Latest news with #BolivarianNationalGuard
Miami Herald
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Nicaragua's first lady is nothing to celebrate: She's a step backward for women
It's been six months since Rosario Murillo became Nicaragua's co-president, but it's nothing worth celebrating. In fact, it's a major step backward for Nicaraguan women. Just look at what's happened in Nicaragua since Murillo officially joined her husband, Daniel Ortega, as — let's be frank — co-dictator. The regime has arrested hundreds of opponents and violently repressed protests, killing more than 300 people. It has systematically dismantled civil society, canceling the registration of more than 5,600 NGOs since 2018. A significant number of the organizations targeted by this female-fronted authoritarian regime are women's groups. Of the 26 Catholic congregations stripped of legal status, all but four were led by women. Reports show at least 7,000 cases of aggression against women human rights defenders. Of the thousands of shuttered civil society organizations, at least 212 focused on women's rights. And yet, here's the disturbing part: the regime has effectively used superficial 'gender inclusivity victories,' like Murillo's rise to co-president, to boost its international image and gain diplomatic cover. This tactic is working — materially sustaining tyrannies under the guise of progress. When more women hold leadership roles — and only 20 countries in the world currently have a female head of state — people in wealthy democracies tend to perceive those governments as more democratic than they actually are. As a result, public support for sending foreign aid increases — aid that can be vital to the survival of these regimes. Autocrats know this and use it to their advantage. That's why gender representation in authoritarian governments is rarely a reflection of genuine progress. It's part of a broader strategy to cling to power. And let's be clear: Murillo's position as co-president is not a sign of advancement for women. When Edipcia Dubón, a Nicaraguan pro-democracy and women's rights advocate, was asked what Murillo's presidency means for women, her response was blunt: 'Absolutely nothing.' Nicaragua isn't the only dictatorship using gender for legitimacy. In June, under orders from the general commander of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), female military personnel posted videos attacking opposition leader María Corina Machado. They called her a 'fascist' and a 'sociopath,' among other insults. Military commanders amplified the videos, praising the women as 'strong' and 'victorious.' But Machado represents more than the opposition — she is a symbol of hope for Venezuelans who have endured decades of crimes against humanity: enforced disappearances, more than 900 political prisoners, systematic persecution of dissenters, torture, transnational repression and widespread human rights abuses. The video campaign aimed to weaken her standing and boost the regime's legitimacy. It failed. If anything, the campaign highlighted Machado's strength — and how threatening her image is to Nicolás Maduro's grip on power. The regime was forced to weaponize gender in an attempt to discredit its most prominent critic. Autocracies exploit the global push for women's rights to deflect attention from their abuses. The regimes of Maduro and Ortega-Murillo want the world to see Murillo and Venezuela's female military figures as feminist icons. But these are the same women who prop up brutal governments that have done nothing meaningful to improve the lives of women in a region still in dire need of gender justice. The real heroes are those risking their freedom to fight back. Women like Angélica Chavarría Altamirano, Eveling Carolina Matus, Fabiola Tercero, Lesbia Gutiérrez and Carmen Sáenz have been arrested for speaking out against the regime since 2024. Others — including Dora María Téllez, Cristiana Chamorro, Suyen Barahona and Ana Margarita Vijil — were imprisoned, held in solitary confinement, exiled and stripped of their citizenship. These women are doing more for democracy and women's rights than Murillo — or any other authoritarian figurehead — ever could. Mariana Atala is a legal and policy fellow at the Human Rights Foundation in New York.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Armed attacks on Guyanese soldiers in Essequibo escalate tensions with Venezuela
