International
Venezuelan President orders joint defensive action against UK military threat
December 30 |
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros ordered Thursday the deployment of the joint action military exercise General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 to protect its territorial integrity, in response to the threat from the United Kingdom with the arrival of the ship HMS Trent off the coast of Guyana.
During the 2023 New Year’s Eve Salutation to officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the Venezuelan head of state strongly rejected the arrival of the British Navy ship HMS Trent to the area.
He stated that it constitutes a military threat and a provocation by the United Kingdom against a peaceful and noble, but also warrior people, such as the Venezuelan people. We are the people of the liberators, he added.
He denounced that the dispatch of the ship and its acceptance by Guyana “is a breach of the Argyle Agreements”, signed with that nation last December 14, and assumed as a road map to solve the territorial dispute over the Essequibo.
He pointed out that since the Venezuelan government knew of London’s intention, it activated all the political-diplomatic mechanisms for Guyana to stop the arrival of the HMS Trent, but his government decided to receive the said naval vessel.
The Bolivarian leader stressed that Venezuela will not stand idly by in the face of any threat, wherever it may come from. We do not accept provocations. Venezuela has the right to defend its integrity, he made clear.
He stressed that Venezuela has respected the Argyle Agreements, but it will not stand idly by in the face of this threat, wherever it comes from. He warned that this time it comes precisely from the power that stripped Venezuela of Essequiba Guyana.
He recalled that in that locality of St. Vincent and the Grenadines a path was sought, the path of political dialogue, after close coordination with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
He pointed out that “we are responding proportionally to the threats: today we have issued a communiqué and we reserve all actions” to defend the sovereign zones of Venezuela.
He explained that he called the military exercise joint action General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 in honor of this military chief (1834-1912), hero of Venezuela, whose remains will be taken next January to the National Pantheon. The military exercise was deployed in areas of the Venezuelan Atlantic coast and several forces are participating in it.
Venezuelan Vice-President rejects interference of the United Kingdom
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also rejected on Thursday the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial dispute over the Essequiba Guiana.
Delcy Rodriguez recalled that London forged the 1899 award to illegally appropriate the territory of the Essequibo.
The high official of the Venezuelan Government reiterated that the only historical owner has been and will continue to be Venezuela.
“The United Kingdom has the obligation to abide by what was agreed in the Argyle Declaration which expressly excludes external threats that seek to sow or escalate a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. Its threatening behavior against our country and the peace of our Region will have the timely and legitimate response of Venezuela. More than two centuries ago we decided for independence. We will not accept any kind of neocolonialism” wrote the Vice President in her X account.
Delcy Rodríguez indicated that the United Kingdom must recognize that they are part of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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