International

Ecuadorians abroad to vote in person

Photo: EFE

August 29|

In Ecuador, the National Electoral Council (CNE) decided on Monday night to reinstate that nationals abroad vote in person in the second round of the presidential and legislative elections, to be held on October 15.

The members of the electoral body voted in favor of repealing the provision that the overseas constituencies apply the telematic voting modality, after problems occurred in that system during the elections of last August 20.

In this regard, the president of the CNE, Diana Atamaint, stated: “I vote in favor of reforming the regulations for the early presidential and legislative elections of 2023 and thus implement in-person voting in the three overseas constituencies”.

Atamaint also clarified that the decision “is not due to any proposal of any political party”, but is a determination attached to the Constitution and the Code of Democracy, with the purpose of guaranteeing the right of participation of migrants.

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In relation to the company in charge of the telematic voting support, AntroProyectos, the official also announced that “we will inform the pertinent authorities, first of all the General State Comptroller’s Office and if necessary the Attorney General’s Office”.

Last August 25, the CNE decided to repeat the voting for representatives to the National Assembly in the three constituencies abroad due to problems with the telematic voting system, which made it impossible for many voters to vote.

Less than half, only 51,643 Ecuadorians living abroad were able to vote effectively on August 20, out of the more than 123,854 registered in the computer platform designed for this purpose.

The Citizen Revolution (RC) movement had requested an investigation and the repetition of the voting abroad, due to difficulties which the CNE explained were due to cyber-attacks from countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and China.

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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.