Category: News
Evanston/Skokie D65 mulls pursuing funds from indicted ex-superintendent Devon Horton
In the latest episode of the saga around former Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton, members of the D65 Board of Education indicated at a Dec. 8 meeting that they might pursue using a collections firm to recoup unpaid parts of a payment agreement.
That agreement originated in July 2023, soon after Horton left District 65 to take the helm of a school district in Georgia. Since his departure meant he terminated his contract early, the terms of the agreement required that Horton fork over $25,000 to the district.
Horton agreed to make monthly payments. More than two years later, though, Horton still owes the district more than $7,500 plus penalties, Board President Patricia Anderson said.
Yet Horton’s default on the payments ranks as only one of his many legal troubles. A sweeping, 17-count federal indictment in October accused him of running a wide-ranging kickback scheme and defrauding the district.
The indictment alleged that Horton and three associates entered into contracts with the district while concealing the superintendent’s financial involvement and performing little to no work. It accused Horton of pocketing kickbacks from the contracts — as much as $81,000, in addition to other money.
Horton and the associates have pleaded not guilty.
District 65’s early termination agreement has no relation to the federal charges of wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion.
“The board is relying on federal government to pursue those amounts on behalf of the district,” Anderson said. “The board may separately consider civil claims it has against Dr. Horton.”
Under the plan laid out by Anderson, the district would hire Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, a firm providing collections services to governments, to prompt Horton to cough up his unpaid balance to the school district. The firm would not charge hourly and only receive compensation if it successfully collects, Anderson said.
The board discussed the plan at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, but did not come to a decision.
“I personally am conflicted about spending our energy and money chasing Dr. Horton, only because I think there’s very low likelihood that we will actually collect anything,” board member Maria Opdycke said. “And I want us to be focusing on forward movement and progress in our district.”
Still, Opdycke said she liked the idea of making sure Horton’s “phone is ringing multiple times a day, reminding him about us.”
Board member Mya Wilkins followed up by commending how the firm wouldn’t charge unless it collected. The plan “makes sense,” she said.
“I think our approach has always been ‘let’s do what we can’ to get compensated, keeping that in mind, Maria, how much do we have to spend in particular, in order to try to get something where there’s no guarantee that we will,” Wilkins said.
Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer Tamara Mitchell said the district planned to open bidding Thursday to find a firm to conduct a forensic audit of the district’s finances during Horton’s tenure. Organizations typically arrange for forensic audits in order to gather information about how and when money was spent. Such information can be used as evidence in legal proceedings.
The review of contracts and financial practices would span fiscal years 2021 through 2024. Horton served as superintendent from 2020 to 2023.
The district’s latest moves to assess Horton’s tenure arrive amid a broader fiscal turmoil that escalated around the time of his departure. Over the past months, the Board has considered plans to close various schools to save money, but when votes were taken on those various scenarios, Board members deadlocked 3-3 each time.
The impasse stems in part from a vacancy on the District 65 Board after one member, Omar Salem, resigned in early November. The Board has since met behind closed doors to discuss his replacement.
Hannah Dillow, D65’s communications manager, said Wednesday the Board is working though the process of interviewing candidates for its seventh member. Once they select a candidate, the entire Board would need to vote to approve the individual.
On a letter to the community that Anderson and Nichole Pinkard, the Board vice president, posted on D65’s website, they noted state law requires the Board to appoint a replacement member within 60 days of Salem’s Nov. 4 departure.
“If the board cannot reach consensus regarding an appointment within the 60-day period (by early January), the Executive Director of the North Cook Intermediate Service Center has the authority to fill the vacancy within 30 days (between early January and early February),” they wrote.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/evanston-d65-pursuing-funds-indicted-ex-superintendent/
Around the Southland: Home for the Holidays set in Frankfort, Magic Masters to perform, more
Frankfort’s Home for the Holidays set this weekend
Home for the Holidays takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14 in downtown Frankfort.
