标签： South America

Venezuela’s National Assembly has initiated legislative proceedings on a transformative bill that would significantly reduce state dominance over the country’s oil industry, marking the most substantial policy shift since the late President Hugo Chávez nationalized major portions of the sector in 2007. The proposed legislation, which advanced through initial parliamentary debate on Thursday, would establish new frameworks for private sector participation and international arbitration mechanisms.

The comprehensive reform package emerges amid heightened pressure from the Trump administration following the recent U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro. American officials have intensified demands for Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez to facilitate increased investment from U.S. energy corporations in the nation’s struggling petroleum industry.

According to draft legislation obtained by The Associated Press, the bill would enable private companies to independently operate oil fields, market their crude production, and retain financial revenues while maintaining nominal minority partnership status with state-owned PDVSA. The document explicitly states that operating companies would assume comprehensive management of activities “at its sole cost, expense and risk.”

A critical component of the proposed law involves permitting international arbitration for investment disputes, moving away from the previous requirement that cases be heard exclusively in Venezuelan courts. The legislation maintains the existing 30% royalty rate but allows reductions to as low as 15% for complex or capital-intensive oil projects to incentivize development.

Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly and brother of the acting president, emphasized to lawmakers that the bill aims to achieve “an accelerated increase in production,” noting that “oil under the ground is useless” without development. The proposal received backing from business representatives, including Orlando Camacho of Fedeindustria, who described the measures as essential for maintaining the oil industry as Venezuela’s economic engine.

Despite these overtures, significant investor concerns persist regarding financial and legal risks. Many international energy companies, including Exxon, continue seeking compensation for assets seized during Chávez’s nationalization campaign. Additional uncertainties stem from Venezuela’s political transition timeline and the maintenance of U.S. sanctions that currently restrict foreign operations in the country’s oil sector.

A significant legislative confrontation unfolded in the House of Representatives on Thursday as lawmakers voted on a resolution demanding the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Venezuela. This move represents the latest chapter in the ongoing tension between Democratic legislators and the Republican-controlled Congress regarding presidential authority in military engagements.

The resolution emerged despite prior assurances from the Trump administration to senators that no American troops were currently deployed in Venezuela and that congressional approval would be sought before initiating substantial military operations. Democratic representatives maintained that the measure remained necessary following recent U.S. efforts to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and President Trump’s expressed intentions to control the nation’s oil resources.

The vote served as a critical examination of Republican willingness to constrain a president who originally campaigned on reducing foreign military involvement but has increasingly employed military options to advance policy objectives in the Western Hemisphere. Thus far, most Republican lawmakers have resisted imposing checks on presidential war powers through legislative measures.

Representative Brian Mast (R), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, characterized the Democratic initiative as motivated by ‘spite’ toward President Trump rather than substantive policy concerns. He defended the administration’s actions, describing the operation against Maduro as ‘possibly the most successful law enforcement operation in history.’

Democratic representatives countered that Congress must reassert its constitutional role in determining appropriate use of military force. Representative Gregory Meeks (D), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the administration’s approach, stating that Trump’s policies were reducing the United States to ‘a regional bully with fewer allies and more enemies.’

The debate occurs alongside emerging questions about the administration’s handling of Venezuelan oil resources. Senate Democrats have raised concerns about potential connections between oil licensing agreements and political contributions, specifically referencing Vitol, a major oil broker that received significant licensing rights while its executives contributed substantially to Trump-aligned political action committees.

Thirteen Democratic senators have demanded full transparency regarding any financial arrangements connected to Venezuela that might benefit presidential donors. The White House maintains that it is safeguarding Venezuela’s oil resources for the benefit of both the Venezuelan people and American interests.

CARACAS, Venezuela — In a significant development within Venezuela’s political landscape, Rafael Tudares Bracho, son-in-law of prominent opposition leader Edmundo González, has been released from detention after enduring over 380 days incommunicado imprisonment. His liberation represents part of a broader pattern of prisoner releases initiated by Venezuela’s interim government following the apprehension of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. authorities on narcotics trafficking allegations.

The emotional reunion occurred Thursday morning, ending what family members described as an “unjust and arbitrary detention” characterized by enforced disappearance conditions. Mariana González, Tudares Bracho’s wife and daughter of the opposition leader, announced the development via social media platform X, emphasizing the “stoic and profoundly difficult struggle” the family endured throughout the ordeal.

Tudares Bracho’s legal proceedings drew international scrutiny after his November 28 trial concluded within a single 12-hour session, resulting in convictions for conspiracy, terrorism, and criminal association charges that carried a 30-year sentence. The remarkably expedited judicial process and subsequent lengthy incommunicado detention raised serious concerns about due process violations.

