International
A judge in the United States stops the deportation to El Salvador of a hundred Venezuelans
About 100 Venezuelan immigrants detained in Colorado cannot be deported to El Salvador after a judge ruled on Tuesday that the federal government cannot expel two of them without first reviewing their cases or giving them the opportunity for a hearing before a judge.
Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represents the two Venezuelans, aged 25 and 32, who were not identified.
The opinion affects the plan of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport to El Salvador about 100 Venezuelan men currently housed in the detention center of the private company GEO in Aurora, east of Denver.
“For the first time in months we can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Laura Lunn, a lawyer for the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Defense Network, after the decision.
“Our community has been disproportionately attacked by the Department of Homeland Security and we have already lost too many neighbors, parents, partners and friends to this anarchy,” the lawyer said.
In a hearing on Monday before Sweeney, federal government lawyers argued that a judicial restriction “would hinder the government’s ability to enforce immigration laws,” including “arresting, detaining and expelling foreigners who are illegally in the country and who may pose a danger to society.”
The judge dismissed that position, stressing that ACLU showed that immigrants “run the risk of being deported, perhaps unfairly” and that “they would suffer irreparable damage” if they were imprisoned in El Salvador.
According to court documents, both Venezuelans crossed the Mexican-American border in Texas “a few years ago,” as did about 40,000 of their compatriots from 2022 to 2024, who also arrived in Colorado.
In her order, Judge Sweeney forbade the federal government to move the two men to El Salvador and ordered them to stay in Colorado.
If transferred, they and other Venezuelans would have the right to request a judicial review and to receive legal information “in a language they understand”, that is, in this case, Spanish.
Sweeney also stated that ACLU showed that its representatives would probably “suffer irreparable damage in the absence of a precautionary measure”, so he decided in favor of the ACLU “for the benefit of the public interest”.
In addition, he questioned the possible use of the Foreign Enemies Law to deport Venezuelans, although government lawyers told the judge on Monday that that law was not being used in this case.
Lawyer Lunn emphasized that the lawsuit in favor of Venezuelans does not ask for them to be released or granted asylum, but that their right to due process before a judge is guaranteed.
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
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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