标签： South America

In a significant diplomatic development, Venezuela’s interim government has initiated the release of individuals long classified as political prisoners by international human rights organizations. The move, characterized by officials as a gesture of goodwill, follows the extraordinary capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces during a raid in Caracas last Saturday.

Spain’s foreign ministry confirmed the release of five Spanish nationals, including one dual citizen, among whom is prominent rights activist Rocio San Miguel. Jorge Rodríguez, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and brother of interim President Delcy Rodríguez, announced on state television that ‘a significant number’ of detainees would be immediately freed in the interest of ‘national unity and peaceful coexistence,’ though specific numbers and identities were not disclosed.

The release marks a pivotal shift in Venezuela’s approach to longstanding US demands regarding political prisoners, particularly during periods of heightened repression around elections or protests. San Miguel, a security and defense expert and vocal Maduro critic, was arrested in February 2024 on allegations of involvement in an assassination plot against the then-president, facing charges of treason, conspiracy, and terrorism.

Venezuelan human rights organizations, many with members or founders currently imprisoned, responded to the developments with cautious optimism. The interim administration under Delcy Rodríguez has demonstrated unexpected willingness to cooperate with the US since Maduro’s capture and subsequent transfer to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Attention now turns to the notorious El Helicoide prison, where 50-80 prisoners are believed detained. US President Donald Trump announced the facility’s closure following Maduro’s capture, though human rights group Provea warns this should not divert attention from other detention sites across the country. The prison gained international notoriety for holding alleged political opponents under conditions involving torture, beatings, and electrocution.

The developments occur against a backdrop of increased legal proceedings against activists, journalists, and political adversaries since the widely disputed 2024 election. While opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has repeatedly demanded releases, government officials including Attorney General Tarek Saab have consistently denied holding political prisoners, maintaining those detained were arrested for legitimate crimes.

In a decisive move with profound political implications, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has exercised his executive authority to veto legislation that would have substantially reduced the 27-year prison sentence of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. The controversial bill, which had been approved by the Senate in December, sought to reclassify the crime of attempted coup d’état, effectively shortening sentences for those convicted in connection with the January 2023 insurrection.

The presidential veto was announced during a solemn ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasília, strategically timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the violent riots orchestrated by Bolsonaro’s supporters. These events resulted in significant damage to government buildings and ultimately formed the evidentiary foundation for the prosecution of the former far-right leader.

President Lula delivered a powerful address to assembled members of Brazil’s three governmental branches, emphasizing the historical significance of preserving democratic memory. “We don’t have the right of forgetting our past. That’s why we don’t accept dictatorships, civilian or military,” Lula declared, characterizing January 8th as “the day of our democracy’s victory against those who tried to seize power through force.”

While Brazil’s Congress retains the constitutional authority to override the presidential veto, political analysts suggest such action would carry considerable risk for lawmakers facing general elections in October. The 80-year-old leftist president currently leads polling projections, potentially setting the stage for an electoral confrontation with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the former president’s sons.

The political context underscores the deep divisions within Brazilian society. Lula narrowly secured his third presidential term against Bolsonaro, who was subsequently rendered ineligible for office until 2030 due to documented abuses of power during his campaign. With Bolsonaro’s imprisonment commencing in November for his attempted coup conviction, his potential return to politics has been further delayed until 2033, with additional legal cases still pending.

Notably absent from the ceremony were lower house speaker Hugo Motta and Senate president Davi Alcolumbre, highlighting the ongoing political tensions. The 2023 riots, frequently compared to the January 6th Capitol insurrection in the United States, resulted in substantial damage to congressional buildings.

Had the legislation been enacted, it would have allowed Bolsonaro’s coup attempt charge to be absorbed into a lesser offense, significantly reducing his prison term. The measure would have similarly benefited other individuals convicted in connection with the failed insurrection, potentially reducing their sentences by up to two-thirds.

Bolsonaro’s legal representatives have previously petitioned for his transfer to house arrest, citing concerns about the former president’s deteriorating health condition. His medical history includes multiple hospitalizations since surviving a stabbing attack by a mentally ill assailant during the 2018 election campaign. Neither Bolsonaro nor his legal team have issued any public statements regarding President Lula’s veto decision.

Venezuela has commenced a substantial prisoner release initiative, described by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez as a governmental gesture “to seek peace.” This development occurs less than one week after former President Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by U.S. forces to confront federal drug-trafficking charges in New York.

While Rodríguez confirmed the releases were actively underway, he provided no specific details regarding the number of detainees or their identities. The Spanish government separately confirmed the liberation of five Spanish citizens in Caracas, with embassy officials coordinating their repatriation.

Human rights organization Penal Forum documented 863 individuals detained for “political reasons” in Venezuela as of late December 2025. Alfredo Romero, the organization’s director, characterized the releases as “good news” while emphasizing ongoing verification efforts. “We already know of some people on their way to freedom, including foreigners,” Romero stated via social media.

