International
Operation against the bastion of ‘Barbecue’ ends with alleged criminals killed in Haiti
The police operation carried out these days in the bastion of gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias ‘Barbecue’, in Haiti ended in the death of several members of the coalition of armed groups Vivre Ensemble (Live Together) and allowed the seizure of firearms, drones, cars, motorcycles and drugs.
According to the Haitian National Police (PNH), specialized units intensified efforts in the operation in the capital area of Bas Delmas, where the ‘Barbecue’ headquarters is located, in order to dismantle the Vivre Ensemble coalition.
Law enforcement killed several criminals in the exchange of gunfire and arrested an unspecified number of gang members.
Impact for the criminal gang
As for the seizures, the deputy spokesman of the PNH, Lionel Lazarre, said that they confiscated 13 firearms (including a Kalashnikov rifle), three drones, seven cars, three motorcycles and substances that seem to correspond to marijuana.
Lazarre said that, “as part of a series of operations carried out in the West department (where Port-au-Prince is located), significant progress has already been made” and said that a series of measures have been adopted to dismantle the armed gangs that terrorize Haiti and that control around 85% of the capital.
In presenting the operations carried out throughout Haiti – including the West department, where the ‘Barbecue’ headquarters is located, in Delmas 2 and Delmas – the deputy spokesman assured that joint actions with the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) continued.
Increased police operations against organized crime in Haiti
The Police are intensifying operations in the West department (specifically in several areas of the Puerto Príncipe metropolitan region) and in others such as Artibonito, North, Center and Southeast, with the aim of dismantling powerful armed groups.
As part of these actions in the country, the police arrested alleged gang members and people involved in self-exass, shot about twenty alleged gang members, took control of police buildings, dismantled a car theft network, issued arrest warrants and seized thousands of ammunition cartridges.
For its part, the multinational mission announced that it has established its third advanced operational base in the building that housed the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police in Bas Delmas, in order to “secure the coast and the surrounding areas.”
In a statement, the MSS stressed that “the police quickly and firmly repelled the gangs’ attempts to disrupt the installation of the base, ending the resistance as soon as it began.”
Call to the international community
This operational base, he said, is “an essential resource in the fight against the activity of the gangs in the region” and will serve as a center of strategic support, improving response times in key areas such as the national port, the Delmas district or vulnerable coasts.
These are areas exploited by the gangs for arms and drug trafficking, activities that finance their violent operations, he said.
With this base (the third established by the multinational mission after those installed in the Police Academy and in Pont-Sondé, in Artibonito), the MSS wants to “bring security closer to citizens”, determined to “return Haiti to its former splendor and to guarantee the security and well-being” of Haitians.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
International
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Cuba is facing a severe dengue and chikungunya epidemic that has already claimed at least 44 lives, including 29 minors, according to the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap). The outbreak—now considered out of control—has expanded across the entire country amid a critical shortage of resources to confront the emergency.
Authorities report more than 42,000 chikungunya infections and at least 26,000 dengue cases, though they acknowledge significant underreporting as many patients avoid seeking care in health centers where medicines, supplies, and medical personnel are scarce. The first cluster was detected in July in the city of Matanzas, but the government did not officially use the term “epidemic” until November 12.
Chikungunya—virtually unknown on the island until this year—causes high fever, rashes, fatigue, and severe joint pain that can last for months, leaving thousands temporarily incapacitated. Dengue, endemic to the region, triggers fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding. Cuba currently has no vaccines available for either virus.
Minsap reports that of the 44 deaths recorded so far, 28 were caused by chikungunya and 16 by dengue.
The health crisis unfolds amid deep economic deterioration, marked by the absence of fumigation campaigns, uncollected garbage, and shortages of medical supplies—conditions that have fueled the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the primary vector for both diseases. “The healthcare system is overwhelmed,” non-official medical sources acknowledge.
Beyond the health impact, the epidemic is heavily disrupting economic and family life. The intense joint pain caused by chikungunya has led to widespread work absences, while hospital overcrowding has forced relatives to leave their jobs to care for the sick. In November, authorities launched a clinical trial using the Cuban drug Jusvinza to reduce joint pain, though results have not yet been released.
International
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
Violence in Ecuador is expected to reach historic levels by the end of 2025, with the country set to record the highest homicide rate in Latin America for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). The organization warns that criminal activity is not only persisting but could worsen in 2026.
Official figures show 7,553 homicides recorded through October, surpassing the 7,063 registered throughout all of 2024. ACLED estimates that 71% of the population was exposed to violent incidents this year, despite President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an “internal armed conflict” in an attempt to confront powerful criminal groups.
According to the report, several factors are driving the deterioration of security: a territorial war between Los Chonerosand Los Lobos, the two most influential criminal organizations in the country; the fragmentation of other groups after the fall of their leaders; and Ecuador’s expanding role as a strategic hub for regional drug trafficking.
Since 2021, violence has forced the internal displacement of around 132,000 people, while more than 400,000 Ecuadorians — equivalent to 2% of the population — have left the country. Between January and November alone, violent deaths rose 42%, fueled by prison massacres and clashes between rival gangs.
The report warns that conditions may deteriorate further. Ecuador has been added to ACLED’s 2026 Conflict Watchlist, which highlights regions at risk of escalating violence. The expansion of Colombian armed groups such as FARC dissidents and the ELN, state weakness, and a potential rerouting of drug trafficking corridors from the Caribbean to the Pacific intensify the threat.
“The president is facing a wave of violence that shows no signs of easing,” the report concludes.
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
Cuba battles out-of-control dengue and chikungunya epidemic as death toll rises to 44
Ecuador on track for record violence as homicides hit highest level in Latin America again
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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