Day: September 5, 2025
305 Venezuelans Repatriated Amid Controversial U.S. Policies
On September 5, 2025, a flight from the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland) facilitated the return of 305 Venezuelan citizens to their homeland, which included three children separated from their families under previous U.S. immigration policies, reports 24brussels.
These children, Robin Cárdenas, Yoisner Graterol, and Isaac Lover, were identified as having been forcibly separated from their families by the Donald Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices, which have been widely criticized for breaching international law. Camila Fabri, the mission’s president, praised the reunification efforts, stating, “Today we managed to rescue three children who were kidnapped in the United States… President Nicolás Maduro made this miracle possible.”
Fabri highlighted the ongoing plight of more than 70 minors still held in the U.S. under foster care or by social services as a direct consequence of anti-migrant policies. The Venezuelan government has routinely requested the U.S. to cooperate in the safe return of these children. The National Assembly president, Jorge Rodríguez, reportedly provides an updated list of the missing minors to the U.S. government daily to facilitate their recovery.
Upon landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, the returning citizens received medical and psychosocial support from Bolivarian officials. This flight marks the 65th operation completed under the repatriation initiative, which aims to protect Venezuelans affected by political persecution abroad. Since the program’s inception, over 10,000 Venezuelans have returned to the country, with many claiming asylum from human rights violations experienced in the U.S.
The Bolivarian government continues to advocate for the rights of its citizens abroad, emphasizing the need for both cooperation and negotiation with other nations to ensure the safety of those affected by previous U.S. immigration policies. The social implications of these actions reveal a deepening tension surrounding immigration and human rights in the context of international relations.
Federal Jury Orders Google to Pay $425 Million for User Privacy Violations
A federal jury in California has ordered Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy by collecting the data of millions of people even after they disabled tracking, reports 24brussels.
The decision stems from a class action lawsuit filed in July 2020, which accused Google of unlawfully accessing app activity data on users’ mobile phones from July 2016 to September 2024. The lawsuit alleged that during this period, Google continued to collect user data across third-party apps even if they had the “Web & App Activity” setting turned off.
The Web & App Activity setting is supposed to control how Google collects information related to searches, location, and activity on third-party sites, apps, and devices that partner with Google to show ads. Google says it uses this information to provide users with “more personalized experiences.”
The jury found Google liable for two of three claims brought by the class action lawsuit, including invasion of privacy and intrusion upon seclusion. The class, which covers around 98 million users and 174 million devices, originally sought over $31 billion in compensatory damages.
Google plans to appeal the verdict. “This decision misunderstands how our products work,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement. “Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice.” Google argues that it treats data pseudonymously when users turn off the Web & App Activity setting and claims that users “knew and consented” to this practice.
