International

Venezuela rejects genocide against Palestine and U.S. blockades.

Photo: EFE

October 12 |

Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, rejected Wednesday in Russia, as part of her tour in that country, the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people and the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States (U.S.) and Western nations against nations with a sovereign vocation.

From Moscow, where he is participating in the sixth international forum Russian Energy Week, Rodriguez reiterated Venezuela’s position to call for a ceasefire against the people of Palestine and advocated for peace.

He stressed that “there have been decades of oppression and humiliation of a people who have the right to development and peace. We must unite in favor of Palestine,” he said.

He said that in Gaza and the West Bank a genocide is taking place before the eyes of the world. He said that the Palestinian resistance to Israel’s hostility “derives from decades of frustration of a people that did not find in multilateral spaces to have their rights respected”.

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He added that there have been decades of oppression, humiliation, assassinations, massacres and Palestinian children imprisoned and caged. “We call for an end to violence,” he demanded, and stressed that Zionism violates the rights of the Palestinian people.

She demanded respect for the United Nations resolutions to resolve the conflict, for the implementation of the two-state solution and for the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Venezuelan Vice President also repudiated the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the White House and satellite countries against nations such as Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Cuba and Nicaragua. She recalled that such measures cause significant hardships to the peoples and considered that, beyond these obstacles, they have served as an incentive for nations to seek alternatives so as not to halt their development.

Referring to the experiences of Venezuela, he said: “We have been summoned to the productive national union. In union we can move forward and overcome difficulties. These are lessons learned from these illegitimate, criminal, western blockades”.

Rodriguez commented that his country is represented in the Russian Energy Week in order to make contributions to contribute to the stability and fruitful development of the world energy market. He said that on Thursday he will speak at the forum and will address energy issues, transitional energy and other aspects related to industrial developments and the implementation of technological advances.

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The Russian Energy Week forum was inaugurated on Wednesday by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who invited the participating States to guarantee the sustainability of the international energy market with price stability in energy, raw materials, fuel and gas as priorities.

International

Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027

Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.

The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.

Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Security and border infrastructure

In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.

The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.

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Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.

The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.

The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.

Migration and development

On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.

The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.

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Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.

The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.

International

France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.

“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.

The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.

About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.

The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.

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The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.

Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.

International

Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C

36 deaths reported due to heat wave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.

The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.

Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.

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The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.

The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.

July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.