International
From Kennedy’s tan to Bush’s watch. Keys to surviving a U.S. presidential debate.
The president of the United States, Democrat Joe Biden, and former Republican president Donald Trump face each other this Thursday in the first televised face-to-face of the November 5 elections and will write a new page in the long history of presidential debates in the North American country.
But they have to learn from successes and mistakes made in the most memorable debates of the American elections. These are some keys to surviving a presidential face to face.
Democrat John F. Kennedy arrived tanned and relaxed at the first televised debate in the country’s history, while Republican Richard Nixon underestimated the power of the small screen, did not want to put on makeup and appeared sweaty and uncomfortable.
Those who listened to the debate on the radio gave Nixon as the winner, but the television audience was seduced by the impeccable image and charisma of Kennedy, who ended up winning the elections by a narrow margin.
Democratic President Jimmy Carter agreed to debate only once with Ronald Reagan, but lost to the Republican, who was much more charismatic and close to viewers, with several phrases that would become slogans.
In a failed attempt to connect with voters, Carter revealed a conversation he had with his 13-year-old daughter Amy, in which she told him that her biggest concern was nuclear disarmament. The president was ridiculed and caricatured for leading national security based on what his minor daughter told him.
At 73, Reagan was then the oldest president in the country’s history, far from Biden’s 81 or Trump’s 78, and many questioned his ability to continue governing the country, but in the second debate with Walter Mondale he turned the criticism around with a joke that catapulted him towards re-election.
When the moderator asked him if he had the necessary resistance to handle a national security crisis, he replied ironically: “I will not make age a central issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit my opponent’s youth and inexperience for political purposes.”
In 1992, the first debate was held with questions from the public, but that appointment is remembered because the cameras captured President George H. W. Bush looking at his watch to see the time, reflecting that he was uncomfortable about the more loquacious performance of Democrat Bill Clinton, who would become president.
Non-verbal language also played a trick on Democratic Vice President Al Gore in 2000, since in the first debate he sighed several times while George W. Bush spoke and in the third he approached the Republican candidate in an intimidating way, causing the mockery of the public.
Republican Mitt Romney attacked President Barack Obama in 2012 for the reduction of Navy ships compared to 1917 and he responded with a snoas: “We also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our Army has changed. We have things called aircraft carriers, where planes land, and ships that dive, called nuclear submarines.”
The phrase “horses and bayonets” went viral, something that the campaigns will also look for this year, aware of the power of social networks and memes when it comes to amplifying blundrums or verbal slash.
Thursday will not be the first time that Trump and Biden debate in front of the cameras, since they already had two face-to-face in the 2020 elections, in the midst of an unusual campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first of the debates is remembered for Trump’s constant interruptions to Biden, which exhausted the patience of the Democrat, who said to the then president: “Do you want to shut up, man?”
The teams of both have agreed that during the next debate only the microphone of the candidate who has the turn of speaking will be turned on to avoid interruptions.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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