Trump said the operation was conducted by the US Southern Command and coordinated with Venezuelan authorities. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the strike took place earlier in the week and confirmed Guerrero was killed.

Venezuela’s information ministry said the operation involved clashes with criminal groups and that Guerrero was neutralized, adding that the action involved intelligence-sharing and specialized technological support.

The Trump administration has previously sanctioned Guerrero and other Tren de Aragua leaders over alleged involvement in drug trafficking, human smuggling and money laundering. Washington has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.

Trump has accused the group of coordinating activities in the United States with Venezuela’s government, a claim his administration has cited in support of deportation measures targeting some migrants.

Tren de Aragua emerged from Venezuela’s Tocorón prison and expanded across parts of Latin America. Authorities have linked the group to crimes including extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, money laundering and organized criminal activity.

Guerrero escaped from Tocorón prison in 2023 shortly before a police operation against the facility, according to authorities.

Official election results showed Fujimori securing 50.48% of the vote, while left-wing congressman Roberto Sanchez trailed with 49.52%, leaving a margin of fewer than 200,000 votes between the two candidates.

The tight contest mirrors Peru’s deeply polarized political landscape and recalls the razor-thin 2021 presidential election, when Fujimori narrowly lost to former president Pedro Castillo after weeks of disputes over vote counts and legal challenges.

Early exit polling released by polling firm Ipsos on Sunday had placed Sanchez ahead with 50.3% support compared with Fujimori’s 49.7%, a difference the pollster described as statistically insignificant.

Analysts noted that vote counting patterns could still influence the final outcome. Ballots from the capital, Lima, where Fujimori enjoys stronger support, are generally processed earlier, while Sanchez is expected to gain votes from rural regions whose results typically arrive later.

Fujimori, daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, is seeking the presidency after several unsuccessful bids. Sanchez has built his campaign on support from rural and lower-income voters, positioning himself as an alternative to Peru’s traditional political establishment.

Election authorities continued tallying the remaining ballots on Monday, with the final result expected to depend on late-counted votes from remote parts of the country.

State television footage broadcast on Saturday showed Castro, dressed in his trademark olive-green military uniform, receiving a standing ovation as he entered a packed auditorium at Cuba’s Ministry of Interior alongside his grandson and bodyguard, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez, and President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

The appearance comes weeks after the U.S. Justice Department accused Castro of involvement in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exile groups, allegations that Havana has rejected as part of a broader campaign of political pressure against the island’s socialist government.

Addressing the gathering, Díaz-Canel praised Castro’s decades-long role in Cuba’s revolutionary leadership and portrayed him as a symbol of national resilience. The Cuban president said Castro’s political career and military service had made him a target of hostile foreign intelligence services and external pressure.

In remarks that appeared directed at Washington, Díaz-Canel warned that Cuba would respond firmly to any threat against its sovereignty. He repeated the slogan “Raúl is Raúl,” a phrase that has appeared prominently on billboards and social media campaigns across the country since the indictment was announced.

The birthday event served as a rare public appearance for Castro, who has largely withdrawn from public life since formally stepping down from the leadership of the Communist Party in 2021. Although retired from official politics, he is widely regarded as retaining significant influence within Cuba’s ruling establishment and armed forces.

The indictment marked a major escalation in already strained relations between Havana and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington has increased economic and diplomatic pressure on Cuba in recent months, including measures that have sharply reduced fuel supplies reaching the island.

The tightening of sanctions has compounded Cuba’s long-running economic difficulties, including persistent electricity shortages, fuel scarcity and pressures on public services. Cuban officials have blamed the country’s economic challenges largely on U.S. restrictions, while Washington argues that structural reforms and political changes are necessary to address the crisis.

The Trump administration has called on Cuba to release political prisoners, undertake significant economic reforms and alter governance practices, arguing that the current system poses broader security concerns. Cuban authorities reject those assertions and maintain that the country does not threaten U.S. interests.

Friday’s celebration highlighted the continued prominence of revolutionary-era leaders in Cuba’s political narrative as the government seeks to reinforce domestic unity while confronting mounting economic strains and renewed pressure from the United States.

In a five-page letter posted on X, López Obrador, who left office in 2024 but remains one of Mexico’s most influential political figures, said relations with Washington had deteriorated under Trump’s current administration and argued that the U.S. president had changed significantly since their earlier interactions.

“Speaking from what I personally experienced and can prove, the Trump of today is different from the one I dealt with,” López Obrador wrote, describing Trump during his first term as cooperative, pragmatic and open to dialogue.

He attributed what he called Trump’s transformation to “false friends and advisers, both internal and external,” whom he accused of leading the U.S. leader into policies detrimental to bilateral relations.

The comments represent one of López Obrador’s most direct interventions in public affairs since leaving office and amount to a strong endorsement of President Claudia Sheinbaum, his longtime political ally and successor. In the letter, he praised Sheinbaum as the “best president Mexico has had in our time.”

The remarks come amid growing strains between Mexico City and Washington after more than a year of often difficult but largely cooperative engagement. Sheinbaum has recently adopted a firmer tone toward the United States, emphasizing the need to defend Mexican sovereignty.

