The United Nations' top human rights official arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday for a visit that comes amid heightened international pressure on President Nicolás Maduro for allegedly silencing opponents with jail, torture and excessive violence.
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, confirmed her visit to Venezuela between June 19 and 21 to meet with President Nicolas Maduro, as well as several ministers and senior officials of his Government.
China on Sunday defended its policy during the Tiananmen protests in a rare public acknowledgement of the event, days before its 30th anniversary, saying it was the correct policy.
Nicaragua's opposition on Wednesday called a 24-hour general strike to increase pressure on the government of President Daniel Ortega to release prisoners as agreed in peace talks between the two sides.
The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth has not been deterred by activists’ and local leaders’ calls to disinvite Brazil’s controversial president, Jair Bolsonaro, from a speaking event on Thursday. Bolsonaro will be accompanied by a cadre of Brazilian politicians and will meet with business executives from across Texas, the U.S. and Brazil, said Jim Falk, the council branch’s president and CEO.
Mining giant BHP Billiton is facing a US$5bn claim for damages over a dam collapse in Brazil in 2015. Law firm SPG, which is representing than 200,000 Brazilian claimants, said the company knew of the risks at the Samarco mine in Minas Gerais state.
An armored vehicle of the National Guard (GN) of Venezuela intentionally ran over a group of citizens who were demonstrating in support of the call to activate the so-called “operation freedom”, led by the president in charge Juan Guaidó on a highway in Caracas.
Uruguayan president and oncologist Tabare Vazquez has publicly admitted full responsibility for not having read, but approvingly signed, delicate documents referred to alleged crimes against humanity committed during the military dictatorship, and consequently, without consultation, he sacked the Defense minister and deputy, and seven generals.
Uruguay’s president has been involved in an embarrassing incident which forced him on Monday to remove the commander in chief of the army, the Defense Chief of Staff and four other generals for allegedly covering up that a retired member of the military committed a crime during the 1973-1985 dictatorship.
Luis Carlos Diaz, a Venezuelan journalist who is an expert in networks and critical of the Nicolás Maduro regime, was arrested on Monday, without capture order, by the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) after leaving his radio program, denounced his wife and colleague Naky Soto. On Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, referred to the arrest and asked the authorities for “urgent access” for her technical mission in Venezuela to Díaz.