The free weekend, designed for families, features boutiques, beautiful holiday decorations and seasonal bites and beverages at restaurants.
Activities on Saturday include visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, real reindeer, a trackless train, horse-drawn carriage rides, lantern parade and hot cocoa and cookies. Live holiday performances on the Breidert Green stage and strolling characters will be available on Sunday.
The Cookie Crawl sponsored by the Downtown Frankfort Business Alliance and the Village of Frankfort takes place 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Information is at www.frankfortil.org.
Magic Masters show benefits Trinity Services
The Magic Masters of Chicago and Roxy Lockport Theatre will host Magic of the Holidays! Dec. 27 at the historic theater, 1017 S. State St. in Lockport.
Two shows are planned that day, and strolling magic will be performed one hour before the shows start. A matinee geared toward children is set for 3 p.m., with doors opening at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $17.50 per person. An evening show is at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person. All prices include fees.
A portion of proceeds will go to Trinity Services Inc., which provides services for people with developmental and mental disabilities.
Snacks and a cash bar will be available. Tickets may be bought online at magicmasters.ticketspice.com/magic-of-the-holidays-2025.
Magic Masters, which began in 1944, is Chicago’s “longest-running magic club dedicated to the advancement of the art of magic as an entertainment art form,” according to its website.
Lockport preserve staff earns kudos from alliance
Forest Preserve District of Will County Deputy Director Adam Oestmann, from left, Forest Preserve restoration ecologist Barbara Sherwood, Army Corps of Engineers Chicago District ecologist Jason Zylka and Laurie Ryan, co-chairman of the Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program and plant ecologist for McHenry County Conservation District gathered recently as work on restoration project at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve was lauded. (Chicago Wilderness Alliance)
The Chicago Wilderness Alliance recognized two Forest Preserve District of Will County projects – its Be a Trailblazer campaign and a major restoration project at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve on Broadway Street in Lockport.
The alliance presented the awards recently during the Celebration of Conservation at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago.
The trailblazer campaign, which earned the George B. Rabb Force of Nature Award, is a public engagement program that encourages people of all abilities and ages to explore nature via self-guided challenges. This year, more than 2,000 people have done just that, with more than $10,000 in prizes awarded through help from the Nature Foundation of Will County and local sponsors.
A platinum-tier Excellence in Ecological Restoration Program Award went to the Lockport Prairie project, which recognized staff and their work in the 320-acre prairie as well as volunteers and the organization required to restore natural areas such as wetlands and rare dolomite prairie that support endangered species and 11 state-listed plant species and Illinois’ largest spotted turtle population, according to a news release.
Pierogi pop-up planned at Oak Forest church
Homemade pierogi for Christmas will be sold 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 13 at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 15050 Central Ave. in Oak Forest.
Both savory and sweet pierogi will be available, such as potato, kraut, sweet cheese, blueberry and others. Packages of six periogi cost $8. Cash, check and Zelle will be accepted for payment. Information is at 708-687-2170.
Southwest Symphony Orchestra performances set
The Southwest Symphony Orchestra joins the St. Stephen and St. Damian music ministries to present a holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at St. Damian Catholic Church, 5250 155th St. in Oak Forest, and at 4 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Stephen Church, 17500 84th Ave. in Tinley Park.
Holiday favorites will be performed, as well as a new piece titled “Another Wonderful Christmas” by concert band music composer Robert Sheldon, as well as Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” which audience members are invited to join.
Tickets cost $23 for adults and seniors and free for full-time students and children. Visit southwestsymphony.com or call 708-802-0686.
Caregivers of dementia patients gain support
Attendees of the next Smith Village Caregiver Support Group meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at 2320 W. 113th Place in Chicago, can hear a talk about “Defining reality.”
Smith Village life enrichment director Bridget Murphy and resident Alice Keane, who co-lead the group, will talk about how people with dementia can experience an unusual world view and face challenges as a result. How caregivers respond makes a big difference.
