A total of 1.3 billion people across the world are expected to be diagnosed with diabetes by 2050, which would more than double the current diagnoses of 529 million, according to a paper published in The Lancet.
Researchers found that roughly 96 percent of diabetics had Type 2, noting the increased prevalence is “primarily due to a rise in obesity.” The figures are based on analysis from more than 27,000 sources from 204 countries and territories.
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The predicted increase would represent a jump in the global prevalence of the disease from six percent of the world’s population as of 2021 to ten percent in the next quarter of a century. The costs incurred are scarcely ever borne by the major, multinational corporations who promote unhealthy foods, diets, and even “body positivity” i.e. the glorification of morbid obesity.
More than 37 million Americans – slightly more than 10 percent – already have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Britain, the prevalence of the disease has already increased from one in 100 to one in 12 people over the last 35 years.
“The new study presents a sobering fact that global figures for Type 2 diabetes will increase. These new figures surpass many of the predictions we had before,” argues Stephen Lawrence, a diabetes expert at Warwick University.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump will push oil executives to commit to a $100 billion investment in Venezuela’s oil sector during a White House meeting on Friday, following the ousting of the country’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and executives from companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The meeting is set for Friday at 2:30 PM at the White House, before Trump departs for Palm Beach, Florida, for the weekend.
💬KEY QUOTE: Trump said, “BIG OIL leaders will invest at least 100 billion dollars into Venezuela towards rebuilding, in a much bigger, better and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”
🎯IMPACT: The proposed investment aims to lower energyprices for Americans but raises concerns over U.S. involvement in Venezuela and the impact on domestic oil producers.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump is pushing U.S. oil industry executives to make a significant $100 billion investment in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure during at a meeting on Friday on the future of the South American country’s energy sector. The White House discussion follows the U.S.-led removal of Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s dictator and the installation of Darcy Rodriguez as acting president.
According to Trump, the investment will focus on modernizing Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, which has been crippled by years of mismanagement. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that the U.S. government and Venezuela are “working well together” and emphasized the potential benefits for both nations. He added, “BIG OIL leaders will invest at least 100 billion dollars into Venezuela towards rebuilding, in a much bigger, better and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”
Executives from 17 companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips, are expected to attend. Other participants include Valero, Marathon, Shell, Halliburton, and international firms such as Trafigura, Eni, and Repsol. Key members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, are also slated to participate.
Despite Trump’s assurances, U.S.-based shale oil producers have expressed concerns over increased competition from Venezuela, warning that it could harm domestic oil markets. Additionally, companies remain cautious about investing in Venezuela without guarantees against government interference, though Trump has promised U.S. government support to secure such investments.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Nationwide protests erupted in Iran, with demonstrators demanding regime change and clashing with security forces.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Iranian protesters, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Protests began in recent weeks across more than 100 Iranian cities and towns, with escalating tensions and violence reported in recent days as the demonstrators clash with regime forces.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I’ve warned them that if they do anything bad to these people, we’re going to hit them very hard. I’ve said it very loud and very clear, that’s what we’re going to do.” — President Trump
🎯IMPACT: The unrest has reportedly resulted in over 40 deaths, thousands of arrests, widespread Internet blackouts, and the possibility that Ayatollah Khamenei may be looking to flee the country as his regime teeters on the brink of collapse.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump believes Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may be looking to flee the country as anti-regime protests continue to escalate. “He’s looking to go someplace,” President Trump stated in a recent interview, adding: “It’s getting very bad.”
Over the last week, demonstrations against the Islamic Republic and the rule of the ayatollahs have spread to more than 100 cities and towns across Iran, with human rights groups claiming there have been at least 40 deaths, including both protestors and police. Additionally, the rights groups believe the regime has arrested more than 2,000 people as it struggles to crack down on civil unrest, which began as a protest against the regime’s crumbling economy and runaway inflation.
