Por CNN en Español

“¡Campeón, campeón, Venezuela! Nadie creía en Venezuela, pero nosotros sí creíamos en Venezuela, como todos los jugadores (también). Jugaron bien, todos emocionados y gracias a dios fuimos campeones mundiales. Nadie lo pensaba y fuimos campeones. ¡Buenas noches, mi amor!”, dijo un emocionado Henry Guerra, jubilado del Ministerio Público venezolano, en la Plaza Altamira Sur en Caracas, uno de los sitios más emblemáticos del país, tras la coronación de Venezuela en el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2026, donde obtuvo la victoria el martes contra Estados Unidos con un marcador 3-2.

La emoción de Henry era, al mismo tiempo, la de miles de personas. Las plazas públicas como Altamira Sur estaban abarrotadas, pero también las calles, los caminos, los bares y las casas de los vecinos en Caracas y en distintas partes del país. No era para menos: se trata de la primera vez que Venezuela es campeón del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol desde que se celebró la primera edición en 2006.

Una fiesta total. Algo lógico si tomamos en cuenta que el béisbol se estableció en Venezuela desde la década de 1940 y es el deporte nacional, a diferencia de otras naciones sudamericanas donde el fútbol domina el escenario deportivo.

Pero, además, hubo un ingrediente extra en las expresiones de alegría: el triunfo fue contra EE.UU., país poderosos en este deporte, que hasta el año pasado era el principal adversario político de Venezuela y que, tras la captura y derrocamiento de Nicolás Maduro el 3 enero de 2026 por parte de fuerzas militares estadounidenses, se convirtió en prácticamente un socio.

Para muchos venezolanos que el martes por la noche celebraban en las calles, el 2026 ya se convirtió en un año que quedará marcado en la historia.

Otras personas que celebraban y hablaban fuera de las cámaras y micrófonos señalaron que las escenas de festejo del martes les recordaron el ambiente vivido luego de las elecciones presidenciales del 28 de julio de 2024, en las que el ente electoral declaró ganador al entonces presidente Nicolás Maduro sin mostrar los resultados de las actas mientars análisis opositores e independientes le daban la victoria al opositor Edmundo González Urrutia.

La noche del 28 de julio de 2024, también miles de personas salieron en las calles, a pie, en motos, con banderas al igual que en la celebración del campeonato de béisbol.

No obstante, la diferencia era evidente: esta vez había alegría, mientras que en julio de 2024 era coraje y reclamo de transparencia en el resultado electoral, una situación completamente distinta que derivó en cientos de detenciones y una crisis social y política de la que aún hoy se sienten sus efectos.

Desde la caída de Maduro —quien, al igual que su esposa Cilia Flores, se encuentra detenido en Nueva York enfrentando cargos relacionados con narcotráfico, que ambos rechazan— han pasado 75 días. El Gobierno de Venezuela sigue calificando su captura de “secuestro” y mantiene su llamado diario: “Los queremos de vuelta”.

Sin embargo, el Gobierno venezolano también muestra otra realidad. Luego de la captura de Maduro, Read more

By Jeremy Diamond, Zeena Saifi, CNN

Khirbet Humsa, West Bank (CNN) — Dozens of masked Israeli settlers stormed into Qusai Abu al-Kebash’s small village last weekend in the middle of the night.

They grabbed Abu al-Kebash, bound him by his hands and legs and stripped him. He says they then zip-tied his genitals and paraded him through his community while beating him.

Israeli settlers have increasingly used violence against Palestinians in a bid to drive them from their homes in the occupied West Bank. But sexual assault appears to be a new weapon in these settlers’ arsenal of intimidation, pointing to a troubling new level of violence.

“They cut my belt off with a knife, as well as my boxers. They zip-tied my penis, tightened it and then dragged me all around the village,” Abu al-Kebash said, speaking to CNN in his first on-camera interview.

“It was very, very painful. … I thought they were going to kill me.”

The 29-year-old continued: “I felt humiliated and insulted. Why would they do that to us? Why do they tie someone up like that?”

Several members of Abu al-Kebash’s family who were present at the time corroborated his account. So did two foreign activists — volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement — who told CNN they also witnessed Abu al-Kebash being sexually assaulted.

Israeli authorities are investigating the alleged assault and settlers’ alleged theft of hundreds of Abu al-Kebash’s sheep. He said police and investigators from the Shin Bet internal security service came to his village in the days following the incident and that he went to a police station to give his testimony.

Abu al-Kebash said he hasn’t been able to sleep since. His left eye remains bruised and bloody.

“I’m worried they’ll come back, that they’ll kill us in the middle of the night or burn our village like they said they would,” he said.

Settlers have sought to intimidate Abu al-Kebash and his family before, but not like this, he told CNN.

He said his wife, cousins and father were also zip-tied and beaten that same night. He recounted that the settlers poured water and dirt on them and threatened to rape the women, Abu al-Kebash and his relatives said. Settlers even hit the children, he said. Two foreign anti-occupation activists, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because they fear reprisals, said they were also bound and threatened.

