Portside

The Government is collecting phone records for millions and millions of Americans under the PATRIOT Act. It's an outrage: The Guardian has obtained long sought-after evidence of the extent of ongoing spying on Americans under the PATRIOT Act -- and it's as bad as we'd worried. The NSA is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.

Verizon Communications has responded to an explosive report that outlines the telecommunications giant's role in an ongoing domestic spying program. The response, in a memo to employees, seems aimed at containing a public relations disaster. The wording, however, has to adhere to restrictions, imposed on Verizon by the secret court, not to disclose that the company was ordered to hand over phone logs to the FBI and the National Security Agency.

The civil liberties group said leaked details of the case could portray the suspect in a triple murder in Waltham in an unfair light.

Efrain Rios Montt, who ruthlessly ruled Guatemala in the early 1980s, is currently standing trial for genocide. The burden of justice and nation healing falls on the Guatemalan people: it is their dictator who stands trial and their people who suffered under him. But Americans (and Guatemalans) ought to remember that Rios Montt had big friends in Washington. President Bill Clinton apologized in 1999, saying that the U.S. support for the death squads "was wrong."

Coverage on unfolding events in Venezuela from the Guardian (UK). Nicolás Maduro accuses opposition of coup plot as poll protests turn deadly. Venezuela's president-elect likens demonstrations to 2002 attempt against Chávez as seven die in post-election violence. Venezuela's opposition make noise against Nicolás Maduro's victory. Election loser Henrique Capriles calls off march in favour of pots-and-pans protest as both sides trade accusations.