A string of armed attacks on Guyanese soldiers patrolling the disputed Essequibo region has intensified tensions between Guyana and neighboring Venezuela, as both countries continue to assert competing claims over the mineral-rich territory. The Guyana Defence Force reported that three separate incidents took place within a 24-hour span along the Cuyuní River, near the contested border. Armed men in civilian clothing targeted Defence Force patrols in areas between Eteringbang and Makapa. In a statement issued Thursday, the force confirmed that no soldiers were injured and characterized its responses as 'measured' and 'calculated.' 'On each occasion, the Guyana Defence Force executed a measured response, and no rank sustained any injuries,' the statement read. The military added that it would 'continue to respond to acts of aggression along the Guyana-Venezuela border.' This latest wave of violence marks the second such incident this year. In February, six Guyanese soldiers were wounded in an ambush allegedly carried out by masked gunmen crossing from the Venezuelan side. The renewed hostilities come amid an increasingly volatile dispute over the Essequibo region — a sparsely populated, resource-rich area that comprises about two-thirds of Guyana's territory. Venezuela has long claimed the land as its own, despite a 1899 arbitration award that recognized it as part of Guyana. Adding to the tension, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López last month accused the United States of plotting to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro in order to seize control of the Essequibo. Speaking during a televised address Tuesday, Padrino López claimed the territory was being targeted as a 'spoil of war' for U.S. interests. 'The threat constantly evolves, but one thing remains unchanged: the conspiracy to surrender our homeland,' he said during a graduation ceremony at the Bolivarian National Guard command. 'They want to convert the Essequibo into a spoil of war — part of a plot to deliver our territory in exchange for regime change imposed by U.S. imperialism.' The decades-old territorial dispute has seen renewed international attention in recent years, as oil discoveries off Guyana's coast and increased militarization along the border raise fears of a broader conflict.
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Armed attacks on Guyanese soldiers in Essequibo escalate tensions with Venezuela
A string of armed attacks on Guyanese soldiers patrolling the disputed Essequibo region has intensified tensions between Guyana and neighboring Venezuela, as both countries continue to assert competing claims over the mineral-rich territory. The Guyana Defence Force reported that three separate incidents took place within a 24-hour span along the Cuyuní River, near the contested border. Armed men in civilian clothing targeted Defence Force patrols in areas between Eteringbang and Makapa. In a statement issued Thursday, the force confirmed that no soldiers were injured and characterized its responses as 'measured' and 'calculated.' 'On each occasion, the Guyana Defence Force executed a measured response, and no rank sustained any injuries,' the statement read. The military added that it would 'continue to respond to acts of aggression along the Guyana-Venezuela border.' This latest wave of violence marks the second such incident this year. In February, six Guyanese soldiers were wounded in an ambush allegedly carried out by masked gunmen crossing from the Venezuelan side. The renewed hostilities come amid an increasingly volatile dispute over the Essequibo region — a sparsely populated, resource-rich area that comprises about two-thirds of Guyana's territory. Venezuela has long claimed the land as its own, despite a 1899 arbitration award that recognized it as part of Guyana. Adding to the tension, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López last month accused the United States of plotting to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro in order to seize control of the Essequibo. Speaking during a televised address Tuesday, Padrino López claimed the territory was being targeted as a 'spoil of war' for U.S. interests. 'The threat constantly evolves, but one thing remains unchanged: the conspiracy to surrender our homeland,' he said during a graduation ceremony at the Bolivarian National Guard command. 'They want to convert the Essequibo into a spoil of war — part of a plot to deliver our territory in exchange for regime change imposed by U.S. imperialism.' The decades-old territorial dispute has seen renewed international attention in recent years, as oil discoveries off Guyana's coast and increased militarization along the border raise fears of a broader conflict.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuelan military resurfaces fears of a U.S. invasion over dispute with Guyana
In a move reflecting Caracas' long-standing fears of foreign intervention, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the United States of conspiring to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro to gain control over the resource-rich Essequibo region, a territory long disputed between Venezuela and Guyana. Speaking during a televised address on Tuesday, Padrino López claimed that plotters aim to turn the Florida-sized Essequibo into a 'spoil of war' for U.S. interests, using regime change as leverage. 'The threat constantly evolves, but one thing remains unchanged: the conspiracy to surrender our homeland,' he said during a graduation ceremony at the Bolivarian National Guard command. 