International

The Venezuelan Prosecutor rejects the use of the concept of “forced disappearance” instead of “arrest”

The Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, rejected on Wednesday the indiscriminate use of the concept of “forced disappearance” when there is an arrest of opponents or activists accused of crimes, in which cases – he assured – the State acts in accordance with the rights.

“I find it disgusting that every time the Venezuelan State acts, the international media that look like public facades of conspiracy plans make the figure of forced disappearance appear,” Saab said, referring to the arrest of Whillfer Piña and Renzo Flores, members of the opposition political organization La Causa R.

On Tuesday, Saab reported that these two members of the opposition political organization Causa R were arrested in the town of Maturín (northeast), for the crimes of conspiracy and threats of slaughter against President Nicolas Maduro

Saab explained that the crimes of the detainees Whillfer José Piña Azuaje and Renzo Estibenz Flores, are part of a chain of acts that began in May 2023 and have lasted over time to the present day.

On the other hand, Saab rejected that international organizations, “instead of defending human rights, intend to protect those who want to attack the country.”

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“To those who seem that arresting these subjects for threatening the life of the president is an excessive measure, I remind you of the long history of arrests and convictions in the United States for threats against the different presidents of that country,” said the prosecutor, who recalled the successive attempts to attack Maduro, such as on August 4, 2018, for which drones were used.

The official insisted that the State will continue to defend the country’s peace and will avoid, whenever possible, acts of this nature.

Among the evidence found by the authorities, there is the publication of a threat in the Whatsapp state of Piña, which says that “in Maturín (where the Venezuelan president traveled this Monday) it will be the death of Nicolás Maduro.”

On the phone where the WhatsApp was hosted, seized for analysis, a conversation was discovered between Piña and Renzo Flores. In this, groups of armed hooded men are mentioned to carry out the planned operation with other individuals, whose names do not appear in the text.

The prosecutor detailed that, during the interrogation, Renzo Flores stated that he met Piña about 8 months ago. The latter had mentioned to him a plan that he was organizing with former comrades of the Military Academy. It consisted of recruiting 50 soldiers to take one so

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The two subjects will be presented to an anti-terrorism court this Wednesday afternoon, accused of conspiracy, association and attempted assassination.

The arrest and subsequent presentation of Flores and Piña before the courts denies, de facto, that there was a forced disappearance, as stated on Tuesday by the opposition Democratic Unitary Platform and Causa R.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

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While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.