US Envoy Cuts Ties with Polish Parliament Speaker Over Trump Remarks; Maduro Ally Detained
The United States embassy in Poland severed contact with Polish parliament Speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty on Thursday, February 5, 2026, following what it deemed "outrageous insults" directed at U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera. U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose stated that the decision to end all dealings with Czarzasty would take effect immediately. This diplomatic fallout occurred as Alex Saab, a close ally of deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was reportedly detained in Caracas, potentially facing extradition to the U.S., according to The Guardian.
Czarzasty's remarks, which triggered the U.S. embassy's response, included the statement that Trump does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize he has long sought. He also criticized the U.S. president's policy of force in international affairs, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, in Venezuela, Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman considered Maduro's "frontman," was reportedly apprehended in a joint operation involving Venezuela's intelligence agency and the FBI, The Guardian stated. The circumstances surrounding Saab's detention remain unclear, but his close ties to Maduro have made him a figure of interest to U.S. authorities.
These events unfold as the Trump administration finalizes its overhaul of the U.S. government's civil service system, potentially granting the president the power to hire and fire an estimated 50,000 career federal employees, Al Jazeera reported. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is expected to create a new category for high-ranking career employees involved in carrying out administration policies, exempting them from long-standing civil service protections, according to the Wall Street Journal. This move follows the administration's reduction of more than 300,000 people from the federal workforce in 2025, Al Jazeera noted.
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