International

Venezuela sentences mutiny officers to up to 15 years jail

AFP

Venezuela has sentenced 24 military police officers who mutinied during anti-government protests in 2019 to as much as nearly 16 years in prison, a human rights activist said Thursday.

The group of National Guard officers were arrested after trying to take by force a command post in a poor Caracas neighborhood in January 2019, having disavowed the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Their move came after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself acting president, receiving support from around 60 countries, in an unsuccessful bid to oust Maduro.

Sergeant Major Luis Bandres, who led the uprising, was sentenced to 15 years and nine months for mutiny and instigation, Alfredo Romero, director of the Foro Penal human rights NGO, said on Twitter.

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The rest of the group received sentences of seven years and nine months, said Romero.

Family members of those convicted say the officers were tortured in prison, including being hit with baseball bats and given electric shocks.

“Complaints of serious torture were not considered nor investigated,” said Romero.

Bandres had said he was on hunger strike at the beginning of the year in protest at the delays in his case going to trial, but ended it within days.

Foro Penal, a harsh critic of the Maduro regime, says there are around 240 political prisoners in Venezuela, including about 100 members of the military.

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International

Habeas Corpus at risk as Trump team eyes drastic border policy shift

The White House is reportedly considering suspending habeas corpus, the legal principle that protects individuals against arbitrary detention, as part of its efforts to escalate anti-immigration measures in the United States.

In remarks to reporters, Stephen Miller, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, argued that the U.S. Constitution allows the suspension of habeas corpus “in times of invasion.”

“It’s an option we are actively considering, and it all depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller stated.

The Trump administration has frequently invoked the notion of a “migrant invasion” to justify actions such as the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border and the deportation of foreign nationals—primarily Venezuelans—to El Salvador’s CECOT megaprison.

International

Maduro to Xi: Venezuela is a loyal friend to China

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro assured his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, during a meeting held in Moscow on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in World War II, that China has “loyal friends” in the Caribbean nation.

“You know that in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela you have loyal friends and people willing to continue working for a new world,” said the South American leader, according to footage aired Friday by Venezuelan state broadcaster VTV.

Maduro, accompanied by several of his ministers including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, highlighted the “great results” of a 2023 agreement between China and Venezuela called the “All-Weather and All-Round Strategic Partnership.”

“I believe we can multiply the great results we’re already seeing, and I’m sure that strong and clear guidelines will emerge from this meeting to keep moving forward together,” Maduro added.

International

Iberojet reaffirms commitment to Honduras as Central American Hub

Spanish airline Iberojet and Palmerola International Airport, located in central Honduras, signed a three-year renewal of their exclusive agreement to operate direct flights between the Honduran terminal and the cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

With this renewal, Iberojet—part of the Spanish tourism group Ávoris Corporación Empresarial—reaffirms its commitment to Honduras as its main gateway to Central America from Europe.

The agreement was signed by Iberojet’s Commercial Director, Mario Domínguez, and Erick Spears, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Palmerola.

The signing ceremony took place at the residence of the Spanish Ambassador to Honduras, Diego Nuño García, who served as an honorary witness.