International
Ecuador declares the Mexican ambassador persona “non grata” by comment by López Obrador
The Government of Ecuador announced that it decided to declare the Mexican ambassador in Quito, Raquel Serur, persona “non grata”, in response to statements by the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, about the murder of former Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and the apparent electoral consequences of that crime.
The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador, in a statement, invoked the principle of “non-intervention” in the internal affairs of another country and the Vienna Convention to take the diplomatic measure that implies the departure of the ambassador’s country.
In addition, he indicated that the South American nation is still experiencing the “mourning” for the shooting crime of Villavicencio, which occurred in August last year, when the then presidential candidate was leaving an electoral political rally in a busy neighborhood in northern Quito, in broad daylight.
In a press conference in his country, the Mexican president commented on the consequences of Villavicencio’s assassination in the context of last year’s presidential elections in Ecuador, which gave the victory to the current president, the businessman Daniel Noboa.
López Obrador said that, according to his criteria, the crime of Villavicencio harmed above all Luisa González, the presidential candidate of the Citizen Revolution movement, led by former progressive governor Rafael Correa (2007-2017), an opinion that has also been shared by several electoral analysts in Ecuador.
The Mexican ruler assured that there is social responsibility in the context of situations of violence and said that the media do not escape from it either.
“In the context of the recent and very unfortunate statements of the president of Mexico,” the Ecuadorian Government “has decided to declare the Mexican ambassador ‘persona non grata’ in Quito,” by invoking “article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” said the Foreign Ministry in Quito.
He assured that “Ecuador is still mourning” for the murder of Villavicencio, a crime that “caused shock in Ecuadorian society and attacked democracy, peace and security.”
“The country continues to face transnational organized crime that threatens the State, its democratic institutions and its population,” he added.
He also emphasized that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will maintain its “firm commitment to permanently ensure respect for the dignity and sovereignty of the Ecuadorian State and the fundamental principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other States.”
Villavicencio was shot at gunnail on August 9, 2023, at the exit of an electoral rally in Quito when there were eleven days left before the first round of the extraordinary general elections.
The murder of Villavicencio raised the wave of violence that has plagued Ecuador for about three years to unprecedented heights, so the country became one of the most violent in Latin America, with 45 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
On January 8, President Noboa decreed a state of emergency at the national level due to the high levels of insecurity, and declared a situation of “internal armed conflict,” for which he renamed 22 organized crime groups as “terrorists.”
The spiral of violence in Ecuador was unleashed just after Noboa announced its decision to implement a plan to regain control of prisons, many of them dominated internally by groups of criminals, whose rivalries have left more than 450 prisoners killed since 2020 in a series of prison massacres.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
International
‘El Chapo’ Guzmán again asks Mexican president to seek his return from U.S. prison
Convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has once again appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene on his behalf and seek his transfer from the United States to Mexico, where he hopes to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.
Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, is currently serving a sentence of more than 50 years in the United States after being convicted in 2019 on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to reports, the latest request was made in a letter dated June 2, one of several messages that Guzmán has reportedly sent to Sheinbaum in recent months in an effort to secure his repatriation. In the letter, he expresses hope that the Mexican government can support the efforts of his legal team.
Written in English and by hand, the letter asks that he be allowed to complete his sentence in Mexico, arguing that such a transfer would enable him to receive visits from family members more easily.
Guzmán is currently being held at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, commonly known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies,” one of the most secure prisons in the United States.
As in previous communications, the former cartel leader complained about his prison conditions, stating that he remains in near-total isolation and has little to no contact with other inmates.
He also reiterated his long-standing claim that he did not receive a fair trial in the United States and argued that the Mexican government bears responsibility for much of the violence associated with organized crime in the country.
In the letter, Guzmán maintains that his actions were motivated by a desire to protect himself and his family amid the violence linked to criminal organizations in Mexico.
Mexican authorities have not publicly indicated whether they plan to respond to the request. Guzmán remains one of the most notorious figures in the history of international drug trafficking and is serving his sentence under some of the strictest security measures in the U.S. prison system.
Central America
U.S. Authorities Accuse Guatemalan Nationals of Using False Information to Sponsor Migrant Minors
Senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday criminal charges against three Guatemalan citizens accused of using false information to sponsor migrant children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian.
According to an indictment filed in Ohio, Maritza Cahuec Coc allegedly submitted at least 12 sponsorship applications, several of which were filed under aliases or contained materially false statements intended to secure custody of the minors.
Under U.S. procedures, unaccompanied migrant children apprehended at the southern border are placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for their care until they can be released to a qualified sponsor, such as a parent or relative living in the United States.
Prosecutors allege that Cahuec Coc, who reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2018, received payments between late 2020 and 2023 for helping bring 12 migrant minors into the country. Authorities claim she submitted fraudulent documents and misleading information to obtain approval for the sponsorship requests.
The case was announced during a joint press conference led by Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. However, officials provided limited details about the investigation and instead focused much of their remarks on criticizing immigration policies implemented under the previous administration.
Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials have frequently pointed to the increase in unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border during President Joe Biden’s term, arguing that the government failed to adequately oversee their care and placement.
During Thursday’s briefing, A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, alleged that Cahuec Coc used the identities of other individuals and falsely claimed family relationships in order to obtain custody of the children.
“Maritza submitted sponsorship applications using other people’s identities and falsely represented that the minors were the children of close relatives in order to secure their release,” Duva said.
The case remains under investigation, and federal authorities have not yet disclosed additional information regarding the other two Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
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