International
The deputy head of prison officers of one of the largest prisons in Ecuador murdered
A group of hitmen murdered this Friday the deputy chief of prison officers of one of the largest prisons in Ecuador, located in the Andean province of Cotopaxi, according to the Prosecutor’s Office and the prison authorities reported this Friday.
This Friday, at least two people were arrested for investigations related to the murder of Olger M., deputy chief of prison agents of the Latacunga prison, which is officially known as the Cotopaxi Freedom Deprivation Center Number 1, the Public Ministry added in a message in X.
The Prosecutor’s Office “ordered the practice of proceedings, including the removal of the body of Olger M., deputy chead of prison agents, who was attacked today in Latacunga for alleged hitmen,” the source remarked.
Crime in the midst of the relocation of prisoners
This announcement about the murder of the deputy prison chief of this prison in the province of Cotopaxi, whose capital is Latacunga, comes a few days after the Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), the state prison unit, reported on the relocation of 1,193 inmates from two prisons in the central Andean region of the country.
The SNAI indicated that the authorities transferred prisoners from a prison in the neighboring province of Tungurahua to Cotopaxi, and also prisoners from Cotopaxi to Tungurahua.
The transfer process involved 665 men and 528 women with the purpose of improving security conditions and promoting a safer and more appropriate environment for the inmatees, the SNAI said.
Crisis in the prison system
The processes of transferring prisoners between prisons are common in Ecuador, which for about three years has been suffering from a crisis in the prison system due to the violence attributed to gangs of criminals, who are fighting for control of detention centers.
For this reason, the military has been managing several Ecuadorian prisons since last January, when the country’s president, Daniel Noboa, declared a situation of “internal armed conflict” to face violence in prisons and streets due to the presence of groups belonging to organized crime, which he called “terrorists.”
And it is that, between 2021 and 2023 alone, more than 500 people were murdered in Ecuador’s prisons, most of them in a series of massacres due to internal confrontations between rival criminal gangs.
Latacunga prison has been part of these violent episodes. Until the end of September it was the second most populous prison in Ecuador, with about 4,400 inmates, only surpassed by the Litoral Penitentiary, located in Guayaquil, with about 6,900 prisoners.
Prison violence also took to the streets, which caused Ecuador to be the Latin American country with the highest homicide rate, registering 47.2 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
International
Trump signals possible expansion of U.S. regional policy beyond Venezuela
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Cuba could become a subject of discussion as part of a broader regional policy, highlighting the possibility that Washington may expand its focus beyond Venezuela amid rising tensions in Latin America.
The remarks suggest that the White House is considering a recalibration of its strategy toward the region, in a context shaped by recent actions and warnings related to political stability and hemispheric security.
International
World leaders react to U.S. attacks on Venezuela, sparking global divide
The following are international reactions to the U.S. attacks carried out on Saturday against Venezuela:
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
China said it was “deeply shocked” and strongly condemned the use of force by the United States against a sovereign country, as well as the use of force against the president of that nation.
“China firmly opposes this hegemonic behavior by the United States, which seriously violates international law, infringes upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the ministry said. It urged Washington to comply with international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and to cease actions that violate the sovereignty and security of other countries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot
Barrot stated that the military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of non-use of force, which underpins international law. He stressed that no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside and that only sovereign peoples can decide their own future.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Russia said the United States had committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela, describing the move as deeply troubling and condemnable.
“The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded,” the ministry said, adding that ideological animosity had prevailed over pragmatism and the willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.
Moscow emphasized the need to prevent further escalation and to focus on resolving the crisis through dialogue. It reiterated that Latin America should remain a zone of peace, as declared in 2014, and that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without external — especially military — interference.
Russia also said it supports calls by Venezuelan authorities and Latin American leaders for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
United Nations
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General António Guterres continues to stress the importance of full respect for international law, including the UN Charter. He added that the secretary-general is deeply concerned that international legal norms were not respected.
Government of Argentina and President Javier Milei
Argentine President Javier Milei, a close regional ally of Donald Trump, posted on X: “FREEDOM MOVES FORWARD. LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT,” alongside a video showing him at a summit describing Maduro as a threat to the region and supporting the pressure exerted by Trump on Caracas.
In a statement, the Argentine government praised “the decision and determination shown by the President of the United States and his administration in the recent actions taken in Venezuela that led to the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro, leader of the Cartel of the Suns.”
Argentina said it hopes these developments represent a decisive step forward in the fight against narcoterrorism in the region.
Mexican Foreign Ministry
Mexico strongly condemned and rejected the unilateral military actions carried out in recent hours by U.S. armed forces against targets in Venezuelan territory, calling them a clear violation of Article 2 of the United Nations Charter.
The Mexican government reiterated that dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective means to resolve disputes and reaffirmed its willingness to support any effort aimed at facilitating dialogue, mediation, or accompaniment to preserve regional peace and prevent confrontation.
International
Missile attack hits Kharkiv homes, leaving 13 wounded
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a Russian missile attack on residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv has left at least 13 people injured, according to local authorities.
“A horrific Russian attack on Kharkiv,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, explaining that two missiles were fired, striking residential areas and causing “a number of casualties that is still being clarified.”
Local officials later confirmed that 13 people were injured in the attack, six of whom were hospitalized, including one woman in serious condition.
Trump signals possible expansion of U.S. regional policy beyond Venezuela
World leaders react to U.S. attacks on Venezuela, sparking global divide
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