International

Venezuela summons the ambassador of Spain for “intervent” statements by the Minister of Defense

Venezuela has called for consultations with the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, Ramón Santos, in the face of what the Government of Nicolás Maduro considers “insolent, intererentic and rude statements” by the Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, who criticized the “persecution” and “limitation of fundamental rights” suffered by opponents in the South American nation.

The ambassador, as explained by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil, on his Telegram channel, must appear at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this Friday at the request of the Chavista Executive, which considers that Robles’ statements “point to a deterioration in relations between the two countries.”

Maduro’s Executive, Gil explained, has also called for consultation with his accredited ambassador in Spain, Gladys Gutiérrez, although he did not specify if the appointment is for the same date on which Santos must go to the Foreign Ministry or another.

Political crisis

Robles said, after the arrival of opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, to Spain – where he has requested asylum considering that he suffered political and judicial persecution in Venezuela – that what the Government of the Caribbean country does with “many” anti-Chavistas is “unacceptable and unacceptable”

This Wednesday, the Venezuelan Parliament, controlled by Chavismo, proposed a resolution that it hopes to approve to urge Maduro to break “all diplomatic, consular, economic and commercial relations” with Spain, after the Spanish Congress, with the vote against the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), agreed to recognize González Urrutia as elected president.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The electoral minutes

The opponent, who arrived in Madrid on Sunday, asked for asylum due to the “persecution” he said he suffered after the presidential elections of July 28, whose official victory was granted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to Maduro, a result subsequently validated by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

However, the opposition insists that the winner was González Urrutia, a statement that he supported in the “83.5% of the electoral records” that he claims to have collected through witnesses and table members on the day of the votes, which – he assured – grant victory to the anti-Chavista by a wide margin.

However, the Government of Caracas assures that the minutes that were later published on a website by the opposition are “false.”

International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.