International
Only 55 released of the more than 1,400 detainees and protests over elections in Venezuela
The NGO of Venezuela Foro Penal assured on Thursday that of the more than 1,400 detainees that it has been able to confirm, after the protests recorded against the official result of the presidential elections by which the electoral authorities proclaimed the victory of Nicolás Maduro, only 55 people have been released.
“Few people have been liberated. We have only added, of the more than 1,400 people arrested, 55 people who have been released,” explained the president of the Criminal Forum, Alfredo Romero, after an activity of advising relatives of these detainees, together with the NGO Provea.
Romero did not detail the ages of those released so far because, he said, the NGO has counted a total of 118 adolescents, between 13 and 17 years of age, among those arrested after the protests.
He also recalled that among those apprehended there are people with disabilities, as well as a citizen who is within the autism spectrum.
“There is a deaf person detained, there are people with, in addition to disabilities, with diseases of some kind, chronic,” he added.
The activist indicated that most of the arrests took place in the context of the demonstrations against the official result of the presidential elections but – he explained – they are verifying complaints of “selective” arrests, in which security officials take people who are inside their homes.
Meanwhile, Leticia Torrealba, mother of a 16-year-old man arrested, explained in the activity that her son was arrested on July 29 when he was walking with other friends on the street and were approached by officials of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB, Militarized Police).
“He is 16 years old and this is really distressing, I do not wish this to anyone that one has a minor and that they have him in that situation, it is difficult for one, because it is very difficult for one to smile and see other people well (…) really one feels very breakable,” he said.
According to the Venezuelan Executive, more than 2,400 people were arrested in the context of the protests unleashed after the elections of July 28, in which, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, 25 deaths were recorded.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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