International
Chavismo rejects the opposition’s call for a “serious negotiation”
Chavismo rejected this Thursday, again, the call for a “serious negotiation” by the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), which claims to have won the presidential elections of July 28, in which Nicolás Maduro has been proclaimed re-elected president.
The president of the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), Jorge Rodríguez, responded in a press conference – broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión – that Chavismo will maintain a “political dialogue” exclusively through the Chamber, which opened this Thursday a process of consultations without the participation of the PUD, despite having been invited.
“We are not going to accept tables, private meetings, secret meetings, chaplants, or anywhere other than the Federal Legislative Palace,” said the deputy, who called the flag bearer of the PUD in the presidential elections, Edmundo González Urrutia, exiled in Spain since September 8.
In this way, Rodríguez, one of the leaders of Chavismo, responded to the appeal of the opposition, which reiterated its invitation to the Government to start a direct dialogue for January 10, when the next presidential period begins.
“Here (in the AN), on January 10, the president-elect on July 28, 2024 will be sworn in, so that it is clear to them. Stop thinking about stupid things and nonsense. That’s going to happen, write it in stone,” remarked the Chavista, who presides over a Chamber controlled by deputies related to Maduro.
Sectors of the opposition interested in dialogue with Chavismo?
He also assured that some parties that make up the PUD, whose identities he did not reveal, considered the possibility of participating in the “political dialogue” that began this Thursday, with which the Parliament hopes to adjust the electoral laws, but – he said – the opposition leader María Corina Machado, the main advocate of González Urrutia, imposed the decision not to answer the call of the Legislature.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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