The shepherd said he hopes police will bring his assailants to justice and return the sheep that are his livelihood.

But Palestinians have largely lost faith in Israeli investigations into settler violence, with few ever resulting in arrests, let alone convictions. Instead, Palestinians and anti-occupation activists describe a culture of impunity that pervades the Israeli settler community, with Israeli soldiers at times standing by as settlers intimidate, harass and even attack Palestinians.

In a joint statement, the Israel Police and IDF said an investigation is underway and that they “strongly condemn incidents of violence and crime.”

Israel has significantly escalated military activities in the occupied West Bank since 2023 as the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed to increase Jewish settlements and entrench Israel’s grip on the land, with the goal of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israeli settlement in the West Bank is considered illegal under international law.

Israeli settlers have also ramped up attacks on Palestinians and their properties, a near-daily occurrence. Violence has spiked once again amid the war with Iran. Nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the war began, a

CNN

By Jeremy Diamond, Zeena Saifi, CNN

Khirbet Humsa, West Bank (CNN) — Dozens of masked Israeli settlers stormed into Qusai Abu al-Kebash’s small village last weekend in the middle of the night.

They grabbed Abu al-Kebash, bound him by his hands and legs and stripped him. He says they then zip-tied his genitals and paraded him through his community while beating him.

Israeli settlers have increasingly used violence against Palestinians in a bid to drive them from their homes in the occupied West Bank. But sexual assault appears to be a new weapon in these settlers’ arsenal of intimidation, pointing to a troubling new level of violence.

“They cut my belt off with a knife, as well as my boxers. They zip-tied my penis, tightened it and then dragged me all around the village,” Abu al-Kebash said, speaking to CNN in his first on-camera interview.

“It was very, very painful. … I thought they were going to kill me.”

The 29-year-old continued: “I felt humiliated and insulted. Why would they do that to us? Why do they tie someone up like that?”

Several members of Abu al-Kebash’s family who were present at the time corroborated his account. So did two foreign activists — volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement — who told CNN they also witnessed Abu al-Kebash being sexually assaulted.

Israeli authorities are investigating the alleged assault and settlers’ alleged theft of hundreds of Abu al-Kebash’s sheep. He said police and investigators from the Shin Bet internal security service came to his village in the days following the incident and that he went to a police station to give his testimony.

Abu al-Kebash said he hasn’t been able to sleep since. His left eye remains bruised and bloody.

“I’m worried they’ll come back, that they’ll kill us in the middle of the night or burn our village like they said they would,” he said.

Settlers have sought to intimidate Abu al-Kebash and his family before, but not like this, he told CNN.

He said his wife, cousins and father were also zip-tied and beaten that same night. He recounted that the settlers poured water and dirt on them and threatened to rape the women, Abu al-Kebash and his relatives said. Settlers even hit the children, he said. Two foreign anti-occupation activists, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity because they fear reprisals, said they were also bound and threatened.

The shepherd said he hopes police will bring his assailants to justice and return the sheep that are his livelihood.

But Palestinians have largely lost faith in Israeli investigations into settler violence, with few ever resulting in arrests, let alone convictions. Instead, Palestinians and anti-occupation activists describe a culture of impunity that pervades the Israeli settler community, with Israeli soldiers at times standing by as settlers intimidate, harass and even attack Palestinians.

In a joint statement, the Israel Police and IDF said an investigation is underway and that they “strongly condemn incidents of violence and crime.”

Israel has significantly escalated military activities in the occupied West Bank since 2023 as the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed to increase Jewish settlements and entrench Israel’s grip on the land, with the goal of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Israeli settlement in the West Bank is considered illegal under internati

Por Haley Britzky, CNN

El portaaviones USS Gerald R. Ford se está alejando de las operaciones vinculadas a la guerra con Irán y navega hacia la base de la Marina de EE.UU. en Creta para reparaciones tras un incendio la semana pasada en el área de lavandería del buque, informó un funcionario estadounidense.

El movimiento del portaaviones más avanzado de la Marina se produce mientras las operaciones militares contra Irán siguen en pleno desarrollo, en particular mientras EE.UU. busca formas de reducir la amenaza de Irán al transporte marítimo en el estrecho de Ormuz. El portaaviones ha servido como una plataforma lista para que cazas estadounidenses participen en la campaña bélica en Medio Oriente.

El incendio del 12 de marzo no estuvo relacionado con combate, dijo entonces las Fuerzas Armadas de EE.UU. Dos marineros recibieron tratamiento médico por lesiones que no ponían en riesgo su vida y se encontraban en condición estable.

El funcionario estadounidense dijo que el Ford, que navegaba en el mar Rojo, estaría en la bahía de Souda, en Creta, “por un breve período para realizar reparaciones”, lo que determinaría qué se puede arreglar de inmediato y qué podría necesitar arreglarse cuando el buque regrese a su puerto base después de su despliegue. Los otros buques dentro del Grupo de Ataque de Portaaviones Ford permanecen donde están en la región y no se unirán al Ford en la bahía de Souda.

