Ángela María Vergara, a member of the Conservative Party who has supported President Donald Trump and opposed social reforms in Colombia, reported that her 22-year-old son has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States for 17 days.

“There are no guarantees in absolutely anything.”

In a video, Vergara asked for help to free his son, Rafael Alfonso Vergara, who was detained by immigration agents in Louisiana while working for a freight transport company.

“One would think that the prison system in the United States is different, but from what I am experiencing firsthand, there are absolutely no guarantees,” the representative stated.

According to his testimony, the officers handcuffed his son, confiscated his belongings, and transferred him to the River Correctional Center detention center in Louisiana. In a three-minute phone call, the young man denounced the harsh and inhumane conditions he faces, which have caused him emotional distress.

The path of voluntary departure

Given the situation, the family suggested a voluntary departure as the only way to regain their freedom. This process can take more than 45 days to be finalized. The congresswoman requested that diplomatic channels be activated to expedite repatriation flights and that the hundreds of cases of Colombians in similar circumstances be monitored.

Currently, thousands of families face immense anguish due to the lack of information about the whereabouts of their detained loved ones. Furthermore, once they accept deportation, they must wait for humanitarian flights and pay for their own return tickets.

Former President Andrés Pastrana, known for being a friend of Epstein, meet with Ángela María Vergara.

The political career of Ángela Vergara

In the past, the Supreme Court investigated Vergara for allegedly receiving bribes from percentages of local contracts, when he served as a councilman in Cartagena, to favor a candidate for the local mayoralty.

The congresswoman, along with her party, has opposed the Financing Law and the social reforms promoted by Gustavo Petro’s government. She has also sided with the U.S. government in diplomatic conflicts with the Colombian president.

Vergara is part of the pro-life caucus, where he has promoted positions that, according to his critics, have fostered discrimination against the beliefs of indigenous peoples.

The congresswoman defended Charlie Kirk, a far-right American activist who died under strange circumstances last year.

Figures on immigration persecution

According to data from the ICE Deportation Data Project, between January 20, 2025—when Trump assumed his second term—and October 15 of that year, federal agents arrested 6,814 Colombians. This figure represents a 46% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when 3,161 arrests were recorded.

This means that, on average, during the first ten months of the Trump administration, about 25 Colombians were taken into immigration custody every day. Of these, 264 were minors.

Only 1,201 Colombians detained had a criminal conviction. That is, 82% of those arrested by ICE had no criminal record.

Government silence and repatriations

So far, Congresswoman Vergara has received expressions of solidarity from various political parties, including the governing party. However, there has been no official statement from the Executive branch regarding her specific case. The only announcement made was the arrival of the latest repatriation flight from the United States, carrying 112 Colombians, who were received with care and inter-institutional support.

U.S. arbitrary measures hinder the Bolivarian nation’s development. During an interview with U.S. broadcaster NBC News in Caracas, Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez stated that her country needs to be free of sanctions in order to hold elections and develop its energy potential.

“Holding free and fair elections in Venezuela also means having a free country where justice can be exercised. A country free of sanctions,” she said, emphasizing how U.S. sanctions hinder the growth of the Bolivarian nation as an energy power and as a sovereign people.

Her remarks come amid what Venezuelan authorities describe as the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro, who has been held illegally by the U.S. in a maximum-security prison in New York since Jan. 3, 2025.

Rodriguez’s statements echo those of Maduro, who since 2020 has repeatedly said Venezuela seeks “elections free of sanctions, of blockades, of aggression” and of “economic war.”

In November 2022, during a press conference with international media, President Maduro announced that the Bolivarian government would resume comprehensive dialogue with all sectors of the opposition to ensure elections are held in a scenario free of sanctions.

During that appearance, the Venezuelan president underscored that electoral transparency and justice depend directly on compliance with political agreements and the end of what he described as economic siege against the nation.

In July 2023, Maduro again emphasized that Venezuela wants “elections free of sanctions, of blockades, of aggression, and of economic war.” He once more demanded that the U.S. government lift all such measures “without any conditions.”

