International

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticizes argentine government’s October 12 Message

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro criticized a message published this Saturday by the Argentine government, led by far-right President Javier Milei, in commemoration of October 12. Maduro labeled Milei a “complicit in genocide.”

“Did you see what Javier Milei posted in Argentina on his official accounts? Celebrating October 12 as the great day they civilized us,” Maduro said during a phone-in at a Caracas rally marking Indigenous Resistance Day.

Earlier that day, the Argentine government shared a message “celebrating” the ‘Day of the Race’—a designation that was legally abolished in 2010—highlighting Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas as the “milestone” that marked the “beginning of civilization” on the continent.

Maduro condemned the message as a “false narrative of the past” aimed at imposing a “fascist project that denies the rights of the people, independence, and the future” in the present.

“There is nothing to celebrate, neither Hispanic Heritage Day nor the Day of the Race,” the Chavista leader declared, arguing instead that 532 years ago, there was an “invasion” and “genocide.”

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Venezuela’s Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, echoed these sentiments, stating on Telegram that Argentina’s Casa Rosada—the seat of the government—had been “turned into a colonized house, dragged down by the lowest anti-national and anti-Latin American interests.”

Over 1,000 people, mostly Chavistas, marched in Venezuela’s capital this Saturday to mark Indigenous Resistance Day and protest what they describe as the “genocide” committed by Spain against the indigenous peoples of the Americas in the 15th century.

Among the authorities present was Jorge Rodríguez, President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, who stated that the “genocide perpetrated by the Spanish empire in this land was crueler, more inhumane, and even more brutal than what the Nazi hierarchy did.”

The rally occurred just days after Venezuela’s National Assembly, controlled by Maduro’s ruling party, urged the Spanish government to abolish the monarchy, calling it an institution linked to corruption and an “expression of the far-right.” The Assembly also called on Maduro to sever diplomatic, consular, and commercial ties with Spain.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly insisted that Spain “should apologize every day” for the “genocide” of the 15th century and called for the promotion of “channels to achieve recognition, justice, and reparations for these crimes against humanity.”

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International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.