International
Mujica says that in Venezuela “it seems that they play democracy but they don’t play”
The leftist and former Uruguayan president José ‘Pepe’ Mujica said that the situation in Venezuela is “unfortunate” because in the Caribbean country “it seems that they play democracy but they do not play democracy.”
Within the framework of an act of its political force, the left-wing coalition Frente Amplio (FA), and consulted about the concern expressed by governments of various Latin American countries after the disqualification of the opposition candidate Corina Yoris, Mujica declared to the press that “Venezuela is regrettable.”
“It seems that they play democracy but they do not play democracy,” he said, who in turn warned that it is “mistaken” to use the term dictatorship to refer to the government of Nicolás Maduro with a comparison with countries in the Middle East.
“The term dictatorship is ambiguous, what’s in Afghanistan? What do the Taliban have? Are they dictatorships or are they theocracies? And what is there in Saudi Arabia? That is, we use the terms without specifying,” said the former guerrilla who ruled Uruguay between 2010 and 2015.
To this he added that “what is clear is that in Venezuela there is no elementary respect for the opposition and that disturbs and creates a situation that cannot be called democracy.”
Mujica’s statements come after the pre-candidate for the FA he supports for the internal elections in June was criticized by official pre-candidates for saying that the disqualification of candidates in Venezuela is like “cheating” in a horse race for not letting everyone run.
The Uruguayan vice president, Beatriz Argimón, said last Thursday that in Venezuela there was “a process of recrudescence in what is the dictatorship” to which she defended the decision of the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, to maintain an ambassador in the Caribbean country.
Earlier, the Foreign Minister, Omar Paganini, assured that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship” and that its electoral process “has been completely distorted.”
Paganini thus stressed the importance of the statement in which Uruguay expressed, together with Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru, its “serious concern” in the face of the “persistent impediments” in the registration of presidential elections before the National Electoral Council.
The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and France, Emmanuel Macron, also sent a strong message on Thursday to Maduro, whom they urged to hold democratic elections “with the participation of all” after describing as “serious” the disqualification of Yoris, chosen to replace the already banned María Corina Machado.
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.
International
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
The United States may soon carry out airstrikes on military facilities inside Venezuela as part of an escalating offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to reports Friday from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Trump administration.
Airstrikes could take place “within days or even hours,” the Herald reported. The Journal noted that while the option is under serious consideration, President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on authorizing strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Potential targets allegedly include military-controlled ports and airports used in drug trafficking operations, such as naval installations and airstrips, officials told the Journal.
The Herald also quoted a source saying that “Maduro’s time is running out”, suggesting that more than one Venezuelan general may be ready to detain and hand him over. However, officials declined to confirm whether the Venezuelan leader would be among the military targets.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to block the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, following nearly two months of airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Those operations have destroyed 15 boats and left 61 people dead and three survivors since September 1.
“We are finally waging a war against the cartels — a war like they’ve never seen before — and we are going to win that battle. We are already winning at sea,” Trump told U.S. troops during a speech in Japan.
The reports on possible airstrikes come on the same day the United Nations accused the U.S. of violating international law with its maritime operations, saying those killed at sea may have been victims of extrajudicial executions.
International
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday that he will revive and update the Global Compact on Education, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis aimed at deeply transforming global culture through education.
The announcement was made during an audience in St. Peter’s Square, held on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Educational World, which this week gathers more than 20,000 participants from 124 countries in Rome.
During his address, the pontiff — who is of U.S. origin and Peruvian nationality — emphasized the importance of restoring the value of educators and reinforcing the principles that support the pact.
“We must be careful: damaging the social and cultural role of educators means mortgaging our own future,” he warned before thousands in attendance. “A crisis in the transmission of knowledge leads to a crisis of hope.”
The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, seeks an integral and long-term cultural transformation. It is structured around five pillars: dignity and human rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and integral ecology; education for peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. To date, the initiative has been joined by over 553 schools and nearly 410,000 students, according to Catholic Schools data.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over the widespread inner fragility affecting both students and teachers — many of whom feel overwhelmed by bureaucratic burdens.
He additionally addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, warning that it may worsen emotional isolation among learners: “It can further isolate students who are already isolated, giving them the illusion that they do not need others — or worse, the feeling that they are unworthy of them,” he said.
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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