International
Venezuelan President: we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace
December 19 |
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, highlighted on Monday that “we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace” on the direct dialogue held with Guyana on the territorial dispute over the Guayana Esequiba.
During his program Con Maduro +, the head of state thanked the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom), as well as the other authorities that made possible “that historic meeting, face to face, where we brought the documented truth of Venezuela”.
“There was no truth from Venezuela about our historical rights that we did not bring to the table there, and I think we had a great triumph of diplomacy for peace, of diplomacy to advance in the rescue of our historical rights,” the president stressed.
In addition, he spoke of the declaration presented after the high-level dialogue held, last December 14, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines between the delegations of Venezuela and Guyana, indicating that it should be known by all.
“If we achieved something with the campaign and the debate for the referendum, it was that millions of Venezuelan men and women became aware of the issue of the historical claim over our Essequibo; 150 years of struggle and today we have put the issue of the Essequibo in the first place of priority so that, once and for all, Venezuela recovers its historical rights”, he emphasized.
Likewise, he recalled that in the last consultative referendum the people spoke and “we have to respect the mandate of December 3, and move forward through diplomacy, move forward through the legal struggle, the political struggle, move forward with great strength so that, sooner rather than later, Venezuela may have the historic achievement of fully recovering its rights over the Essequiba Guiana. Essequiba Guyana belongs to Venezuela”.
President Maduro thanked again those who made possible the direct dialogue with Guyana and, particularly, he spoke of the role played by his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for “understanding, for peace, and so that US imperialism does not wage a war as they want with the Southern Command here in the Caribbean, here in South America. I think it has been a step forward and it is the first impact” of the December 3 referendum.
Rejection to the interference in the controversy over the Essequibo
For his part, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil previously rejected, through his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial controversy with Guyana over the Essequibo.
“The ex-empire, invader and slaver, which illegally occupied the territory of the Essequiba Guiana and acted in an artful and crawling manner against the interests of Venezuela, insists on intervening in a territorial controversy that they themselves generated”, declared the Foreign Minister, in reference to the visit to Guyana of the United Kingdom Undersecretary of State for the Americas and the Caribbean, David Rutley.
Foreign Minister Gil asserted that the only valid action of the United Kingdom will be the recognition “of its responsibility before international law and the obligations derived from the Geneva Agreement of 1966”.
Then, following a message issued by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Rutley’s visit, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister urged him to “instead of sending ridiculous messages of intrigue, take charge, with true honor, of the commitments assumed in 1966”.
“In that task we have committed ourselves to Guyana and Venezuela, in order to reverse one of the effects of colonialism and imperial arrogance in our region”, he stressed.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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