International
U.S. assumed “temporary custody” of Venezuelan diplomatic headquarters
February 10 |
The United States government assumed “temporary custody” of Venezuela’s diplomatic headquarters in that country on February 6 and will have under its control the real estate and assets until the Venezuelan mission “resumes operations”, confirmed a US State Department spokesperson.
“This action is consistent with the Department’s authorities under the Foreign Missions Act and with U.S. obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ‘respect and protect’ the facilities and property of a diplomatic mission that has been suspended,” a State Department spokesperson responded to Voice of America.
The spokesperson recalled that the Venezuelan embassy in the United States announced the closure of the bilateral mission on January 5 of this year, the date on which Carlos Vecchio ceased to act as diplomatic representative of the interim government, after Parliament of 2015 decided to dissolve the interim that was presided by Juan Guaidó.
The U.S. official reiterated that the United States continues to recognize the 2015 Parliament as the “last” democratically elected institution left in Venezuela.
The opposition-majority Parliament, which for the third consecutive time extended its mandate, left in office a five-member Council of Administration and Protection of Assets, a body competent to protect all Venezuelan goods or assets abroad.
One of the members of the Council is Fernando Blasi, who was appointed as representative of the 2015 Parliament in the United States. At the moment it is not clear how he will exercise his functions in view of the taking of custody of the diplomatic offices in the United States.
However, Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 Parliament clarified that the action of the US government was “done in a coordinated manner” with Blasi, who, she said, “coordinated the whole process with the State Department”.
“It was not a surprise procedure. We were all officially informed (…) it was what corresponded according to the Vienna Convention. There was presence of members of the mission in the procedure”, states a press release of the NA.
Figuera denied that there were people working in the diplomatic offices and that they were not allowed to enter, as was reported by some media.
Neither the government nor the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry have reacted.
Venezuela has been going through a complex institutional crisis since 2019 when, arguing that the 2018 elections, in which President Nicolás Maduro was reelected were “fraudulent”, Guaidó, was sworn in as interim president of Venezuela and was recognized by dozens of countries that imposed sanctions and supported the strategy of “asset protection” abroad, but in practice, Maduro never ceased to exercise power.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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