US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Venezuelan counterpart Oliver Blanco to push for the immediate liberation of all remaining detainees and to discuss vital democratic reforms. The discussions align with the Trump administration's three-phase strategy focused on regional stabilization, economic recovery, and establishing a fair transition. While interim president Delcy Rodríguez has promised future voting under a reconstituted electoral council, she has yet to set a firm date. Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado continues to lobby for the presidential contest to take place in 2027.
Key points
The United States is demanding rapid overhauls of Venezuela's voting system to ensure upc…: The United States is demanding rapid overhauls of Venezuela's voting system to ensure upcoming elections are fully credible and fair.
Interim president Delcy Rodríguez has pledged electoral authority reforms but continues t…: Interim president Delcy Rodríguez has pledged electoral authority reforms but continues to delay providing a clear timeline for national voting.
Opposition figure María Corina Machado returned from exile in October and is actively adv…: Opposition figure María Corina Machado returned from exile in October and is actively advocating for elections to be held in 2027.
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The US has urged Venezuela to release the remaining political prisoners being held in the South American country.
More than 1,000 political prisoners have been freed since US forces seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a military raid on Caracas on 3 January and took him to New York, where he faces trial on drug-trafficking and torture charges.
But Venezuelan prisoners' rights group Foro Penal says 322 people remain in detention.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Venezuelan counterpart, Oliver Blanco, on Monday where he called for their release and discussed reforms aimed at laying the groundwork for free, fair, and credible elections, the US state department said.
The release of political prisoners has long been a demand made by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, returned to Venezuela on 25 October after living in exile for almost a year. One of her first meetings was with relatives of political detainees.
Many of those in detention were arrested in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election.
Recent military operations across the Gaza Strip have resulted in rising casualties, heavily impacting educational institutions and shelter zones. Medical officials report that the lethal operations have increasingly targeted university students and displaced populations in southern areas like Khan Younis. This surge in localized strikes coincides with the formal commencement of the region's new academic school year.
Following a general election that produced an evenly split parliament, Benjamin Netanyahu's rivals cannot secure power without the backing of newly elected Palestinian lawmakers. Despite representing a fifth of the domestic public, these officials face widespread rejection across the Israeli Jewish political spectrum. This political impasse challenges long-standing international portrayals of the state's democratic legitimacy.
Official parliamentary disclosures revealed that protective services received no advance warnings prior to the fatal parental abuse of two infants, prompting calls for stronger detection methods. The perpetrators received extended prison sentences for severe physical violence, including smothering, shaking, and inflicting fatal fractures. Authorities are now urging caregivers and frontline workers to actively report suspected violence even when visible injuries are not immediately apparent.