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The director of Ecuador’s largest prison is shot dead

The director of the Litoral Penitentiary, the largest and most populous prison in Ecuador, was killed this Thursday in an attack where another prison official who accompanied her at the time of the attack was injured, according to the National Service for Comprehensive Care for Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), the State penitentiary agency.

The attack against María Daniela Icaza and her companion occurred around 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on the road between the town of Daule and the city of Guayaquil, where the Litoral Penitentiary is located.

Icaza was heading to the Guasmo Sur Hospital, which is located in the south of Guayaquil, when according to local media, armed men intercepted the vehicle and shot at her, who was in the co-pilot’s seat.

At first, the SNAI reported that Icaza had managed to get to the hospital alive, but later confirmed his death.

This is the second murder of the highest prison authority in nine days, after Álex Guevara, director of the Lago Agrio prison, in the Amazonian province of Sucumbíos, was murdered in similar circumstances on September 3.

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One of the most important prisons in Ecuador

The Litoral Penitentiary, officially known as the Guayas Male Freedom Deprivation Center Number 1, is the largest of the five prisons that make up the Guayaquil penitentiary complex, in which approximately 12,000 prisoners are detained.

More than 6,000 are in the Litoral Penitentiary, which between 2021 and 2023 was the scene of the worst massacres that occurred due to clashes between criminal gangs that disputed internal control, at least until the militarization of these centers ordered at the beginning of the year by President Daniel Noboa.

The entry of the military into the prisons took place within the framework of the state of emergency and “internal armed conflict” declared by the ruler against organized crime, which is attributed to a boom in criminal violence that has led Ecuador to be the country in Latin America with the highest homicide rate, registering 47.2 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

The wave of murders has also previously claimed the lives of other prison directors, as well as municipal authorities, including several mayors, and on a national scale, such as presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

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International

Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says

More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.

Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.

“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.

“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.

Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.

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The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.

“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.

France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.

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International

Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.

The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.

The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.

“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.

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A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.

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Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”

Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.

“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.

The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.

The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.

The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.

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One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.

Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.

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