International

Venezuelan opposition asks for the “alarming situation” in Argentine residence in Caracas to be resolved

Venezuela’s largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), asked the international community on Friday to “join efforts” to achieve a “prompt solution” for the five anti-Chavistas taken in the residence of the Argentine Embassy in Caracas, who have been denouncing the “police siege” since November 2024.

Through a statement, the ConVzla Command – the PUD’s organization team – reiterated its call for safe-conducts to be granted “as soon as possible” and for refugees to be able to leave Venezuela.

The asylum seers in the Argentine Embassy are Magalli Meda, Claudia Macero, Omar González, Pedro Urruchurtu and Humberto Villalobos, all collaborators of the opposition leader María Corina Machado and accused by the Prosecutor’s Office of the alleged crimes of conspiracy and treason.

Until last December 19, former minister Fernando Martínez Mottola, who was an advisor to the PUD, also remained in asylum, and, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, presented himself “voluntarily” at the main headquarters of the institution in Caracas, to testify about “serious violent, conspiratorial and destabilizing facts organized” from the residence “after the celebration of the presidential elections” in July.

The coalition denounced that “every day the conditions” of the asylum seekers are aggravated, who – according to the bloc – have remained for 83 days without electricity service, after the state electricity company – details the communication – took the fuses from the residence.

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“These five people today depend on an electric generator enabled for emergency cases, and whose use they ration to be able to guarantee the minimum necessary connectivity, in view of the repeated refusal to restore the electricity service,” said the PUD.

Added to this, the anti-Thavista alliance continued, “restrictions on access to essential services and products”, among which he mentioned “water, medicines and food”.

The entry of these products,” he added, “depends on the arbitrary orders of the regime’s repressive bodies, whose troops have also been besieged in the diplomatic compound since November 23.”

The PUD indicated that, in the last two weeks, the entry of tanker trucks that supply drinking water to the residence, which no longer “has water” has been “continuously” refused.

On the other hand, the bloc denounced a “permanent immordation” to “any person” who brings “any product or food to the embassy.”

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“Not satisfied with not authorizing entry, they detain them for up to two hours and then return them, not without first threatening them. This makes it very difficult to provide and feasible the supply of inputs, given the risk it implies for those who dare to approach,” he said.

Faced with this situation, the alliance said that they have sent private communications to “several members of the accredited diplomatic corps” in Venezuela, but – he admitted – “there has been no success.”

“Today, we reiterate the invitation to these diplomats to check the state in which the asylum seekers are, denying the versions of the regime with which they intend to minimize the situation that, under their own orders, they have created,” insisted the PUD.

Brazil assumed the protection of the Argentine Embassy in August 2024, after the Administration of Nicolás Maduro expelled the diplomatic corps from that country, but a month later Venezuela revoked this authorization.

However, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry reported that it will remain with the “custody and defense of the interests” of Argentina until the southern country “designates another acceptable state” for the Maduro Administration, in order to carry out those functions.

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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.