International

They denounce the arrest in Havana of the Cuban opponent Manuel Cuesta Morúa

The Cuban opponent Manuel Cuesta Morúa, one of the leaders of the dissent on the island, has been detained since this Saturday in Havana and for the moment the reason for his arrest has not been revealed, denounced Cuban parties abroad and human rights NGOs.

According to sources close to EFE, the arrest took place in the middle of the morning around his home and after the dissident warned his closest circle that he had been surveillance in front of his home by the Cuban security forces since the day before.

“The opposition Manuel Cuesta Morúa, vice president of the Council for the Democratic Transition of Cuba (CTDC), has been arrested by the Cuban political police. We do not know his whereabouts or the reason for his arrest,” the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba (PDC) wrote on social networks.

The NGO Cubalex made for its part “a call to the international community to keep the attention on human rights violations in Cuba” by denouncing the arrest of Cuesta Morúa.

The complainants and sources consulted said they did not know the possible reasons for the arrest and the current whereabouts of the opponent. They also indicated that they have no record of other arrests in the drensing opposition collective on the island.

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Manuel Cuesta Morúa asked for the freedom of José Daniel Ferrer

Cuesta Morúa recently presented before the Cuban Supreme Court a habeas corpus procedure to request the immediate release of the opponent José Daniel Ferrer, an initiative that so far has not had an official response.

The appeal was filed shortly after Ferrer’s family denounced that the prisoner for political reasons had received a “brutal beating” by the prison staff in which he has been since July 11, 2021.

Ferrer, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu) and historical dissident, has been arrested on previous occasions. The first occurred in 2003, during the repressive period called the “black first time.”

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”