Interamerican Watch Newsletter - Issue 457
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Inter-American Watch
Tuesday 1/13/2026Analysis
The US nighttime operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last week will be studied for years as a case of overwhelming technological and operational superiority that defeated a heavily armed but fragile defense system. ...Read more >>Source: jpost.com
Venezuela faces an oil future under the strict tutelage of US President Donald Trump, who agreed with some twenty international companies to establish a kind of energy protectorate, excluding China, Russia, and Iran. ...Read more >>
Source: perfil.com
Bolivia
One of President Rodrigo Paz's trusted advisors was assassinated Thursday night in the city of Tarija (southern Bolivia). Mauricio Aramayo was intercepted at 9:00 p.m. Thursday by two hooded men on a motorcycle and shot to death inside his vehicle. ...Read more >>Source: infobae.com
Cuba
President Donald Trump stated this Thursday that the Cuban regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel "is hanging by a thread" and "is in serious trouble," after launching an attack last week against Venezuela—a close ally of Cuba—that resulted in over a hundred deaths and the capture of deposed leader Nicolás Maduro. ...Read more >>Source: diariolasamericas.com
In 2025, at least 3,179 repressive actions against the civilian population occurred in Cuba, and more than 800 political prisoners remained in jail, according to the report by the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) published this Tuesday. ...Read more >>
Source: adncuba.com
Amid a years-long economic and social crisis in Cuba, and following the capture in Venezuela of Nicolás Maduro (one of the main pillars of the Havana dictatorship), General Rafael del Pino, representing the Cuban Movement of Military Conscientious Objectors (MOC), issued a statement addressed to the Cuban Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior. In it, he rejected the usurpation of national sovereignty by GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., the business conglomerate controlled by the dictatorship through the Armed Forces that manages key sectors of the economy) and called on the military not to repress citizens protesting the humanitarian crisis the country is experiencing. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Venezuela will not send any more oil or money to Cuba following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro, warning the Havana regime to negotiate “before it's too late,” amid growing pressure on the island. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
Honduras
The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Honduras affirmed this Monday that the recount ordered by the outgoing government of Xiomara Castro has no legal validity and violates the constitutional framework, while ratifying the results of the November 30 presidential elections that declared Nasry "Tito" Asfura the winner. ...Read more >>Source: infobae.com
Mexico
Adriana Marín, Communications Officer for the Morena Parliamentary Group in the Mexico City Congress, sparked intense debate on digital platforms by stating that the State's fight against organized crime is complex due to the "job creation" generated by cartels in various parts of the country. ...Read more >>Source: infobae.com
An oil tanker arrived in Havana this Friday carrying 85,000 barrels of crude oil from Mexico, a country that supplies hydrocarbons to Cuba, amidst the crisis in Venezuela. ...Read more >>
Source: diariolasamericas.com
US President Donald Trump stated that his government is preparing to launch ground attacks against drug cartels following maritime operations in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea, and indicated that these criminal organizations “are controlling Mexico.” ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
Nicaragua
The Nicaraguan government, co-presided by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, announced this Saturday the release of "dozens of people" who had been detained, including, as confirmed by EFE and several local media outlets, several political prisoners. This release coincides with the 19th anniversary of the administration's rule and comes amid pressure from the United States. ...Read more >>Source: rtve.es
Spain
Hugo "El Pollo" Carvajal was the head of Hugo Chávez's intelligence services in Venezuela. He has been through both the Spanish justice system – which ultimately led to his extradition to the US – and the American system. In both, he has provided information about Spanish political figures such as Rodríguez Zapatero and Podemos. Regarding the latter party, he wanted to document an entire ruling against the organization founded by Pablo Iglesias, Juan Carlos Monedero, and Íñigo Errejón, and which continues to have a strong presence of Iglesias's wife, Irene Montero: "Podemos did a lot of damage to Venezuela, and I had a responsibility to say so."...Read more >>Source: libertaddigital.com
United States
US President Donald Trump has urged Cuba to "reach a deal" or face the consequences, warning that the flow of Venezuelan oil and money will stop. Trump has now turned his attention to Cuba after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during an unprecedented raid on military and government installations in Caracas and three other states on January 3. ...Read more >>Source: bbc.com
The United States seized the oil tanker Olina in international waters of the Caribbean Sea in the early hours of Friday, marking the third tanker seized this week for its alleged connection to sanctioned oil operations related to the Chavista regime, US authorities reported. ...Read more >>
Source: diariolasamericas.com
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized SpaceX on January 9, 2026, to deploy up to 15,000 second-generation satellites for the Starlink network, which will expand connectivity and improve satellite internet speeds in the United States and other countries. This decision affects users, businesses, and governments that rely on broadband services in areas without access to terrestrial infrastructure, and represents a milestone in the global expansion of connectivity, according to Reuters and the official FCC statement. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
Venezuela
Relatives of political prisoners held vigils outside various detention centers in Venezuela early Saturday morning. This was the second day of vigils following the official announcement of the release of a “significant number” of detainees, although so far only the release of nine people has been confirmed. ...Read more >>Source: infobae.com
The human rights organization Foro Penal confirmed early Monday morning the release of 24 political prisoners in Venezuela, according to a statement released through its account on the social network X. Among those released are both Venezuelan citizens and foreigners, who were being held in the La Crisálida and El Rodeo 1 prisons. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
Groups of relatives of political prisoners set up a camp Monday night outside the El Rodeo I prison, near Caracas, to demand the release of detainees announced by the Chavista regime. by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, amid complaints about the slowness of the process and the lack of official information. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
In January 2019, dictator Nicolás Maduro was experiencing one of the most fragile political moments since coming to power. Within Venezuela, the economic and social crisis was deepening discontent, while internationally, diplomatic pressure against his regime was growing....Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
World
Despite international pressure and a strong warning from the United States, the Iranian regime resorted—once again—to a brutal massacre to contain the massive demonstrations that have been taking place across the country for the past 15 days. According to data from the US-based NGO Human Rights Activists News Agency, 538 people have been killed and more than 10,600 arrested so far. ...Read more >>Source: infobae.com
The massive protests against the Iranian regime have been met with brutal repression that has left a devastating toll across the country. Testimonies gathered by the BBC describe summary executions, point-blank shootings of unarmed crowds, and morgues overflowing with bodies, amid information restrictions that hinder independent fact-checking. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com
The scale of the unrest currently gripping Iran is the largest since the 2009 demonstrations; some veteran Iran observers consider the protests the most significant since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979. What began as scattered demonstrations on December 28th grew into massive crowds of many thousands of people on January 9th, lasting 12 days. The protests, which first erupted in provincial towns and cities, spread to Iran's largest cities. All 31 provinces have been affected. Women, middle-aged people, and the middle class, who had previously remained on the sidelines, joined young people and unemployed men. ...Read more >>
Source: infobae.com