CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country's opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the U.S. military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
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Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez gestures while greeting oil workers and government supporters at the Miraflores Palace during a rally backing an oil reform bill to loosen state control and open the industry to private and foreign investment in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three people were killed and six others were hurt after a 92-year-old driver collided with a bicyclist and then lost control and slammed into a grocery store Thursday in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood, authorities said.
The woman driving a Toyota Prius hit the bicyclist shortly after noon and then continued for another block before swerving into the bakery section of a 99 Ranch Market and then coming to a stop, trapping several people underneath the vehicle, police and fire officials said.
Capt. Anthony Espinoza of the Los Angeles Police Department called the crash “an unfortunate accident," and said it is not believed to have been intentional.
Two men, ages 30 and 55, and a 42-year-old woman, who were all inside the bakery at the time, died at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in its report. Two men, both 35, were taken to the hospital in critical condition, and two other men, ages 38 and 37, were in fair condition, according to the department.
The bicyclist and the driver declined offers to be taken to the hospital, the fire department said.
The driver was a 92-year-old woman, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz told The Associated Press. Officials said she was cooperating with investigators and was undergoing a medical evaluation.
TV news footage showed a silver Prius fully inside the store, its trunk popped open. Next to it was a bright yellow sign directing shoppers to Korean street food and desserts. A popular Asian supermarket chain with about two dozen stores in California, the 99 Ranch Market store that was damaged is about a mile from the University of California, Los Angeles, campus.
“I can’t tell you how many coffees I’ve gotten in that bakery,” Sean Divekar, 32, told the Los Angeles Times, becoming emotional as he learned people were killed.
Watson reported from San Diego.
People embrace at the scene of a fatal crash outside of a 99 Ranch Market, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
First responders work the scene of a fatal crash outside of a 99 Ranch Market, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
First responders gather around a car seen inside of a 99 Ranch Market at the scene of a fatal crash Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
First responders work the scene of a fatal crash outside of a 99 Ranch Market, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A car is seen inside of a 99 Ranch Market at the scene of a fatal crash Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
