International

All but one university raid protesters released in Peru

Photo: AFP

January 23 | By AFP |

All but one of almost 200 protesters arrested at a Lima university where they were staying in order to take part in anti-government rallies have been freed, the public prosecutor said on Monday.

Security forces had used an armored vehicle on Saturday to smash down the gate to the San Marcos University campus before arresting 193 people staying there.

All have since been questioned by police and the provincial prosecutor’s office said in the early hours of Monday that “192 people have been freed, one person remains in detention.”

Thousands of people had converged on Lima last week from poor Andean regions to take part in the protests demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of parliament, fresh elections and a new constitution.

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Hundreds of protesters found accommodation in hostels, political party headquarters and two city center universities.

The police raid at San Marcos was heavily criticized in local media.

Friends and family members of those arrested gathered outside the police anti-terrorism headquarters in Lima on Sunday.

Domitila Quispe, 47, insisted her detained brother, Silverino, 40, came to Lima “to take part in a peaceful demonstration.”

Trouble broke out in Peru following the December 7 arrest of former president Pedro Castillo after he attempted to dissolve parliament and rule by decree.

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At least 46 people have died in clashes between protesters and security forces since then.

Many Indigenous people from poor Andean regions have taken part in the protests. In Castillo, who is a former rural school teacher, they felt they finally had one of their own leading the country.

They blame Lima elites and the right-wing opposition that dominates Congress for Castillo’s downfall.

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.