Latest news with #BureauofWesternHemisphereAffairs
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
‘Latest Sham Election': US Criticizes Maduro Government for Holding Essequibo Election
The U.S. government criticized the Maduro government on May 25 for attempting to elect for the first time a governor for Essequibo, a disputed region claimed by Venezuela and controlled by neighboring Guyana. 'The United States rejects all attempts by Nicolas Maduro and his illegitimate regime to undermine Guyana's territorial integrity, including this latest sham election in the Essequibo region,' the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs on Sunday on X. This occurred one day before Guyana, a former British colony, celebrated the 59th anniversary of its independence, which the Trump administration commemorated through its embassy in the South American country. 'As we celebrate this milestone with all Guyanese, we look forward to continuing our strong partnership grounded in shared goals and values,' the embassy on X on May 26. Since the 19th century, Venezuela and Guyana have both claimed the Essequibo region, an area in western Guyana of about 160,000 square kilom eters (61,800 square miles) located west of the Essequibo River, which the Caracas government has considered the state of Guayana Esequiba since 2024. The Essequibo region has a wealth of natural resources, with fertile land suitable for rice, sugar, and other agricultural products; attractive tourist destinations; and significant mineral deposits, including gold, diamonds, and bauxite. Related Stories 2/7/2025 1/10/2025 On Sunday, the Venezuelan government organized elections within Venezuelan territory to elect 16 officials for the Essequibo region, including a governor, eight deputies to the National Assembly, and seven members of the regional legislative council, EFE reported. In addition to the Bureau of Western Hemisphe re Affairs, some members of Congress described Sunday's elections in Venezuela as a 'farce' and 'a total failure,' due to low voter turnout. 'The Venezuelan people spoke clearly: NO to the farce, NO to the dictatorship! May 25 was a total failure. Venezuela disobeyed with empty polling stations and silent streets,' Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) on X. 'Maduro's electoral show was useless—the world saw the firm rejection [of the election] by a brave people. All my support goes to the people and the iron lady,' referring to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Meanwhile, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro the May 25 elections as his '30th electoral victory,' referring to the number of elections Venezuela has held during his term, noting that it was a 'quick and easy electoral process,' on Instagram. The vice president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council, Carlos Quintero, said on the night of May 25 that voter turnout was 42.6 percent of the electorate. In contrast, the opposition said there was low civic participation in Sunday's elections, with a 12.6 percent turnout and most polling stations empty, Corina Machado's campaign. 'Today, more than 85% of Venezuelans disobeyed this regime and said no,' Corina Machado said on May 25 in a video posted on X. Venezuelan opposition leader in exile Antonio Ledezma : 'The truth cannot be hidden: more than 86% of Venezuelan voters took part in a historic act of civil disobedience,' on his personal blog on May 26. 'They turned their backs on an illegitimate call to vote, organized to fabricate a result riddled with mathematical inconsistencies and logistical contradictions,' added the former mayor of Caracas. 'The images of empty polling stations, silent streets, and a country that simply said 'enough' speak louder than any manipulated figures. Maduro does not win elections; he steals them. He does not call elections; he stages farces.' The Epoch Times was unable to independently verify the results of the May 25 elections.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuela held an election for an oil-rich region. The main problem is it belongs to another country
Venezuelans on Sunday for the first time elected a governor and other lawmakers for Essequibo, an oil-rich region that Venezuela has laid claim to even though it is widely recognized as being part of neighboring Guyana. Essequibo's 125,000 inhabitants, who account for more than 15% of the English-speaking country's population, did not take part in Sunday's election. The vote, which was widely criticized by Guyanese officials, instead saw Venezuelans pick a new governor, six deputies to the National Assembly of Venezuela, and seven to a regional legislative assembly. It is unclear how the officials, once elected, plan on running the territory, which Guyana governs. The election is the latest provocation in a long-running territory dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. It comes more than a year after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the creation of a new state within the territory, which is roughly the size of Florida, called 'Guayana Esequiba,' following a referendum that saw Venezuelan voters approving the move. Guyana had called Venezuela's actions a step towards annexation and an 'existential' threat as the specter of armed conflict loomed over the region. Maduro first announced in January that a vote would be held for the region as part of a larger election for governors and lawmakers across the country. 