In response to the mounting Islamist regime violence, President Trump warned Khamenei directly that he would order a U.S. military response if protestors are harmed. “Nobody’s ever seen anything like what’s happening right now… I’ve put Iran on notice that if they start shooting at them—these people are totally unarmed people, and they love their country,” Trump said.
“They want something to happen. Look at their country. They’ve gone back 150 years,” Trump continued. “But I’ve warned them that if they do anything bad to these people, we’re going to hit them very hard. I’ve said it very loud and very clear, that’s what we’re going to do.”
The National Pulse previously reported that the Iranian government moved to cut off Internet access across the entire country, which may signal that the regime is becoming increasingly desperate. Experts believe the current blackout is to prevent anti-regime demonstrators from communicating and to prevent evidence of pro-regime forces firing upon civilians being shared.
Late Thursday, Khamenei delivered a televised address where he accused the protestors of being “vandals,” allegedly acting at the direction of Israel, the United States, and President Trump. “The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals,” Khamenei said, vowing that “The Islamic Republic will not tolerate mercenaries working for foreign powers.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two illegal immigrants were shot in Portland, Oregon, during an incident involving Border Patrol agents.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The driver, Luis David Nico Moncada, and passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, were identified as suspected associates of the Tren de Aragua gang.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting took place in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon, around 2:15 PM local time.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The driver weaponized their vehicle against Border Patrol in Portland, prompting the CBP agent to take immediate action to defend himself and others.” – Department of Homeland Security
🎯IMPACT: Both migrants were hospitalized; the incident has drawn attention to the dangers presented to federal law enforcement by vehicular attacks.
IN FULL
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced on X that two illegal immigrants were shot in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. The migrants are suspected associates of the notorious transnational Tren de Aragua gang. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the incident, which took place around 2:15 PM local time and involved Border Patrol agents.
“Yesterday, two suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates—let loose on American streets by Joe Biden—weaponized their vehicle against Border Patrol in Portland. The agent took immediate action to defend himself and others, shooting them,” DHS announced.
According to DHS, the suspects were identified as driver Luis David Nico Moncada and passenger Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. DHS described both as “criminal illegal alien[s] from Venezuela”, with Moncada having entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and Contreras in 2023. The agency highlighted Moncada’s prior arrests for DUI and unauthorized use of a vehicle, while noting “Contreras played an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and was involved with a prior shooting in Portland.”
The incident follows on the heels of the shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Good and her same-sex partner had been obstructing and taunting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in the Minnesota city, with Good driving at and striking one officer in an attempted getaway as they sought to detain her, causing her to be shot. The officer involved was previously dragged and injured by a car driven by a migrant pedophile attempting to evade arrest.
There has been a 1,300 percent increase in vehicular attacks against ICE since 2024, driven in part by senior Democrats such as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz inflaming migrants and far-left agitators by comparing the federal law enforcement agency to Adolf Hitler’s “Gestapo.”
Yesterday, two suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates—let loose on American streets by Joe Biden—weaponized their vehicle against Border Patrol in Portland. The agent took immediate action to defend himself and others, shooting them.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: New cell phone footage shows the perspective of the ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis this week.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agent, Renee Nicole Good, and a woman identified as Good’s partner.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Minneapolis, Minnesota.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Show your face!… You wanna come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy.” – Rebecca Good.
🎯IMPACT: The footage adds context to the incident and raises questions about the events leading to the shooting.
IN FULL
Newly released cellphone footage from Alpha News provides the ICE agent’s perspective during an incident involving Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota earlier this week. The footage captures the agent exiting their vehicle and approaching Good’s car, while being taunted as the pair intentionally block the street, far from the “peaceful observer” narrative being promoted by left-wing activists and politicians.
The situation escalates when Good, who was initially using her vehicle to block half the street, is instructed by another agent to exit her car. Instead, she shifts the car into drive and stares right at the ICE agent as she accelerates towards him.
BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0
As the camera angle shifts upward, gunshots can be heard, indicating the moment the shooting occurred. The footage provides a clearer view of the tense moments leading up to the shooting, including the officer clearly being hit by the car, and Good’s clear attempt to hit him.
Screenshot taken at the moment Good accelerated, showing she was looking directly at the officer she hit.
There has been a massive uptick in the number of vehicular attacks against law enforcement since January 2025.
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NEW @thenatpulse: 'WANNA COME AT US?' – New Minneapolis Shooting Angle Shows Renee Good Accelerating Into ICE Officer After Partner Taunts Him.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The British government has announced it will back the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which regulates broadcasting, telecommunications, the mail, and the Internet in Britain, if it decides to block Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) platform over alleged non-compliance with British laws, following complaints about its Grok AI being used to create images of people in bikinis.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk, British Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, Ofcom, and X users.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Ofcom set deadlines for compliance earlier this week.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
🎯IMPACT: Ofcom is conducting an expedited assessment, with politicians pressing for immediate action against Grok’s alleged misuse.
IN FULL
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government will support the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which regulates broadcasting, telecommunications, the mail, and the Internet in Britain, taking action against Elon Musk’s platform X if it fails to comply with the censorious Online Safety Act. This comes amid complaints that X users have been using Grok, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool owned by Musk’s xAI, to alter images of people to put them in bikinis, which the platform’s enemies are characterizing as creating non-consensual sexualized deepfakes.
Liz Kendall, the British Technology Secretary, emphasized that Ofcom has the authority to block services that fail to comply with British law. “If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support,” she said. Ofcom has already set a deadline for X to respond to its demands and is now conducting an expedited assessment.
Critics argue that X has failed to act swiftly enough against images generated by Grok, some of which are humorous—with Prime Minister Starmer among those who have been depicted in a bikini—while others are legally questionable, involving girls below the age of majority.
Starmer’s spokesman declared, “It is abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now.” Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament (MPs) have called for Ofcom to restrict access to X while its investigation is underway, potentially cutting off millions of users, including paid content creators who earn a living from the platform.
Grok’s defenders have noted that it is merely a tool, and that holding X and xAI legally accountable for offensive images resulting from user prompts is akin to holding Adobe legally responsible for users using Photoshop to create offensive images. They further note that other AIs can also be used to generate images of people in bikinis, suggesting that the fact that X has been singled out is evidence that the government has a political axe to grind against Musk.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that he has ordered the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to begin a geographic targeting operation for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, applying extra scrutiny to all businesses engaging in overseas money transfers.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FinCEN officials, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community, and Governor Tim Walz (D).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Friday, January 9, 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This will put a microscope on these businesses, advance prosecutions, and assist in the recovery of funds laundered internationally.” — Scott Bessent
🎯IMPACT: The Treasury Department order will require wire transfer businesses and banks to submit additional information to FinCEN on money transfers before the transactions will be allowed to process.
IN FULL
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that he has ordered the department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to begin a geographic targeting operation for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, applying extra scrutiny to all businesses engaging in overseas money transfers. The order will require wire transfer businesses and banks to submit additional information to FinCEN on money transfers before the transactions will be allowed to process.
“This will put a microscope on these businesses, advance prosecutions and assist in the recovery of funds laundered internationally,” Sec. Bessent said at a press conference announcing the new financial monitoring measures on Friday. He added, “Under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, welfare fraud has spiraled out of control. Billions of dollars intended for feeding hungry children, housing disabled seniors, and providing services for children in need were diverted to benefit Somali fraud rings.”
🚨 JUST IN: Scott Bessent announces geographic targeting order for the MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL area after money was wired to the Middle East, to ensure rapid prosecution of illegal activity and fraud
FinCEN will now HEAVILY scrutinize money being sent: “This will put a microscope… pic.twitter.com/aIzr3q0kYm
According to the Treasury Department, the geographic targeting order will “require banks and money transmitters located in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, which include Minneapolis and St. Paul, to report additional information about funds transferred outside of the United States. These businesses will be required to file reports with FinCEN above certain transactions of $3,000 or more where the beneficiary is located outside of the United States.”
