International
Venezuela enforces strict border controls ahead of contested elections
The Venezuelan government has ordered strict controls on the movement of people and the transit of vehicles across its borders—by land, air, and sea—in the lead-up to Sunday’s regional and legislative elections, according to Domingo Hernández Lárez, operational strategic commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB).
The measure will be in effect from 12:01 a.m. local time (4:01 GMT) on Friday until 11:59 p.m. on Monday (3:59 GMT Tuesday), according to an official government gazette shared by Hernández Lárez on X.
The restrictions are aimed at “safeguarding the inviolability of the borders” and “preventing activities by individuals who could pose a threat to national security,” the document states.
The official notice also suspends the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages during the same period and upholds a nationwide firearms ban that has been in place since 2019. Additionally, all public demonstrations and the transport of heavy machinery will be prohibited from Friday through Monday.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced that over 412,000 FANB personnel have been deployed across the country to safeguard polling stations and election materials for the upcoming vote, which is being rejected by the majority opposition. The opposition claims victory in the disputed July 2024 presidential election.
Previously, Hernández Lárez had announced via X that military and police forces would also secure “strategic installations,” including facilities operated by the state electric utility Corpoelec.
On Tuesday, the Defense Minister said the armed forces would make “strategic adjustments” in response to what he called “new national and international threats,” just one day after the government claimed to have uncovered a plot to sabotage the elections.
International
Authorities capture CJNG financial chief in international airport operation
A man identified as the main financial operator of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was arrested Thursday at Mexico City’s international airport, authorities reported.
The individual, named by Mexican media as Óscar Antonio Álvarez, was apprehended during an operation involving the army, navy, National Guard, police, and the attorney general’s office, according to a joint statement.
Álvarez is considered the primary financial operator of a criminal group originating in Jalisco, and the capture took place at Benito Juárez Airport as he arrived on a flight from Barcelona, Spain.
Authorities stated that Álvarez faces charges of organized crime and money laundering, specifically for receiving and transferring illicit funds. His work with the CJNG reportedly included purchasing properties and managing businesses in the tequila and livestock sectors.
According to El Universal, Álvarez was directly under the command of Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, the cartel’s top leader, for whom the U.S. offers a $15 million reward.
The CJNG, which operates throughout Mexico and in various parts of the world, was designated earlier this year as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the U.S. government.
Álvarez was handed over to the federal public prosecutor to determine his legal situation, the report added.
International
Jair Bolsonaro sentenced for leading armed criminal plot after 2022 election loss
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been sentenced for leading an armed criminal organization that attempted to cling to power after losing the 2022 elections to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The alleged coup plot, which reportedly included a plan to assassinate Lula, was not carried out due to lack of support from the military leadership.
By a four-to-one vote of the judges overseeing the case, seven co-defendants, including former ministers and military chiefs, were also convicted.
“A criminal armed organization was formed by the defendants, who must be sentenced based on the factual circumstances I consider proven,” said the final judge to cast a vote, Cristiano Zanin.
Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, did not attend the court hearings, citing health issues.
Reacting on X, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, said: “They call this a trial a process whose outcome everyone already knew before it began.”
One of the first international reactions came from the White House. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called the sentence “very surprising,” while Senator Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the United States will “respond accordingly” to the “unjust” ruling.
International
Poland invokes NATO Article 4 after russian drone incursion
The violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones on Wednesday triggered the most serious clash between Russia and NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine, prompting Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed Parliament on Wednesday, describing an unprecedented “aggression” in which at least 19 Russian drones breached Polish airspace, creating a situation that the Prime Minister described as “the closest to an open conflict since World War II.”
Speaking at the start of an extraordinary Council of Ministers session, Tusk stated that “this is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over the territory of a NATO member state, and that is why all our allies are taking the situation very seriously.”
Although he affirmed that “there is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war,” he labeled the incidents as “a large-scale provocation” and ordered the invocation of NATO’s Article 4 to call for consultations with allied nations.
Tusk also noted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had received “not only expressions of solidarity with Poland but, above all, concrete proposals to support the country’s air defense” during discussions with European leaders throughout the day.
The Polish leader specifically mentioned conversations with the leaders of the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands—Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, and Dick Schoof—along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
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Authorities capture CJNG financial chief in international airport operation
Jair Bolsonaro sentenced for leading armed criminal plot after 2022 election loss
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