International
Xiomara Castro reaches an “agreement” with the United States for Honduras to continue the extradition treaty
The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, announced on Tuesday that her government reached an “agreement” with the United States Administration to continue the bilateral extradition treaty, a decision that occurs just ten days before the end of the treaty after the Honduran president’s accusations of US “interference”.
“I announce that I have reached an agreement with the new administration of the United States so that the Extradition Treaty continues with the necessary safeguards for the State of Honduras, guaranteeing its objective application,” Castro stressed in a message in X.
On August 28, the president denounced the extradition treaty with the United States dating from the last century, which provoked many reactions against sectors that consider that it meant a clear path for drug traffickers to continue operating freely in Honduras.
The president argued that the decision had been made before the interference of the United States ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, who had criticized a visit to Venezuela by the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces, General Roosevelt Hernández, accompanying the then Secretary of Defense, José Manuel Zelaya.
The United States ambassador in Tegucigalpa expressed her country’s “concern” about the meeting of Honduras Defense authorities with the sanctioned Minister of Defense of Venezuela, Vladimir Padrino López, as part of a military sports event.
Thus, Castro added on Tuesday, “I have assured respect for the integrity of the Armed Forces, an institution responsible for defending sovereignty, maintaining peace, asserting the empire of the Constitution and guaranteeing the security of our democratic electoral process.”
Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina reiterated on Monday in statements to journalists that the extradition treaty with the United States was denounced in the face of his country’s concern about the possibility that this mechanism can be used for political purposes, within the framework of the electoral process that Honduras is experiencing, with primary and internal elections, on March 9, and general elections on November 30.
He also pointed out that extradition is a “very important” tool.
“It is a useful tool, our concern is that it is not used for political issues, especially in electoral terms,” Reina said.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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
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