International

Divided Latin America faces geopolitical tensions ahead of OAS Assembly

The “divergent” reactions of Latin American governments to the U.S. decision to strike Iran have revealed the region’s complex and divided geopolitical landscape—something that could hinder a consensus at the 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), which begins Wednesday in Antigua and Barbuda.

“The region’s varied responses to the U.S. strikes came as no surprise,” Jason Marczak, director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council, told EFE. He explained that each country’s reaction reflected its degree of alignment with the administration of Donald Trump.

“This was largely evident in the nature of the responses from countries that rushed either to condemn or support Washington following the weekend bombings of three Iranian nuclear facilities,” Marczak added.

Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela expressed solidarity with their political and economic ally Iran, while Argentina reaffirmed its support for Trump. Meanwhile, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil condemned the U.S. bombings for allegedly violating international law and fueling further violence. Washington has justified the military action as a necessary step toward a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, announced on Monday.

According to Marczak, “Havana and Caracas always seize the opportunity to challenge the United States,” but he noted that “just three years ago, it would have been surprising for the Colombian president to side with Iran.” “Much has changed with Gustavo Petro,” he said.

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“What we’ve seen is that most governments that have drawn closer to the U.S. during the Trump administration either took a measured stance or expressed unconditional support for the U.S. actions,” Marczak emphasized.

While these reactions may not directly shift bilateral relations, Marczak said they “shed light on how Latin American leaders currently view their relationship with Washington.”

“This will impact every other item on the regional agenda,” he added.

International

Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing

Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.

“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.

He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.

A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.

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Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.

International

Peruvian woman arrested in Bali for smuggling cocaine in sex toy

A Peruvian woman was arrested on the popular Indonesian tourist island of Bali for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.4 kg of cocaine, part of which was hidden inside a sex toy in her vagina, police announced on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old woman, identified only by her initials N.S., arrived at Bali’s international airport from Qatar on August 12.

“Customs officers became suspicious of her behavior and, after consulting with the police, conducted additional checks,” said Radiant, head of Bali’s narcotics unit, during a press conference.

Authorities discovered 1.4 kg of cocaine, partly concealed in the sex toy. She was also accused of carrying dozens of ecstasy pills.

The Peruvian confessed to the police that she had been hired by a man she met in April on the dark web to transport the drugs to Indonesia in exchange for $20,000.

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Indonesia has some of the world’s strictest drug trafficking laws and imposes the death penalty on drug traffickers. Currently, more than 90 foreign nationals are on death row in the country for drug-related offenses, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.

In July, a court in Bali sentenced an Argentine woman to seven years in prison for attempting to smuggle 244 grams of cocaine into the island in a condom hidden in her vagina.

The last executions for drug trafficking in Indonesia occurred in 2016, when an Indonesian and three Nigerians were executed.

International

Trump says Russia open to security guarantees for Ukraine amid peace talks

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Russia is willing to accept security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.

After the talks, Zelensky described the discussions as positive, while Trump took a moment to speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and confirmed a trilateral summit between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.

Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the Russian invasion.

Zelensky, who also held a separate meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, called the discussions with the U.S. leader “the best to date.” He emphasized the importance of “strong signals” from the United States regarding Western security guarantees.

The atmosphere between the two leaders was reportedly more relaxed than in February, when Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, publicly rebuked Zelensky for not appearing “grateful” for U.S. support.

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“In one or two weeks, we will know if we are going to resolve this or if this horrible fight will continue,” Trump said at the start of the meeting.

The presence of leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission, and NATO highlighted ongoing concerns about Washington’s stance on Ukraine.

Before the meeting, Trump had pressured Kyiv to relinquish Crimea and abandon its NATO membership ambitions, two of Moscow’s main demands. However, he stated that the Alaska summit with Putin had brought progress.

“I like the ceasefire. From another perspective, it immediately stops the killing. But I think a peace agreement at the end of all this is very achievable and could be reached in the near future,” Trump said.