'I call for freedom of conscience for the people and for the people to elect the best for the governorships of the 24 states,' Maduro said on Telegram ahead of Sunday's election, referring to Essequibo as the nation's 24th state. The vote has put Guyana on high alert, with its President Irfaan Ali on Saturday calling the poll 'scandalous, false, propagandistic (and) opportunistic.' Guyana is home to vast oil reserves and is on track to become the world's highest per capita oil producer. It, however, has an army estimated to be less than 5,000 soldiers, and lacks the hardware or manpower to face possible Venezuelan aggression. The country in the meantime has sought closer military cooperation with the United States amid the threats from Venezuela. On Sunday, the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called the election a 'sham' on X. 'The United States rejects all attempts by Nicolas Maduro and his illegitimate regime to undermine Guyana's territorial integrity, including this latest sham election in the Essequibo region,' it wrote. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López pushed back against the criticism on Sunday, saying, 'We are supported by historical, legal, and moral grounds regarding that territory.' Venezuela has claimed Essequibo as its own for decades, arguing that it was within its borders during the Spanish colonial period. It has dismissed an 1899 ruling by international arbitrators that set the current boundaries when Guyana was still a British colony. Guyana has controlled the region since gaining independence in 1966. The recent discovery of vast offshore oil fields in the area has heightened the stakes in the dispute. In 2018, Guyana filed an application with the International Court of Justice to try to validate the 1899 decision. The case is still under review. Pending a final decision, the court ordered earlier this month that Venezuela refrain from holding elections in the territory. But Caracas has rejected the court's jurisdiction over the matter. On Saturday, the night before Venezuela's election and two days ahead of Guyana's Independence Day, Guyanese officials held a National Patriotic Concert in Essequibo to affirm their sovereignty over the land. The event drew thousands of people who were seen waving the Guyanese flag and wearing shirts that read: 'Essequibo is Guyana's.' 'Essequibo belongs to Guyana and we are going to do everything to ensure that Essequibo will forever be part of our 83,000 square miles,' President Ali told crowds of cheering supporters.
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
US Moving to Block Funding for Chinese Projects in Colombia After Nation Joins BRI
The State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said on May 15 that the United States will oppose international groups funding Chinese regime-backed projects in Colombia, a day after the South American nation signed a pact to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 'The U.S. will strongly oppose recent projects and upcoming disbursements by the @the_IDB and other IFIs for Chinese state-owned and controlled companies in Colombia (and other BRI countries in the region),' the bureau 'These projects endanger the region's safety and security. American tax dollars SHOULD NOT be used in any way by international organizations to subsidize Chinese companies in our hemisphere.' IDB, which is the main source of development financing in Latin America and the Caribbean, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Epoch Times. According to its On May 14, Colombia's Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia The United States and China are Colombia's biggest trade partners, and the Chinese regime has been vying for more influence in the region. Related Stories 3/23/2025 5/13/2025 China recently held large In the region, Panama also stands as an exception. In February, it announced that it would not be Many U.S. officials and experts have been critical of BRI, which, Panama's BRI exit was announced during U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio's trip to the country. Rubio met Panama's President José Raúl Mulino and told him that the United States had concerns over the CCP's 'current position of influence and control' around the Panama Canal and that this was 'unacceptable,' based on the neutrality treaty that allowed the United States to transfer control of the canal to Panama nearly three decades ago. Reuters contributed to this report.
