International
Uruguayan government appoints Diego Escuder as interim foreign minister
November 3 |
The Government of Uruguay appointed Diego Escuder, who until then served as Director General of the Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as interim Minister of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
The acting Uruguayan president before the trip of President Luis Lacalle Pou to the United States (USA), Beatriz Argimón, sent a statement to the national media where she ratified the acceptance of Francisco Bustillo’s resignation that was presented the day before.
She also indicated that Nicolas Albertoni will continue as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Escuder has accumulated experience in the area of international relations, has taught in different universities of the South American country and has been a parliamentary advisor to the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). During Lacalle Pou’s two presidential campaigns he served as foreign policy advisor.
On Wednesday, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francisco Bustillo, resigned from his position after the evidence incriminating him, together with other members of the Government, in the case of Sebastián Marset, a drug trafficker of Uruguayan nationality and currently a fugitive from the Paraguayan and Bolivian justice system, was presented to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The former vice-chancellor, Carolina Ache, presented evidence of the messages they exchanged regarding the issuance and delivery of a Uruguayan passport to Marset in a short period of time, while he was detained in Dubai.
Bustillo tried to persuade Ache to get rid of his cell phone, so that evidence that could incriminate the persons involved would be lost.
After Ache’s statements to the Prosecutor’s Office were made public, Bustillo resigned and assured, in a letter, that it was a “distorted account” that he would later try to clarify.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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