International

Guaidó expects to meet in Colombia with delegations at summit called by Petro

Photo: Reuters

April 24 |

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó announced that he arrived in Colombia where he will request to meet with the delegations that will participate in the International Conference on Venezuela convened by the president of that country, Gustavo Petro.

“I hope that the summit can ensure that the Maduro regime returns to the negotiating table in Mexico and a credible timetable for free and fair elections is agreed upon as a solution to the conflict,” Guaidó stated in a statement released on his Twitter account.

The opposition leader, who claimed to have crossed the border on foot, said he will hold meetings with the Venezuelan diaspora and stressed that his struggle seeks to make the “rights of Venezuelans count”.

“The struggle for the freedom of Venezuela demands to do it united, and goes through achieving the necessary guarantees for a primary that is respected and that is the unifying factor of the majority. For this struggle to work, we must ensure that the presidential election is really an opportunity for change and reunion for Venezuela”, the statement said.

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The Colombian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that because “only countries invited to this dialogue will participate”, Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva Duran did not invite Guaidó, “so his attendance at the conference is not counted on”.

“As has been publicly and repeatedly stated, the conference is a meeting space with part of the international community,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Guaidó, who until January was considered interim president after the 2015 Parliament voted to eliminate the interim government he presided over and leave in office a Council of Administration and Protection of Assets, assured that the government has raised threats against him in recent days and demanded the cessation of persecution against his family and the freedom of the nearly 300 politicians in Venezuela.

In 2019, after proclaiming himself interim president of Venezuela, at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice prohibited Guaidó from leaving the country.

However, on several occasions he has defied the measure against him and has left the country. Guaidó has participated in two international tours that have taken him to the US, Colombia and several countries in Europe.

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Over the weekend, a delegation of the Unitary Platform of the opposition met with Petro and said they hoped that from the initiative in Bogota would emerge an “exhortation” for the return to negotiations with the government in Mexico.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”