International

Mexico suspends quarantine due to avian flu cases in Sonora

Photo: EFE

November 26 |

The Mexican authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) lifted on Friday the zoonotic quarantine implemented last October due to the presence of high levels of pathogenicity of the AH5 avian influenza virus in the state of Sonora, after verifying the absence of the disease.

The agency said in a statement released to that effect that the moratorium on the breeding and marketing of poultry products was lifted “after verifying that in the last 25 days there have been no more cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (flu) AH5N1 in the state”.

After completing the quarantine, Sader began an emergency vaccination process in strategic areas, the first stage of which is expected to cover areas of high animal health risk and farms where there are parent hens, for which it has a supply of 36.1 million doses.

In order to compare the genome of the current virus with that of 2022 and verify the effectiveness of the drug used against it, scientists from Senasica’s Mexico-United States Commission for the Prevention of Foot and Mouth Disease and other Exotic Animal Diseases (CPA) carried out the primary isolation of the AH5N1 virus.

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Sader explained that the outbreak in Sonora involved two production farms, for which they were forced to cull 144,000 birds at the end of their production cycle “which represented less than 0.1 percent of the national flock” without affecting the commercial supply of chicken and eggs in the country.

The avian influenza virus, as with the virus that affects humans, is one of the pathogens with the greatest capacity for genetic changes, which means that year after year, when the migration season of wild birds from the north of the continent arrives, the type and subtypes of the virus present must be characterized.

On October 27, the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Senasica) declared a quarantine in several poultry farms in the state of Sonora after detecting the virus in two of them. In addition, traces of the pathogen were found in wild birds in Jalisco, Veracruz and Baja California.

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.