International
Boric, Lula, Petro and Peña will be in the assumption of Yamandú Orsi as president of Uruguay
The presidents of Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, as well as the King of Spain, will travel to Montevideo to participate on March 1 in the investiture of Yamandú Orsi as the new president of Uruguay.
This was announced on Tuesday by the future foreign minister of the South American country, Mario Lubetkin, who detailed that for the moment the presence of the Argentine president, Javier Milei, is not confirmed.
“This will be the ceremony of greatest historical participation since democracy restarted in 1985. And I would dare to say that it is one of the most important participations of presidents, prime ministers and kings in number of those that have happened in Latin America and the Caribbean, at least in recent years,” he said.
In a press conference held at the headquarters of the Executive Branch, Lubetkin also reported that other presidents who will be in Montevideo will be those of Armenia and Germany.
The latter will hold a meeting with Orsi on Sunday, March 2, as part of a day that will have several bilateral meetings.
In the case of Argentina, the future foreign minister recalled that the last two transitions carried out in Uruguay were not attended by the then presidents, Mauricio Macri (2015) and Alberto Fernández (2020).
He explained that this is due to the fact that the beginning of the ordinary session of Parliament takes place in that country on March 1.
He also pointed out that countries such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Italy, Mexico and Portugal will be represented by ministers.
In total there will be 185 representatives from 65 countries, in a day that will begin at 13:00 local time (16:00 GMT) and will take place in the Legislative Palace and in the Plaza Independencia.
“We have maintained that tradition of Uruguay an open country, which invites all those countries with which we have diplomatic relations. That as a general criterion,” Lubetkin said.
On the other hand, he was consulted about the decision of the current Uruguayan president, Luis Lacalle Pou, not to sign the invitations to the Governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“Naturally, it is not that we have been happy, because we preferred to have the general invitation, regardless of what the country was,” said the future minister, who recalled that “Governments pass and States remain.”
He added that those who have diplomats in Uruguay were sent an invitation note.
The future Foreign Minister Lubetkin said on Tuesday that his country wants to be a “facilitator and actor” of the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Part of the efforts we will make in foreign policy in this period is to strengthen integration at the regional level with all the difficulties that exist today, as they exist throughout the world,” he said.
“We want to be facilitators of the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean. We have our responsibility. I believe that the mere presence of the presidents who come from Latin America and the Caribbean is a sign that they are giving us,” he added.
He also remarked that there is no political sign there, since the presidents who will arrive in Montevideo “represent all the political colors of the region.”
The president of Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) and the new president she is going to assume is coming,” he said, referring to the Honduran Xiomara Castro and the Colombian Gustavo Petro.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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