International

Lacalle Pou shows her admiration for the commitment of María Corina Machado

The president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, highlighted this Friday his admiration for the commitment of the Venezuelan María Corina Machado, who is disqualified to compete for the Presidency of her country.

“We have said it over and over again: free elections, respect for human rights and full democracy. Your commitment and effort for the Venezuelan cause is admirable,” were the words that the president used to respond on the social network X a publication in which Machado said that they had had a dialogue.

“I have just spoken with the President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, whom I thanked for his permanent support and solidarity with our struggle for democracy and freedom. At the hours of the 28th, he confirmed his commitment to the values that unite us and gave me his admiration for the great example of civic courage that Venezuelans give to the world. Thank you very much, dear President!” Machado said there.

A day earlier, the candidate for the Presidency of Uruguay for the ruling National Party, Álvaro Delgado, shared a statement that he signed together with the candidates of three other political forces that make up the current government coalition, in which they asked for transparency in the Venezuelan elections.

“The conditions of next Sunday’s elections, where there are exiles, political prisoners, harassment of the opposition and the disqualification of the main opposition candidate, Maria Corina Machado, do not guarantee a democratic process,” they said.

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This statement was also signed by Andrés Ojeda (Colorado Party), Guido Manini Ríos (Open Cabildo) and Pablo Mieres (Independent Party).

On February 1, Lacalle Pou had already spoken about the Venezuelan elections and stressed that they would not be “free and democratic” after Machado’s disqualification.

“We do not try to have a point of view as we like a government more or less,” the president said that day, who added that Machado’s disqualification was a sign that there was “no will” for the elections to be transparent.

International

Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids

Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.

The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.

In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.

He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”

The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.

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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.