International

Defense lawyers in Kirchner case claim constitutional violations

AFP

Defense lawyers in a corruption trial involving Vice President Cristina Kirchner that resumed on Monday said prosecutors had violated Argentina’s constitution and its federal system.

Kirchner is among 13 people accused of fraud and corruption in a case involving bribes alleged to have been paid in her Patagonian political stronghold during her two terms as president (2007-15) and that of her late husband Nestor’s in the four years before that.

Prosecutors have asked that Kirchner be jailed for 12 years and banned for life from politics if convicted, although as a senator she would initially benefit from parliamentary immunity if that were the case.

Kirchner, 69, is accused of fraudulently awarding public works contracts.

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The lawyer for one of her co-accused, Hector Jesus Carro, argued that the same case had already been investigated and closed in Kirchner’s fiefdom, Santa Cruz province.

In a federal system such as Argentina’s, the current trial constitutes “interference in local government, in the provincial constitution, causing irreparable damage to the federal system,” argued attorney Mariano Fragueiro Frias.

Kirchner is not due to take the stand until the end of September, with five co-defendants appearing before her.

A verdict is not expected until the end of the year.

Kirchner has not spoken since surviving an apparent assassination attempt last Thursday when a gunman pointed a loaded weapon at her head and seemingly pulled the trigger, only for the firearm to fail to go off.

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Even the vice president’s usually busy Twitter account has not been updated since.

The prosecution has pointed to what it called systematic irregularities in more than 50 tenders over a 12-year period in which the state lost 5.2 billion pesos ($37 million).

Center-left Peronist Kirchner denies any wrongdoing.

She is implicated in four separate proceedings for laundering and speculative damage to the state, amongst other charges.

She has accused investigators of waging a “legal war” against her that is orchestrated by the right-wing opposition.

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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.