International

Hundreds of Muscovites pay tribute to the memory of Navalni on the first anniversary of his death

Hundreds of Muscovites go today to the Borisovsky cemetery in Moscow to pay tribute to the memory of opposition leader Alexei Navalni on the first anniversary of his sudden death in an Arctic prison.

The politician’s grave has been covered with flowers and messages from his followers since the early hours of the morning, and the Muscovites continued to arrive at the cemetery during the following hours despite the cold of almost 10 degrees below zero that settled today in the Russian capital.

“It’s an irreparable loss. I wish I had a son like him,” a Russian pensioner told EFE after paying tribute to the memory of the opponent in the Borisovski cemetery.

“I’m not afraid and neither are you,” read a sign next to Navalni’s photo.

Another message left by his followers said “Time does not heal wounds, we miss you.”

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“He hasn’t died, he’s been murdered,” said a young man who went to Borisovsky today.

In the vicinity of the cemetery, a large number of police officers could be seen without preventing the reminder act, which takes place without incident.

Navalni’s death at the age of 47 remains a trauma for his followers, who saw him as the only figure capable of facing the Kremlin and leading democratic changes in Russia.

“The pain we feel has made us stronger and this year has shown that we are stronger than we think,” said the opponent’s widow, Yulia Naválnaya, in a video released this Sunday.

Navalnaya assured that even after his death Navalni continues his fight against the Kremlin, since his ideas live and his speeches are quoted by world politicians and celebrities.

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“Alexei continues to unite people even after his death and continues to help them. I know that it will also be like this in the future,” he said.

One year after the death of the prominent opponent, his family, the opposition and the Western chancelleries continue to accuse Russian President, Vladimir Putin, of being behind what happened on February 16, 2024 in the IK-3 penitentiary in the Arctic town of Jarp (autonomous Yamalo-Nénets district).

The official version made public last August is that Navalni – who had been transferred two months earlier to the Arctic – died of natural causes, due to an arrhythmia. Others claim that the long stays in punishment cells is what ended the opponent’s life.

In his defense, Putin assures that he authorized the exchange of his greatest adversary, but that he suddenly died at rails before the exchange was consummated.

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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.