International
The United States urges Ukraine to “lower the tone” and accept Trump’s proposal on its minerals
White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on Thursday that the Ukrainian government needs to “lower the tone” after the tense cross of insults between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“They have to lower the tone, analyze the situation well and sign that agreement,” Waltz said on Thursday in an interview with the conservative Fox News network.
Zelenski revealed on Wednesday, for the first time at a press conference, that last week the United States proposed to Ukraine to cede 50% of its natural resources to Washington, especially minerals and rare earths key for technological development, as compensation for the past aid to Kiev, without guarantees of future assistance.
According to the Ukrainian president, the agreement does not include any commitment that the US will continue to support Ukraine, which has led his government not to sign it.
In addition, Waltz considered “unacceptable” Kiev’s refusal to accept the mining pact and his criticism of the way Trump is conducting peace talks.
“We have presented Ukrainians with an incredible and historic opportunity: that the United States invests in Ukraine, boosts its economy, its natural resources and becomes a partner for its future in a sustainable way. This would be the best security guarantee they could expect, much more than another shipment of ammunition,” he said.
Zelenski meets this Thursday in Ukraine with the US special envoy for war, Keith Kellogg, in a meeting whose conclusions could be key.
Relations between Washington and Kiev are going through a particularly delicate moment after Trump and Zelenski exchanged insults, with the American calling the Ukrainian “dictator” and accusing the US president of living in a bubble of “disinformation” from Russia.
US Vice President J.D. Vance also intervened in the controversy by warning yesterday in statements to The Daily Mail that publicly criticizing Trump would only harm Zelenski.
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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