For instance, a holiday celebration with cocktails may be problematic for people who don’t remember how many drinks they’ve already had.
All caregivers are welcome. To RSVP for the meeting, call 773-474-7302.
Santa stops by sports card show in Orland Park
Sports cards and Christmas shopping show takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14570 S. Ravinia Ave. in Orland Park.
Admission is $1, although children 12 and younger will be admitted free with a parent or guardian. Children 17 and younger must be supervised by a parent or guardian. Door prizes will be given away, although winners must be present.
Santa visits and selfies with Santa are available 10 to 11 a.m., and new, unwrapped toys, coloring books and story books will be collected for children served by the Silver Cross emergency room and hospital in Homer Glen/New Lenox. Details are at www.SportsCardsandMoreShow.com or 708-334-4237.
Send news to communitynews@southtownstar.com.
Left-Wing Judge Orders “Maryland Father” Migrant Released From ICE Custody
Left-Wing Judge Orders “Maryland Father” Migrant Released From ICE Custody
A left-wing federal judge in Maryland has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant, directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to free him by 5 p.m. EST today.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that the federal government lacked lawful authority to continue detaining Garcia, accused of smuggling migrants within the U.S.
He has also been accused of being a member of the foreign terrorist organization MS-13.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not a “Maryland Man”—he is an MS-13 gang member involved in human trafficking who entered the United States illegally. His deportation to El Salvador was always going to be the end result.@TriciaOhio pic.twitter.com/bd3s8wHM2T
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 15, 2025
Xinis noted that his confinement appeared “constitutionally infirm” because there was no final deportation order on record and officials had failed to take reasonable steps to secure a lawful destination for removal.
The Trump administration previously admitted it mistakenly deported Garcia to El Salvador earlier this year, where he was jailed in the CECOT maximum-security prison before being flown back to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee.
Left-wing corporate media and Democrats routinely identified the accused migrant smuggler as a “Maryland Father” …
Notice how the “Maryland Father” corporate media stories suddenly erupted earlier this year – there is an information war underway by the Democratic Party and their MSM cheerleaders. Time for this term to surge once again…
The Justice Department could still appeal the ruling, and Trump officials may attempt to initiate new immigration proceedings against the migrant. Separately, Garcia still faces federal smuggling charges in Nashville.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 12:10
US ‘Answers’ China By Sending Pair Of Nuclear-Capable Bombers Over Sea Of Japan
US ‘Answers’ China By Sending Pair Of Nuclear-Capable Bombers Over Sea Of Japan
On Wednesday we detailed that Japanese and South Korean fighter jets quickly answered a joint Russian-Chinese long-range bomber flight over the Western Pacific. Chinese J-16 fighter jets, two Russian Su-30 fighters and an A-50 early-warning aircraft were part of the provocative flight, which also passed close to South Korea. Russia’s Defense Ministry (MoD) had confirmed its Tu-95MS strategic bombers and China’s H-9 strategic bombers conducted the eight hour flight over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Western Pacific – but that at no time was any country’s airspace violated.
Washington has quickly injected itself into the ratcheting situation, coming amid a diplomatic and economic standoff between Japan and China, by sending US nuclear capable bombers on patrol over the Sea of Japan.
Handout photo from Japan’s Ministry of Defense
Japan’s government confirmed its fighter planes joined the US bomber patrol, which was clearly a show of force signaling China and Russia.
“We confirmed the strong resolve of Japan and the United States not to allow any unilateral change of the status quo by force, as well as the readiness of the Self-Defense Forces and the US military,” Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The fresh exercise with the US Air Force was conducted in “an increasingly severe security environment surrounding our country” – it said.
The flight included a pair of US B-52 bombers, escorted by Japanese F-35 stealth fighters and three F-15 jets. Beijing had presented the prior, longer flight as routine and in accord with international law.
