International

Chavez ally who broke with Venezuela’s Maduro released from prison

Photo: Federico Parra / AFP

January 22 | By AFP |

A close ally of the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez who fell out with his successor Nicolas Maduro said Saturday he had been freed after spending five years in prison.

The release of Miguel Rodriguez Torres, a former minister, was widely seen as stemming from recent reconciliation talks in Mexico between the leftist Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition.

The talks are aimed at ending a long-running political and economic crisis.

After his release, news reports said Rodriguez Torres left for exile in Spain.

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In a video posted on social media, the retired military officer said he was torn between joy over being released after five years in what he called “the gray box” and sadness over leaving.

“I am now going to travel away from my country, leave my beloved Venezuela,” he said, adding that former Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had worked behind the scenes for three years to secure his freedom.

Rodriguez Torres held several senior posts under Chavez during his rule from 1999 to 2013. He had joined Chavez in a failed coup in 1992.

After Chavez died of cancer in 2013 and Maduro, his hand-picked successor, took power, Rodriguez Torres stayed on to serve as interior and justice minister.

But, like other figures close to Chavez, he eventually fell out with Maduro and became an outspoken critic of his rule, until he was finally arrested by the intelligence services at a hotel in 2018.

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Rodriguez Torres was accused of a slew of crimes, including treason, espionage and instigation to rebellion, but he was never convicted.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”