USNI News informó primero que el Ford se dirigía a la bahía de Souda para reparaciones.

El Pentágono no respondió de inmediato a una solicitud de comentarios.

El jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto, el general Dan Caine, dijo el viernes que el Pentágono estaba al tanto del incendio a bordo del Ford.

“Pensamos en la tripulación que resultó herida en el incendio”, dijo Caine durante una conferencia de prensa del Pentágono. “Creemos y esperamos que todos estén bien y estamos agradecidos por eso”.

El Ford —el portaaviones más avanzado de la Marina— ha estado desplegado durante meses, primero en el Caribe como parte del refuerzo militar de EE.UU. en la región en medio de tensiones elevadas con Venezuela. En febrero, el presidente Donald Trump dijo que enviaría el grupo de ataque de portaaviones al Medio Oriente en una medida para ejercer más presión sobre Irán.

El grupo de ataque ingresó al mar Mediterráneo a finales de febrero. El Grupo de Ataque de Portaaviones USS Abraham Lincoln también fue desplegado en la región.

El Ford podría batir un récord por el despliegue de portaaviones más largo posterior a Vietnam si permanece desplegado hasta mediados de abril, según USNI News. Salió para su despliegue al Caribe el 24 de junio de 2025, según el Comando Sur de EE.UU.

El incendio de la semana pasada siguió a reportes de problemas constantes de plomería a bordo del portaaviones, aunque la Marina dijo que esos problemas no tuvieron impacto en las operaciones del portaaviones.

The New York Times informó esta semana que tomó más de 30 horas apagar el incendio, y que 600 miembros de la tripulación perdieron sus camas. Sin embargo, el funcionario estadounidense dijo que todo el esfuerzo de respuesta al incendio tomó 30 horas —apagar el fuego, limpiar los daños por agua u otras sustancias utilizadas para apagar el fuego, y asegurar que no hubiera rebrotes—, no que el incendio en sí ardiera durante 30 horas.

El funcionario también dijo que poco más de 100 camas resultaron dañadas en el incendio, ya que algunas áreas para dormir son adyacentes al área de lavandería. Pero reconocieron que, en total, aproximadamente 600 marine

By Alexandra Skores, CNN

Washington (CNN) — The stalemate in Washington, DC, over funding the Department of Homeland Security has led to hourslong airport security lines and frustrated travelers, but now passengers could see some airports closed altogether, the Transportation Security Administration is warning.

“It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up,” TSA’s acting deputy administrator, Adam Stahl, said Tuesday.

While TSA does not technically have the power to unilaterally close an airport, passengers and crews must be screened before planes can take off and if there is no one to do that, they cannot fly.

“We make these determinations on an airport-by-airport basis,” Stahl told CNN Wednesday. “As the weeks continue, our TSA officers, as long as they don’t get paid, they’re going to continue to call out, they can’t afford to come in, and they’re going to quit altogether.”

It’s the latest cascading effect of the monthlong lapse in funding for DHS. Democrats and Republicans are at a standstill in a fight over immigration reform.

TSA workers won’t see another paycheck for work during the shutdown until the department reopens. Union leaders say some TSA workers quit, and many others have taken unscheduled time off since they can’t afford gas or child care needed to go to work.

Which airports could close

More than a third of the TSA staff at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International didn’t show up on Wednesday and more than half of the TSA workers at Houston’s Hobby Airport didn’t come to work last Friday, but those huge hubs are not likely to be at risk of closing because of how much passenger traffic they draw.

It comes down to prioritizing, said John Pistole, former TSA administrator under the Obama administration.

“If I was still the administrator, what I would be asking for are the passenger loads on a daily and weekly basis, and just really look at those and then what the staffing levels are,” Pistole said, noting that determinations would be made based on how busy certain airports are.

TSA has not stopped all screening at any airport so far during the shutdown, and experts say they will exhaust every other possible option before they do.

At Philadelphia International Airport, three of the seven checkpoints were closed Wednesday “to help optimize operations,” the airport said. All gates are accessible from any checkpoint but may require longer walks.

TSA regularly operates a National Deployment Force of screeners who volunteer to be sent to airports that have staff shortages, but Stahl said they have been fully depleted.

In more extreme scenarios, larger airports could pull officers from smaller airports nearby to keep screening going at the big terminals, said Keith Jeffries, former federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport and current vice president of K2 Security Screening Group.

“What (Stahl is) saying, in my opinion, is if staffing shortages continue, staffing will be pulled from smaller airports to staff the larger airports to keep the transportation system from fully,” he said.

‘This is going to get worse before it gets better’

Airports that stay open with limited staffing will see wait times continue to surge, Pistole said. Screening procedures like pat downs could also pose problems if there isn’t enough staff of a particular sex.

Airport closures due to a lack of TSA staff are not something the organizations who operate terminals across the country expect will happen, a source familiar with airport operations told CNN.

“Maybe longer wait times but not closing of airports,” the source said. “At the same time, ai