A major source of friction has been the U.S. Justice Department’s April indictment of 10 Mexican officials over alleged links to drug trafficking organizations. Mexican authorities have viewed the move as a sensitive issue in bilateral relations.

López Obrador accused U.S. officials of attempting to weaken Morena, the governing party he founded, under the banner of combating migration and narcotics-related crime.

Neither U.S. nor Mexican government officials immediately responded to requests for comment regarding López Obrador’s statements.

Mexico and the United States maintain one of the world’s largest economic relationships, with close cooperation on trade, migration and security issues, although political disputes have periodically strained ties between the two countries.

López Obrador ended his message with an appeal for improved relations, writing: “For the good of all, may the other Trump return.”

De la Espriella, who has pledged a hard-line crackdown on criminal groups and has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump, fell short of the 50% needed for an outright victory. Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, campaigned on continuing efforts to negotiate peace agreements with armed groups.

The runoff is expected to become a referendum on Colombia’s security strategy, with voters choosing between tougher enforcement measures and the continuation of peace-focused policies amid rising violence and growing influence of criminal organizations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla during talks in New York that Beijing would support Cuba’s sovereignty and economic development, according to Chinese state media. Wang said China opposed “all forms of power politics and bullying,” in remarks widely seen as directed at Washington.

The comments come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba through sanctions, legal action and restrictions on Venezuelan oil shipments to the island. Washington last week indicted former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian U.S. aircraft, a move condemned by Beijing.

China has expanded economic support for Cuba in recent months, including rice shipments and agricultural cooperation agreements, as Havana struggles with fuel shortages and economic strain linked to U.S. sanctions.

Venezuelan photographer Silvana Trevale has released a photography book focused on the lives and identities of young people in Venezuela, presenting an alternative visual narrative to the country’s prolonged political and economic crisis.

The book, titled Venezuelan Youth, compiles photographs produced between 2016 and 2025 and has been published by guesteditions. The project documents children and adolescents across Venezuela through portraits, street photography and collaborative visual work intended to reflect social resilience, cultural continuity and everyday life.

Trevale said the project emerged from a personal effort to reconnect with her country after leaving Venezuela during a period of deepening instability. According to the photographer, repeated visits back to Venezuela over several years shaped both the emotional and artistic direction of the work.

The photographer said she wanted to move beyond images that focus exclusively on violence, economic hardship or institutional collapse, while still acknowledging the realities affecting Venezuelan society. “Photojournalism is important but I also wanted to break away from any harsh kind of imagery, without dismissing the problems,” Trevale said.

The GuardianHer comments reflect broader debates within documentary photography over the representation of countries facing prolonged crises. Venezuela has experienced years of economic contraction, shortages of food and medicine, mass migration and political instability. International coverage has often centered on humanitarian conditions and political conflict.

Trevale said her project aimed to document experiences that exist alongside those conditions, particularly among younger Venezuelans. She said the work focused on personal interactions and everyday encounters with children and adolescents, as well as visual expressions of local traditions and community life.“Our identity isn’t only defined by the crisis,” Trevale said. “All of us, whether we stayed or left, are marked by the crisis. It’s part of who we are, especially for my generation, who grew up with it.”

The GuardianAccording to publication materials released by Guest Editions, the book was conceived as a response to portrayals of Venezuela that emphasize collapse while overlooking the persistence of social and cultural life. The publisher described the work as an attempt to document “the complexities of Venezuelan identity as seen through the eyes of its youth.”

The volume contains 176 pages, including 93 colour plates, and was designed by Ricardo Báez. It was published in hardcover format in May 2026. Guest Editions +2Trevale said the project evolved gradually over nearly a decade. In its early stages, she said she did not actively pursue specific images, instead allowing encounters and situations to develop organically during her visits to coastal areas and urban neighbourhoods.

One image that became central to the project depicts two boys walking through a forest populated by vultures near Playa Medina in Venezuela. Trevale described the photograph as an attempt to capture “something between this harsh reality and a feeling of innocence”. She said the image helped shape the broader direction of the project over the following years.

As the project expanded, Trevale said she began collaborating with Venezuelan creative professionals interested in preserving aspects of national identity through visual culture. Fashion, music and traditional dance became recurring elements in the work.Among the traditions documented in the book is the Joropo, a musical and dance form widely associated with Venezuelan cultural heritage.

Trevale said she viewed the inclusion of such material as part of a wider effort to record traditions she believes risk being overlooked or diminished amid the country’s continuing upheaval. The project also includes portraits linked to Venezuela’s youth music programmes. Trevale recounted photographing a young trumpet player named Roberta during a Vogue Latin America assignment in Caracas.

According to Trevale, the girl participated in “El Sistema”, Venezuela’s internationally known youth orchestra initiative. Founded in 1975, El Sistema developed into one of Venezuela’s most prominent cultural institutions, using music education and orchestral training as a social development programme for children and adolescents.

The initiative later gained international recognition through conductors and musicians including Gustavo Dudamel. BooksTrevale said her work sought to balance documentation of hardship with depictions of dignity, connection and continuity. She described the project as shaped by both personal loss and long-term attachment to Venezuela.“I am hoping the book brings that back to young people, to remind them that we’re strong and resilient, and to celebrate our traditions and our people,” she said.

