International

Maduro leads the march in Caracas for the 33 years of Hugo Chávez’s “rebellion”

Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for his third six-year term in power after elections questioned by the opposition, led this Tuesday a march that toured Caracas to commemorate the 33 years of what he called the “rebellion” of Hugo Chávez, between 1999 and 2013, in reference to the failed coup d’état that the deceased ruler led as a lieutenant colonel.

“February 4 (…) was the rebellion against all forms of domination (…) February 4, 1992, the day of awakening and the Bolivarian rebellion,” Maduro said at the end of the march, which started from Plaza Venezuela and culminated in Paseo Los Próceres, located near the main military complex and academies in the country, Fort Tiuna.

Maduro said that Chavismo has “resisted in a creative, heroic way” and is “advanceding” in its “own model,” so he said that “great, blessed times have come for Venezuela for now and forever.”

“There is no force on earth that will take away the destiny and the great future of Venezuela,” he said.

Together with the Chavista leader, the Minister of the Interior and also first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, pointed out that the soldiers of February 4 are with the revolution “in good times and in bad” and – he added – “if it is in bad times faster.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

“If the enemy made the mistake of making a mistake with us, he knows that he will have an immediate answer, a forceful answer, and we are going to show him that 33 years ago Hugo Chávez rose up with the people to never leave power again,” Cabello said, about the failed coup attempt against then-President Carlos Andrés Pérez, who died in 2010.

This Tuesday, which began with an event in the Mountain Barracks, a building located in the popular neighborhood of January 23 where Chávez’s remains rest, a PSUV congress is expected to begin to propose “to the high political command” the candidates for the regional and parliamentary elections of April 27.

The votes were called by the electoral body – controlled by Chavismo – and have been rejected by the majority opposition, which demands respect for the claimed triumph of Edmundo González Urrutia in the presidential elections of July last year.

In addition, Maduro criticized the Foreign Minister of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha, of whom he said “is not able to defend” the Panama Canal, which US President Donald Trump has threatened to “recover.”

In an event in Caracas, the leader of Chavismo said that Martínez-Acha “lowered his pants” before the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, on his recent official visit to Panama, a country that promised not to renew a trade agreement with China and to work with the US Navy to “optimize the priority” of the transit of its ships through the Channel.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

“Where is that idiot? What is the name of the Panamanian chancellor’s imbecile? That he pulled down his pants in front of Marco Rubio when he visited him now and is not able to defend the Panama Canal,” Maduro said in a speech.

International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.