International

Carlos Correa, director of the Venezuelan NGO Espacio Público, has been released from prison

The director of the Venezuelan human rights NGO Espacio Público, Carlos Correa, who was arrested on January 7, was released early this Thursday, the organization reported in a message from X.

“We thank all the people, organizations, governments and groups who joined the voice for liberation,” says the message in which the NGO states that it continues with “the work for the defense of human dignity.”

The release, of which no more details are given, came hours after Mabel Calderín, wife of the director of Espacio Público, reported that they had learned that her husband was brought before a court with jurisdiction in terrorism, but not of what crimes he is accused.

“Today we were received by the national prosecutor 52 of economic crimes, Alirio Mendoza, who told us that the information he could offer was punctual and that he explained to us that Carlos was arrested on January 7, effectively, and was presented on January 9 with a public defender,” Calderín explained in a video published by Espacio Público in X.

He pointed out that, according to the prosecutor’s information, Correa was presented before a court with jurisdiction in terrorism but that, he added, could not explain “what were the charges that were charged against him.”

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Calderín indicated that they went again to the headquarters of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (Sebin), known as the Helicoide, where they denied that the activist was detained there.

The NGO Espacio Público reported last Tuesday the “disappearance” of Correa, the same day as the arrest of seven opposition politicians, including former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, as well as the “kidnapping” of Rafael Tudares, son-in-law of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who described the event as such.

Various opposition parties, political and social activists, non-governmental organizations, universities and international organizations have spoken out in the last week in favor of Correa, whose career in defense of human rights is highlighted.

International

Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.

“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.

International

Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.

The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.

Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.

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“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.

International

Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.

On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.

The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.