and Gerardo Torres Zelaya, Deputy Foreign Minister for Foreign Policy.

International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

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International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.