International
The OAS convenes an extraordinary meeting to address the electoral process in Venezuela
The Organization of American States (OAS), based in Washington, convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the results of the elections in Venezuela, questioned by the Venezuelan opposition and several countries in the region.
The session of the Permanent Council, which will take place on Wednesday, was convened at the request of twelve member countries, including all the Latin American governments that the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, ordered today to withdraw their diplomatic staff in Caracas.
So far, the organization has not pronounced on the elections, amid the rejection by the international community and the Venezuelan opposition on the results delivered by the National Electoral Council (CNE) that gave victory today to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
Hours earlier, the governments of Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic expressed their deep concern about the development of the presidential elections in Venezuela and called for an urgent meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).
In a joint statement, the countries demand the complete review of the electoral results and emphasize the need for the presence of independent electoral observers to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people, who participated massively and peacefully in the elections.
“The vote count must be transparent and the results should not cast doubt,” the statement says.
Faced with the situation, the governments of these countries announced that they will request an urgent meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) with the aim of issuing a resolution that safeguards the popular will, framed in the Democratic Charter and the fundamental principles of democracy in the region.
With this call to the OAS, the aforementioned countries seek to ensure that democratic values are respected and a fair and transparent electoral process is guaranteed in Venezuela. The signatories consider the intervention of the OAS to resolve the situation and maintain democratic stability in the region to be crucial.
The joint statement reflects the growing international concern about the situation in Venezuela and the determination of these governments to take concrete measures to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people is respected and that democratic principles prevail.
In its first report, the National Electoral Council (CNE) gave the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, as the winner with 51.20% of the votes, compared to 44.20% of the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia, with 80% counted.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado said that the “new president-elect” is the candidate of the Democratic United Platform (PUD) block, since, she said, with more than 40% of the minutes transmitted by the electoral body, she obtained 70% of the votes, while Maduro, 30%.
For its part, the Government of Peru expelled the Venezuelan diplomats accredited in Peru and gave them a maximum period of 72 hours to leave the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that this measure was ordered by the Peruvian Foreign Minister, Javier González-Olaechea, “due to the serious and arbitrary decisions taken today by the Venezuelan regime.”
He added that González-Olaechea “has instructed that the accredited Venezuelan diplomatic functions in Peru be notified that they must leave the country within no more than 72 hours.”
The decision was announced hours after the Government of Venezuela demanded from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay “the immediate withdrawal of their representatives in Venezuelan territory,” in rejection of their “interrenistic actions and statements” about Sunday’s presidential elections.
The Executive of Nicolás Maduro also indicated in a statement that he has decided to “withdraw all diplomatic personnel from the missions” in these seven Latin American countries.
This was due to what he considered “the interference actions and statements of a group of right-wing governments, subordinate to Washington and openly committed to the most sordid ideological postulates of international fascism, (…) that pretend to ignore the electoral results.”
On Monday, the Governments of Uruguay, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic expressed their deep concern about the development of the elections in Venezuela, for which they demanded the complete review of the results and called for an urgent meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).
The National Electoral Council (CNE) officially proclaimed Maduro as the winner on Monday, after he announced on Sunday night that he obtained 51.2% of the votes, the same result that he gave when 80% of the minutes had been counted and in the absence of more than two million votes to count.
For his part, the candidate of the majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia, obtained 44.2% of the votes, according to the first and only public report of the CNE, which did not specify which candidates have gone to the 2,394,268 votes that were not reported.
International
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Mexico and Guatemala agreed Tuesday on a 2027 Binational Plan built around five areas of cooperation, along with a schedule of meetings and initiatives aimed at making progress by the end of 2026 on security, border infrastructure, human mobility, development and technical and social cooperation.
The agreement was announced by the foreign ministers of both countries following a meeting in Mexico City.
Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the plan will establish the “direction and priorities” of bilateral relations for next year. His Guatemalan counterpart, Carlos Ramiro Martínez, said the meeting allowed both governments to make decisions, schedule activities and revitalize bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Security and border infrastructure
In the area of security, the two governments have nearly completed negotiations on a new memorandum of understanding for the Mexico-Guatemala High-Level Security Group (Ganseg), which was reactivated in 2025.
The countries expect to sign the agreement in the coming months to strengthen coordination and their ability to respond to shared security threats.
Regarding their nearly 1,000-kilometer shared border, Mexico and Guatemala agreed to advance infrastructure improvements at border crossings and continue work on a joint cargo clearance program between Ciudad Hidalgo and Tecún Umán, two border areas separated by the Suchiate River.
The measures are intended to facilitate bilateral trade while making cross-border exchanges safer and more efficient.
The two governments will also continue defining a route toward a railway connection between their countries through Line K of Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), with the aim of strengthening economic and community ties.
Migration and development
On human mobility, Mexico and Guatemala will maintain coordination to ensure safe, orderly and dignified returns, while strengthening protection for people in transit.
The bilateral agenda also includes a second phase of the Sembrando Vida program in Guatemala, which is expected to benefit 10,000 people across 15 departments.
Both countries will also advance initiatives under Juntos para el Bienestar, as well as six technical, scientific and energy cooperation projects approved by the Joint Commission.
The agreements seek to strengthen bilateral ties and establish concrete priorities for cooperation between Mexico and Guatemala during 2027.
International
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Tuesday, August 18, 2026, that France will expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris described as an attack on two French representatives in Iran last month.
“Two French diplomats were scandalously and deliberately assaulted on July 19. I had announced that this intolerable act would have consequences. It has now happened. Two Iranian diplomats in France will be expelled in the coming days,” Barrot said in a message posted on X.
The two Iranian diplomats have been declared persona non grata and will be required to leave France within the coming days, according to the French foreign minister.
About a month ago, Barrot said that two members of the French diplomatic staff had been detained by Iranian security forces for several hours. One of them was also subjected to harassment, he said.
The French government described the incident as an “extremely serious act of intimidation” that violated diplomatic immunity.
The two French embassy staff members were working on programs supporting Iranian civil society, particularly initiatives involving artists and researchers.
Iran has denied France’s allegations regarding the incident. The diplomatic dispute comes amid already strained relations between Paris and Tehran.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
France to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Mexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
-
International13 hours agoFrance to Expel Two Iranian Diplomats Over Alleged Attack on French Officials
-
International3 days agoActress Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Representative Confirms
-
International2 days agoTrump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
-
International2 days agoHeat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
-
International2 days agoBrazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
-
International13 hours agoMexico and Guatemala Agree on Five-Point Binational Plan for 2027
-
International5 days agoLuigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
International5 days agoICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns