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EU removes Usmanov and Fridman from sanctions list

The European Union has removed Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from its sanctions list; both had faced asset freezes and EU entry bans since 2022. The report says France cited national-security considerations in Usmanov’s case, while media accounts alleged a connection to two French citizens detained in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan rejected that interpretation.

What changed The EU has removed both men from the list after imposing personal sanctions on them in 2022.

Why it matters For Usmanov and Fridman, delisting removes the basis for the asset freezes and EU entry restrictions attached to these personal sanctions; it does not establish that any other restrictions have ended.

What to watch next Whether the two French citizens receive pardons remains unresolved in the supplied report; a pardon is described only as part of an alleged arrangement.

Brazil stays outside U.S.-backed regional sanctions coalition targeting gangs

The United States and 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries agreed on joint sanctions against major criminal organizations, including Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho, according to the report. Brazil did not join the initiative, which it says was established by the Trump administration as the “Shield of the Americas.” The report describes the anti-crime effort as a point of political contention ahead of Brazil’s presidential election.

Why it matters Brazil’s nonparticipation leaves the country whose two most powerful gangs are targeted outside this joint sanctions framework, limiting the initiative’s regional coverage.

What to watch next Brazil’s approaching presidential election is a reported political milestone, with crime policy becoming a central dispute between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro. The source gives no exact election date.

Machado’s latest attempts to return to Venezuela fail

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s team made three attempts within 24 hours to travel from Panama to Venezuela, but none succeeded, the report says. It remains unclear who stopped each attempt; the account says U.S. officials had asked Machado to postpone her return. Her team says the latest failures bring the total to at least seven attempts over several months.

What changed Three unsuccessful attempts within 24 hours extended a months-long effort to return, bringing the reported total to at least seven.

Why it matters The repeated failures constrain Machado’s ability to lead opposition activity from inside Venezuela, regardless of who is responsible for the travel obstacles.

What to watch next The concrete unresolved question is who stopped each attempt. The reported U.S. request for a delay does not establish responsibility for all three failures.