Gonzalez had publicly denounced international pressure and interference in Latin American political affairs.

On Thursday, Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa denounced the arrest of Luisa Gonzalez, a former presidential candidate and one of the leading figures in the Citizen Revolution movement.

RELATED: Ecuadorian Youth Call Protest Over Healthcare and Insecurity

On social media, Correa criticized Gonzalez’s arrest and expressed his disapproval of the measure, accompanying his message with slogans of support for the leader and her political organization.

Andean Parliamentarian Virgilio Hernandez joined in the denunciation, asserting that Gonzalez has been the target of political persecution and expressing concern about the lack of official information regarding her whereabouts following her arrest.

Meanwhile, Ecuadorian media cited police sources who preliminarily “confirmed” the former candidate’s arrest, although authorities had not initially provided complete details about the procedure.

🔴 Gabriela Rivadeneira denuncia el secuestro de Luisa González y exige su liberación inmediata

La presidenta del movimiento Revolución Ciudadana, Gabriela Rivadeneira, denunció que la excandidata presidencial Luisa González ha sido secuestrada y exigió su inmediata liberación,… pic.twitter.com/77XQVmE70E

— Elena Rodríguez Yánez (@ElenaDeQuito) October 22, 2026

The text reads, “Gabriela Rivadeneira, president of the Citizen Revolution, denounced the kidnapping of Luisa Gonzalez and demanded her immediate release, following her arrest in the early hours of Thursday, October 22, in the Ecuadorian province of Manabi.”

The case comes weeks after the Electoral Disputes Tribunal upheld the disqualification that prevented Gonzalez from running for Prefect of Manabi, a decision that was challenged by her supporters and political allies.

Days before her arrest, the leader had publicly denounced international pressure and interference in Latin American political affairs, and warned of what she considers a strategy of judicial persecution against progressive sectors in the region.

The leadership of the Citizen Revolution movement demanded immediate information on Gonzalez’s condition and whereabouts, while also calling for guarantees that her rights will be respected during the ongoing legal proceedings.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Ecuador: Delegations from all provinces participated in the first day of the National Convention of the Citizen Revolution Movement, which was held in Manta, Manabi province. pic.twitter.com/1bGT3DeLKo

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 21, 2026

teleSUR: JP

Source: teleSUR

He assured that an operation is already underway to locate and rescue four Salvadorans in Haiti.

On Wednesday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele issued a stern warning to Haitian gangs after the kidnapping of four Salvadoran citizens who were part of an international security mission deployed in Haiti.

RELATED: Haiti Seeks Security Guarantees Ahead of Dec. 13 Elections

The four missing men are members of the Gang Suppression Force, a United Nations-backed unit tasked with combating armed groups that control large swathes of the Caribbean country.

According to reports, the Salvadorans were ambushed last Sunday while returning to their base from a supermarket in the town of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

The armored vehicle they were traveling in was hit by explosives and caught fire during the attack. Although the soldiers managed to escape the vehicle, their whereabouts have been unknown since.

Bukele assured that an operation is already underway to locate and rescue the four Salvadorans. The president emphasized that the hostages are technicians and support staff dedicated to humanitarian work and medical evacuations.

🇸🇻🇭🇹 Bukele inicia operación militar en Haití para rescatar a cuatro connacionales

🚨 El presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, arrancó esta estrategia ante el presunto secuestro de cuatro técnicos militares retenidos por pandillas haitianas.

🗣 "Señores, los secuestrados no… pic.twitter.com/BoXNaTY9JN

— Sputnik Mundo (@SputnikMundo) October 22, 2026

The text reads, “Bukele Launches Military Operation in Haiti to Rescue Four Nationals. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, kicked off this strategy in response to the alleged kidnapping of four military technicians held by Haitian gangs.”

The president warned gang leaders that the current operation “is nothing compared to what’s coming” if the hostages are not released alive. At the same time, he offered the “possibility” of avoiding further consequences through their prompt release.

Bukele also reiterated that his government has launched an intense offensive against gangs in El Salvador and affirmed that it will act decisively to protect its citizens.

The Gang Suppression Force and special units of the Haitian National Police are maintaining operations in the area where the kidnapping occurred. During recent clashes, several members of armed groups were killed.

The incident comes amid the serious security crisis in Haiti, where thousands of people have died in recent years due to gang violence. Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime described the search for the four Salvadorans as an absolute priority for the country’s authorities.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign confirmed that the Brazilian president accepted lifting the bank and telephone secrecy of the candidates and their families before Sunday’s runoff election, a proposal aimed at his opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro.

