The U.S. military strike against Venezuela and the capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro, have sparked mass protests in Uruguay, where demonstrators have denounced the move as an act of imperialist aggression. The United States launched a series of attacks against Venezuela on Saturday, seizing President Maduro and flying him to the U.S. to stand trial. The actions against Venezuela have shocked the international community, triggering condemnation and raising serious concerns worldwide.
"On behalf of Uruguay's unions, civil organizations, and the united front of our people, we strongly condemn the U.S. imperialist aggression against Venezuela," said Matilde Pomi, protest organizer.
"This is a bloody and criminal invasion. We must understand that it affects the entire region. It's an attack on all of Latin America. We are all at risk," said one of the protesters named Patricia, who held a sign reading "Yankees are murderers."
Crowds also gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Montevideo, expressing their outrage over the U.S. acts of aggression. Pedro Sassone, the Venezuelan Consul in Uruguay, called for the defense of Venezuela's sovereignty and independence.
"This is war, an invasion. Venezuela is under attack. We call on the peoples of the Americas and the world to stand together in defense of our sovereignty and independence," said Sassone.
Protests erupt in Uruguay after U.S. strikes Venezuela
Premature babies evacuated from Gaza during the war have returned home to be reunited with their families after months of separation.
At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, families waited anxiously for their first chance to see their children again.
Ten premature babies have returned from Egypt, among those evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital under life-threatening conditions.
In late 2023, as fighting intensified, neonatal units at Al-Shifa were pushed to the brink, facing severe shortages that forced the emergency evacuation of vulnerable newborns for urgent treatment abroad.
"My twin daughters were among the premature babies trapped inside Al-Shifa Hospital. They were besieged there for 10 days before being transferred to the Al-Arish hospital in Egypt for treatment. We spent 18 days there, and we moved to the Administrative Capital's hospital," said Ayat Al-Daour, a mother of premature twins.
For many families, the homecoming is a deeply emotional reunion, months of uncertainty giving way to relief. But for others, the outcome has been far more painful.
"The Al-Shifa hospital was besieged and then my children were evacuated to Egypt. They were four months old, and they were doing well at first, but later their condition worsened, and they passed away," said Mohammad Abu Amsha, a bereaved father.
After a long journey of treatment and transfers between hospitals in Egypt, these children are now back in Gaza, marking the end of one chapter and the start of another.
"They went to Egypt, and there were 14. Unfortunately, four of them passed away there, and they come back by 10. Today, there were a lot of moments of feeling, of hard feeling and a difficult feeling about connection of the mothers and these babies. It was really a sad history, but Alhamdulillah, thank God, it ended by this end," said Ahmed Al-Farra, head of paediatrics and maternity at Nasser Medical Complex.
As these children return home, their families are stepping into a new and uncertain chapter, navigating recovery within a healthcare system that remains under immense strain and faces persistent shortages, casting doubt over the specialized care these vulnerable infants will require in the months ahead.
Premature infants return to Gaza after treatment in Egypt
