International
Evo Morales celebrates the anniversary of the MAS and reiterates that he will be a presidential candidate in 2025
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales (2006-2019) led a massive celebration for the 29 years of the founding of the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) reaffirming that he is qualified to be a candidate in the 2025 presidential elections.
The event was the counterpoint to the rally organized on Thursday by the Government of President Luis Arce, which brought together a crowd of followers, under the slogan of commemorating a new anniversary of the creation of the MAS, with Morales absent.
The celebration of the groups related to Evo Morales or ‘evistas’, took place in the stadium of the town of Yapacaní, in the department of Santa Cruz, between typical dances and slogans of unity around who is also the leader of the MAS.
The attendees, most of them members of indigenous and peasant groups, exhibited hundreds of MAS flags, blue, black and white, also shouted that ‘Evo is not alone!’ constantly.
Ramiro Cucho, who is the main leader of the National Council of Ayllus and Markas del Qullasuyu (Conamaq) warned that they “want to disable” Morales as a candidate and also the MAS and that if that occurs there will be “an uprising” of the Bolivian people.
“If blood has to flow on the roads, we are going to do it (…) we will see each other in the streets,” the leader said vehemently.
On Wednesday, in an interview with EFE, Morales said that if he is disqualified for the 2025 elections, there will be “a convulsion” that will be the responsibility of the Government.
In the celebration of the MAS in Yapacaní, the followers insisted that they are the “true militancy” of that political party and reiterated that Morales is the “only candidate” of that organization.
Morales said that the Government and the opposition maintain that he is disabled from being a candidate “to demoralize, scare and make cry” the people, but that several “national and international experts” have said that: “Evo is qualified as a candidate.”
At the end of December, the Constitutional Court issued a resolution establishing that indefinite re-election is not a human right and that in Bolivia a continuous or discontinuous “only” is applied.
This affects the former governor who ruled Bolivia three times between 2006 and 2019 and who assures that the opinion of the Constitutional does not address his specific case and is only a consideration.
In his speech, Evo Morales spoke about planning the “program” for 2025 and raised proposals such as the delivery of a “second ease” for the elderly, state funding so that those who study can access postgraduate courses or install an electric vehicle assembly plant to reduce the public subsidy to fuels.
The former head of state also said that for this Tuesday an “emergency meeting” was called to analyze a recent resolution of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) that urges the MAS to hold in “consensus” a new party congress at the end of 25 days.
The request of the electoral authority comes after the annulment of the MAS congress that in 2023 re-elected Morales as leader of that party and the recent call of the “archist” bloc, afin to the Government, which ignored that appointment and called a meeting in early May.
Morales and Arce, both from the MAS, have been distanced since the end of 2021, while the followers of each leader have raised them as possible candidates for the Presidency.
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
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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