International

Noboa proclaims victory in the referendum and assures that Ecuador said “‘Yes’ to the future”

The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, said after winning the ‘Yes’ in nine of the eleven questions of the referendum held on Sunday that the result was a “victory of the people” because “the country said ‘Yes’ to the future.”

In his first public speech since the plebiscite, Noboa expressed his satisfaction with the wide support received for the issues that seek to reinforce the State’s fight against organized crime gangs.

With more than 95% of the votes scrutinized, the triumph of the ‘Yes’ was consolidated in nine of the eleven questions related to security issues.

The ‘No’ was based on economic reforms related to legalizing hourly labor contracting and allowing international arbitrations on investments in any jurisdiction.

“After the country said yes to the future, we will not give in a single step to violence, corruption and impunity,” Noboa said during a speech.

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“We have more tools to judge these crimes and tighten the penalties for their perpetrators,” the president added, referring to the initiative to raise the penalties to a series of crimes related to organized crime.

Among them, terrorism and its financing.

The proposals raised on security received between 75% and 61% support.

In addition to tightening penalties, they also imply that the Armed Forces participate permanently together with the Police in operations against organized crime. And that Ecuadorians can be extradited when they are required by the Justice of other countries.

They also supported the creation of a system of courts in constitutional matters, military surveillance around prisons and the equipment of state forces with weapons seized from crime.

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In turn, the crime of possessing weapons for the exclusive use of the Police and Armed Forces and a mechanism for the expropriation of illicit property will be created.

Noboa asserted that “they will not stop the new Ecuador.” “This victory is of the people and the people who want a better future and that their children live better than them,” he said.

In Noboa’s statements, the president made no mention of the two questions where he won the ‘No’.

Those points constitute, according to former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), a “categorical defeat” for Noboa because in his opinion they were “the two questions that (really) mattered to him.”

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”