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At a press conference, Camilo Santana, campaign coordinator for the Workers’ Party (PT), explained that the head of state seeking reelection has no problem with the conditions imposed by the other side. Santana said that regarding all the conditions Flávio has set, the president’s response is that he does not oppose anything proposed, as long as Flávio complies with and discloses everything contained in the request filed with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

The PT team specified that Thursday at 11:00 a.m. local time is the deadline for the far-right Liberal Party candidate to release his financial data and that of his circle, adding that Bolsonaro cannot wait until after the elections and that the deadline expires tomorrow.

RELATED: UN Experts Raise Concerns Over Meta’s Handling of Political Expression During Brazil Elections

The topic stems from last Sunday’s televised debate, in which Lula challenged the far-right senator to disclose the bank accounts of both candidates to show “who is honest and who is a thief.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he would submit authorization to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to lift bank secrecy protections on his accounts and those of his family members.

However, Lula said the measure depended on his presidential rival, Flavio… pic.twitter.com/c1kkaSNQuX

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 20, 2026

After the debate, the president presented a formal authorization before the electoral body on Tuesday to release his data and that of his wife and children, but Bolsonaro responded that he would only agree if the review were extended to people linked to the government’s circle.

The PT has accepted the conditions and added to the review the finances of former chief of staff Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro and of the president’s brother, José Ferreira da Silva, as well as the record of businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger’s access to the Presidential Palace.

After accepting the requests, the Workers’ Party team questioned the opposition’s delay in joining the initiative. Santana said that if Bolsonaro owes nothing, he should have accepted President Lula’s challenge last Sunday.

LULA CHALLENGES FLÁVIO BOLSONARO to open their BANK ACCOUNTS & PHONE RECORDS to prove who is ‘CORRUPT’ ahead of elections

‘I OPEN MINE, MY ENTIRE FAMILY’S — AND YOU OPEN YOURS’

‘BECAUSE I ASKED ABOUT THE HOUSE, AND YOU DIDN’T EXPLAIN’ https://t.co/ViNL9bR6Kh pic.twitter.com/c1OzNRWevE

— RT (@RT_com) October 19, 2026

Venezuela’s national government and former deputies of the 2015 National Assembly held the final plenary of the third cycle of talks in Caracas on Wednesday, centered on reviewing compliance with agreements on institutional matters and renewal of the judicial system.

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This phase covered the review of commitments from the second cycle, which concluded Sept. 25 with partial agreements on lifting restrictions on digital news portals, adding guarantees for the right to information and progress in judicial renewal.

RELATED: Venezuela Sets Youth Popular Consultation for February 2027

The agenda also included installing the Credentials Review Council for applicants to the Supreme Court of Justice as part of discussions on the judicial system.

En desarrollo la última plenaria del tercer ciclo de conversaciones. pic.twitter.com/n46lLsSMaC

— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) October 21, 2026

The government delegation was headed by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and included deputies Pedro Infante, Jorge Arreaza and América Pérez, Minister of University Education Ana María Sanjuan and Deputy Minister Génesis Garvett. The 2015 Assembly delegation included Dinorah Figuera, accompanied by Juan Miguel Matheus, Sergio Vergara, Marco Aurelio Quiñones and Ramón López.

The formal talks began Aug. 12, when both parties agreed on a working methodology and installed technical tables on care for earthquake victims, democratic strengthening and judicial system reforms.

Last March, the US justice system reopened a case regarding the alleged responsibility of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the shooting down of small planes belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.

Cuba has categorically rejected the US accusations. The Caribbean nation argues that the accusation is a distortion of the truth, given that Brothers to the Rescue is considered an organization linked to acts of terrorism and provocation against the country’s government.

According to Havana, the aircraft were conducting illegal flights over Cuban airspace. They were reportedly asked repeatedly to refrain from entering Cuban airspace, but these requests were ignored, according to the Cuban justice system. Furthermore, according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Havana asked Washington on 25 occasions to prevent these illegal flights. Subsequently, with no response from Washington or Brothers to the Rescue, Cuba proceeded to fire upon the aircraft flying over its territory.

However, the US justice system denies Cuba’s version of events and has sought a conviction for these acts. That is how, on October 19, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier succeeded in having his state issue an arrest warrant for Raúl Castro, then Cuba’s Minister of Defense.

“Raúl Castro ordered the cold-blooded murder of four Florida residents, and the state will never stop pursuing accountability for that communist conspiracy,” Uthmeier said regarding the arrest warrant.

But the Cuban government maintains that Brothers to the Rescue had a different mission than the one it claimed. Cuban Deputy Gerardo Hernández stated: “Although [Brothers to the Rescue] was founded to spot and report the location of rafters to the US Coast Guard in the 1990s, its role shifted toward provocations following the change in immigration policies agreed upon between Washington and Havana in 1995, with the intention of hindering any diplomatic rapprochement and normalization of relations between the two countries.”