“We want elections free of sanctions, of blockades, of aggression, of economic war. Lift all the so-called sanctions. The North American empire must lift all sanctions, without any conditions whatsoever, and we will move forward,” President Maduro said.

With what she described as a firm commitment to defending Venezuela’s independence, Rodriguez reiterated that the path toward political normalization requires the total elimination of what she called “so-called sanctions,” allowing the exercise of suffrage to be a sovereign expression of the people’s will in defense of justice and national dignity.

Nicolas Maduro Is the Legitimate President of Venezuela

Asked about leadership in the country, Rodriguez stressed that Maduro remains the legitimate president and that she is serving as acting president with daily and rigorous effort.

She reaffirmed her legitimacy at the head of the executive branch, explaining that she assumed leadership following constitutional order after the kidnapping of President Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.

The Venezuelan acting president pointed out that her country’s institutional stability has allowed progress in high-level meetings, such as a recent meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to evaluate projects of mutual benefit.

An Invitation to Visit the United States

On Wednesday, Rodriguez met with Wright to evaluate an energy agenda beneficial to both nations within the framework of historic bilateral relations.

The acting president stressed that, through peace diplomacy, both countries can overcome their differences. She also mentioned receiving an invitation to travel to the United States, a possibility currently under consideration.

“We are considering going there once we establish this cooperation and can move forward with everything,” Rodriguez said, leaving the door open to future rapprochement.

Jan. 3, 2026, is already considered a key date in contemporary Latin American history. On that day, the U.S. government attacked a sovereign nation, kidnapped President Maduro and lawmaker Flores, leaving hundreds dead and widespread destruction.

Venezuelan society is still processing the U.S. aggression. Citizens are seeking explanations for the uncertainties affecting the political and economic landscape: what is the relationship between the two spheres, and which of them — or both — account for circumstances shaking daily life.

In recent days, amid the situation, Acting president Rodriguez reiterated that peaceful coexistence is the path toward the country’s economic and social peace. She underscored the importance of full public participation in all national initiatives.

She said the goal for 2026 is to consolidate grassroots power and indicated that authorities will seek to support communities in organizing so that economic growth translates into social well-being for workers. She reiterated that Venezuela is advancing in national cohesion and rebuilding bridges with other countries through working agendas aimed at benefiting the people.

Tehran, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, stated today that the United States can define its interests in negotiations with Tehran independently of those of Israel.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, the official noted that talks between Iran and the United States are ongoing and that several countries in the region are working to ensure their success.

Larijani revealed that he recently conveyed a message to Washington through Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, although he specified that they have not yet received an official response.

The United States can set its interests in the negotiations apart from those of Israel, and Iran is open to cooperating in them, he said.

He also considered it unlikely that Washington would seek a new armed confrontation, although he warned that any military action against his country would be met with a response.

The Iranian leader maintained that Tehran is not seeking war, but is prepared to defend itself. In his view, Israel is trying to sabotage the negotiations and is playing a destabilizing role in the region.

On February 6, Oman hosted a new round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, following the suspension of contacts after Israeli and American attacks against Iran in June 2025.

US media reported on preparations for a second round of indirect talks, scheduled for the coming days in Geneva, Switzerland.

While Washington insists that Iran must completely halt its uranium enrichment activities and broaden the negotiating agenda to include its missile program and regional policy, Tehran maintains that it will only discuss its nuclear program and demands the lifting of Western economic sanctions as part of any agreement.

The Democratic legislator proposes to expand trade, travel and diplomatic engagement. On Thursday, Jim McGovern, a Democratic U.S. representative for Massachusetts’ 2nd Congressional District, introduced a bill to eliminate the legal basis of the U.S. blockade against Cuba.

