International

Former South Korean Defense Minister arrested for his role in martial law

South Korean police arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Sunday by order of the South Korean Prosecutor’s Office, as part of the investigation into martial law decreed last Tuesday by the country’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol.

The arrest of Kim, whose resignation became effective last Thursday, came after his testimony with the Prosecutor’s Office within the investigations into the state of emergency that shok the country and before the suspicions that this measure was a crime of treason or sedition, among others.

The special investigation unit of the Prosecutor’s Office appointed for the martial law case announced today the arrest of the former minister and the confiscation of his phone, after Kim appeared a few hours earlier before the media to express his desire to cooperate with the South Korean authorities.

The martial law network in South Korea

The arrest comes after the motion to impeach the South Korean president in the National Assembly failed the day before, due to the boycott of the ruling Yoon party to the vote.

The prosecution has determined the arrest of Kim by emergency means considering that there is a risk of destruction of evidence on the possible crimes of treason or sedition, for which penalties such as life imprisonment are contemplated in the South Korean criminal code.

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Kim, a figure very close to the South Korean president, is one of the senior officials who suggested Yoon to resort to martial law and who led its application.

The former minister submitted his resignation to Yoon last Wednesday for his responsibility in the application of the state of emergency and the chaos triggered by it, and the president accepted it the next day, Kim being pointed out for the measure that has led to the greatest political crisis in South Korea in its recent history.

International

Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids

Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.

The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.

In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.

He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”

The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.

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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.