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Nicolás Maduro plans to talk to Lula, López Obrador and Petro to address the post-election crisis

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said on Friday that he foresees a conversation with the leaders of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to address the crisis unleashed after the July 28 elections, whose result – which ratified the victory of the Chavista leader – is reported as fraudulent by the majority opposition.

“A conversation is pending with the 3 presidents, let’s hope it will take place,” said the president at the exit of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), where he appeared before the magistrates of the Electoral Chamber – controlled by judges related to Chavismo – as part of the judicial review of the election result, which Maduro himself requested.

He assured that, in recent days, without specifying when, this call was going to be made but it was canceled at the last minute due to problems with the agenda of one or some of the interlocutors, whose foreign ministries published yesterday a joint statement in which they asked the National Electoral Council (CNE) to publish the disaggregated results that certify Maduro’s victory.

“I deeply respect these three presidents and I will communicate with them at the right time,” continued the head of state, who assured that he was available “on the phone 24 hours a day” to talk to these leaders, considered their political allies in the region.

He insisted that he respects the sovereignty of each of these countries, so he will not comment on his governments, and that when the time comes he will explain in detail to his presidents the “difficult to understand situation” that Venezuela is going through.

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“Everything that circulates in the media in those countries is manipulation, (but we) are experts in defeating that, we have the power to overcome the lie,” he added.

The CNE denounced having suffered a cyber attack on its system on voting day, which did not prevent Maduro’s proclamation without providing evidence, while the opposition presented thousands of voting minutes on a website that would give the overwhelming victory to its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia.

The complaint of fraud and the post-election protests – some turned into acts of violence that result in 24 civilians killed, according to the NGO Provea – are seen by the Executive as a “cyber coup d’état”, so it ordered extreme police and military control.

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said that the “only negotiation” with the opposition leader María Corina Machado is that she “delivers to Justice,” after the former deputy and the standard-bearer of the largest opposition coalition, Edmundo González Urrutia, offered rapprochements after insisting that the president did not win the presidential elections, as officially announced.

“The only one who has to negotiate in this country with Machado is the attorney general. Let him surrender to Justice and show his face, and answer for the crimes he committed. It is really the only negotiation that fits here,” said Maduro, who points out the former deputy and González Urrutia as responsible for generating “violence” during the post-election demonstrations in rejection of the official result that grants the triumph to Maduro.

Likewise, the president assured that he will convene a “political dialogue,” without specifying when, with the “38 political parties that are registered with the National Electoral Council (CNE)” from which he hopes that “instances for future understanding” will arise.

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Last Wednesday, Machado said that Maduro must “understand that his best option” is to “enter into a negotiation,” while ratifying an “absolute willingness” by the majority opposition, Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), to negotiate a transition, as several countries have done, including Panama, which offered political asylum to the president to solve the post-election crisis.

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International

Ukraine declares nationwide energy emergency amid russian attacks and extreme cold

The Ukrainian government on Wednesday declared a nationwide energy state of emergency amid continued Russian military attacks and extreme winter weather, with nighttime temperatures dropping as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius.

“The consequences of Russian attacks and worsening weather conditions are severe (…) Overall, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine’s energy sector,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media following a meeting with senior officials.

Zelensky announced the creation of a “permanent coordination headquarters” to manage the crisis in the capital, Kyiv, and tasked former defence minister and current energy chief Denys Shmyhal with overseeing support efforts for affected individuals and communities, including addressing power outages, heating shortages and other “practical issues.”

“There are many problems that require urgent solutions,” the president said, noting that repair crews, energy companies, municipal services and the State Emergency Service are working “around the clock” to restore electricity supplies. Kyiv has been particularly affected after Russian strikes last Friday disabled key parts of the power grid, as daytime temperatures hover around minus 12 degrees Celsius and plunge to minus 18 at night.

Zelensky added that public authorities will “maximize efforts with partners to obtain the necessary equipment and additional support,” while the government will ensure “maximum deregulation of all processes” to speed up the connection of backup power equipment to the grid. He also confirmed that work is underway to significantly increase electricity imports into Ukraine.

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The Ukrainian leader further instructed his Cabinet to review curfew regulations in light of the extreme cold, arguing that citizens must have the greatest possible access to assistance centers, while businesses should be given flexibility to plan their operations according to the state of the energy system.

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France joins Denmark’s ‘Operation Arctic Resistance’ in Greenland amid U.S. tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in the early hours of Thursday (Wednesday afternoon in El Salvador) that France will take part in “Operation Arctic Resistance,” after Denmark announced it would expand its military presence in Greenland amid rising tensions with the United States over Washington’s stated ambitions regarding the semi-autonomous territory.

“At Denmark’s request, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, ‘Operation Arctic Resistance,’” Macron said in a brief message posted on social media at 5:18 p.m.

The French president added that “the first French military elements are already on their way, with others to follow,” though he did not specify the number of troops being deployed or the scale of France’s planned contribution.

The governments of Sweden, Norway and Germany have also confirmed the deployment of military contingents to Greenland. Germany’s armed forces will send a 13-member reconnaissance team to the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, to take part in a mission scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday, according to the German Ministry of Defence.

Denmark’s announcement came shortly before a Danish delegation met at the White House with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Washington’s plans regarding Greenland. Copenhagen said the military activities would be carried out “in close cooperation with NATO allies.”

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Iran closes airspace amid U.S. threats and deadly nationwide protests

Iranian authorities closed the country’s airspace in the early hours of Thursday, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, amid growing threats of a possible U.S. attack as protests across the country continue and have reportedly left thousands dead.

According to FlightRadar24, the Iranian government suspended all flights to and from the country, except for international flights that have received special authorization. The notice was initially issued for a duration of just over two hours.

The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days threatened to strike Iran if its security forces failed to halt the deaths linked to weeks-long protests that began in Tehran and later spread to other Iranian cities. Despite the threats, the White House said diplomacy remains Trump’s preferred option.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “the deaths in Iran have stopped” and said there would be no executions of protesters following his warnings to Tehran. He added that his administration would seek to verify those claims.

“I’ve been told the deaths in Iran are stopping. They’ve stopped, and that there are no plans for executions,” Trump told reporters, cautioning that the United States would be “very upset” if those assurances proved to be untrue.

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The statements contrast with reports from rights groups. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said on Wednesday that more than 3,400 people have been killed since the protests erupted. Meanwhile, Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw reported this week that a 26-year-old Iranian man, Erfan Soltani, was facing execution as of Wednesday.

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