“We consider it a grave concern from the standpoint of Japan’s security,” Japan’s Chief of Staff, Joint Staff General Hiroaki Uchikura, commented of the prior Chinese-Russian aerial patrol.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded dismissively, saying “The Japanese side has no need to make a fuss about nothing or to take this personally.”
All of this is taking place as a carrier strike group is sailing close to Japan, and after weekend PLA drills saw monitoring Japanese planes come under radar lock. The US State Department has condemned this, saying “China’s actions are not conducive to regional peace and stability.”
Much of these tensions hearken back to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s words to parliament last month wherein she left open the possibility of Japan sending its military to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
This refers to this NYT story (https://t.co/rdFRYttqF9) in which they reveal there now exists an “overmatch brief” at the Pentagon that details China vs US military power. The name says it all…
Apparently when a senior US official read the brief he “turned pale” as he realized… https://t.co/fJBKMKzR08
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) December 11, 2025
Amid economic and diplomatic retaliation, including on the tourism sector, Japan was hoping for more vocal help from the Trump administration while feeling Beijing’s wrath, but alas it hasn’t come in a political form. However, the US sending bombers for an ‘exercise’ does seem fairly muscular.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 12:00
Oposición en Tanzania pide gobierno de transición tras elecciones disputadas
Por EVELYNE MUSAMBI
NAIROBI, Kenia (AP) — El principal partido de oposición de Tanzania pidió el jueves el establecimiento de un gobierno de transición tras unas elecciones disputadas en las que se le impidió participar, afirmando que el gobierno actual “no tiene legitimidad”.
John Heche, vicepresidente del partido de oposición Chadema, manifestó que las Naciones Unidas y los organismos continentales africanos deberían supervisar un gobierno de transición y unas nuevas elecciones justas.
Expresó que las elecciones del 29 de octubre, que el partido gobernante ganó con más del 97%, eran nulas y sin valor, y pidió la disolución del organismo electoral tanzano.
“Las elecciones en su totalidad son inválidas y no tienen legitimidad porque se llevaron a cabo bajo graves violaciones de la ley, la justicia y los principios democráticos”, afirmó Heche.
Las elecciones disputadas llevaron a días de protestas en las que murieron cientos de personas y más de 2.000 fueron arrestadas.
Activistas tanzanos habían planeado una protesta de seguimiento a principios de esta semana, pero grupos de derechos humanos informaron de una represión y la policía fue desplegada en gran número en las principales ciudades antes de las protestas.
La Comunidad de Desarrollo de África Austral concluyó que las elecciones de Tanzania no cumplieron con los estándares democráticos debido a irregularidades, acceso restringido para los agentes de los partidos políticos y algunos votantes que no pudieron votar.
La conexión a internet del país fue cortada el día de las elecciones y durante los siguientes 10 días, lo que generó preocupaciones de las organizaciones de derechos humanos.
El presidente de Chadema, Tundu Lissu, ha estado en prisión desde abril, cuando fue arrestado y acusado de traición por pedir reformas electorales.
La presidenta de Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, quien ganó por un amplio margen, en su discurso de toma de posesión prometió unir al país y acusó a los extranjeros por la violencia electoral.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Homer Glen OKs license plate cameras, despite referendum vote against plan
The Homer Glen Village Board voted 5-1 Wednesday to approve 12 license plate reader cameras at key access points throughout town.
The Flock camera system will cost $57,150 plus an annual subscription of $49,500, officials said. The cameras are used by police to locate cars that have been involved in criminal activity. They can also locate missing persons.
The Flock cameras read a vehicle’s license plate number and state information as well as its make, model and color. The cameras are not used for traffic tickets such as speeding or red-light violations, officials said.
Trustee Robert Schaller, a former police chief, said the cameras are a deterrent to crime and are a useful tool for law enforcement.
Despite the cameras coming under fire recently, Schaller said Illinois has strict guidelines in place to alleviate concerns over an invasion of privacy.
“Illinois has clear guardrails around how information can be used and shared, and locally we can go further to make our program even tighter by policy,” he said.