The release coincides with growing domestic pressure as families of detained Venezuelans maintain vigils outside prisons demanding freedom for approximately 800 imprisoned critics, journalists, and opposition members. Edmundo González, widely recognized as the legitimate victor of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election despite his current exile status, celebrated the development while cautioning against viewing it as an isolated incident.

In a social media statement, González emphasized the broader implications: “It would be a mistake to reduce this event to a personal story. There remain men and women deprived of liberty for political reasons, without guarantees, without due process, and in many cases, without truth.”

According to Venezuela’s leading prisoner rights organization Foro Penal, this release brings the verified number of freed political prisoners to 145, while at least 775 individuals remain in detention. The Trump administration has characterized these releases as goodwill gestures toward the United States, though concerns persist regarding Venezuela’s judicial independence and human rights record.

In a significant development within Venezuela’s ongoing political turmoil, Rafael Tudares—the son-in-law of prominent opposition figure Edmundo González—has been released following over a year of detention. His wife, Mariana González, publicly confirmed his return after what she described as “380 days of unjust and arbitrary detention.”

Tudares’s release occurs against the backdrop of drastic political shifts, including the U.S. military’s capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, who now faces trial in New York on drug-trafficking allegations. Since Maduro’s removal, an estimated 150 detainees have been freed, though human rights organizations emphasize that hundreds remain imprisoned under questionable legal circumstances.

Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, now serves as acting president and has received endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump. This support followed her commitment to transfer up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the United States. Among the Trump administration’s early demands was the release of political prisoners—a gesture Rodríguez’s administration has slowly begun implementing.

However, watchdog groups like Foro Penal report that only 151 releases have been verified since the government’s promise to free “an important number” of detainees. Many freed individuals still face unresolved legal charges and are prohibited from public commentary, leaving them in a state of judicial uncertainty.

Tudares’s initial arrest was emblematic of the crackdown that followed the contentious 2024 presidential election. After opposition frontrunner María Corina Machado was disqualified, Edmundo González emerged as the primary challenger. When official results—unsupported by detailed tallies—declared Maduro the winner, González sought asylum and later exile, fearing government retaliation.

Just days before Maduro’s January 2025 inauguration, Tudares—a lawyer with no political involvement—was abducted by masked operatives while taking his children to visit their grandmother. For months, his family had no knowledge of his location or the charges against him. He was later sentenced to 30 years for “terrorism and conspiracy” in a proceeding his family decried as unjust.

Mariana González revealed that intermediaries had repeatedly suggested her husband’s release was contingent on her father renouncing his political cause. She condemned the ordeal, stating, “Being the son-in-law of Edmundo González is not a crime.”

While celebrating Tudares’s return, González reminded the public that hundreds of families continue to await news of loved ones who remain detained. Vigils are ongoing outside Venezuelan prisons as families hope more releases will follow.

In a significant bilateral security operation, Mexican authorities have transferred 37 inmates with alleged connections to powerful drug cartels to face judicial proceedings in the United States. This development follows recent remarks by former President Donald Trump suggesting potential U.S. military strikes against organized criminal networks operating within Mexican territory.

This transfer represents the third such extradition initiative between the two nations within the past year, occurring during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration which has faced scrutiny regarding its approach to U.S. relations. Mexico’s Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, communicated via social media platform X that the extradited individuals constituted a ‘threat to the country’s security.’

The U.S. Justice Department publicly endorsed the extraditions, characterizing them as instrumental to a comprehensive strategy aimed at dismantling cartel operations. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated formally that ‘these 37 cartel members will now answer for their crimes against the American people within American judicial institutions.’

Mexican officials secured assurances from U.S. prosecutors that capital punishment would not be sought against the transferred individuals. The operation was conducted pursuant to National Security Law provisions and established bilateral cooperation frameworks, with explicit acknowledgment of national sovereignty considerations.

The detainees were transported aboard seven armed Mexican aircraft to multiple U.S. jurisdictions including Washington, New York, Houston, Pennsylvania, San Diego, and San Antonio. This latest operation brings the total number of extradited prisoners to 92 since the beginning of Trump’s second administration, following previous transfers of 26 ‘key operatives’ last August and a similar operation in February.

President Sheinbaum’s government has intensified anti-narcotics efforts, citing a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the southern U.S. border as evidence of effective policy. These developments occur alongside diplomatic discussions concerning U.S. military deployment along the border, which Mexican officials have explicitly stated remains ‘not on the table’ for consideration.

The extradition program unfolds against a broader geopolitical backdrop that includes U.S. actions against other regional governments, following the precedent of military operations in Venezuela targeting former President Nicolás Maduro.