International
Venezuela and St. Lucia sign cooperation agreement
October 8 |
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J. Pierre, on an official visit to the South American country, signed on Friday three documents to strengthen strategic relations, which will allow progress in the construction of a new region.
The signing of the documents took place after the president received the Saint Lucian premier at the Miraflores Palace, who has had a busy work agenda since his arrival in Venezuela in the morning.
“I think it is important to explain to our people how we are moving forward in the construction of a new Latin America, a new Caribbean, a new region, based on a fundamental principle: mutual respect, love among peoples, active solidarity, cooperation for mutual benefit, win-win”, said the Venezuelan president.
In this sense, he explained that the documents signed on this day include a Road Map for the Development of Cooperation between both countries, in areas such as education, tourism, fishing, food sovereignty, air transportation, infrastructure, among others.
“In the conversation we had for more than an hour, we have reached great agreements on all these issues”, the Venezuelan President stressed, and assured that a concrete action plan has been established to promote the roadmap that will allow for shared food production in Saint Lucia and Venezuela and to increase trade.
Likewise, an agreement on air services and a Joint Declaration were signed between the Venezuelan president and the premier of Saint Lucia, ratifying the ties of brotherhood and cooperation between the countries they represent.
According to the Venezuelan dignitary, the Air Services Agreement, which will be active as from next November, will allow “opening air operations and connecting Saint Lucia with Venezuela, Venezuela with Saint Lucia”.
In this regard, the Head of State said he was “sure that these flights will be very successful and will increase the exchange of our peoples for tourism and to strengthen relations”.
With respect to the Joint Declaration, President Maduro indicated that with it both governments ratify “the principles of self-determination of the peoples, of Latin America and the Caribbean as a territory of the principles of cooperation, solidarity, brotherhood, mutual benefit, progressive and upward development of relations, the founding principles of our peoples”.
“We have proposed to turn the cooperative relationship of joint work and brotherhood of Saint Lucia and Venezuela into a model to follow for relations with the entire Caribbean and with other peoples, a relationship that is brilliant, that gives concrete results, that raises the quality of life of our people,” the Venezuelan dignitary emphasized.
For his part, the premier of Saint Lucia rejected and described as unjust the coercive and unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States (U.S.) against Venezuela.
“We consider that any sanction applied to a country, due to its political system, is unjust. We also believe that sanctions are very painful for countries, and as we have requested on several occasions, we have demanded that the sanctions applied to the people of Venezuela be lifted,” he said.
Philip J. Pierre assured that both governments will work to strengthen bilateral relations, and underlined his hope that “Venezuela will be liberated so that it can develop its people and, by extension, its friends within the Caribbean Community (Caricom)”.
The premier of Saint Lucia arrived in Caracas (capital of Venezuela) in the morning hours, and was received by Foreign Minister Yván Gil. Throughout the day he has had a busy work agenda, which has included meetings with senior leaders of the Venezuelan Government.
Bilateral relations between Venezuela and Saint Lucia began in 1979, and since then they have shared similar ideals regarding freedom and self-determination of the peoples.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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