International
Nearly 50 countries sign a declaration at the UN to “re-establish” democracy in Venezuela
A group of 49 countries plus the European Union (EU) signed this Thursday a joint declaration at the United Nations to ask for “re-establishment of democratic norms in Venezuela,” although it did not include a specific appeal to the UN to intervene in the crisis.
The declaration, prepared in the last few hours and read by the Panamanian Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, had very notable absences such as those of Mexico, Colombia or Brazil, and it was not signed by great powers such as China or Russia or any African or Arab state, with the exception of Morocco.
“It’s time for Venezuelans to start constructive and inclusive discussions”
The signatories recall that “it is time for Venezuelans to begin constructive and inclusive discussions to resolve the electoral ‘impasse’,” in reference to the presidential elections of last July 28, whose official results have not been recognized by much of the international community, which insists on the need for the Venezuelan electoral entity to publish the disaggregated results to demonstrate victory and end the crisis, something that has not happened to date.
“Seriously concerned about the allegations of human rights violations”
Likewise, those countries say they are “seriously concerned about the allegations of human rights violations,” among which they detail “arbitrary arrests, arrests, deaths and denial of judicial guarantees, as well as tactics of intimidation against the democratic opposition.”
Edmundo acknowledges his interest in working for the recovery of democracy
For his part, the flag bearer of the majority opposition in Venezuela, Edmundo González Urrutia, who arrived in Madrid on Sunday on a Spanish Air Force plane to ask for political asylum after denouncing fraud in the elections, recognized this Thursday to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, his interest in working for the recovery of democracy and respect for human rights in Venezuela, after being received by the head of the Spanish Executive.
Despite the fact that the statement has been negotiated in the corridors of the UN and has been read at the entrance of the Security Council, the Panamanian foreign minister acknowledged that they are not working together on any resolution on Venezuela, and even added that the position of his country “is very different from that of other countries” although they share the general principle that “democracy” must be restored” in the Caribbean country.
The UN “is promoting democracy”
Asked what the United Nations agencies can do specifically to help overcome the crisis, Martínez-Acha did not answer the question and limited himself to stating that the UN “is promoting democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.”
Despite the fact that the Venezuelan crisis has already lasted six long weeks, the issue has not yet reached the UN Security Council – the highest executive body – and has only motivated statements by Secretary General António Guterres, who has demanded again and again the publication of the complete electoral records and the need for human rights to be respected, without entering into the legitimacy or not of the re-election of Nicolás Maduro
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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