International

Majority anti-chavista alliance ratifies González Urrutia as a presidential candidate in Venezuela

The Democratic United Platform (PUD) – Venezuela’s main opposition coalition – ratifies Edmundo González Urrutia as its candidate for the presidential elections on July 28.

González Urrutia replaces María Corina Machado, who is disqualified from holding popularly elected positions.

“Venezuela and the democrats of the world, I want to give very good news to the people of Venezuela, the Democratic Unitary Platform unanimously has just approved the candidacy of Ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia as the candidate of unity, supported by all factors,” said the executive secretary of the PUD, Omar Barboza, in statements to the media.

González Urrutia was nominated by the PUD as a provisional candidate, after not being able to register Corina Yoris, who was appointed as a substitute for Machado.

Faced with this decision of the PUD, Barboza announced that the governor of the state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, will decline his candidacy for the Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party to support González Urrutia.

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“We want to give a recognition to Governor Rosales, a man who keeps his word, who after hearing the presentation of all the members of the Platform decided to decline his candidacy to join that of Edmundo González Urrutia,” he said.

UNT stressed, through the social network X, that it is “a historical gesture of great political greatness” on the part of Rosales – who, “fulfilled his word with the country, being a determining factor in achieving unity,” with the aim of “achieving the political change that the country demands.”

Rosales, who registered on the sidelines of the PUD when the deadline for the nominations was about to end, assured that his candidacy only sought to keep the opposition with options for the presidential elections, since the vast majority of those registered do not enjoy the support of traditional anti-chavism, considering that they receive favors from the ruling party in exchange for dividing the vote.

On March 26, the PUD registered González Urrutia as its provisional candidate in the face of the “clear impossibility” of nominating Corina Yoris elected because María Corina Machado could not compete because she was disabled.

The coalition explained that it made this decision in order to stay “within the electoral route” and “continue fighting.”

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This way you can “guarantee the registration” of the “candidate chosen by democratic factors.”

With González Urrutia, there are 13 candidates registered for the elections.

In addition to Manuel Rosales, Luis Brito, Luis Ratti, Enrique Márquez, Benjamín Rausseo, Luis Eduardo Martínez, Daniel Ceballos, Antonio Ecarri, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Javier Bertucci, Claudio Fermín and the president, Nicolás Maduro.

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.