International

Trudeau warns that Trump wants to annex Canada to get his critical minerals

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Friday that US President Donald Trump really wants to annex Canada and that his goal is to seize the country’s reserves of critical raw materials and minerals.

Trump has shown on several occasions before and after starting his second term on January 20 his interest in turning Canada into the 51st state of the US, even using “economic force.”

In comments made by Trudeau behind closed doors during a summit in Toronto with Canadian business, political and social leaders, the prime minister declared that the Trump Administration not only knows the critical minerals that Canada has, but that may be the reason why he continues to talk about absorbing the country and making it the state 51.

“They are aware of the resources we have and want to take advantage of them. But Trump has in his mind that one of the easiest ways to do it is to absorb the country,” he said in statements that were leaked by mistake.

Trump first expressed his interest in annexing Canada when Trudeau visited him in Florida after winning the US presidential election in November 2024 and when the Republican leader announced that he would impose 25% tariffs on Canadian products.

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During Trudeau’s visit, Trump pointed out that the only way to avoid tariffs, which Canada considers would devastate its economy, was to become the 51st state of the United States.

The president has then repeated his comments on numerous occasions and has even indicated that he would be willing to use “economic force” to bend Canada.

Since then, the Trump Administration has announced that it will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for fentanyl trafficking to the United States, although the taxes are currently suspended for 30 days.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.