He said the license plate reader camera data should be limited to trained Will County sheriff’s police personnel only and require a valid law enforcement purpose for each search. While the data is typically destroyed after a month, Schaller suggested the village adopt a shorter retention period, such as seven days, before it is automatically purged unless the information is tied to an active police investigation.
Schaller said residents are already recorded in public everyday, from store and parking lot security cameras, doorbell cameras and apps on phones that collect location data.
“The difference is those systems are mostly private and spread out,” he said. “What matters here is the village adopts (license plate readers), we do it with clear written limits, transparency, auditing and short retention, so this stays narrowly focused on public safety, not broad monitoring.”
A handful of residents Wednesday said they were concerned about the Flock camera system.
Homer Glen resident Tim McGraw speaks out against Flock cameras at Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
Some communities have recently deactivated their Flock cameras, and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this summer said an audit found Customs and Border Protection had accessed Illinois data. Flock Safety responded to Giannoulias’ request that its system reject searches that includes terms such as “abortion,” “immigration,” “ICE” or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Resident Tim McGraw urged the board to deny the camera system.
“These are not simple license plate readers or red-light cameras,” he said. “They are AI-powered privately-owned surveillance systems. … They don’t just read plates. They track everything.”
McGraw said the license plate readers don’t prevent crime.
Homer Glen resident Heidi Pacella speaks out Wednesday against Flock cameras. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
“This is mass surveillance and tracking done without a warrant or probable cause,” he said. “That matters because the Fourth Amendment protects us from unreasonable searches.”
Resident Heidi Pacella said Homer Glen has been consistently ranked one of the safest suburbs in Illinois and questioned why the cameras are needed.
Pacella said she was concerned about the data that the cameras collect. Other communities ended their contracts with Flock over concerns of vulnerabilities and limitations, she said.
“It’s equivalent to having a police officer stand on your block and take notes while you leave your driveway with your family,” Pacella said. “It’s an army collecting data about everybody, everywhere.”
Resident Lisa Mikołajczak, however, said she was supportive of the system.
“The Flock camera complements the hard work that our police officers provide for us,” she said.
Homer Glen resident Lisa Mikołajczak speaks in favor of Flock cameras at Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. (Michelle Mullins/for the Daily Southtown)
Trustee Rose Reynders said it is the board’s job to worry about the safety of residents and businesses, adding the village’s large commercial area with stores such as Home Depot, Menards and Meijer, can be targeted by criminals.
Trustee Curt Mason said the village’s surrounding municipalities use a license plate reader system, but the village is a black hole. While the village has been listed at the 7th safest community, crime does occur, and criminals have been caught thanks to other communities’ Flock cameras, he said.
“We are trying to protect our constituents,” he said. “We are trying to protect our neighbors, our friends.”
Trustee Mike Lepore cast the sole no vote against the camera system. He said the cameras are an overreach of government powers.
Residents voted against installing Flock cameras in an advisory referendum in 2023, Lepore said.
Kratom sales
The Village Board also voted to prohibit the sale of Kratom or synthetic Kratom products to minors.
Kratom is an herbal substance from Southeast Asia, but can act like an opioid at higher doses. The product is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, officials said.
Homer Glen joins suburbs such as Oak Lawn, Orland Park and Tinley Park that have also voted to ban the substance.
Some people use Kratom for pain management or to alleviate post traumatic stress disorder, Mason said. But it can be mixed with other chemicals to create an opioid-like effect and can be dangerous, he said.
Mason said the village also wants to prevent vape and tobacco shops from marketing the product to children.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/homer-glen-license-plate-cameras/
Crece 13,6% la llegada de visitantes internacionales a México este año
Associated Press
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — La llegada de visitantes internacionales a México batió un récord en octubre, con 8,3 millones de personas, y supuso un aumento de 13,6% en los 10 primeros meses del año comparado con el mismo periodo de 2024.