Epoch Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Judge Orders Trump Admin to Address Discovery Requests in Abrego Garcia Case
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to address 'all outstanding discovery requests' in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the illegal immigrant who was deported to his home country of El Salvador last month. Abrego Garcia was deported despite an immigration judge issuing a withholding of removal order, which legally barred his deportation to his home country, in 2019 because of concerns for his safety. The administration has since been ordered by the court to facilitate his return to the United States, including providing information on the steps it has taken—and plans to take—to bring him back. In an eight-page 'For weeks, Defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court's orders,' Xinis stated. According to the court document, the administration has objected to answering questions related to the case 'on the grounds of privilege,' including attorney-client privilege, the deliberative process privilege, the state secrets privilege, and 'an undefined 'government privilege.'' Related Stories 4/22/2025 4/21/2025 The judge rejected this argument, saying the privileges were invoked without any supporting information. 'Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this Court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions. That ends now,' she stated. Xinis ordered the administration to provide the court with 'specific legal and factual bases' for each asserted privilege by no later than 6 p.m. on April 23. 'If defendants want to preserve their privilege claims, they must support them with the required detail. Otherwise, they will lose the protections they failed to properly invoke,' the judge stated. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. In a court The lawyers said that 'disclosing the details of any diplomatic discussions regarding Mr. Abrego Garcia at this time could negatively impact any outcome.' The administration has argued that it lacks the authority to return Abrego Garcia because he is now in the custody of Salvadoran authorities. Michael Kozak, a senior official at the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) speaks with Kilmar Abrego Garcia (L) in a hotel restaurant in San Salvador, El Salvador, on April 17, 2025. Press Office Senator Van Hollen via AP Kozak stated that Abrego Garcia provided this update to Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on April 17 during the senator's visit to the country. Van Hollen President Donald Trump said that lawmakers from the Democratic Party were falsely portraying Abrego Garcia as an innocent person despite two separate courts finding him to be a member of 'the violent, killer gang MS-13,' in the country illegally, and subject to a deportation order. 'Those lying to the American People on behalf of violent criminals have to be held responsible by the Agencies and the Courts,' Trump said in a Truth Social
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says fate of ICE deportees at notorious prison up to El Salvador president
The Trump administration stated on Saturday that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador, is 'alive and secure' at a terrorism confinement center there. A U.S. judge demanded updates on the Trump administration's efforts to 'facilitate' his return, per a Supreme Court ruling. Just hours later on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said he was looking forward to meeting with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador on Monday at the White House. Despite an earlier statement claiming he would bring Abrego Garcia back if instructed by the Supreme Court, Trump appeared to deflect, saying that those deported 'are now in the sole custody of El Salvador ... their future is up to President B and his Government.' A government court filing provided the update on Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador on March 15 despite an order protecting him from deportation, after U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis demanded daily updates on Friday. The filing from Michael Kozak of the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs did not, however, specify what steps the government was taking to bring Abrego Garcia home, as Xinis had also insisted. 'I am aware that the instant lawsuit has been filed seeking the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States from El Salvador,' Kozak's filing said. 'It is my understanding, based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador, that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador,' it said. 'He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.' Xinis issued her demand a day after the Supreme Court upheld her order directing the administration to 'facilitate and effectuate' Abrego Garcia's return. However, the Supreme Court stated that the term "effectuate" was unclear and might exceed the judge's authority. The Trump administration has acknowledged that Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who lived in Maryland and has held a work permit since 2019, was mistakenly deported. However, it stated that it could not immediately bring him back and that diplomatic relations could not operate at the speed demanded by the courts. Trump has told reporters he would comply with a Supreme Court order directing him to return the Maryland resident to the U.S. When asked on Friday if Trump would seek the return of Abrego Garcia during his meeting with Bukele, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the court's ruling made clear the administration's responsibility to 'facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, not to effectuate the return.' In his Saturday social media post, Trump praised Bukele for accepting 'enemy aliens' from the U.S. He said the two countries were working closely together to 'eradicate terrorist organizations.' In what has been framed on social media as the president washing his hands of the issue, Trump remarked: 'These barbarians are now in the sole custody of El Salvador, a proud and sovereign Nation, and their future is up to President B and his Government. They will never threaten or menace our Citizens again!' With reporting by Reuters
