
Venezuela is wracked with protests and election uncertainty. Here’s what to know
CNN
Criticism is mounting against Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro after deadly protests erupted across the country following its disputed presidential election.
Criticism is mounting against Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro after deadly protests erupted across the country following its disputed presidential election. Venezuela’s opposition and multiple Latin American leaders have refused to recognize Maduro’s victory in the July 28 vote, which was announced by the country’s electoral authority - a body stacked with the president’s allies. At least 11 people have been killed in the protests, according to non-governmental organization Foro Penal, and Venezuelan authorities say nearly 750 people have been arrested. CNN has not yet been able to verify the death toll and has reached out to the Venezuelan police. Meanwhile, an important opposition figure was allegedly kidnapped, according to his supporters, while the country’s army, which has long backed Maduro, reaffirmed its support for the strongman. The election was seen as the most consequential poll in years, with Venezuela’s stalling democracy and hopes of recovering its shattered economy on the line.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.