Según las cifras ofrecidas durante la conferencia presidencial matutina, la llegada de más visitantes conllevó también un aumento de 6,5% de la actividad económica, con lo que México recibió más de 28.000 millones de dólares por este rubro en momentos complicados para su economía.
Pero el gobierno quiere pisar el acelerador aún más para que esas cifras sigan en aumento aprovechando, entre otros eventos, que México es unos países sede del Mundial 2026 el próximo mes de junio.
Para ello utilizará diferentes métodos, desde las tradicionales ferias de turismo —México será el país invitado a la de Madrid que se celebra en enero— o la promoción del turismo comunitario y cultural, hasta el uso de influencers en lugares como China, uno de los mercados que más interesa al país porque “gasta tres veces más que cualquier otro mercado del mundo”, indicó Josefina Rodríguez, secretaria de Turismo.
“Como ustedes saben, no se ve Instagram, no se ve Facebook, entonces la estrategia es muy diferente” y por eso el gobierno se está apoyando en influencers mexicanos que viven allá. Agregó que en 2026 habrá una promoción “muy enfocada al mercado asiático”.
Además, la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum aspira a poner en marcha incentivos económicos para que se filmen más películas en el país, algo que también atraería a visitantes.
“Todo para poner a México de moda está bien”, afirmó.
Plataforma digital busca preservar archivos de medios de prensa censurados
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Un grupo de periodistas lanzó una nueva plataforma digital a fin de preservar los archivos de medios de comunicación que han sido cerrados o que enfrentan la extinción en países autoritarios.
La plataforma se llama Kronika en honor a un medio que documentó violaciones de derechos humanos en la antigua Unión Soviética desde 1968 hasta 1983.
Un proyecto conjunto de PEN America y Bard College, es una expansión de un programa de tres años dedicado exclusivamente a medios cerrados en la Rusia de Vladímir Putin. El trabajo anterior se mantiene en línea y se ha puesto a disposición de investigadores en los idiomas ruso e inglés.
“No había un registro público, excepto el registro público de propaganda”, declaró M. Gessen, profesor de la Escuela de Periodismo Craig Newmark en la Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York.
Kronika incorporó recientemente el archivo del servicio ruso de Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, con la organización luchando por sobrevivir debido a los recortes presupuestarios de la administración Trump. También ha preservado el trabajo de la publicación investigativa guatemalteca elPeriodico, que se vio obligada a cerrar en 2022, y de otros 10 medios en Centroamérica, dijeron los organizadores.
El proyecto de 1,2 millones de dólares está financiado a través de donantes privados, siendo la mayor donación de Peter Barbey, un exeditor del desaparecido Village Voice de Nueva York.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Canciller colombiana dice que darían refugio a Nicolás Maduro en caso de que abandonara Venezuela
Associated Press
BOGOTÁ (AP) — La canciller colombiana Rosa Villavicencio aseguró el jueves que su país estaría dispuesto a acoger a Nicolás Maduro en condición de refugiado en caso de que abandonara Venezuela como parte de una transición del poder, justo cuando Estados Unidos mantiene una fuerte presión militar en el Caribe.
Villavicencio respondió que “seguramente sí” Colombia abriría las puertas a Maduro cuando una periodista de Caracol Radio le preguntó si lo haría en caso de que el gobernante quisiera exiliarse en suelo colombiano.
“Nosotros lo que estamos diciendo es que es necesario negociar y encontrar una salida a la situación de tensión en el Caribe, siempre mediante el diálogo y la negociación diplomática que permita evitar cualquier injerencia”, explicó Villavicencio. “Si para ello hace falta una negociación y una transición, Colombia está dispuesta a apoyarla… si ello pasa porque la política del exilio se tenga que otorgar, nosotros tenemos una política de refugio”.
La canciller negó que Colombia esté mediando entre Maduro y sectores de la oposición de Venezuela, pero reiteró que su país está disponible para hacerlo.
