International
UN mission for Venezuela: the Government is reactivating its most violent repression
The Government of Venezuela is reactivating “the most violent form of repression,” with a new wave of arrests of opponents accused of alleged conspiracies such as the so-called Operation White Bracelet, the UN Independent International Mission for the country said on Wednesday.
The president of the mission, the Portuguese Marta Valiñas, presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council a new report on abuses committed by the Government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela since 2023, where she stressed that “the authorities invoke real or fictitious conspiracies to smedget, arrest and prosecute opponents or government critics.”
In this period, he said, we have moved from a less repressive phase of the opposition, in which Nicolás Maduro’s regime was limited to creating “a climate of fear and intimidation,” to a more violent period “that is activated to silence the voices of the opposition at any price.”
Valiñas highlighted in this sense that in January 2024 Maduro asked to “activate the Bolivarian Fury” after assuring that the previous year four conspiracies had been deactivated to assassinate him or organize coups d’état, and that the Attorney General’s Office then announced the aforementioned Operation White Bracelet, one of the alleged plots to end the life of the Venezuelan president.
In the context of the fight against this last conspiracy, 33 soldiers were degraded and expelled and different critics of the regime were arrested.
Among them, he recalled, campaign leaders of the Vente Venezuela party (the formation of the opposition leader María Corina Machado) and human rights defenders such as Tamara Suju, Sebastiana Barráez or the Spanish-Venezuelan Rocío San Miguel.
Valiñas stressed that San Miguel, arrested on February 9 at Maiquetía airport without a court order, was in unknown whereabouts for five days “until the authorities reported that she was detained in El Helicoide, one of the torture centers documented by the mission.”
He also stressed that that month, shortly after both the mission he presides over and the UN Office for Human Rights expressed their concern for San Miguel, the Venezuelan Government suspended the activities of the technical mission of the aforementioned office and gave its staff a period of 72 hours to leave the country.
The head of the mission completed by the Chilean Francisco Cox and the Argentine Patricia Tappatá added that together with San Miguel they have documented cases of 18 other women who remain detained under the accusation of being associated or involved in “conspiracies” to overthrow the Government.
Valiñas also recalled that in the six months analyzed by the mission, an agreement between the Government and the opposition was signed in Barbados so that it could participate in the elections of July 28 of this year, but subsequent actions highlighted the difficulties for its implementation.
The president of the mission gave as an example the suspension by the Supreme Court of Justice of the opposition primaries of October 22, won by a large majority by María Corina Machado, and the ratification by the same instance of justice of her 15-year political disqualification of 15 years, on January 26.
“These actions highlight the serious difficulties that exist in ensuring that the next presidential elections are carried out in accordance with the right to participate in public affairs provided for in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” Valiñas stressed.
It also drew attention to the arrest warrants against 14 people, including prominent opposition leaders such as Juan Guaidó and Leopoldo López, for their alleged connection with a conspiracy against the consultative referendum on Guayana Esequiba, held on December 3.
In the turn of reply, Venezuela’s delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva once again rejected the conclusions of the mission and even its legitimacy, created in 2019 by the council itself to investigate human rights abuses in the country.
“The United States, the greatest violator of rights in all history, the European Union and the failed Lima Group designed this mechanism (the mission) with the purpose of applying maximum pressure on Venezuela, manipulating the instruments and purposes of this Council,” said a representative of the delegation.
“They pretend to cover as absolute truths all the barbarities fabricated against Venezuela without verification or sustainable proof,” he added, alluding to the work of a mission that in his opinion “appeals to anonymous and even invented sources.”
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
International Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International2 days agoKing Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
-
Central America2 days agoU.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
-
International3 days agoMexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
-
International11 hours agoIranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
-
International5 days agoSuspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
-
International2 days agoTrump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
-
Central America2 days agoInternational Project Tackles Gender Violence in Indigenous Communities in Panama
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates