Legal disputes arise for Venezuelan journalist and in Ecuadorian petroleum trial

Journalist Luis Del Villar has announced he will take legal action through the General Prosecutor's Office and courts against Luis Miguel Morantes, known as ‘Andrógena’. Del Villar alleges public threats, intimidation, and media harassment via social networks. He stated that Morantes made threats while allegedly using the name of Meridiano Televisión. Del Villar has sought support from the National Association of Journalists (CNP) and the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP).

In Ecuador, the Agency for Regulation and Control of Hydrocarbons (ARCH) has requested that the Criminal Guarantees Tribunal report on the status of the ‘Triple A’ case. The agency is seeking information regarding a potential sentence for 21 defendants accused of the illegal storage, transport, and distribution of petroleum products. The request aims to ensure due process and legal certainty, as no oral decision was announced following the hearing on August 2. Prosecutor Ruth Amoroso indicated a decision might be reached in early September, before the expiration of Aquiles Alvarez’s preventive detention.