International
Von der Leyen urges Caricom to defend peace in Ukraine in the face of “an unpredictable world”
The president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, urged on Wednesday the countries of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to raise their voices for peace in Ukraine since today’s world is “unpredictable” and it is “more important than ever to remain united.”
“We believe in freedom and people’s right to decide their own future. That’s why you have been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” Von der Leyen said at a press conference as part of the 48th annual meeting of Caricom’s heads of government in Barbados.
“Ukraine is a future member of the European family and supporting them means supporting us. It is also important to ask for peace, not only in Ukraine, but also in the Middle East, Sudan and Haiti,” he added.
These statements come hours after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, called his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and warned him that, if he does not act “quickly”, his country could disappear.
The relationship between Trump and Zelenski has deteriorated following the talks held this week in Saudi Arabia between a US delegation and Russian representatives to end the war, in which neither Ukraine nor its European allies participated.
The European leader was accompanied at the conference by the new president of Caricom and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, whom she congratulated for her “exemplary leadership” to “fight against climate change that is truly existential” and amplify the voice of small island countries “for the benefit of humanity”.
“We have the goal of making the Caribbean islands feed on 100% renewable energy and we have discussed how to strengthen our cooperation with resilience and preparation to work together when natural disasters hit the area,” said the president of the EC at the meeting, which will last until Friday.
He also celebrated that Barbados is leading the way towards “a green transition and development” and stressed that “renewable energy provides energy independence, energy security and is the energy of the future.”
On the other hand, he highlighted the cooperation between Europe and the Caribbean countries in the field of health, after attending the signing of an agreement between the German institute of biomedical research BioMed X and Barbados.
This is within the launch of four projects of the global community investment initiative Global Gateway, one of which, under the title ‘Renewstable’, is the first for the storage of green hydrogen in the Caribbean.
In this regard, Mottley welcomed “EU support and cooperation, in particular to confront this existential (climate) crisis and build resilience”.
“Renewable energy is clearly a response to the climate crisis,” said the Prime Minister of Barbados and president of Caricom.
Mottley agreed with Von der Leyen that “the world faces very difficult challenges,” highlighting climate change, which affects the whole world and especially small island states such as Barbados.
Caricom members are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobag
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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