International

Peru increases to 544 the number of districts in emergency due to water deficit

Photo: Agencia Andina

September 19 |

The Peruvian government published on Monday a decree declaring an emergency due to water deficit and imminent danger to 544 districts in the country, belonging to 14 departments, in order to address the situation.

The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Jennifer Contreras, said in a press conference that the measure covered 544 districts, when previously 131 were in emergency due to this situation.

The decert will allow “regional and local governments to execute and act within the framework of their competences, in terms of disaster management”, said the official.

“It is a priority for the government and for the Presidency of the Republic to attend to the water deficit emergency, as well as to protect the lives of our population, our crops and our assets,” she said.

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Contreras pointed out that the measure reaches several departments and localities that suffer the effects of the lack of rainfall, such as Puno with 85 districts, Huanuco with 54, Huancavelica 71, Cusco 77, Arequipa 32, Ancash 51, Apurimac 18.

“The regulation is going to allow regional and local governments to execute and act within the framework of their competencies, in terms of disaster management. For example, they can make direct contracts to be able to attend to the emergency due to water deficit in their respective localities”, she added.

The minister of the sector expressed that the authorities of the departments in emergency may acquire veterinary kits, food for livestock, as well as take actions to ensure the supply and provision of water, control and measurement of irrigation canals, among other measures.

She stated that the Executive Branch is developing a multisectoral intervention to provide assistance to the populations in the emergency due to lack of water, and “tomorrow the National Emergency Operations Center will report on the establishment of a prevention plan for water deficit”, she said.

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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.