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
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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