“I introduced a bill to repeal the U.S. embargo against Cuba. For over six decades, the U.S. has embraced failed, obsolete, Cold War thinking toward Cuba,” said the lawmaker, who is also a senior member of the House Rules Committee, a leading anti-hunger advocate and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

“Our 60-plus-year embargo has been ineffective and counterproductive — it hurts the Cuban people, it strengthens hardliners, it gives rise to more refugees, and it undercuts our standing in the world,” he added.

“We have tried the same thing for over 60 years — and it has failed for over 60 years. Let’s try something different — let’s open things up! Let’s lift the embargo, giving U.S. businesses, entrepreneurs, tourists and universities more access.”

“Let’s push for freedom and democracy through diplomacy and engagement. Let’s let Cubans who live on the island decide their own future — not Marco Rubio or Donald Trump,” McGovern concluded.

His bill, titled the United States-Cuba Trade Act (H.R. 7521), seeks to repeal the statutory basis for the U.S. embargo on Cuba. To that end, McGovern’s proposal would:

• Remove the primary authority for the U.S. president to maintain a total trade embargo on Cuba by repealing Section 620(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

• Effectively end the regulatory basis for the Cuban Assets Control Regulations by terminating authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act regarding Cuba.

• Eliminate the codification of the embargo and legal obstacles to property-related transactions by repealing the Helms-Burton Act.

• Delete restrictions on trade and limits on the entry of vessels into U.S. ports that have recently traded with Cuba by repealing the Cuban Democracy Act.

• Remove Cuba-specific restrictions on agricultural and medical exports by amending the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act.

• Remove the ban on Cuba’s participation in the U.S. sugar program by repealing the sugar quota prohibition in the Food Security Act.

• End restrictions on the registration or renewal of certain Cuban-related trademarks by repealing Section 211 of the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

• Provide direct telecommunications services between the two nations by authorizing U.S. common carriers to install and maintain telecommunications facilities in Cuba.

• Protect the right to travel by prohibiting the government from regulating or banning travel to Cuba if the activity is otherwise lawful for U.S. citizens.

• Promote settlement of outstanding property claims by U.S. nationals and the protection of internationally recognized human rights by directing the U.S. president to negotiate with the Cuban government.

• Extend nondiscriminatory, or normal trade relations, tariff treatment to Cuban products by amending the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, repealing Cuba-specific tariff provisions and ending application of Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 to Cuba.

• Prohibit the U.S. Treasury Department from limiting remittances to Cuba.

• Require the U.S. president to submit a report to Congress on U.S.-Cuba trade relations within 18 months of enactment.

Upon receiving the Cuban ambassador in Minsk, Santiago Pérez, the Belarusian Foreign Minister reaffirmed his country’s unwavering policy of friendship and solidarity with the Caribbean nation in complex times, such as the present.

In that regard, the head of the Cuban diplomatic mission told Prensa Latina that during the exchange Rizhenkov expressed the willingness of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko and his administration to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the energy crisis facing the largest of the Antilles.

Pérez also commented that both nations are working to strengthen economic and trade ties in different sectors, topics that will be analyzed at the next Cuba-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission meeting, which is scheduled to take place next March.

Previously, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry condemned the oil blockade actions that the United States imposed on Cuba on January 29.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus continues to follow with concern the situation surrounding Cuba and the supply of energy resources to this country,” the diplomatic entity said in a statement.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated that it is watching with unease how the threat of the current escalation in the Caribbean could turn into a serious humanitarian crisis with unpredictable consequences.

Minsk constantly insists on the unacceptability of applying unilateral coercive measures that create obstacles to trade relations between States.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that these sanctions hinder the process of comprehensive socio-economic development and make it difficult to guarantee the well-being of the population.

In the document, the Belarusian authorities expressed their firm conviction that all differences should be resolved through peaceful dialogue and within the framework of international law.

San Salvador, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, predicted that thousands of Hondurans will die if the government of President Nasry Asfura does not confront the gangs, press media highlighted today.

Statements by the president, cited by the newspaper El Mundo, call into question the Honduran government’s Secretary of Security, Gerson Onán Velásquez, who denied that the so-called “Bukele Model” is applicable to his country.

