International

Chavismo proclaims Nicolás Maduro as a presidential candidate for a third term

The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) proclaimed this Saturday President Nicolás Maduro as its candidate for the elections of next July 28, in which he will seek his third term in power, which he arrived in 2013.

The first vice president of the PSUV, Diosdado Cabello, considered the number two of Chavismo, delivered the banner of the formation to Maduro, after the speeches of six supporters that resulted in praise for the president.

“Despite all the adversities, (Maduro) has managed to maintain peace in this country, doing politics, defeating the oligarchy, not once but many times,” said Cabello, who recalled that a total of 4,240,032 PSUV militants supported, in previous assemblies, that the head of state seek a second consecutive re-election.

The thousands of supporters who gathered in the Polyhedro of Caracas, the largest covered capacity in the country, responded in the affirmative when asked if they approved to nominate Maduro “as a candidate of the PSUV and the Bolivarian revolution” for the July elections.

After that, Cabello said that the president had been ratified by acclamation as the presidential candidate, so they will register him as such before the National Electoral Council (CNE), which opened a period, between March 21 and 25, to present these candidacies.

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When he took the microphone, after flying the PSUV flag, Maduro thanked the support and promised to fight to win the elections.

“There is only one destination: the popular victory. Whatever they do, what they say, they have never been able and will never be able to with us,” he said.

The head of state – who won his first re-election in 2018 with 6.2 million votes, in elections questioned by the international community – will compete, now at the age of 61, without it being clear who his opponents will be.

On the part of the majority opposition, former deputy María Corina Machado, who won a primary last October, expects to compete despite being disqualified from holding public positions, by opinion of the Office of the Comptroller General, which will prevent her from registering her candidacy with the CNE.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.