International
Presidents of Venezuela and Guyana to address face-to-face Esequibo issue
December 11 |
Under the efforts of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the presidents of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and Guyana, Irfaan Alí, will meet next Thursday, December 14, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In a letter, signed by the president pro tempore of Celac and prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, the leaders were urged to “the urgent need to de-escalate the conflict and institute an appropriate dialogue, face to face, between the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela”.
For this purpose, the aforementioned meeting, sponsored by Celac and Caricom, whose current president is the Commonwealth of Dominica, was scheduled to be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
At the request of both dignitaries, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will also be present at this meeting.
Regarding the position of the heads of state, the letter states that “Both have agreed with this assessment in the search for peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law and the avoidance of the use or threat of force”.
“Both are publicly on record of their commitment to the Caribbean as a zone of peace and the maintenance of international law.”
The letter also proposes that the presidents suggest the modality of the dialogue and interlocutor, stating that both Gonsalves and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, president of Caricom, are willing to provide constructive support for this meeting.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, thanked Celac and Caricom for the efforts made to promote the dialogue between Venezuela and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the first fruit of which will be the high level meeting to be held between Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali.
In a message disseminated through his account on the social network X, Foreign Minister Gil thanked the diplomatic good offices.
“Venezuela appreciates the efforts on the part of Celac and Caricom to promote direct high-level dialogue with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana through the presidential meeting to be held next December 14.”
“The Government of President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people are fully certain that the territorial dispute will only be resolved through dialogue, mutual respect and the commitment to preserve the region as a zone of peace and free of interference,” Gil wrote on the social network.
The meeting on Thursday, December 14 was announced on Saturday by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, through a letter addressed to Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali.
Previously, President Nicolás Maduro activated to the maximum the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace to defend Venezuela’s historical rights in the dispute over the territory of Guayana Esequiba.
This was ratified through a message on the social network X addressed to the people of Venezuela: “Happy Saturday with the Venezuelan Family! I am activating to the maximum the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace, always in defense of the historical rights of Venezuela. Once again we will defeat lies, provocations and threats against our people. Our Homeland will win!”.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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