The Treasury Department contends the order will provide federal law enforcement with greater insight into the individuals overseas receiving money transfers, and help “advance prosecutions and assist in the recovery of funds laundered internationally.” As part of the operation, the department has notified four money transfer businesses that they are under investigation for suspicious financial activity.
In addition to the FinCEN geographic targeting order, Sec. Bessent announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will soon launch a task force charged with investigating instances of COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud and violations of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by nonprofits tied to the numerous Somali community-linked social services fraud schemes.
Bessent added that FinCEN is already on the ground in Minnesota and will also provide training to federal, state, and local law enforcement on how to utilize Treasury Department tools, such as Suspicious Activity Reports, to combat fraud. “We will not let the incompetence and recalcitrance of Governor Walz stop law enforcement from holding these perpetrators accountable,” Bessent said.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is deploying 100 additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to Minnesota for the weekend.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: DHS, CBP agents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and Renee Nicole Good, an anti-ICE activist fatally shot after attempting to run over federal agents.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Minnesota over the coming weekend, with agents traveling from Chicago and New Orleans.
🎯IMPACT: DHS is pausing operations in Chicago to support the Minnesota deployment amid increasing tensions and violent anti-ICE protests.
IN FULL
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ordering the deployment of at least 100 more U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to Minnesota for the coming weekend. According to the DHS orders, the additional agents deployed to Minnesota will be primarily drawn from Chicago and New Orleans. Additionally, DHS plans to temporarily pause operations in Chicago to support this effort.
Notably, the ramp-up in CBP personnel comes after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday when she attempted to use her vehicle to run over the officer. The deployment, according to DHS documents, will last through the weekend. On Sunday, the agents will return to their respective cities of operation.
DHS officials, including ICE and CBP agents, have been operating in Minnesota for weeks as part of a major immigration enforcement operation and investigation into widespread social services fraud allegations tied to the state’s Somali immigrant community. Federal prosecutors have estimated that upwards of $9 billion in taxpayer dollars may have been stolen through several criminal schemes.
Far-left activists violently assaulted federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on Thursday. The violent demonstration took place outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, where hundreds gathered to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations and Good’s shooting. In another incident, an anti-ICE agitator in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was caught on video obstructing and attacking Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino before being detained by federal agents.
The National Pulse reported late Thursday that Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) called up the state’s National Guard troops to assist local law enforcement as clashes between violent leftists and federal law enforcement continued into the evening.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s approval rating among young men—a key demographic for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections—has shown an increase, according to recent pollingdata.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Gen Z male voters, and polling organizations such as YouGov and Reuters/Ipsos.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Data from December 2025 to January 2026, covering national polls conducted across the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The polls are rigged even more than the writers. The real number is 64 percent, and why not, our Country is ‘hotter’ than ever before.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The trend hints at a potential improvement in Republicans’ fortunes in the 2026 midterm elections, if the upward trajectory continues.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump’s approval among young male voters is once again on the rise, according to recent polling data from organizations such as YouGov and Reuters/Ipsos. This demographic, particularly Gen Z males, has shown a notable improvement in their perception of the President’s job performance over the past few months, suggesting possibly improving fortunes for Republicans ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.
Data from The Economist/YouGov shows that Trump’s approval among men aged 18-29 increased by four percentage points, from 26 percent to 30 percent, while disapproval dropped from 69 percent to 62 percent over the course of three successive polls. Similarly, his overall approval among all men rose from 44 percent in December 2025 to 47 percent in early January 2026.
Despite these gains, Trump continues to face challenges with younger voters as a whole, with his approval ratings in this group remaining relatively low. The Harvard Youth Poll conducted in November 2025 found that 32 percent of Gen Z males approved of his performance, while 62 percent disapproved.
