International

Armed man surrenders after Rio de Janeiro bus hostage situation

The armed man who took 17 passengers hostage on Tuesday in a bus parked in the main terminal of Rio de Janeiro, after shooting two other people, surrendered to the Police after about three hours of kidnapping, official sources reported.

“I can report that the situation is resolved, the man who took the hostages surrendered and is detained, and all the hostages were released,” said Colonel Marco Andrade, spokesman for the Militarized Police of Rio, in statements to the press.

Although authorities initially indicated that the passengers were taken hostage after a failed robbery attempt on the bus, Andrade clarified that this information has not been confirmed so far.

According to police sources cited by the Globonews station, the perpetrator of the kidnapping is a criminal from Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro, who was attempting to flee to another city on another bus.

Despite attempts by specialized agents of the Special Operations Battalion of the Militarized Police to negotiate the release of the hostages, the kidnapper responded with gunfire to the initial attempts to approach the uniformed personnel.

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Later, he allowed the agents to enter the vehicle and surrendered himself, before releasing all the hostages, including children and the elderly.

The hostages were held for about three hours inside the bus in the main parking lot of the intermunicipal terminal of Rio, whose access roads were completely blocked by the Police.

According to a statement from the Militarized Police, before taking the hostages on the bus, the kidnapper shot two people on one of the platforms of the terminal, one of whom was seriously injured.

One of the wounded men, who was apparently going to travel on the hijacked bus, received three bullet wounds to the chest and abdomen, and his condition is critical, according to spokespeople from the Souza Aguiar Hospital, also located in the central and port region of Rio de Janeiro, where he was taken.

The kidnapping began around 2:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. GMT), when, after an initial shooting on the platform, the kidnapper armed himself and entered a bus of the company Viação Sampaio, which was bound for the city of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, and was still parked in the lot, but with its passengers on board.

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International

Venezuela Debates Broad Amnesty Law Covering 27 Years of Chavismo

Venezuela’s Parliament began debating on Thursday a sweeping amnesty bill that would cover the 27 years of Chavismo in power, while explicitly excluding serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity.

The proposed legislation, titled the “Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence,” was introduced by interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power following the capture of Nicolás Maduro during a U.S. military operation.

The legislative session was convened for Thursday afternoon, with lawmakers holding an initial discussion focused on the general principles of the bill. This phase precedes a consultation process with civil society, after which the proposal will move to a final debate examining each article individually.

According to a draft of the bill obtained by AFP, the amnesty would apply to individuals accused of crimes such as “treason,” “terrorism,” and “incitement to hatred,” charges that were frequently brought against political prisoners over the past decades. The scope also includes offenses ranging from acts of rebellion to punishments imposed for social media posts or messages sent through private messaging services.

The bill’s explanatory text emphasizes reconciliation, stating that it seeks to move away from “vengeance, retaliation, and hatred” in favor of “opening a path toward reconciliation.”

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However, the proposal explicitly excludes from its benefits crimes such as “serious human rights violations, crimes against humanity, war crimes, intentional homicide, corruption, and drug trafficking.”

These exclusions, the text notes, are based on strict compliance with the Venezuelan Constitution, which already prohibits granting amnesties or pardons for such offenses.

International

Díaz-Canel Calls for Talks With Washington Without Pressure as U.S. Tightens Oil Sanctions

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Thursday that his government is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, provided that talks take place on equal terms and without pressure.

“Cuba is prepared to hold a dialogue with the United States on any issue that either side wishes to discuss,” Díaz-Canel said during a press conference broadcast nationwide on radio and television.

He stressed, however, that such dialogue would only be possible “without pressure, without preconditions, on the basis of equality, and with full respect for our sovereignty, independence, and self-determination.” The Cuban leader added that discussions should avoid issues that could be interpreted as interference in the country’s internal affairs.

Díaz-Canel’s remarks come at a time when Cuba is facing growing pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has implemented a series of measures that have restricted the island’s access to fuel needed to generate electricity.

Washington has sought to prevent Cuba from receiving oil from Venezuela, its main ally for more than two decades, and has stepped up pressure to reduce crude shipments from Mexico. In addition, Trump signed an executive order in late January allowing the United States to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

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In that order, the U.S. president declared that Cuba represents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy, accusing the island of aligning itself with hostile countries and actors.

International

HRW Warns Trump’s Influence Has Weakened Human Rights in Latin America

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that the political influence and rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump have contributed to a deterioration of human rights conditions across Latin America and the Caribbean. In its World Report 2026, the organization stated that several governments in the region have committed abuses against migrants and citizens, or have used U.S. policies as justification to impose harsher repressive measures.

During the first year of Trump’s new term, HRW observed that multiple countries violated the rights of foreign nationals under direct pressure from Washington. Other governments deepened security strategies based on militarization, mass detentions and excessive use of force, according to the report.

“The impact of the Trump administration has undoubtedly been negative in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Juanita Goebertus, HRW’s Americas director. However, she emphasized that “governments in the region remain responsible for defending democracy and fundamental rights, regardless of who is in power in Washington.”

HRW also reported that the United States significantly reduced cooperation funding for human rights organizations and independent media. At the same time, countries such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador passed laws allowing the arbitrary closure of civil society organizations and media outlets, weakening democratic systems and institutional checks and balances.

The organization further criticized what it described as a “double standard” in U.S. foreign policy, which condemns human rights violations in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua while overlooking serious abuses committed by allies such as El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador. The report also included criticism of the U.S. military attack against Venezuela in early 2026, warning that it could strengthen Nicolás Maduro’s regime and respond primarily to U.S. political and commercial interests.