International

Former president Pedro Castillo requested his immediate release

Photo: RPP

December 5 |

The former Peruvian president, Pedro Castillo appeared this Monday before the plenary of the Constitutional Court (TC) to request that it order his immediate release and declare null and void all proceedings against him.

In his appearance before the TC, Castillo ratified that on December 7, 2022 he was illegally arrested and lashed out against Peru’s Attorney General Patricia Benavides for being investigated as the alleged leader of a criminal network.

Pedro Castillo pointed out that the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken a vicious attitude towards him and requested that all judicial and administrative proceedings and acts subsequent to his arrest be annulled.

The presentation of the former Peruvian president took place within the framework of a TC hearing to evaluate a habeas corpus recourse to obtain his freedom presented by Pedro Castillo’s defense.

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Castillo affirmed that the coup d’état of December 7, 2022 had been previously prepared by the Congress and the Prosecutor’s Office.

The defense of the former Peruvian president requested that the 18-month preventive imprisonment sentence be declared null and void, that Castillo’s immediate freedom be granted and that “the state prior” to his detention be restored, so that he can again exercise the presidency in the 2021-2026 period.

The decision of the TC will be known this week, when it will be one year since the coup d’état against Pedro Castillo, when the Congress dismissed him for the flagrant crime of rebellion against the democratic regime for ordering the closing of the Parliament.

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.