The Venezuelan government maintains its longstanding position denying the existence of “political prisoners,” instead accusing detainees of conspiring to destabilize Maduro’s administration. This pattern of strategic prisoner releases has been noted by political analysts including Ronal Rodríguez of the University of Rosario in Bogotá, who observed that “the regime uses them like a bargaining chip” at politically opportune moments.

This development coincides with heightened U.S. engagement in Venezuelan affairs. The Trump administration recently seized sanctioned oil tankers and announced plans to relax certain sanctions, enabling American oversight of Venezuela’s global petroleum sales. These actions implement President Trump’s pledge that the U.S. would “run” the country following Maduro’s capture, demonstrating Washington’s determination to leverage Venezuela’s substantial oil resources to influence the nation’s political trajectory.

The U.S. Senate is poised for a crucial vote on Thursday regarding a war powers resolution that would restrict President Donald Trump’s ability to initiate further military actions against Venezuela without congressional approval. This legislative move follows the controversial capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a surprise nighttime raid conducted by U.S. forces over the weekend.

The resolution, championed by Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), represents the latest congressional effort to reassert legislative authority over military deployments after multiple previous attempts failed during Trump’s escalating campaign against the South American nation. The administration has employed evolving legal justifications for its operations across Central and South America, ranging from counter-terrorism authorizations to law enforcement operations aimed at extraditing Maduro to face trial in the United States.

Republican leadership has largely expressed support for Trump’s actions, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praising the president’s ‘peace through strength’ approach in the hemisphere. However, some Republican senators including Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina indicated they were carefully considering their positions on the resolution, with Tillis emphasizing the need for congressional authorization before committing troops to Venezuela.

The debate occurs against the backdrop of the rarely enforced War Powers Act, passed over President Nixon’s veto following the Vietnam War. This legislation requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of military deployments and obtain authorization for sustained operations—provisions that multiple administrations have routinely stretched.

Democratic leaders have characterized Trump’s foreign interventions as distractions from domestic issues, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer questioning why a president who campaigned on ‘America First’ was dedicating substantial energy to overseas escapades. The discussion has expanded beyond Venezuela to include potential actions against Greenland, with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asserting the commander-in-chief’s unilateral authority while other Republicans criticized such proposals as ‘amateurish’ and ‘absurd.’

Progressive Democrats are preparing additional resolutions to prevent military action against multiple countries, signaling an ongoing constitutional confrontation between the legislative and executive branches regarding war powers.

President Donald Trump has indicated that American involvement in Venezuela may extend for an indefinite period following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. In an exclusive interview with The New York Times, Trump stated that “only time will tell” how long his administration would oversee the South American nation’s governance.

The development comes after US forces conducted a raid on Saturday that resulted in Maduro’s seizure. Trump declined to specify whether or when elections would be conducted to replace the interim government currently led by Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodríguez.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado characterized Maduro’s ouster as triggering an “irreversible process” toward Venezuelan freedom. This contrast highlights the complex political landscape unfolding in the oil-rich nation.

The White House announced earlier Wednesday that the United States would control sales of sanctioned Venezuelan oil “indefinitely.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright justified this measure as necessary leverage over Caracas’ interim government. Trump acknowledged that while his administration would be “taking oil” from Venezuela—home to the world’s largest proven reserves—restoring the country’s crippled oil industry would “take a while.”

Venezuela’s oil production has dramatically declined due to years of mismanagement under Maduro and his predecessor, compounded by extensive US sanctions.

Trump revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintains “constant communication” with Rodríguez, who was designated as Venezuela’s interim leader by the Supreme Court—still dominated by Maduro loyalists. According to Trump, Rodríguez is “giving us everything that we feel is necessary.” The US president previously stated that the interim government had agreed to use oil proceeds exclusively for purchasing American-made goods.

Notably, Trump dismissed opposition leader Machado’s potential leadership, claiming she lacked necessary “respect” and support. This contradicts expectations among Venezuela analysts who anticipated the rapid return of opposition leaders Edmundo González and Machado following Maduro’s removal.

Machado, who united opposition groups before being barred from the 2024 presidential election, subsequently supported former diplomat González as her proxy. Independently verified voting tallies suggest González won by a landslide, though the government-loyal electoral council declared Maduro re-elected. Both opposition leaders faced government repression, with González going into exile and Machado hiding within Venezuela before her perilous journey to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

In an interview with Venezuelan opposition news site La Patilla, Machado insisted that González remains the legitimate president-elect and demanded release of over 800 political prisoners—a demand echoed by Republican lawmaker María Elvira Salazar.

According to NYT journalists, Trump appeared more focused on the rescue mission than navigating Venezuela’s complex political future. When pressed on US plans, he stated: “We will rebuild it in a very profitable way… We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

The president is scheduled to meet with representatives from three major US oil companies at the White House on Friday to further discuss these plans.

PARIS — In a dramatic display of agricultural dissent, approximately one hundred tractors converged upon the French capital on Thursday as farmers launched a major protest against the European Union’s proposed free trade agreement with Mercosur nations. The demonstration, organized by the Rural Coordination union, saw farmers defy government bans by positioning agricultural vehicles at iconic locations including the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower neighborhoods.

