Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 135

135th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 135th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between Dec 14, 2025, and Feb 01, 2026. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Delcy Rodríguez Steps In as Venezuela’s Interim President After Maduro’s Capture

One noteworthy event has occurred in Venezuela. As uncertainty simmers in Venezuela, interim President Delcy Rodríguez has taken the place of her ally President Nicolás Maduro, captured by the United States in a nighttime military operation, and offered “to collaborate” with the Trump administration in what could be a seismic shift in relations between the adversary governments.

Rodríguez served as Maduro’s vice president since 2018, overseeing much of Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy and its feared intelligence service, and was next in the presidential line of succession.

Corey O’Connor Sworn In as Pittsburgh’s 62nd Mayor, Vows Growth and Opportunity for the City

Shifting our focus to the United States, Corey O’Connor, the Squirrel Hill native, former Pittsburgh councilman and champion of paid sick leave and gun reform, became the city’s 62nd mayor, following in the footsteps of his father and vowing to foster growth and opportunity for his hometown.

District Judge James J. Hanley administered the oath of office.

“It is the greatest honor to serve as your mayor,” O’Connor, 41, of Point Breeze said at the start of his inaugural speech. “I am humbled to take on this role, and I will fight for this city each and every day.”

O’Connor’s wife, Katie, held a Bible, and their young children, Molly and Emmett, stood beside him as he was sworn in during a ceremony at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland that generated a standing ovation.

Ukraine Names Digital Transformation Chief Mykhailo Fedorov as Designated Defense Minister

In Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, previously Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister for Digital Transformation, is the country’s new designated Minister of Defense. The approval of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, is still required. The parliament is responsible for appointing a defense minister on the proposal of the president.

Fedorov has been part of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s team without interruption since 2019 and is the only minister to have survived all cabinet reshuffles.

South Korean Crypto Exchange Korbit Fined $1.9 Million for AML Breaches Amid Mirae Asset Buyout Talks

In the realm of regulatory affairs, Korbit, the South Korean crypto exchange in talks to be bought by Mirae Asset, was fined 2.73 billion won ($1.9 million) by the country’s regulator for multiple anti money-laundering and customer verification breaches.

The Financial Intelligence Unit said the exchange violated key provisions of the country’s Special Financial Transactions Act, including lapses in customer due-diligence and transaction restrictions. In addition to the fine, it imposed an institutional warning and issued personal disciplinary measures against senior Korbit executives.

The enforcement action comes as Mirae Asset, a Seoul-based financial group with no prior involvement in crypto-related businesses, holds talks to acquire a majority stake in Korbit in a deal reported to be worth as much as $98 million.

Kerala MLA Antony Raju Convicted in Evidence-Tampering Case, Sentenced to Three Years and Disqualified from Office

Shifting our attention to India, in a dramatic turn of events, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday, January 3, convicted Kerala’s Left Front legislator and former Transport Minister Antony Raju in the infamous “evidence tampering” case, bringing to an end a legal saga that has spanned more than three and a half decades.

The charges proven against the accused carry punishments ranging from ten years’ imprisonment to life imprisonment.

The court sentenced him for various charges, including three years for tampering with evidence, two years for fabricating false evidence, and one year for criminal breach of trust by a public servant. The court ordered these sentences to be served concurrently, in an effective jail term of three years. Under the Representation of the People Act, this three-year sentence leads to his automatic disqualification as an MLA and disqualification to contest in elections for the next six years.

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