International
Costa Rica’s Foreign Minister, Arnoldo André, considers running to lead the OAS
The Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Arnoldo André, is considering running for secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) because he does not detect that neither of the two current candidates, from Suriname and Paraguay, has reached an “excited majority” in his favor.
This was stated in an interview with EFE by the Costa Rican diplomat, who attended the Permanent Council of the OAS in Washington on Monday, where the Surinamese Foreign Minister, Albert Ramdin, and the Paraguayan, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, presented their candidacies.
“We feel, from what other countries have also told us, that neither of the two candidacies has reached an excited majority today that favors them with the necessary 18 votes,” he said.
“Costa Rica has said that if there is a need for a third consensus candidate, we can be willing to occupy that responsibility if the others want it,” he added.
According to André, several member states of the OAS have consulted him “with interest” whether he will take that step, but the chancellor said that there is still time left until the March 10 election.
Regarding the situation in Venezuela, he said that the Government of Costa Rica has been very clear in recognizing “the electoral victory” of the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia and “the defeat of Nicolás Maduro at the polls.”
André recalled that the OAS “is based on a system of democratic government” and remarked that “it is appropriate to insist that all the peoples of the Americas, not only Venezuela, conform to the inter-American system of respect for human rights.”
At the same time, he opined that “dialogue should never be eliminated” with Venezuela and pointed out that “at this time, even if it is not democratic and can be called a de facto government,” the power is held by Nicolás Maduro.
“It is necessary to reopen dialogue and it is necessary for Venezuela to accept the return of its citizens; there are more than seven million Venezuelan citizens who have left their homeland and wish to return,” he said.
The foreign minister concludes his trip to Washington this Wednesday, where he met with officials and congressmen, a few days after Marco Rubio, Secretary of State of the new Donald Trump Administration, visited Costa Rica during his tour of Central America in search of migration cooperation.
“Costa Rica is an ally of the United States,” remarked André, who revealed that Rubio said during his visit that the Costa Rican government has “an adequate migration policy.”
Costa Rica has 5.2 million inhabitants, of which one million are migrants, largely Nicaraguans who left their country, and it is also a land of passage for people heading north.
According to André, his government has been “conversing” for some time with the United States about the possibility of introducing flights to repatriate migrants who are in Costa Rica, as Panama does.
“We have not implemented repatriation flights but we do not rule out that they can be introduced,” said the chancellor, who pointed out that these would be “mainly voluntary” and would never be returned to “politically persecuted.”
Regarding China’s influence in the region, another concern of the Trump Administration, the foreign minister pointed out that Costa Rica has “good and fluid” relations with the Asian giant.
But he also admitted that there is “a big point of discord” about the deployment of the 5G network, since Costa Rica decreed that the suppliers must be from signatory countries of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which excludes the Chinese Huawei.
The foreign minister stated that Costa Rica sees “with prudence and patience” Trump’s controversial statements about recovering the Panama Canal or annexing Canada and Greenland to the United States.
According to André, they are “spontaneous manifestations” that are part of the Republican’s “transactional style” to negotiate.
“Hapily, in the case of Costa Rica, in none of the issues we discussed with the Secretary of State there was no discord, so they did not raise any explicit request or complaint,” he said.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
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
-
Central America4 days agoFuneral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America4 days agoCosta Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
Central America5 days agoPeru’s ambassador highlights “historic bonds” with El Salvador on Independence Day
-
International5 days agoU.S. and China push for extension of tariff truce after “constructive” talks in Sweden
-
International4 days agoThree salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International5 days agoMedvedev warns Trump after new Ukraine ultimatum: ‘Russia is neither Israel nor Iran’
-
International4 days agoKremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
International5 days agoTrump administration opens civil rights probe into duke university over alleged bias
-
International4 days agoU.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
Central America2 days agoDaniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
International5 days agoArgentina requests reentry into U.S. Visa Waiver Program during DHS chief’s visit
-
Central America2 days agoHonduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
International5 days agoPetro accuses Marco Rubio of undermining colombia’s sovereignty over Uribe comments
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre
-
International2 days agoTrump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
International18 hours agoTrump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
-
International18 hours agoStudy finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
-
Central America18 hours agoCosta Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves