International
Venezuelan President welcomes support from leaders calling for lifting of coercive measures
October 24 |
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, thanked on Monday the support that Latin American and Caribbean leaders gave to the demands for the lifting of the unilateral coercive measures of the United States against his country, at the Palenque Meeting, in Mexico.
During his intervention in the television program Con Maduro Más, the dignitary highlighted that he shared with presidents and prime ministers and heads of delegation of 10 nations that met to dialogue on vital issues for the development of the nations involved.
“We are deeply grateful to the Government of Mexico, to the people of Mexico, for all the attentions, all the affection we have received in this summit of good neighborliness and for the well-being of our America”, he said.
In this sense, the dignitary assured that the Palenque Meeting was impregnated with the history of the ancestral Mayan culture, which invites us to think about the accumulated struggles and the current generations as a result.
“From all the cosmovision of these centuries of struggle, of life, of resistance, we are here. We are the result of those causes, of that life, of a whole grandiose history,” he said.
The Venezuelan president assured that the Palenque Meeting: For a fraternal neighborhood with well-being ratifies that the Venezuelan people are on the right side of history.
Nicolás Maduro refers to the agreements signed with the opposition in Barbados
The head of state specified that with the signing of the agreements with the opposition in Barbados, his government is once again betting on peace, respect and tolerance , following the postulates of the Venezuelan Constitution and laws.
“If it is necessary to sign with the devils for the peace and progress of Venezuela, we sign, in the name of God, the people and our homeland”, he stressed.
The President urged the opposition to enter the lane of respect and tolerance within the framework of the Constitution, and stop conspiring and asking for sanctions against the country.
He assured that the Barbados agreements are expected to have good results, and specified that, on the part of the Government, nothing will be done to damage it.
“This agreement allowed the activation of a set of agreements that have been discussed with the Government of the United States, as it is already known. A Return to the Homeland plan was then activated with two airplanes”, he said.
Maduro detailed that last Wednesday and Monday two planes arrived in Venezuela with nationals from the United States, who were mistreated in prisons of that country as if they were criminals or terrorists.
He denounced the networks of coyotes led by some members of the Venezuelan opposition, who incite people to emigrate to the U.S. and, when they arrive, they are imprisoned in subhuman conditions.
“Do not believe in false tales of the American dream. How many compatriots are enslaved abroad? The first Return to the Homeland flight urgently requested by the U.S. Government was activated”, he said.
He commented that in the context of the dialogues with the opposition in Barbados, the United States announced the beginning of a path that must be permanent and sustained that must lead to the total lifting of the unilateral coercive sanctions on Venezuela.
President Maduro welcomes the approval of the questions of the referendum on the Essequibo
The Venezuelan president also welcomed the questions to be included in the referendum on the Essequibo, after they were unanimously approved this Monday by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
Maduro emphasized that in the South American country, major issues of national interest are consulted to the people, and affirmed that Venezuela is the protagonist of true participative democracy.
Previously, in his social network account X, he had called Venezuelans to vote five times yes next December 3.
“We greet with great satisfaction the authorities of the National Electoral Council for the approval of the five questions that will be asked to Venezuelans in the Consultative Referendum in defense of Essequiba Guyana,” he wrote.
Head of State sends solidarity to the Palestinian people
Nicolás Maduro also sent his solidarity to the Palestinian people and called for a halt to Israel’s genocide against the population of Gaza.
Likewise, he insisted on the need to establish a world conference that would allow the establishment of a negotiation to return the rights to peace, territory, independence and a state of their own to the Palestinian people.
“From Venezuela we demand that, and we are going to achieve it with the peoples of the world”, he assured.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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