International
Biden intensifies his campaign in several key states to silence criticism
In the midst of criticism for his mediocre performance in the first debate of the race to the White House, President Joe Biden will travel over the next few days to the states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, key to guaranteeing his victory against Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the November elections.
Meanwhile, his campaign team announced this Friday through a statement the launch of an “aggressive and specific” campaign to reach the voters of “disputed states that will decide this election.”
This weekend, Biden will travel to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are part of the so-called ‘blue wall’ of the United States – which also includes Michigan -, states that since 1992, except for the exception of 2016, have voted Democrats.
According to the campaign, the Democratic Party has broken a record collection of 127 million dollars in June, an advantage that they will take advantage of for “new efforts in the field of organization and mobilization of critics, new strategic efforts in the paid media and an aggressive travel schedule led by President Biden.”
Among other things, a paid media campaign worth 50 million dollars will be held aimed at “key and high-impact moments that will attract a wide and diverse audience,” such as the Olympic Games.
In addition, at the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to accept the nomination and which will be held in two weeks in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Democrats will also go to the city to face “the hatred and extremism of MAGA.”
Biden will also continue to do interviews, the campaign said, including one that will be broadcast tonight with journalist George Stephanopoulos and that will be broadcast on the ABC channel.
After this weekend’s trip to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, President Biden will return to Washington for the NATO summit to be held next week.
He is scheduled to give an opening speech and participate in a press conference. As soon as the summit ends, he will return to the electoral campaign with a tour of the southwest focused on involving black and Latino voters.
During the Independence Day celebrations of July 4 that took place yesterday, Biden responded to those who ask him to continue in the electoral contest with a resounding “I’m not going anywhere.”
The president held a barbecue in the gardens of the White House to celebrate Independence Day and when he was spat by sympathizers with a “continues in the fight. We need you,” he replied: “Trust me. I’m not going anywhere.”
The president has been answering questions privately and in public for several days about whether he will be able to face a second term at the age of 81 and whether he is in a position to defeat Trump.
His bad performance in last week’s debate against Trump triggered speculation about whether he should be replaced before the August Democratic convention.
Biden confessed in a meeting this Wednesday with Democratic governors in the White House that he has to sleep more and will avoid organizing events after 8:00 p.m., according to several U.S. media.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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