International
Majority anti-chavista alliance ratifies González Urrutia as a presidential candidate in Venezuela
The Democratic United Platform (PUD) – Venezuela’s main opposition coalition – ratifies Edmundo González Urrutia as its candidate for the presidential elections on July 28.
González Urrutia replaces María Corina Machado, who is disqualified from holding popularly elected positions.
“Venezuela and the democrats of the world, I want to give very good news to the people of Venezuela, the Democratic Unitary Platform unanimously has just approved the candidacy of Ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia as the candidate of unity, supported by all factors,” said the executive secretary of the PUD, Omar Barboza, in statements to the media.
González Urrutia was nominated by the PUD as a provisional candidate, after not being able to register Corina Yoris, who was appointed as a substitute for Machado.
Faced with this decision of the PUD, Barboza announced that the governor of the state of Zulia, Manuel Rosales, will decline his candidacy for the Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party to support González Urrutia.
“We want to give a recognition to Governor Rosales, a man who keeps his word, who after hearing the presentation of all the members of the Platform decided to decline his candidacy to join that of Edmundo González Urrutia,” he said.
UNT stressed, through the social network X, that it is “a historical gesture of great political greatness” on the part of Rosales – who, “fulfilled his word with the country, being a determining factor in achieving unity,” with the aim of “achieving the political change that the country demands.”
Rosales, who registered on the sidelines of the PUD when the deadline for the nominations was about to end, assured that his candidacy only sought to keep the opposition with options for the presidential elections, since the vast majority of those registered do not enjoy the support of traditional anti-chavism, considering that they receive favors from the ruling party in exchange for dividing the vote.
On March 26, the PUD registered González Urrutia as its provisional candidate in the face of the “clear impossibility” of nominating Corina Yoris elected because María Corina Machado could not compete because she was disabled.
The coalition explained that it made this decision in order to stay “within the electoral route” and “continue fighting.”
This way you can “guarantee the registration” of the “candidate chosen by democratic factors.”
With González Urrutia, there are 13 candidates registered for the elections.
In addition to Manuel Rosales, Luis Brito, Luis Ratti, Enrique Márquez, Benjamín Rausseo, Luis Eduardo Martínez, Daniel Ceballos, Antonio Ecarri, Juan Carlos Alvarado, Javier Bertucci, Claudio Fermín and the president, Nicolás Maduro.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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