Financial strangulation, as he put it, is the latest weapon in the government's escalating effort to clear the way for expanded mining and oil development in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. Months earlier, officials had temporarily frozen the accounts of several of Ecuador's most prominent environmental defenders, including Tapia, citing investigations into unjust private enrichment and financing terrorism.
In his opening address of the parliamentary year, while insulting and mocking opposition legislators, Milei alluded to an alleged conspiracy involving members of his government to try to overthrow him and with a rather unsubtle gesture, he seemed to point to Villarruel, seated behind him.
The Siekopai Nation, which has historically occupied territories along the northern border between Ecuador and Peru, was separated and displaced during the 1941 border war between the two countries, a conflict with consequences that extended into the 1990s. According to Justino Piaguaje, leader of the Siekopai in Ecuador, the nation's original population was close to 20,000 but diseases brought by colonisers, Jesuit missions, conditions of slavery during the rubber boom, and the impacts of the oil industry led to a drastic decline.
According to the annual ranking by the Mexican organization Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, which compiles a list of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, six Ecuadorian cities will appear among the top 10 in 2025. Babahoyo appears on the list for the first time as the second most violent, with 166 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Andes Cordillera is full of incredible sights, unique ecosystems, and unforgettable experiences. I believe there's something here for everyone, from vibrant cities to towering volcanic peaks.
I believe that if Maduro has to be trialled, he has to be trialled in his country, not trialled abroad, Lula said in an interview, emphasising that what matters now is to re-establish democracy in Venezuela. It has to be solved by the people of Venezuela, and not by foreign interference, said Lula, citing a history of US-backed dictatorships in Latin America, including Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
Under international treaties, law enforcement officers of host nations are barred from entering foreign embassies and consulates without permission. One eyewitness to the incident in Minneapolis, a flashpoint in the Trump administration's violent mass deportation efforts, told Reuters that they saw ICE agents "going after two people in the street, and then those people went into the consulate and the officers tried to go in after them."