'They want to convert the Essequibo into a spoil of war — part of a plot to deliver our territory in exchange for regime change imposed by U.S. imperialism.' Earlier this month, the Venezuelan military raised its alert level, citing an alleged U.S. plot to fabricate an incident involving an ExxonMobil offshore platform in contested waters, potentially justifying military intervention. The Defense Ministry issued a statement accusing foreign actors of seeking to provoke conflict in the long-contested region, which has been administered by Guyana since an 1899 arbitration ruling — a decision Venezuela has never recognized. On the eve of the ministry's announcement, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez echoed these allegations, accusing the United States, the Guyanese government, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and Blackwater founder Erik Prince of conspiring to launch a military operation against Venezuela. Rodríguez claimed the plan included a 'false flag' attack on the ExxonMobil platform. 'This plot is intended to stage an attack on an ExxonMobil platform operating in the yet-to-be-demarcated Essequibo waters, providing justification for hostile actions against our country,' Rodríguez said during a televised speech. Tensions over the ExxonMobil site escalated in late February, when a Venezuelan warship entered the disputed area, triggering a warning from Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded firmly during a recent visit to Georgetown. 'It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil,' Rubio said. 'We have a large navy, and it can reach almost anywhere in the world. We are committed to Guyana.' The Essequibo border dispute, which dates back more than 180 years, has significantly intensified in recent months. In December 2023, President Maduro held a controversial referendum that claimed 98% public support for asserting sovereignty over the region — a vote widely criticized for alleged fraud and lack of transparency. Since then, Maduro has doubled down, declaring Essequibo a new Venezuelan state, bolstering military presence near the border, and planning regional elections to install a local governor — moves condemned by the international community.
Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Venezuelan military resurfaces fears of a U.S. invasion over dispute with Guyana
In a move reflecting Caracas' long-standing fears of foreign intervention, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the United States of conspiring to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro to gain control over the resource-rich Essequibo region, a territory long disputed between Venezuela and Guyana. Speaking during a televised address on Tuesday, Padrino López claimed that plotters aim to turn the Florida-sized Essequibo into a 'spoil of war' for U.S. interests, using regime change as leverage. 'The threat constantly evolves, but one thing remains unchanged: the conspiracy to surrender our homeland,' he said during a graduation ceremony at the Bolivarian National Guard command. 'They want to convert the Essequibo into a spoil of war — part of a plot to deliver our territory in exchange for regime change imposed by U.S. imperialism.' Earlier this month, the Venezuelan military raised its alert level, citing an alleged U.S. plot to fabricate an incident involving an ExxonMobil offshore platform in contested waters, potentially justifying military intervention. The Defense Ministry issued a statement accusing foreign actors of seeking to provoke conflict in the long-contested region, which has been administered by Guyana since an 1899 arbitration ruling — a decision Venezuela has never recognized. On the eve of the ministry's announcement, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez echoed these allegations, accusing the United States, the Guyanese government, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and Blackwater founder Erik Prince of conspiring to launch a military operation against Venezuela. Rodríguez claimed the plan included a 'false flag' attack on the ExxonMobil platform. 'This plot is intended to stage an attack on an ExxonMobil platform operating in the yet-to-be-demarcated Essequibo waters, providing justification for hostile actions against our country,' Rodríguez said during a televised speech. Tensions over the ExxonMobil site escalated in late February, when a Venezuelan warship entered the disputed area, triggering a warning from Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded firmly during a recent visit to Georgetown. 'It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil,' Rubio said. 'We have a large navy, and it can reach almost anywhere in the world. We are committed to Guyana.' The Essequibo border dispute, which dates back more than 180 years, has significantly intensified in recent months. In December 2023, President Maduro held a controversial referendum that claimed 98% public support for asserting sovereignty over the region — a vote widely criticized for alleged fraud and lack of transparency. Since then, Maduro has doubled down, declaring Essequibo a new Venezuelan state, bolstering military presence near the border, and planning regional elections to install a local governor — moves condemned by the international community.
