International
Boluarte calls for “international strength” to respect the vote in Venezuela and decorates González Urrutia
The Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, demanded that multinational organizations and democratic countries generate “international force so that the will of the Venezuelan vote is respected,” after meeting in Lima with the opposition leader of Venezuela Edmundo González Urrutia, to whom she reiterated his recognition as elected president.
“It is time for the countries that we are living in democracy, such as Peru, to be next to Edmundo to give him strength, strength, and tell the elected president of Venezuela that he is not alone,” Boluarte said in the Government Palace.
And he added: “To international organizations such as the (Organization of American States) OAS, (I ask you) to make the international force so that the will of the Venezuelan vote is respected and Edmundo will soon be in Caracas directing the destinies of his homeland.”
Given this situation, he reiterated that the Government of Peru is with González Urrutia “in that struggle, which hopefully and soon” will lead him to be in Venezuela “directing the destinies, in peace, in democracy, of a rule of law.”
The president repeated that she recognizes González Urrutia as the winner of the July 2024 elections “so that the whole world is heard free and the tyrannies tremble.”
He stressed that on July 28, 2024, Venezuelans chose him “democratically to take the reins of their country.”
“We trust that the legitimate will of Venezuelan citizens will prevail, because this is how it is expressed at the polls and because we are facing a legal and legitimate cause,” he stressed.
González Urrutia went to the Government Palace of Lima accompanied by his wife, Mercedes López, as well as the former metropolitan mayor of Caracas Antonio Ledezma, and was received by Boluarte, the prime minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, and the foreign minister, Elmer Schialer.
Boluarte awarded the highest decoration of the Peruvian State to the opposition leader. The decoration with the order of The Sun of Peru, in the rank of Grand Cross, was held in a ceremony held at the Government Palace of Lima.
The official resolution stated that it was decided to decorate González Urrutia for his defense of democratic values, respect for human rights and the leadership and defense of the fundamental freedoms of the Venezuelan people “who have been recognized internationally.”
He added that, “despite the adverse circumstances in the Venezuelan political context,” González Urrutia has carried out “significant initiatives aimed at restoring constitutional order in his country.”
After receiving the decoration from the hands of Boluarte, the Venezuelan leader assured that it is a recognition that “honors” him and that he values “on behalf of all the Venezuelan people.”
This tour began after he received asylum in Spain last September, considering that he was at risk of detention by the authorities of his country for not accepting the results of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), which proclaimed the victory of Nicolás Maduro without publishing the detailed data, as his own schedule demanded.
For its part, the largest anti-Chavista bloc, Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD), has insisted that González Urrutia was the winner of the elections, something he says he proves with 85.18% of the electoral records that, he says, he gathered through witnesses and table members, documents that Chavismo calls “false”.
International
Mexico City prepares for 13 million pilgrims at Basilica of Guadalupe
The Mexico City government is expecting at least 13 million pilgrims to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the December 12 celebrations honoring Mexico’s patron saint. To ensure the safety and care of visitors, authorities have launched the “Basilica Operation,” mobilizing more than 105,000 public servants.
Mayor Clara Brugada stated that the operation began on December 5 and will continue until December 14, covering the peak of visits to the basilica, located in the Gustavo A. Madero borough in the north of the city.
Key measures include reinforcement of the Metro public transport system, particularly at stations near the sanctuary, the installation of three helipads for medical emergencies, and the involvement of Civil Protection brigades, health ministry personnel, and public safety officers.
Secretary of Public Security Pablo Vázquez explained that the deployment also includes 255 patrol units and numerous specialized teams to manage crowds, traffic, and emergency situations, aiming to guarantee a secure experience for all pilgrims.
Central America
Mexico and Guatemala launch joint security operation after Agua Zarca border attack
The Government of Mexico announced on Tuesday that it has strengthened coordination with Guatemala following an armed confrontation in the community of Agua Zarca, in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango department, where a soldier was wounded in an attack attributed to organized-crime groups operating on both sides of the border.
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Mexico is exchanging information with Guatemalan authorities and that Mexican Army units have been deployed along the border to reinforce surveillance and assist in reconnaissance operations.
The attack, Guatemala’s Defense Ministry stated, reflects the “criminal dynamics” dominating that border region, where different groups compete for drug and arms trafficking routes.
According to Guatemala’s Defense Ministry, the clash left a soldier wounded in the leg after suspected criminals crossed from Mexico and opened fire. The wounded soldier is reportedly in stable condition. Authorities also seized high-caliber weapons, explosives, tactical gear and drones, which were handed over for forensic analysis.
Mexican Defense Secretary General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo announced that a coordinated plan of operations will be launched involving both Mexican and Guatemalan forces along the border to counter these criminal networks.
Harfuch emphasized that the violence is not isolated but symptomatic of the ongoing struggle between criminal organizations for territorial control, and reiterated Mexico’s commitment to bilateral security cooperation and its intention to strengthen institutional presence in vulnerable border zones.
International
Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV as review of U.S. peace plan continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met on Tuesday with Pope Leo XIV in Italy, after pledging to deliver a response to the United States regarding the proposed peace plan aimed at ending the war with Russia.
The meeting with the pontiff took place at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, where Leo XIV “reiterated the need to continue dialogue and renewed his urgent hope that the ongoing diplomatic initiatives may lead to a just and lasting peace,” the Vatican said in a statement.
His visit to Italy follows Monday’s meetings with European leaders in London and Brussels, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to agree to a peace plan that Zelensky said he is still reviewing.
According to Zelensky, the plan presented by Washington—originally consisting of 28 points—was reduced to 20 after discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. representatives over the weekend. “We are going to work on those 20 points. We are not completely satisfied with the proposals from our partners,” Zelensky said during an online press conference on Monday.
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