Maduro no se ha referido públicamente a la posibilidad de abandonar Venezuela. En un la semana pasada dijo que, pese a 22 semanas de “terrorismo psicológico” por parte de Estados Unidos, “jamás, sea la circunstancia que nos toque vivir, jamás nos pueden sacar del camino de construir la patria potencia que se merece este pueblo”.
Estados Unidos inició en septiembre ataques letales contra supuestas embarcaciones con drogas argumentando que está combatiendo a organizaciones narcotraficantes en la región, luego de desplegar sus capacidades militares en aguas del Caribe. Desde entonces, más de 80 personas han muerto en los ataques.
El presidente Donald Trump ha amenazado repetidamente con atacar suelo venezolano. Algunos analistas, miembros del Congreso de Estados Unidos y el propio Maduro, ven la operación como un esfuerzo para derrocarlo.
Colombia mantiene relaciones diplomáticas con Venezuela pese a que el presidente Gustavo Petro —el primer izquierdista en gobernar el país— no ha reconocido formalmente la alegada victoria de Maduro en las cuestionadas elecciones de 2024.
En medio de la tensión por el despliegue militar estadounidense, Petro propuso la víspera una “amnistía general”, en un mensaje en la red social X en el que instó a Maduro a defender a su país de una agresión externa con “más democracia” y no con “represiones ineficientes”.
Petro también insistió en “un gobierno de transición” compartido en Venezuela entre el oficialismo y los sectores de oposición, una propuesta que no ha sido acogida públicamente por ninguna de las partes.
Over 30 Kamikaze Drones Sent On Moscow Overnight, Shutting Down Airports
Over 30 Kamikaze Drones Sent On Moscow Overnight, Shutting Down Airports
An overnight drone assault on Russia by Ukraine was particularly large, including dozens of drones sent on Moscow. The Russian defense ministry said it down 287 drones across the country, one of the highest single-night totals ever recorded in the war.
Among these were 32 Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drone inbound on Moscow, reportedly intercepted. The disruption of airspace around Moscow was enough to briefly shut down area hubs and cause the delay of some 200 flights, impacting at least four airports.
Prior drone attacks have hit buildings in the heart of Moscow, via AFP
In addition to the 32 drones “intercepted and shot down” which were directly targeting the capital city, at least 40 more were headed toward the broader Moscow region, the defense ministry noted.
Two fertilizer plants were also targeted in the western Novgorod and Smolensk regions. Fire resulted at one of these, the Acron mineral fertilizer plant, among Russia’s largest chemical producers.
The drone assault was quite extended in time too, with authorities saying it lasted over a period of some eight hours. Large drone waves were reported in other regions as well:
Bryansk region: 118 drones
Moscow region: 40
Kaluga region: 40
Russian media has presented the overnight operation as an act of desperation at a moment Zelensky is feeling the pressure from Washington, and as Ukraine forces are in retreat on the battlefield:
A senior Russian diplomat linked the surge in Ukrainian attacks to growing US pressure on Vladimir Zelensky to accept a peace deal with Russia that would require concessions that Kiev has so far refused to make. Several European NATO states, meanwhile, back Zelensky’s uncompromising stance. US President Donald Trump said this week that the Ukrainian leader “has to be realistic” about the situation and “start accepting things” his administration is offering.
Indeed Trump as a of a late Wednesday presser has not backed off his calls for Zelensky to quickly accept reality and sign a peace deal and prepare for elections.
Trump:
Zelensky has to be realistic.
I do wonder about how long is it gonna be until they have an election?
82% of the Ukrainian people demand a settlement be made. pic.twitter.com/spV5k2JZJY
— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 10, 2025
Zelensky has said that while he’s “ready” to organize and hold elections, it has to be done under safety, and that the international community must step up and help ensure this happens. He said he’s ready to within 60 days if his government and external backers can offer a viable plan. But is he just buying time and pacifying Trump?
There’s a possibility his own parliament could, under pressure, come back and say that elections are not a practical reality at this point. Likely Kiev will demand that Russia observe a ceasefire in order for the elections to take place.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 11:25
