International
The Foreign Minister of Uruguay assures that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship”
The Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Omar Paganini, assured on Tuesday that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship” and that the electoral process of that country “has been completely distorted.”
This was assured at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which he emphasized that “the worst forecasts” were confirmed after the disqualification of María Corina Machado and that Corina Yoris could not register with the National Electoral Council.
“Yesterday the Government of Uruguay along with many countries in South America issued a statement very concerned about what is happening regarding the electoral process in Venezuela and unfortunately today the worst forecasts have been confirmed,” the chancellor stressed.
In that way, he referred to the statement in which the Governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay expressed their “serious concern” about the “persistent impediments” in the registration of Venezuela’s presidential candidates before the National Electoral Council.
“They let some candidates register that evidently the Venezuelan regime has no concern that they can gather a flow of votes,” said Paganini, who recalled that “those who mean a risk” could not do so.
“The Venezuelan electoral process has clearly been completely distorted and unless these things are reversed, it does not admit a surprise but it also indicates that Venezuela is consolidated as a dictatorship that moves away from any possible democratic practice,” he emphasized.
Asked about whether Uruguay will recognize the result of that country’s elections, Paganini explained that that will be seen when the time comes, but said that the situation is very distorted.
“The elections are for people to choose between alternatives. The elections are not for people to choose what the Government of the day wants. It is not the attitude of the Venezuelan regime and therefore it is consolidated in a dictatorial practice,” he said.
Beyond this, the minister said that Uruguay understands it as “valuable” to have diplomatic representation in Venezuela, because relations are with countries and not with governments.
Machado ratified on Tuesday that he will remain on the electoral route ahead of the presidential elections on July 28, without explaining how he will do it, given the impossibility of the Platform of Democratic Unity (PUD) to register Yoris within the deadline established by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which ended on Monday.
On the other hand, President Nicolás Maduro made official on Monday, before the CNE, his candidacy for the elections of July 28, in which he will compete for a third term in power, which he has occupied since 2013.
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.
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.
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.
Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint
U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning
EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images
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