International

Argentine prosecutor opens case for crimes against humanity in Venezuela

July 13 |

An Argentine prosecutor charged Venezuelan military officers who served as high commanders of the Bolivarian National Guard during the 2014 street protests with alleged crimes against humanity against opponents of the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The measure was ordered by federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, who resolved to push forward a criminal action “as allegedly responsible to, at least at the time, Major General Juan José Noguera Pietri, commander of the Bolivarian National Guard and Major General José Dionisio Goncálvez Mendoza, commander of the People’s Guard,” according to the provision released on Wednesday.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague reopened an investigation also for crimes against humanity for what happened during the demonstrations nine years ago.

The Argentine prosecutor also asked the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to send “copies of the reports of the international missions sent to Venezuela and all actions related to the dead demonstrators”.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The official of the Attorney General’s Office charged a dozen military officers of different ranks, including brigadier generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and sergeants of the Carabobo and Tocuyito detachments.

Stornelli’s ruling, to which AP had access, was based on a complaint filed by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), taking into account Argentina’s human rights jurisprudence.

This organization represents the families of two Venezuelan protesters killed nearly a decade ago.

The refusal of the Venezuelan justice system to investigate the leaders of the Bolivarian National Guard (only junior officers were tried as perpetrators) led the Clooney Foundation to bring a legal case before the Argentine courts, which have relied on the principle of universal jurisdiction to try crimes against humanity committed outside its territory.

It states that “the organized attack against the civilian population between February and May 2014 responded to a policy of the Venezuelan State” and that the murders of at least 25 demonstrators at the hands of security forces or collectives were part of a “systematic plan” of repression against opponents.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The complainants, based on the Rome Statute governing the International Criminal Court, argue that “the military commander shall be criminally responsible for crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court committed by forces under his command.”

In his ruling, Stornelli requested a series of measures that must be previously endorsed by a federal judge, among them the release of exhortations to the Venezuelan justice system to send copies of the judicial proceedings and to the hospitals where the victims were assisted in order to access medical records, a list of the professionals who attended them and death certificates.

International

Peruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge

Peru is facing an unprecedented surge in crime ahead of its presidential election scheduled for April 12, with violence fueled by extortion networks and a wave of contract killings linked to organized crime.

Police data show that 2,200 homicides tied to organized crime were recorded in 2025, while extortion complaints increased by 19%, underscoring the growing security crisis in the South American nation.

Amid this backdrop, presidential candidate Álvarez has proposed reinstating the death penalty if elected, arguing that extreme measures are needed to curb the violence.

To implement the proposal, Álvarez said Peru would withdraw from the American Convention on Human Rights—also known as the Pact of San José—which the country signed in 1978. The agreement prevents member states that have abolished capital punishment from reinstating it.

Currently, Peruvian law only allows the death penalty in cases of treason during wartime.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“We have to leave the Pact of San José and apply the death penalty in Peru because those miserable criminals don’t deserve to live,” Álvarez told AFP during a campaign stop at a market in Callao, the port city neighboring Lima.

“An iron fist against those criminals,” he added, proposing to declare hitmen as military targets.

During the campaign event, Álvarez walked through stalls selling vegetables, groceries, and fish, greeting vendors while musicians played cumbia music nearby.

The 62-year-old candidate, who spent more than four decades working in television as a comedian, is a newcomer to politics and is running for president under the País para Todos party.

Polls place him fifth in voter preference with nearly 4% support in a fragmented race featuring 36 candidates.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

“I am an artist who has taken a step into politics to bring peace to my country,” Álvarez told reporters while surrounded by supporters.

International

FBI: Man who attacked Michigan synagogue died from self-inflicted gunshot

The man who died during Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in the United States suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the FBI.

FBI agent Jennifer Runyan told reporters that the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Lebanese citizen Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, shot himself at some point during the confrontation.

“At some point during the shooting, Ghazali suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Runyan said during a press conference.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the suspect’s identity.

Authorities said Ghazali drove a truck into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, located in the state of Michigan, on Thursday.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

According to Michael Bouchard, sheriff of Oakland County, synagogue security personnel noticed the vehicle and confronted the suspect with gunfire.

Investigators said it would be premature to speculate about the motive for the attack, although reports indicate Ghazali recently lost relatives during Israeli strikes in Lebanon earlier this month.

“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate about his motive,” Runyan said.

Ghazali arrived in Detroit in 2011 on a spouse visa for U.S. citizens and obtained American citizenship in 2016, according to reporting by The New York Times.

He was the father of two teenagers, divorced from his wife in 2024, and had recently been working as a waiter.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

The newspaper also reported that Ghazali attended a memorial service in the nearby city of Dearborn for relatives killed in the recent conflict, alongside other grieving family members from the Lebanese town of Machghara.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the incident is being investigated as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.

A source from Michigan’s Lebanese-American community told CBS News that several of Ghazali’s relatives had been killed roughly ten days before the attack, leaving him deeply devastated.

International

Mexican Navy Ships Deliver Third Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba

Two logistics support vessels from the Mexican Navy — the ARM Papaloapan and the ARM Huasteco — docked again on Friday in the bay of Havana carrying a third shipment of humanitarian aid for Cuba.

The vessels had previously arrived on the Caribbean island on February 28 with a second cargo that included 1,200 tons of food, sent to help alleviate the country’s ongoing crisis, which has worsened following the U.S. oil restrictions affecting fuel supplies to the island.

Cuba’s deputy foreign minister Josefina Vidal confirmed the new shipment in a social media post.

“Two ships carrying a third shipment of aid from the Government and the people of Mexico for the Cuban people are now arriving at the port of Havana. Thank you Mexico for your solidarity with Cuba,” she wrote.

Previous aid shipments

During the second shipment, the Papaloapan transported 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk, while the Huastecocarried 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of assorted food products collected by social organizations with support from the government of Mexico City.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In recent months, Mexico has become the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Cuba, sending around 2,000 tons of supplies, mostly staple foods and hygiene products, in the two shipments prior to Friday’s delivery.

The first shipment alone included 814 tons of food.

Cuba praises Mexico’s support

Hours before the ships arrived, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted Mexico’s support during a televised appearance, describing the country as “a friendly and brotherly nation that has shown tremendous solidarity,”particularly praising Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Díaz-Canel also addressed reports suggesting that Mexican donations were being resold in state-run stores, dismissing them as a “disinformation campaign” promoted by right-wing groups.