International
Venezuela and Russia enhance parliamentary cooperation
October 4 |
The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, held this Tuesday a working meeting with the president of the Council of the Russian Federation (Upper House of Parliament), Valentina Matvienko.
“Today we held a pleasant meeting with Valentina Matvienko, President of the Council of the Russian Federation, with whom we strengthened the ties of friendship and agreed on an agenda of cooperation between our parliaments,” reported Jorge Rodriguez.
During the meeting, which took place in the Russian capital, the leaders held a working table in which they reached agreements to consolidate the relations of cooperation and fraternity between parliaments of both nations.
“We cordially welcome the President of the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, His Excellency Jorge Rodríguez Gómez and the parliamentary delegation accompanying him to the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation”, said Valentina Matvienko.
The Venezuelan delegation was composed of the Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia, Jesús Rafael Salazar Velázquez; the second vice-president of the National Assembly, deputy América Pérez and deputies Jesús Faría, Carolina Cestari, Grecia Colmenares and Roy Daza; as part of the visit, the Venezuelan delegation had the opportunity to tour the building where the Russian chamber resides.
Likewise, the Venezuelan delegation participated in the International Parliamentary Conference Russia – Latin America, an occasion in which the defense of sovereignty and the union of parliaments for the development of Russia and the peoples of the region were advocated.
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.
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.
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.
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