International
Argentina demands from Maduro safe exit for asylum seers at his embassy in Caracas
The Government of Argentina demanded this Saturday from the Administration of Nicolás Maduro the “immediate” delivery of the safe-conducts that guarantee the departure, without being arrested, of the six anti-Chavistas asylum in the embassy in Venezuela, which is under police siege.
“The Argentine Foreign Ministry expresses its utmost concern about the alarming and serious situation at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, where the lives of six asylum seegers face imminent danger,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Javier Milei said in a statement.
“We demand from the Maduro regime the immediate delivery of the safe conducts that guarantee their safe exit,” the Argentine Foreign Ministry asked.
Likewise, the Foreign Ministry called on the United Nations, the Organization of American States and “all countries to adopt firm and urgent measures.”
The opposition denounces “police siege” of the Argentine embassy
The Argentine Embassy in Venezuela remains, since last August, under the protection of Brazil – after the expulsion of Argentine diplomats -, even though the Maduro government revoked this authorization in September due to the alleged planning of terrorist acts inside the headquarters by asylum seekees.
Venezuelan opponent Pedro Urruchurtu, one of the six asylums since March at the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, denounced on Instagram last Wednesday that “the “police siege” on the outskirts of the building, which began on November 23, has intensified.”
Urruchurtu – a close collaborator of opposition leader María Corina Machado – also assured that the residence still does not receive electricity service, they have “minimum reserves of drinking water” and there have been “restrictions and some incidents” regarding access to food.
The largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), called for international pressure to stop the “criminal siege” and “issue, as soon as possible, the safe conducts for the six comrades,” who entered the diplomatic headquarters after the Prosecutor’s Office accused them of several crimes such as conspiracy and treason.
In the residence, in addition to Urruchurtu, there are Magalli Meda, Omar González, Claudia Macero, Humberto Villalobos -all collaborators of the Vente Venezuela party, led by María Corina Machado- and former minister Fernando Martínez Mottola, advisor to the PUD.
This Wednesday, the United States demanded that Maduro hand over safe-conducts to the six anti-chavistas.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
International
Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy
A Peruvian woman was arrested on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.4 kg of cocaine, part of which was hidden inside a sex toy in her vagina, police announced on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old woman, identified only by her initials N.S., arrived at Bali’s international airport from Qatar on August 12.
“Customs officers became suspicious of her behavior and, after consulting with the police, conducted additional checks,” said Radiant, head of Bali’s narcotics unit, during a press conference.
Authorities discovered 1.4 kg of cocaine, partly concealed in the sex toy. She was also accused of carrying dozens of ecstasy pills.
The Peruvian confessed to the police that she had been hired by a man she met in April on the dark web to transport the drugs to Indonesia in exchange for $20,000.
Indonesia has some of the world’s strictest drug trafficking laws and imposes the death penalty on drug traffickers. Currently, more than 90 foreign nationals are on death row in the country for drug-related offenses, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.
In July, a court in Bali sentenced an Argentine woman to seven years in prison for attempting to smuggle 244 grams of cocaine into the island in a condom hidden in her vagina.
The last executions for drug trafficking in Indonesia occurred in 2016, when an Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed.
International
Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Russia is willing to accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.
After the talks, Zelensky described the discussions as positive, while Trump took a moment to speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and confirmed a trilateral summit between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.
Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the Russian invasion.
Zelensky, who also held a separate meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, called the discussions with the U.S. leader “the best to date.” He emphasized the importance of “strong signals” from the United States regarding Western security guarantees.
The atmosphere between the two leaders was reportedly more relaxed than in February, when Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, publicly rebuked Zelensky for not appearing “grateful” for U.S. support.
“In one or two weeks, we will know if we are going to resolve this or if this horrible fight will continue,” Trump said at the start of the meeting.
The presence of leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission, and NATO highlighted ongoing concerns about Washington’s stance on Ukraine.
Before the meeting, Trump had pressured Kyiv to relinquish Crimea and abandon its NATO membership ambitions, two of Moscow’s main demands. However, he stated that the Alaska summit with Putin had brought progress.
“I like the ceasefire. From another perspective, it immediately stops the killing. But I think a peace agreement at the end of all this is very achievable and could be reached in the near future,” Trump said.
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy
Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks
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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