International

Cuba announces new talks between Colombia and ELN in Havana

Photo: EFE

April 25 |

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez announced on Tuesday that the third stage of the peace talks between the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) will be held in Havana on May 2.

In his official Twitter account, Rodríguez wrote: “We will welcome from next May 2 the celebration in Havana of the Third Cycle of the Peace Dialogue Table between the Colombian Government and the ELN”.

The head of Cuban diplomacy stressed that the island will act with the traditional disposition and impartiality that characterizes it as guarantor and alternative venue.

The parties will return to the island after a month’s rest to begin the discussion of the six points of the road map finally agreed upon in the second cycle that ended in Mexico.

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The starting point will be an agreement to achieve a bilateral ceasefire.

The national government delegation will travel tomorrow, April 26, to Havana.

In the same way, the ELN delegation confirmed the date in another tweet in which it pointed out that “in the cycle to be held in Havana and which starts next May 2” they will basically work on three topics, which are: The participation of society, the bilateral ceasefire and humanitarian actions and dynamics.

For his part, the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ratified on Monday the commitment to peace between the Government of Colombia and the ELN.

Through his Twitter account, the president expressed his desire and “hope that the parties achieve progress in this cycle in the agreed agenda”.

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Negotiations between the Government and the guerrilla were interrupted for four years, but were resumed in November 2022 in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, and subsequently took place in Mexico.

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.