International

Daniel Sancho’s mother says that her son is “well” and adapting to the new prison

Daniel Sancho’s mother, Silvia Bronchalo, assured on Wednesday that her son is “well” and in “adaptation period” in the Thai prison of Surat Thani, to which he was transferred on August 30, after being sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta.

“(It’s) okay. He is strong and where he is, logically, but well,” Bronchalo told EFE today in Surat Thani after visiting Sancho, 30, in the prison of this city in southern Thailand.

Bronchalo, a Spanish investment analyst, said that she has been able to visit her son on several occasions since last Friday and this week because the prison, which only allows a weekly appointment, has “compressed his visits.”

“It’s not like Samui, where you can see him every day,” said Bronchalo, who stressed that “they have compressed the visits, they have had that deference,” and said she was “happy” to have had the opportunity to see her son on more than one occasion.

The Spaniard referred to the differences between Samui prison, where Sancho remained on a provisional regime from August 7, 2023 until he was transferred to Surat Thani prison one day after he was sentenced to life imprisonment on the 29th of last month.

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The Provincial Court of Samui found Sancho guilty of the premeditated murder of Arrieta on August 2, 2023 on the neighboring island of Phangan, a sentence that can still be appealed up to two times in Thailand.

“He is in a period of adaptation, now he is in another prison, there are more people, there are more prisoners of all kinds and they are other rules,” Bronchalo said.

Sancho had to be transferred from prison after the sentence because Samui’s prison only accepts prisoners with sentences of a maximum of 15 years, while Surat Thani’s includes prisoners with a minimum of that sentence and up to the death penalty.

Bronchalo confirmed that Sancho “is in an isolation module,” in which the prisoners are installed “until some time passes” of adaptation and then “they classify them depending on the sentence or what they have done.”

The Spaniard, his mother said, shares a cell “with 14 people,” all Asian except a European of Austrian origin.

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The isolation module would be inside zone 6 of the prison, qualified as high security by the prison, according to sources close to the case.

Surat Thani prison is located in an almost depopulated area about 600 kilometers south of Bangkok and hosts about ten times more prisoners than Samui’s, about 4,730 prisoners and 626 prisoners, according to the Department of Corrections.

Also son of Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, Daniel Sancho initially confessed to the crime but later and during the trial last April he maintained that the death of Arrieta, with whom he stayed in Phangan on the day of the events, was due to an accident.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.