For his part, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the Florida court’s decision: “The reprehensible action taken against the Army General this morning in a pathetic Miami circus, with an electoral agenda, has no legal basis whatsoever – nor will it ever have one – much less a practical one… In the face of every affront, [Raúl Castro] will always find the determination of a people to defend the Revolution.”

He added: “That maneuver, cloaked in legal pretense and orchestrated by anti-Cuban politicians against Raúl and against Cuba, deserves our firm condemnation. It is part of their aggressive agenda and a response to their failures in attempting to justify the Embargo and the collective punishment against our people.”

For its part, the Mexican government characterized the arrest warrant issued against one of the historic leaders of the 1959 Cuban Revolution as an “electoral maneuver.” This was explained by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who linked the judicial decision to the upcoming midterm elections: “The arrest warrant against Army General Raúl Castro, attributed to the Florida prosecutor’s office, seeks to win the support of segments of the US electorate.”

Russia also condemned the arrest warrant against Raúl Castro, calling it “baseless and false,” and linked it to a powerful political group in Florida: “[It is] revenge by the anti-Cuban lobby in Miami,” said the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The decision is part of a series of measures by the Trump administration against the revolutionary government in Havana, which the US president himself has said he would like to see fall and has on some occasions suggested he might launch a military attack on Cuba.

Trump has imposed economic and trade sanctions that add to the historic economic and trade embargo the United States has imposed on the island for more than 60 years – an embargo that has caused losses amounting to tens of billions of dollars for a country with a population of just 10 million.

Added to this is the recent oil embargo imposed by the United States on the Caribbean island. As a result, throughout 2026, only one oil tanker entered Cuba, which has brought much of the country’s production, transportation, and electricity generation to a standstill. This has led to an increase in mortality rates and reduced access to basic services for the civilian population.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced Wednesday that Venezuela will hold its Youth Popular Consultation in February 2027, a vote she framed as a platform for young people to convert their talent, creativity and ingenuity into a driving force for national development.

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Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez delivered the announcement during a visit to the Nueve Raíces de Simón communal circuit, where she urged the country’s youth to prepare actively for what she described as a democratic appointment that will mark the direction of the coming year.

Rodríguez said the process aims to vindicate the talent, creativity and ingenuity of the new generations and to propel Venezuela toward fresh development opportunities. The call places younger Venezuelans at the center of a participatory model that has gathered strength since 2024.

RELATED: Venezuela to Begin Funding Projects Selected in Popular Consultation Next Week

The announcement lands days after the Second National Popular Consultation of 2026, held on October 18. It was the eighth nationwide vote of its kind since 2024, and officials described the turnout as massive and successful. That result has now been translated into a fresh appeal aimed specifically at young people, signaling the government’s intention to widen the base of participants in community decision-making.

🗳️🔥 ¡LA JUVENTUD SE PREPARA: NUEVA CONSULTA EN FEBRERO 2027!🇻🇪✨

Tras una participación histórica en la pasada Consulta Nacional Popular, la ruta continúa: ¡Jóvenes de toda Venezuela a prepararse desde ya! 💪🌱

El compromiso no se detiene: es momento de seguir adelante,… pic.twitter.com/YyOteBQqLT

— Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Juventud (@Minjuventud__ve) October 21, 2026

Text reads: “Youth is preparing: new consultation in February 2027! After a historic participation in the last National Popular Consultation, the route continues: Young people from all over Venezuela to prepare now! The commitment does not stop: it’s time to move forward, organize and execute projects that will transform our territories.”

A Record October Turnout

Millions of residents from communities across the country turned out on October 18, prompting the National Electoral Council (CNE) to extend voting by one hour.

The scale of the exercise was measured in large numbers. More than 5,418 communes and communal circuits coordinated the work of over 48,000 communal councils, and voters selected among 37,205 priority community projects eligible for public financing.

Rodríguez has championed the consultation model as a vehicle for what officials call popular power. In separate remarks, she described participation in the October exercise as extraordinary, linking the strong turnout to a broader effort to place public decision-making directly in the hands of organized communities rather than distant institutions.

A Broader Community Voice

One of the most notable features of the October consultation was the first-time inclusion of condominium boards, which put forward 428 projects. Acting President Rodríguez celebrated that milestone on social media, underscoring the importance of keeping decisions about everyday matters firmly in the hands of communities themselves.

The proposals reflected local priorities. Acting President Rodríguez had previously detailed that 14% of the projects corresponded to the water sector, followed by initiatives in road infrastructure, lighting, electricity, public services and productive activities, showing residents directing public resources toward their most pressing daily needs.

With the youth consultation now scheduled for February 2027, the Acting President called young Venezuelans to assume what she called absolute protagonism in the process. Organizers expect the new consultation to build on the machinery tested in October and to channel the energy of younger generations into decisions that will shape the country’s near-term path.