International
The Constitution of Venezuela, a quarter of a century later
The Constitution of Venezuela reaches its 25th anniversary this Sunday with a questioned compliance with its precepts and a country far from that described in the Magna Carta – approved in a popular referendum on December 15, 1999 -, of which Chavismo and the opposition mutually accuse each other.
The text, which obtained 71% of the votes in favor – in a day marked by a high abstention and a natural disaster that took the lives of thousands in the north of the country -, was prepared to “establish a democratic, participatory and leading society,” in a “State of justice” that “consolidates the values of freedom” and guarantees human rights.
A quarter of a century later, the refounded ‘Bolivarian Republic’ is experiencing one of its greatest political crises, unleashed after the July presidential elections and marked by protests, police operations, 28 deaths and 2,400 arrests -according to official figures-, complaints of human rights violations, uncertainty, diplomatic conflicts and alleged terrorist and magnicide plans.
Here are some of the most invoked constitutional articles in this context:
Art. 5: The sovereignty resides intransferable in the people.
The candidate of the largest opposition bloc – the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) -, Edmundo González Urrutia, cited this article in defense of his claimed victory in the elections, a process tarnished by the coalition’s denunciation of fraud and a broad international questioning of the proclaimed re-election of Nicolás Maduro, who also claims popular sovereignty that – he assures – supported him.
Art. 68: Citizens have the right to demonstrate, peacefully and without weapons.
According to the Social Conflict Observatory (OVCS), there were 5,005 protests between January and November, of which – it indicates – 218 were suppressed. The hottest days were those after the elections, with demonstrations pointed out by the PUD as “spontaneous and legitimate expressions” and by the ruling party as “criminal guarimbas (violent revolts)” and “terrorists.”
Art. 49: Due process shall apply to all judicial and administrative proceedings.
Relatives of those who are considered “political prisoners”, activists and NGOs denounce violation of due process, impossibility of appointing lawyers and accessing files, incommunicado, early convictions, pressures to attribute to themselves facts that – they assure – they “did not commit”, transfers away from their places of residence without prior notice, mistreatment and lack of medical care, allegations that the Government denies and describes as false.
Art. 130: Venezuelans have the duty to honor and defend the homeland.
The Parliament – controlled by Chavismo – insisted this year on legislating against the “traitors to the homeland” based on article 130, and one of its most recent actions was to approve the ‘Organic Law Liberator Simón Bolívar’, which establishes penalties of 25 to 30 years in prison and fines of up to one million euros (1,050,400 dollars) for those who promote or are involved in foreign sanctions, as well as political disqualification of 60 years.
Art. 328: The Armed Forces constitute an essentially professional institution, without political militancy, (…) at the exclusive service of the nation and, in no case, to that of any person or political partiality.
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), called “deeply Chavista” by Maduro, ratified its “absolute loyalty and subordination” to the head of state after the validation of its controversial victory by the Supreme Court, controlled by magistrates related to the ruling party, and after the PUD urged the military institution to “respect popular sovereignty.”
Art. 91: Every worker has the right to a sufficient salary that allows him to live with dignity and cover the basic needs for himself and his family.
The minimum wage – a reference for the rest of the remuneration in the public sector – has remained, since March 2022, at 130 bolivars, today about 2.5 dollars, when the basic food basket for a representative family of five people reached 539.79 dollars in October, according to independent estimates, an amount unattainable even with the additional bonuses of 130 dollars.
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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