International

Spain is optimistic about the future of Guatemala with the Government of Arévalo de León

Spain sees with optimism the future of Guatemala after the arrival of Bernardo Arévalo de León, inaugurated on January 15, due to his government plan and his social projects.

This was stated by the now former ambassador of Spain to Guatemala, José María Laviña, who was at the head of the diplomatic delegation from September 2020 until the end of his mandate this week.

“It has been three and a half intense years,” Laviña recalled in an interview with EFE, referring to his arrival in Guatemala in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Undoubtedly, the passage of Laviña in Guatemala was also marked by the support of Spain and the European Union for the Guatemalan electoral process, at risk for much of 2023 due to the attempts of the Public Ministry (Fiscalía) to reverse the triumph at the polls of Arévalo de León.

According to the Spanish official, the Guatemala he met in 2020, when landing in the country, is not the same as the current one: “Politically, there are indeed differences to the last stage of the Government of (Alejandro) Giammattei, with the attempts made from different institutions and powers to prevent the investiture of Bernardo Arévalo.”

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However, in his vision, the new president was able to take office thanks to the effort of the Guatemalans to maintain democracy, and “in the second term,” due to international support.

“I was surprised by the virulence of those attacks, of those judicialization, of politics, that there was the final stage of last year against the president and the political party Semilla,” he added.

Laviña asserted that he had never lived an investiture like the one scheduled for last January 14, where, according to experts, the inauguration of Arévalo de León was at risk and that is why it was delayed until January 15.

“Everyone who has attended the inauguration in Latin America has seen very unique things, but I think that what happened here with those 12 hours of delay, about the scheduled schedules, I think no one expected it,” he said.

In the same sense, Laviña considers that it was “a little sad” what happened by the “image” that Guatemala was providing “live” to the world.

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Regarding the new Government, the now former ambassador says that there are “many opportunities” for the country because Arévalo “has a very evident social content in his political program” in search of the “welfare state” for the most disadvantaged.

“The triumph of democracy in Guatemala can and should be an example for many countries that have experienced complicated situations,” he said, with “optimism” about the future of the Central American nation.

The 60-year-old diplomat, born in Oviedo (in northwestern Spain) assured that it has been a “privilege” to occupy the position in Guatemala, a country that has left his mark and where he has been practically “five percent of my life.”

From September 2020 to date, he visited 20 of the 22 departments (provinces) of the country and the “most remote” places in the territory, hand in hand with Spanish cooperation.

“I think Guatemalan gastronomy has a lot of future, based on traditional dishes, and its places are wonderful,” Laviña stressed, always trying to get out of the “bubble” that is Guatemala City, which “does not represent the country.”

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Regarding Spain’s relationship with Guatemala, Laviña described it as “very good” both in the past and at present.

In place of Laviña, the Spanish Government appointed the diplomat Clara Girbau, who served as permanent representative of Spain to the European Union as coordinator in charge of the working groups on relations with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

International

Spain’s irregular migrant population rises to 840,000, study finds

The number of migrants living in Spain without legal residency status continues to rise and has reached 840,000 people, with 91% originating from the Americas, particularly Colombia, Peru and Honduras, according to a report by the Spanish think tank Funcas (Foundation of the Savings Banks).

An estimated 17.2% of the non-EU foreign population living in Spain is in an irregular administrative situation. The estimate is based on the gap between the number of foreign residents effectively living in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), and those who hold a residence permit, benefit from international protection, or are in the process of obtaining it.

The data, as of January 1, 2025, point to a notable and sustained increase in irregular migration since 2017, when the estimated figure stood at around 107,000 people, representing 4.2% of the non-EU population residing in Spain.

By origin, migrants from the American continent stand out, totaling around 760,000 people, or 91% of all irregular migrants. Colombians account for nearly 290,000, followed by Peruvians with almost 110,000, and Hondurans with about 90,000. Migrants from Africa (50,000), Asia (15,000) and Europe (14,000) trail far behind.

The figures predate Spain’s latest immigration regulation reform, which came into force in May 2025 and introduces measures to ease access to legal status through residency ties. According to Funcas, the reform would, in principle, tend to reduce the number of migrants in an irregular situation.

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International

Historic snowstorm paralyzes Toronto after 60 centimeters of snow

Toronto, Canada’s largest city and the fourth most populous in North America, was largely paralyzed on Monday after a historic snowstorm dumped up to 60 centimeters of snow and sent temperatures plunging to -15 degrees Celsius, authorities said.

Late Sunday, as the scale of the snowfall became clear, city officials declared a climate emergency, triggering extraordinary measures including parking bans on several major streets to facilitate snow removal operations.

Toronto’s public transit authority reported that while some buses remain immobilized, subway and streetcar services are operating with relative normality, though localized disruptions may occur.

A similar situation is affecting the city’s commuter rail network, which remains operational but is experiencing significant delays on its main routes due to the severe weather conditions.

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

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Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.