International
Assange will not yet be extradited to the United States when the London High Court postpones his decision
The High Court of London chose on Tuesday to postpone its final decision on the appeal of the case of the Australian journalist Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks portal, so he will not be extradited to the United States immediately.
Judges Victoria Sharp and Adam Johnson, who evaluated the parties’ arguments for several weeks, considered that an eventual appeal by Assange could partially prosper, so they offer the United States Government the opportunity to “offer guarantees” against those arguments.
According to the ruling, the court has given the U.S. Government three weeks to give satisfactory guarantees that Assange will be able to argue in his defense the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, relating to the protection of freedom of expression.
Guarantees will also be needed that the Australian will not be harmed in the trial because of his nationality, that he will be granted the same protections of the First Amendment as a U.S. citizen and that the death penalty will not be imposed.
If those guarantees are not given, then Assange will be granted authorization to appeal, but if they are offered, the parties will have the opportunity to present new observations at a hearing on May 20, in order to make a decision on the appeal.
However, the judges dismissed some of the grounds for the appeal, including Assange’s arguments that his case responds to his political opinions.
The magistrates had to evaluate the arguments presented by the parties at two court hearings last February in order to decide whether to support or revoke the ruling issued on June 6, 2023 by Judge Jonathan Swift.
That magistrate denied Assange the possibility of continuing to appeal in the United Kingdom last year and gave his approval to the delivery of Assange to the United States.
Assange’s extradition was signed in June 2022 by the then British Minister of the Interior Priti Patel.
The United States requests that Assange be extradited for 18 crimes of espionage and computer intrusion, after his explosive revelations from his portal, which between 2010 and 2011 revealed alleged U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to Assange’s defense, these crimes are punishable by 175 years in prison in the United States.
After the ruling was heard, the journalist’s wife, Stella Assange, said at the gates of the court, before a crowd of followers, that her husband is a “political prisoner.”
“He is a journalist and is persecuted because he exposed the true cost of war in human lives” and this case “is a sign to all of you that if you expose the interests that drive the war, they will come for you,” he added.
Assange was arrested for the first time in 2010 at the request of Sweden for a case that has been closed. In 2012 he took refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London, but was arrested in 2019 by the British Police, once that country withdrew his asylum status, and since then he has been in prison.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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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