International

‘Coup d’etat’ trial of Bolivia ex-president to begin

AFP

Some call her a “political prisoner” but others claim she led a coup d’etat: former interim president Jeanine Anez will go on trial Thursday accused of orchestrating the ouster of her predecessor as Bolivia’s leader, Evo Morales.

The conservative Anez, 54, has been held in pre-trial detention for the last 11 months. She has been on hunger strike, not for the first time, since last Wednesday.

She and another eight former military personnel will be on trial, starting from 9:00 am (1300 GMT).

Anez is accused of unconstitutionally assuming the presidency in November 2019 following the resignation of Morales, who fled into exile following 14 years in power.

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Morales quit and left the country in the midst of street protests over his re-election the month before.

The Organization of American States (OAS) performed an audit and found clear evidence of election irregularities.

“I assumed the presidency of Bolivia without asking for it, without looking for it and much less expecting it… with the only mission to call new elections and pacify a country in convulsion,” Anez said on Tuesday.

Her lawyer Luis Guillen has accused authorities of bias as the document that opens the trial describes Anez as the “de facto” and “unconstitutional” ex-president.

Guillen has demanded an in-person trial and that witnesses be made to attend for cross-questioning after the public prosecutor’s office said it would be submitting only witness statements.

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On Tuesday, a group of 21 former Latin American presidents asked the United Nations to visit Anez and investigate potential “abuses of power” in her treatment.

– ‘Massacres’ –

Another accusation of sedition, terrorism and conspiracy against Anez is still under investigation.

Guillen said the two investigations relate to “the same event” adding that it violates a general principal of law.

He added that “an ordinary court cannot decide what is constitutional.”

Guillen said an ex-president should not be tried in a regular court but rather face a trial of responsibilities in congress.

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The plaintiffs in the case are the government, public prosecutor and congress dominated by the ruling Movement for Socialism party.

“This is a political trial being carried out by the government of President Luis Arce,” said political scientist Carlos Cordero from the San Andres university.

“It’s a way of establishing a political sanction for those that dared to be adversaries at a time of crisis for the Movement for Socialism.”

Anez is also accused of genocide following complaints made by the families of victims of a police crackdown against protesters in November 2019.

A group of experts commissioned by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the government said 22 people were killed in “massacres” carried out by security forces.

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Unlike the other accusations, though, it will be dealt with by congress in a trial of responsibilities.

The report also questioned the independence of Bolivia’s judicial system.

– Sudden change in results –

In October 2019, Morales stood for a fourth consecutive term as president despite the constitution setting a limit of two successive terms.

The election appeared to be heading for a second round run-off until a 24-hour blackout in the live and transparent reporting of results.

When that resumed, Morales had suddenly jumped into a winning lead.

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There followed three weeks of protests against his re-election during which time Morales lost the support of the police and military, and fled the country.

Those who would have succeeded him — all members of his MAS party — also resigned and fled either abroad or into embassies, leaving Anez — then vice-president of the senate — as the highest ranking official left in office.

Congress, which was controlled by MAS, recognized her as interim president despite the lack of a quorum due to a boycott by many members of MAS.

Her sole task was to organize new elections but it took a year for those to be held, in part due to postponements over the coronavirus pandemic.

With Morales living in Argentina, his former finance minister Arce romped to victory.

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Anez handed over power in November 2020 and was arrested in March 2021.

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.