International

Mexico gives $110 a month to Venezuelans deported in the face of an agreement with Maduro

The Mexican Government grants 110 dollars a month for six months to Venezuelan migrants returned to their country under social programs before an agreement signed with President Nicolás Maduro, as revealed on Thursday by Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena.

“It is very important, we have just signed an agreement with Venezuela, with the president, Nicolás Maduro, which is called ‘Return to the Homeland’. We are sending Venezuelans back to their country because we really can’t with these amounts,” Bárcena said at the morning government conference.

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs mentioned that the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, “has instructed that every migrant” returned to Venezuela “have a support like the one given here” in Mexico, from the Young People Building the Future programs, of professional apprentices, and Sembrando Vida, for peasants.

“So we already have an amount that we are already giving to the migrants who return to Venezuela, we actually give them a card, so that they can join a program,” he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already announced in December the resumption of the repatriations of Venezuelans in Mexico with support under these Mexican programs linked to ‘Vuelta a la patria’.

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But now, Bárcena detailed that there are agreements with the Venezuelan Companies Polar and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), as well as Mexican companies in that country, such as Bimbo and Femsa, to accome returned migrants as apprentices.

“We give them six months of a stipend, it is more or less than 110 dollars a month, which is wonderful for them, and then there is an incentive for them to return, we have already managed to repatriate a very significant amount of Venezuelans,” described the diplomat.

The agreement occurs in the face of the growth of irregular migration through Mexico, which rose by 77.2% in 2023 to exceed 782,000 people, of which the main country of origin was Venezuela, with almost 223,000, an annual increase of 131.81%, according to the statistics of the Government’s Migration Policy Unit.

“We have relations with all governments and in this we try to have cooperation because everyone passes through our territory,” López Obrador defended.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.