International
Venezuela’s Maduro replaces oil company chief
January 6th | By AFP |
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday replaced a cousin of his predecessor Hugo Chavez as head of state oil company PDVSA with engineer and military officer Pedro Rafael Tellechea.
The change comes as Venezuela, once an oil-exporting giant, seeks to regain some of its former glory and play a bigger role in a market rattled by the war in Ukraine.
Tellechea, head of the Pequiven petrochemical company, “will consolidate the momentum of the national oil industry,” Maduro wrote on Twitter.
Outgoing PDVSA head Asdrubal Chavez, at the helm since April 2020, “will soon have new responsibilities,” he added.
Venezuela was once one of the world’s largest oil producers, with output of more than three million barrels per day in 2008.
Production plummeted over time to about 300,000 barrels per day due to a combination of poor management and lacking investment, but has recently risen again to about 700,000 barrels per day.
Maduro blames US sanctions for the decline, but most experts say it predates the punitive measures against a president whose 2018 reelection was dismissed as fraudulent by dozens of countries.
Washington insisted this week it still did not consider Maduro to be Venezuela’s legitimate president.
But in March last year, shortly after the start of the Ukraine war, the Biden administration sent a delegation to meet Maduro and in November gave the green light for US oil giant Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela.
Tellechea had led a successful offensive of the Maduro government to reclaim control in Colombia of petrochemical company Monomeros, a subsidiary of Pequiven.
Colombia’s former president Ivan Duque had entrusted control of Monomeros to Juan Guaido, who the US and dozens of other countries had viewed as Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Maduro clung on to power and ties between the neighbors, suspended under Duque, have been reset under Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first-ever leftist president.
Maduro also announced that Yvan Gil Pinto, deputy foreign minister for Europe, would take over as foreign minister from Carlos Faria, in the post since May 2022.
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.
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.
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.
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.
U.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports
Panama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
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
-
Central America5 days agoGuatemala Police Arrest Prison Guard Caught in the Act of Extortion
-
Central America5 days agoHonduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election
-
Central America5 days agoBukele leads public trust rankings as UCA survey highlights gains in security
-
International3 days agoFootball Fan Killed in Clashes After Colombian League Match
-
Central America3 days agoGuatemala President Says Starlink Terminal Found Inside Prison
-
International5 days agoDoomsday clock moves to 85 seconds before midnight amid rising global risks
-
International2 days agoU.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
-
International5 days agoWinter Storm Fern Leaves 30 Dead and Over One Million Without Power Across the U.S.
-
Sin categoría5 days agoEight Killed in Series of Armed Attacks in Ecuador’s Manabí Province
-
International5 days agoSpain approves plan to regularize up to 500,000 migrants in Historic Shift
-
International3 days agoMissing Spanish Sailor Rescued After 11 Days Adrift in Mediterranean
-
International3 days agoRubio Says U.S. Could Participate in Follow-Up Russia-Ukraine Talks
-
Sin categoría5 days agoEl Salvador Launches Fourth Year of Ocean Mission to Protect Marine Ecosystems
-
Central America1 day agoPanama Supreme Court Strikes Down Panama Ports Concession as Unconstitutional
-
International2 days agoStorm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
-
Central America1 day agoU.S. and Guatemala Sign Trade Deal Granting Zero Tariffs to Most Exports
-
International2 days agoTrump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
-
International2 days agoMan Arrested After Vehicle Crashes Into Jewish Institution in Brooklyn