International

Two new explosions reported in Cuenca, Ecuador, without casualties

Photo: @Sanchezmendieta

September 1|

The National Police (PN) and the Fire Department of Ecuador reported that this Thursday two new explosions were recorded in the city of Cuenca, located in the center-south of the country, with no fatalities.

The first explosion was reported in the structure of a bridge near the parish center of the town of Sayausí, northwest of Cuenca, leaving damage to pipes and asphalt.

The second event was caused by the detonation of an explosive device inside a vehicle in the town of Totoracocha, in the east of the city.

After the events, authorities were deployed throughout the territory to support the work of the National Police and the Armed Forces in search of the perpetrators of the explosions.

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These events are in addition to the detonation of two car bombs in Quito, the capital of the country, on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, without leaving people injured.

The PN reported on Wednesday that six people have been detained, allegedly related to the explosive attacks that occurred in Quito.

Ecuador’s unified command post, together with the PN, the Armed Forces and the National Service of Integral Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), took a series of decisions to recover order in the penitentiary system.

In a statement, the government of Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said that until Thursday night seven police officers and 50 prison security and surveillance officers were being held in six detention centers.

He reported that the event would be a response of criminal groups to the interventions of public forces in prisons in the country, whose purpose is the seizure of prohibited objects that are used in violent acts.

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In a message published on the social network X, formerly Twitter, Lasso said that “the measures we have taken, especially in the penitentiary system, have generated violent reactions from criminal organizations that seek to intimidate the state”.

“But we are firm and we will not back down in our objective of capturing dangerous criminals, dismantling criminal gangs and pacifying the country’s prisons,” added the president.

This week, some 2,200 police and military personnel arrived at the Latacunga prison, located in Cotopaxi province, south of Quito, and seized some 49 bladed weapons and two bulletproof vests, among other prohibited objects.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.