ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday condemned the "unacceptable act of repression" in Venezuela, hours after the brief arrest of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a note issued by her office at Palazzo Chigi on Friday that reports coming from Venezuela "represent another unacceptable act of repression by the regime" of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni says her government is in talks with private companies, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, over the country’s telecoms security system, but denied having discussed the issue privately with Musk.

By Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended Elon Musk's growing involvement in politics on Thursday and said she had never discussed with him a potential deal to supply secure communications to Italy.

Italy would have full control of its data under any potential deal struck with Elon Musk's Starlink for secure satellite communications, an Italian representative for the billionaire's aerospace businesses said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of the European leaders closest to Donald Trump, said on Thursday she believed the U.S. president-elect would defend Western interests once he took office and would not abandon Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised to keep supporting Ukraine, as the leader of the embattled nation, Volodymyr Zelensky, reached Rome for talks on Thursday evening. Meloni welcomed Zelensky at her official residence for a private discussion that lasted just under an hour.