International
Presidents of Venezuela and Guyana to address face-to-face Esequibo issue
December 11 |
Under the efforts of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the presidents of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and Guyana, Irfaan Alí, will meet next Thursday, December 14, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
In a letter, signed by the president pro tempore of Celac and prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, the leaders were urged to “the urgent need to de-escalate the conflict and institute an appropriate dialogue, face to face, between the presidents of Guyana and Venezuela”.
For this purpose, the aforementioned meeting, sponsored by Celac and Caricom, whose current president is the Commonwealth of Dominica, was scheduled to be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
At the request of both dignitaries, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will also be present at this meeting.
Regarding the position of the heads of state, the letter states that “Both have agreed with this assessment in the search for peaceful coexistence, the application and respect for international law and the avoidance of the use or threat of force”.
“Both are publicly on record of their commitment to the Caribbean as a zone of peace and the maintenance of international law.”
The letter also proposes that the presidents suggest the modality of the dialogue and interlocutor, stating that both Gonsalves and Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, president of Caricom, are willing to provide constructive support for this meeting.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, thanked Celac and Caricom for the efforts made to promote the dialogue between Venezuela and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the first fruit of which will be the high level meeting to be held between Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali.
In a message disseminated through his account on the social network X, Foreign Minister Gil thanked the diplomatic good offices.
“Venezuela appreciates the efforts on the part of Celac and Caricom to promote direct high-level dialogue with the Cooperative Republic of Guyana through the presidential meeting to be held next December 14.”
“The Government of President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people are fully certain that the territorial dispute will only be resolved through dialogue, mutual respect and the commitment to preserve the region as a zone of peace and free of interference,” Gil wrote on the social network.
The meeting on Thursday, December 14 was announced on Saturday by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, through a letter addressed to Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali.
Previously, President Nicolás Maduro activated to the maximum the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace to defend Venezuela’s historical rights in the dispute over the territory of Guayana Esequiba.
This was ratified through a message on the social network X addressed to the people of Venezuela: “Happy Saturday with the Venezuelan Family! I am activating to the maximum the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace, always in defense of the historical rights of Venezuela. Once again we will defeat lies, provocations and threats against our people. Our Homeland will win!”.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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