“I never want to forget where I come from — and this book is my love letter to Venezuela.” The release of Venezuelan Youth comes amid continuing international attention on Venezuela’s political and economic trajectory, as well as ongoing migration from the country.

Cultural producers and publishers inside and outside Venezuela have increasingly used books, exhibitions and digital media projects to document social experiences beyond conventional political reporting.The book is currently being distributed internationally through Guest Editions and other booksellers.

Speaking in Panama City alongside fellow Venezuelan opposition figures, Machado said the opposition remained focused on securing free and fair elections in which Venezuelans both inside and outside the country could participate.

Her comments come more than four months after a major shift in United States policy toward Venezuela, when the administration of Donald Trump moved away from supporting Machado and instead engaged with figures linked to Venezuela’s ruling establishment following the capture of then-president Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, according to the source material.

Machado has lived in exile since December after emerging from nearly a year in hiding inside Venezuela and traveling to Norway, where she received the Nobel Peace Prize. She said she hopes to return to her country before the end of next year.

The opposition leader stressed that any credible presidential election would require significant institutional reforms, including the appointment of politically neutral electoral authorities, updated voter registration systems and guarantees allowing opposition candidates to compete without state interference.

According to Machado, organizing a democratic presidential election under such conditions would require between seven and nine months of preparation.

The political timetable remains unclear. Venezuela’s constitution requires a presidential election within 30 days if a president becomes permanently unable to serve, but U.S. officials have recently downplayed expectations for an imminent vote while expressing support for acting president Delcy Rodríguez, whose government has expanded access for American investment in Venezuela’s oil sector amid elevated global energy prices.

Machado emerged as Maduro’s most prominent challenger in recent years but was barred by authorities from contesting the 2024 presidential election. In response, she endorsed former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as the opposition’s candidate.

Following that election, authorities aligned with the ruling party declared Maduro the winner shortly after polls closed. However, Machado’s campaign maintained that collected voting records showed González had won by a margin exceeding two-to-one.

Asked about a future presidential contest, Machado said she welcomed competition within the opposition and would be prepared to face any rival in what she described as a transparent and legitimate election.

“I will be a candidate, but there may be others, of course,” Machado told reporters. “I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate.”

The charges announced by U.S. authorities on Wednesday intensified tensions between Washington and Havana and prompted criticism from Beijing, which reaffirmed support for Cuba’s sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference.

“The U.S. side should stop brandishing the sanctions stick and the judicial stick against Cuba and stop threatening force at every turn,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo said.

The indictment against Castro, 94, includes charges of conspiracy to kill Americans and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by anti-Castro activists, an incident that killed four people.

Castro, the younger brother of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, led Cuba from 2008 until 2018 after decades as one of the country’s most powerful political figures.

U.S. President Donald Trump described the indictment as a “very big moment” on Wednesday but downplayed suggestions of immediate action against the Cuban government.

The development comes as Cuba faces a prolonged economic crisis marked by fuel shortages, inflation and declining foreign currency reserves, conditions Havana has blamed in part on longstanding U.S. sanctions and restrictions.

China has maintained close political and economic ties with Cuba and has consistently criticized Washington’s sanctions policy toward the island nation.

National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez said on Tuesday that approximately 300 prisoners would be freed between Monday and Friday, including minors, elderly detainees and individuals suffering from medical conditions.

“Between yesterday and this Friday, 300 people will be released,” Rodriguez said, adding that some detainees had been convicted of criminal offenses while others qualified for humanitarian relief measures.
The releases form part of a broader amnesty law adopted in February, one of the most significant political reforms enacted since Rodriguez assumed interim leadership under mounting international and domestic pressure.

Venezuela has already released hundreds of detainees since US forces captured Maduro during a raid in Caracas on Jan. 3, an operation that dramatically altered the country’s political landscape.
Among those freed this week were three former police officers imprisoned since 2003 for their alleged involvement in the brief 2002 overthrow attempt against former president Hugo Chavez.

Rights organization Foro Penal said the officers “never should have been behind bars,” while also reporting that nearly 800 detainees had been released since January, including 186 under the formal amnesty framework.

The interior ministry has presented higher figures, stating that more than 8,000 individuals have benefited from the initiative through prison releases, parole measures and other legal mechanisms.
Rodriguez said authorities were extending relief measures beyond the requirements of the amnesty legislation.

“We are going beyond the amnesty law by carrying out a process of granting benefits to these people,” he said.

Human rights groups continue to raise concerns about detention conditions and political repression in Venezuela. Foro Penal says more than 400 political prisoners remain incarcerated.

The latest releases came days after interim authorities ordered an investigation into the death in custody of political detainee Victor Hugo Quero Navas, whose case renewed scrutiny of Venezuela’s prison system.
According to Foro Penal, around 20 political prisoners have died in Venezuelan custody since 2014.

Former detainee Erasmo Bolivar, one of the released police officers, urged families of prisoners still in detention to remain hopeful.

“Stay strong, it is possible,” he said in a video released after leaving prison following more than two decades in custody.