“I had stayed out of it because I know that many of my Honduran brothers and sisters expect the new government to do something about security. But to hear the new Minister of Security defend the “human rights” of criminals is truly sad,” Bukele said.

“Thousands of Hondurans will die because of these people,” the Salvadoran president wrote on his social media.

The president referred to a 45-second video of an interview with Onán Velásquez, conducted last Thursday, February 12, on a Honduran channel. In the video, Velásquez is asked what he thinks of the Bukele model, and he responds that it is “interesting” and requires “a lot of study.”

The interviewer countered that Honduras is next to El Salvador, and Onán Velásquez responded: “We have different characteristics, territorially speaking. El Salvador fits in Olancho, they have a number of police and military personnel exceeding 60,000, and they have political control of the institutions that allows them to make reforms that even go against human rights.”

The newspaper review noted that Honduras faces a critical security situation, especially due to the high rate of homicides and extortion, particularly by the gangs that plague the country.

The new Honduran president, a descendant of Palestinians like Bukele, has the backing of Donald Trump’s US government and promised to combat insecurity.

Regarding these contradictions, Hondurans attending the concert of Colombian singer Shakira praised the safe environment in El Salvador, where they can walk the streets without fear of gangs.

Many foreigners, such as Honduran José Henríquez, agree that current conditions allow them to carry out activities that they previously considered risky.

Meanwhile, Ricardo Henríquez, also Honduran, praised the treatment he received here and said that he felt a sense of security in any place he visited, compared to the situation in his country.

“I believe this can be replicated, what I believe is lacking in my country is the will to do it, which is what this man (President Bukele) has in abundance.”

Buenos Aires, Feb 16 (Prensa Latina) The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the United Trade Union Front (FSU) are planning a national strike today when the Chamber of Deputies debates the labor reform, a session that Javier Milei’s executive branch wants to bring forward to Thursday the 19th.

The CGT leadership is meeting this Monday to define the labor action to be taken, while the FSU, made up of the Union of Metalworkers, the Association of State Workers, Oil Workers and the two Workers’ Centrals of Argentina, has already announced a strike with mobilization on the day of the session in the lower house.

These unions will insist on more demonstrations despite the brutal repression suffered by last Wednesday’s mobilization.

The Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that the ruling party changed to advance it, but a subsequent reading alerted unions that even with the changes, workers will lose many rights.

Given this scenario, there is little room left for the dialogue strategy that the CGT has been following with the Executive Branch.

Within the CGT, voices are growing calling for action after the meager changes achieved in the labor reform. This shift was hinted at by one of the leaders, Cristián Jerónimo, according to Ámbito Financiero.

“We said it very clearly, as long as our requests and demands are not met, the conflict will escalate,” the union leader was quoted as saying by that media outlet.

Despite all the behind-the-scenes contacts with the executive branch and governors willing to engage in dialogue, the CGT barely managed to secure funding for unions and social welfare programs in the Senate. Instead, they lost the primacy of national collective bargaining agreements and the right to strike, among other restrictions.

With the general strike, the CGT will try to put pressure on the deputies to, at least, achieve more changes in the labor reform that will force the law to return to the Senate.

Some are even hoping to block the legislation if its approval is delayed. Perhaps the social climate could change starting in March if the economic situation remains tight or worsens, Ámbito Financiero added.

The conflict over labor reform will not end in the Chamber of Deputies. The strategy outlined by the leadership of the CGT and other unions will be completed in the courts.

In their analysis, the law has many gray areas that could lead to legal challenges. Union leaders are hopeful – notes Ámbito Financiero – of repeating the legal challenges they faced with the limitation of the right to strike, which the executive branch attempted to implement through a decree but which was blocked in various courts, the union movement anticipates.

To calm tempers and gain support for the project in the lower house, Senator Patricia Bullrich, the main promoter of the project in Congress, said that given the widespread rejection of the article that cuts or eliminates salary during sick leave, they will modify it so that the salary is full in case of serious illness.