The protest targets the EU’s renewed negotiations with five South American countries—Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia—amid speculation that a deal could be finalized during a January 12 meeting in Paraguay. French agricultural representatives argue the agreement would devastate local farming sectors by exposing them to unfair competition from countries with less stringent production standards.

José Perez, president of the Rural Coordination in southwestern France’s Lot-et-Garonne region, stated the mobilization aimed to bring farmers’ concerns directly to policymakers. ‘The goal today is to come to Paris to express our demands closer to those who have the power,’ Perez told The Associated Press, describing the tractor procession as ‘a strong symbol’ of agricultural discontent.

Despite government efforts to restrict tractor access to central Paris, protestors managed to bypass security barriers, though most vehicles were ultimately contained at major traffic arteries marking the city’s perimeter. The French Interior Ministry confirmed approximately 20 tractors reached central Paris despite an official prohibition.

The demonstration combines longstanding opposition to the Mercosur agreement with recent frustrations over government sanitary measures addressing bovine disease outbreaks. French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard reiterated the nation’s firm opposition to the trade deal on Wednesday, warning it threatens numerous agricultural sectors including beef, chicken, sugar, ethanol, and honey production.

While Germany leads supporter nations pushing for the agreement’s adoption, France and Poland remain its most vocal opponents within the EU. Previous French opposition successfully stalled the agreement last month, though renewed negotiations have intensified concerns among farming communities about the deal’s potential implementation.

In a strategic pivot that has stunned regional analysts, the United States has endorsed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s interim president following the dramatic ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The decision represents a calculated departure from supporting opposition leader María Corina Machado, whose movement secured an electoral mandate in 2024 but was deemed potentially destabilizing by U.S. intelligence assessments.

Rodríguez, a former vice president and daughter of a Marxist guerrilla, embodies continuity from the Chavista regime rather than its dissolution. Her appointment preserves key power structures including military leadership under Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and hardline interior minister Diosdado Cabello—both Maduro loyalists who retain control over security apparatuses.

The Trump administration’s rationale, explained by former U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro, prioritizes ‘stability over democracy.’ Classified intelligence reports warned that installing Machado risked triggering violent chaos, including potential guerrilla warfare from disaffected regime elements. Instead, Washington bets Rodríguez can deliver economic liberalization while maintaining order.

Critical challenges await: revitalizing Venezuela’s crippled oil industry requires tens of billions in foreign investment unlikely without legitimate governance. While Rodríguez may cooperate on narcotics control and scale back ties with Russia and China, genuine democratic transition remains distant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined a three-phase plan emphasizing stabilization and oil sales before reconciliation—with elections conspicuously absent from immediate priorities.

President Trump’s dismissal of Nobel laureate Machado as ‘not respected’ and embrace of Rodríguez’s ‘gracious’ leadership signals a pragmatic, if morally ambiguous, realpolitik approach. As analyst Phil Gunson notes, ‘Trump may be getting something out of this, but ordinary Venezuelans are getting screwed as usual.’

In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House following a contentious phone conversation marked by mutual threats and accusations. The development comes amid heightened regional instability following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and significant casualties.

Trump’s characterization of the Colombian leader as ‘a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States’ during remarks aboard Air Force One stands in stark contrast to his subsequent description of their conversation as a ‘Great Honor’ on his Truth Social platform. This diplomatic whiplash underscores the volatile nature of U.S.-Colombian relations under both administrations.

The backdrop to this diplomatic confrontation includes Saturday night’s raid on Caracas, which Venezuelan officials claim resulted in over 100 fatalities—substantially higher than initial reports of 55 casualties among Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the revised death toll on Wednesday, while interim president Delcy Rodríguez condemned the operation as an unprecedented ‘stain on our relations.’

Central to the dispute is the ongoing drug trade conflict. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Petro’s administration in October 2026, alleging catastrophic failures in curbing cocaine production that has ‘exploded to the highest rate in decades.’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asserted that Colombian cartels are ‘flourishing’ under Petro’s leadership, flooding American markets with narcotics.

Petro vehemently countered these allegations, emphasizing his decades-long anti-trafficking efforts and claiming successful containment of coca crop expansion. The Colombian leader issued a stark warning via social media platform X, threatening that his nation would ‘take up arms’ against any U.S. military action, metaphorically invoking the ‘people’s jaguar’ being unleashed if Maduro remains detained.

Beyond narcotics, energy resources loom large in the geopolitical standoff. Both Colombia and Venezuela possess substantial oil reserves, with the U.S. announcing indefinite control over Venezuelan oil sales while preparing to roll back global market restrictions. Rodríguez notably left the door open for beneficial energy relations despite condemning Maduro’s capture.

The scheduled White House meeting, to be arranged by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombian counterparts, represents a potential diplomatic off-ramp amid escalating threats and accusations. However, Trump’s earlier warning for Petro to ‘watch his ass’ suggests the relationship remains precariously balanced between confrontation and negotiation.