International
Guanipa Detained as Maduro government cracks down ahead of controversial elections
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, announced on Friday (May 23, 2025) the arrest of opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa, linking him to an alleged “terrorist network” accused of planning to disrupt Sunday’s legislative and gubernatorial elections.
“He is one of the leaders of this terrorist network,” Cabello said during a state television broadcast. “Four phones were seized, along with a laptop. The entire plan is there,” he added, insisting that a sabotage plot targeting the elections had been uncovered.
Opposition party Primero Justicia (PJ) condemned what it called the “kidnapping” of Guanipa, a former lawmaker and senior party figure. “The dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro has kidnapped Juan Pablo Guanipa, a national leader of Primero Justicia and the entire country,” said the party in a statement. “He has led our party and our nation with integrity and courage.”
Guanipa is now among more than 50 individuals reportedly detained in the lead-up to the regional elections.
His last public appearance was on January 9 of this year, when he joined opposition leader María Corina Machado at a massive protest in Caracas defending the contested victory of opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. The protest took place on the eve of Nicolás Maduro’s controversial inauguration for a third six-year term, following a disputed election certified by the Chavista-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE).
Cabello also announced the arrest of other individuals allegedly involved in the “conspiracy,” including several foreigners. He aired footage of Guanipa in handcuffs, wearing a bulletproof vest and flanked by masked officers dressed in black.
A post later appeared on Guanipa’s X (formerly Twitter) account, reading: “If you’re reading this, it means I have been kidnapped by Nicolás Maduro’s regime forces.” The post continued: “I don’t know what will happen to me in the coming hours, days, or weeks. But what I do know is that we will win the long battle against the dictatorship.” Shortly afterward, a pre-recorded video was also posted, captioned: “Unjustly imprisoned today, but never defeated.”
International
U.S. sanctions cuban president Díaz-Canel over regime crackdown on protesters
The United States announced on Friday, for the first time, sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, citing his role in the regime’s crackdown on the Cuban people as the country marks four years since the historic anti-government protests of July 2021.
The U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on Díaz-Canel and other key figures in the Cuban government, including Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, according to Senator Marco Rubio, who shared the update on social media platform X.
“The United States is capable of imposing migration sanctions on revolutionary leaders and maintaining a prolonged and ruthless economic war against Cuba, but it will not break the will of our people or its leaders,” responded Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.
In addition, the State Department added “Torre K”, a newly inaugurated 42-story hotel in central Havana, to its list of restricted entities in an effort to prevent U.S. dollars from funding repression by the Cuban regime.
The hotel has sparked criticism for representing a massive state investment in luxury infrastructure despite Cuba’s declining tourism sector and worsening shortages of food, medicine, water, and electricity.
“While the Cuban people suffer from shortages of food, water, medicine, and electricity, the regime squanders money,” wrote Rubio.
In another post, Rubio also accused the Cuban government of torturing dissident José Daniel Ferrer and demanded immediate proof of life.
Ferrer, leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (Unpacu), was among the 553 prisoners released in January as part of an agreement between Cuba and the Vatican, following a decision by former U.S. President Joe Biden to temporarily remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
However, Ferrer’s conditional release was revoked in late April, prompting strong protests from Washington. The island has since been returned to the terrorism list after Republican President Donald Trump’s return to power in January.
International
Two missing after torrential rains cause flooding in Catalonia
Two people are missing in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, after torrential rains hit the region on Saturday night, causing flooding and disrupting rail traffic for several hours.
“We are working on the search for two people in Cubelles,” announced the Catalan Fire Department in a message posted on social media platform X. Cubelles is a town of about 17,000 residents located 50 kilometers from Barcelona.
Emergency crews remain active in the affected area, where the heavy rains overwhelmed local infrastructure and forced temporary closures of several transport routes.
International
Trump administration begins downsizing ‘bloated’ state department workforce
The U.S. Department of State issued layoff notices on Friday to more than 1,300 employees both domestically and abroad, marking the start of a workforce reduction aimed at trimming what officials have called a “bloated” staff. The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to restructure the federal government.
According to local media reports, more than 1,100 Civil Service employees and around 250 Foreign Service officers received notifications via email. Those affected will be placed on administrative leave for periods ranging from 90 to 120 days from the date of their dismissal notice.
The job cuts are part of a plan to centralize and streamline the agency’s operations without disrupting its overall functioning. The restructuring was designed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously informed Congress in May of his intention to reduce the department’s workforce by 15%. The State Department currently employs about 18,000 people.
According to the top U.S. diplomat, the goal is to optimize what he described as a “bloated bureaucracy that stifles innovation and misallocates scarce resources,” as well as to eliminate remnants of “radical political ideology.”
The reorganization is expected to hit hardest in offices focused on human rights and refugee issues, which will now be handled by regional bureaus, according to The New York Times.
“We inherited a system that needed reform, and we are delivering it,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Thursday, adding that the Administration is committed to a foreign policy that puts U.S. interests first.
U.S. sanctions cuban president Díaz-Canel over regime crackdown on protesters
Two missing after torrential rains cause flooding in Catalonia
Trump administration begins downsizing ‘bloated’ state department workforce
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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