International
The US makes “significant progress” with Saudi Arabia to increase defense cooperation
The United States made “significant progress” with Saudi Arabia to increase cooperation between the two countries in defense, part of the “megapact” that Washington has been promoting for months and that could lead to the normalization of relations between Israel and the Saudi kingdom.
These advances occurred during the meeting held this weekend in Saudi Arabia by the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Salman, as John Kirby, one of the White House spokesmen, explained to the press on Monday.
Kirby said that the agreement “is closer than ever” and that the text that details the terms of it is already “almost finalized.”
The spokesman refused to set a date for the official announcement of those agreements, but assured that this weekend a “historic progress” was achieved in the elements of the so-called “megapact” that concern both Saudi Arabia and the United States.
“We believe that, after this weekend, we have achieved a set of practically definitive texts on some of those bilateral agreements between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” Kirby emphasized.
In a similar tone, the Saudi Government has pronounced itself, which this Sunday, through the official SPA agency, indicated that the draft of the “strategic agreements” is already “almost finished.”
The details of this “megapact” that Washington has been promoting for months and that took a back seat after the October 7 attack by the Islamist group Hamas, which caused 1,200 deaths and triggered an Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip with more than 35,000 fatalities, have not yet been made public.
However, those negotiations have been reactivated in recent days and have gained greater importance within the framework of the talks to end the war in Gaza and rebuild the enclave.
Specifically, according to the details revealed by the US media, progress has been made in the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the United States for the signing of a defense pact that allows the Saudi kingdom to strengthen its position vis-à-vis Iran, which it considers the main threat in the region.
That pact would allow Riyadh to have long-term access to advanced weapons, without its transfer being interrupted by diplomatic incidents, as it tried to be part of the Democratic bench of the US Congress after the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia has also pressed for the agreement to allow it to enrich uranium, although Washington could impose some conditions to prevent the door from being opened to a possible nuclear weapons program.
In exchange for those concessions, Saudi Arabia would agree to limit Chinese technology in its most sensitive networks, in what is perceived as an attempt by Washington to limit the impact of the Asian giant in the region.
Once Washington and Riyadh reach an agreement, the next step would be to get Israel to agree to create a Palestinian state and end the war in Gaza.
However, the creation of that Palestinian State seems incompatible with the political positions of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has publicly opposed it and whose permanence in power depends on the support of far-right politicians who support the creation of more Israeli settlements in territories that the Palestinians claim as their own.
International
Trump says GOP ‘learned a lot’ after democratic election wins
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he and the Republican Party “learned a lot” from the Democratic victories in Tuesday’s state and local elections. He also compared Democrats to “kamikaze pilots” over the ongoing budget standoff.
Speaking at an event with Republican senators on Wednesday, Trump described the results as an unexpected setback.
“These were very Democratic areas, but I don’t think it was good for Republicans. In fact, I don’t think it was good for anyone. But we had an interesting night and we learned a lot,” he said during remarks broadcast by the White House.
Trump agreed with pollsters that two key factors led to Republican losses in New York’s mayoral race and the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia.
International
Bolivia’s Jeanine Áñez freed after Supreme Court annuls her conviction
Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Áñez was released from a women’s prison in La Paz on Thursday, where she had spent more than four and a half years for an alleged coup, after her conviction was annulled, AFP journalists confirmed.
Dozens of supporters and family members gathered outside the facility to celebrate her release. Áñez left the prison waving a Bolivian flag around 15:00 GMT.
“It is comforting to see that justice will once again prevail in Bolivia. She was the only woman who took on the role with bravery and courage,” said Lizeth Maure, a 46-year-old nurse who had come to show her support.
Áñez, a 58-year-old lawyer and conservative politician, governed Bolivia for nearly a year until November 2020, when she handed power to leftist leader Luis Arce.
She was arrested in 2021 and sentenced the following year to 10 years in prison for “resolutions contrary to the Constitution,” accused of illegally assuming the presidency after Evo Morales resigned in 2019 amid social unrest.
Her sentence was overturned on Wednesday by the Supreme Court of Justice, Bolivia’s highest judicial authority.
The court ruled that Áñez should have been subjected to a “trial of responsibilities” before Congress— a constitutional process reserved for sitting presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and top judges — rather than prosecuted in an ordinary criminal court.
As she was welcomed by relatives and supporters upon release, Áñez declared:
“I feel the satisfaction of having fulfilled my duty to my country, of never having bowed down. And I will never regret having served Bolivia when it needed me.”
International
Peru declares Mexico’s president Persona Non Grata over political asylum dispute
Peru’s Congress declared Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum persona non grata on Thursday, accusing her of “unacceptable interference in internal affairs” after granting political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chávez.
The motion, introduced by right-wing parties, passed with 63 votes in favor, 33 against, and two abstentions. Lawmakers argue that Sheinbaum has maintained a hostile stance toward Peru since taking office.
Peru severed diplomatic relations with Mexico on Monday following the asylum decision. Chávez, who is facing charges for her alleged involvement in former President Pedro Castillo’s failed coup attempt in December 2022, remains under protection at the Mexican embassy residence in Lima.
Following the diplomatic break, interim President José Jerí said on X that Mexico’s chargé d’affaires in Peru, Karla Ornela, has been notified by the foreign ministry that she must leave the country within a strict deadline.
The Mexican government condemned Lima’s decision as “excessive and disproportionate,” asserting that offering asylum to Chávez is a legitimate act grounded in international law and does not constitute interference in Peru’s domestic matters.
Trump says GOP ‘learned a lot’ after democratic election wins
Bolivia’s Jeanine Áñez freed after Supreme Court annuls her conviction
Peru declares Mexico’s president Persona Non Grata over political asylum dispute
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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