“The polls are rigged even more than the writers. The real number is 64 percent, and why not, our Country is ‘hotter’ than ever before,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to the polling data. He added, “Isn’t it nice to have a STRONG BORDER, No Inflation, a powerful Military, and great Economy??? Happy New Year!”
Experts suggest that as Gen Z voters advance in their careers and begin to prioritize issues like inflation, healthcare, and mortgage rates, both parties will need to adjust their strategies to engage this increasingly influential demographic. Trump’s improved standing among men signals potential opportunities for Republican gains in the 2026 midterm elections if the trend persists. Currently, the GOP holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, with a more robust majority in the Senate.
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By Popular Demand.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Labor’s latest report showed slower hiring and significant downward revisions to job figures for October and November 2025.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), economists, and analysts monitoring employment trends.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Data was released Friday, January 9, 2026, reflecting U.S. employment trends for December 2025 and revisions for prior months.
🎯IMPACT: Employment figures for October and November were revised down by 76,000 jobs, underscoring fragility in the labor market.
IN FULL
The U.S. labor market is weaker than previously thought, according to new jobs data released by the Department of Labor. December saw only 50,000 jobs added to the U.S. economy, a decline from the initially reported 64,000 jobs in November. The jobs report, released on Friday, also included a revision for November’s nonfarm payroll, reducing the total number of jobs added from 64,000 to 56,000.
Additionally, the 105,000 jobs lost in October were revised upward to 173,000. All in all, the data reveals that U.S. employment across the final two months of 2025 was 76,000 jobs lower than previously reported.
Despite the weakening job market, the unemployment rate ticked down in December to 4.4 percent from 4.6 percent in November. When President Donald J. Trump took office in January of 2025, the unemployment rate stood at 4.0 percent, with the rate holding relatively steady throughout the first year of his second term.
The weak jobs numbers are likely to spur the Federal Reserve to continue reducing interest rates in an effort to boost liquidity and overall employment. In December, the central bank initiated its third interest rate cut for the year, with economists anticipating at least one more cut in the first quarter of 2026.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Venezuela released a number of imprisoned opposition figures, activists, and journalists as a gesture to “seek peace.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, opposition leaders, and human rights activists.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, in Guatire, Venezuela, and other locations across the country.
💬KEY QUOTE: “They’ve been great… Everything we’ve wanted, they’ve given us.” — President Trump
🎯IMPACT: The move was seen as a potential step toward dialogue and transition toward a free and open democracy in Venezuela.
IN FULL
The interim Venezuelangovernment released a number of high-profile opposition leaders, activists, and journalists from its prisons on Thursday. Venezuelan officials are characterizing the move as a gesture to “seek peace,” after the country’s former Marxist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was captured earlier this month by U.S. forces and now faces narco-terrorism charges in New York.
Late Thursday, President Donald J. Trump revealed that the prisoner release came at the urging of the United States. “They’ve been great… Everything we’ve wanted, they’ve given us,” Trump said regarding Venezuela’s interim government led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Notably, Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of the acting president, stated that a “significant number” of people would be freed, though the exact number remained unclear as of Friday.
Among the prisoners whose release has been confirmed are Biagio Pilieri, an opposition leader linked to Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Enrique Márquez, a former electoral authority and candidate in the 2024 election. Videos posted on social media showed emotional reunions, with relatives chanting “Libertad!” outside prisons.
In addition, the Spanish government confirmed the release of five of its citizens, including dual national and human rights activist Rocío San Miguel. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares identified others released as Andrés Martínez, José María Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe, and Miguel Moreno. Some had been detained on accusations of espionage or visa violations.
President Trump affirmed his administration’s commitment to maintaining a role in Venezuela’s future, including its oil resources, and hinted at a possible meeting with opposition leader María Corina Machado next week.
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