International
Latin America reacts to the resignation of Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy
The resignation from Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy has generated reactions in Latin America in different political sectors, from the left with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as well as on the right with allies of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to be its president. And although my intention has been to seek re-election, I think the best thing for my party and for the country is that I retire and concentrate solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the rest of my term,” Biden, 81, said through a letter to the nation.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said on Sunday that his US counterpart, Joe Biden, “has made the most sensible and correct decision” by leaving the race for re-election in the North American country.
“He has made the most sensible and correct decision, prioritized his family, his health, and realized that, at that age and with weakened health, he could not take the reins of his country and even less a presidential candidacy. It was a responsible attitude, President Biden,” Maduro said during an event held in the state of Barinas (west).
However, in his announcement, the US president does not mention his family or his health, and as an explanation of his decision he affirms the best thing for his country is that he retire and “focus only on fulfilling” his “duties as president during the rest” of the mandate.
Maduro also said he met his American counterpart, with whose Government he has maintained a “permanent dialogue” that, he said, is still active, with “dialogue commissions,” although he did not offer more details about the talks between the two countries, without diplomatic relations since 2019.
“I’m just telling you, President Biden, be calm with your conscience, because you made a wise and correct decision, and from Venezuela I, president of the republic, wish you health and long life, President Biden,” added the Chavista leader.
The Government of Panama said on Sunday that it “respects” the decision of US President Joe Biden to renounce the race for re-election in the elections on November 5, in which he was going to face former President Donald Trump.
“It is a personal decision of President Biden thinking about his country, his people and the Democratic Party. It’s time to respect her. We, as an allied country of the United States, are prepared to work with the administration that will be elected in November. We do not have any concern about what will happen in the next (US) elections,” said Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, after being asked by journalists at a sporting event.
After a few hard weeks with growing criticism for the suitability of his candidacy, US President Joe Biden decided to abandon the race for re-election “for the interest” of the Democratic Party and his country, and offered his support to the vice president, Kamala Harris, who confirmed her intention to “get and win” the candidacy for the November 5 elections.
A few minutes later, Harris herself accepted responsibility and stated that she intends to “get and win” the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Presidency, although in the first hours of this historic Biden decision only a few voices offered explicit support.
Some ministers of the Government of the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, praised on Sunday the decision of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to give up his candidacy for the November elections.
“Politics is not personalism, but service in favor of ideas and values. Biden shows a huge demonstration of political greatness by understanding that Democrats need something new to face the extremist conservatism that threatens the world,” said the head of Planning, Simone Tebet, on her social networks.
Tebet, one of those in charge of tracing the economic strategy of the Brazilian Executive, also asked the Democrats to “have the same altruism and wisdom” as Biden when choosing his replacement “to face extremism,” that everything points to Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Minister of Agrarian Development, Paulo Teixeira, said, also on his social networks, that Biden’s resignation to continue in the presidential race is “a great decision to defeat the American extreme right,” which embodies, in his opinion, the former governor and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
For his part, the Minister of Transport, José Renan Filho, indicated that it is “a gesture of greatness” of the US president, who has been forced to withdraw from his candidacy after the strong pressure of the heavyweights of his party because of his state of health.
The Brazilian minister said that Biden has shown “no attachment” to the presidential candidacy “at a critical moment” and praised his management as U.S. president on issues such as employment, environmental protection and his country’s economic growth.
“This new fact will turn the election upside down,” he said.
Lula, for the moment, has not yet spoken publicly.
Allies of former far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro took advantage of the decision of the US president, Joe Biden, to resign from re-election, to criticize this Sunday the Brazilian head of state, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the progressive forces.
“Biden is out! When is the ‘Brazilian Biden’ going to leave?” exclaimed, in apparent allusion to Lula, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, one of the sons of former President Jair Bolsonaro and, like his father, aligned with the Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Senator Ciro Nogueira, a next ally of Bolsonaro and who was minister of the Presidency during his term (2019-2022), interpreted the news as “a victory of those who were gagged by a narrative that Trump was the absolute evil and Biden, the indisputable good.”
“Biden’s resignation (re-election) is an alert: they can lie once, twice, three times, but no one can prevent the truth from coming to light. It is the victory of the truth over the false and manipulative narratives of the left,” he said.
He also insinuated that former President Trump is a “political persecuted” for the various criminal cases he faces in the U.S. Justice.
“Biden leaves the campaign and enters the limbo of those who abused democracy on his behalf. A big day!” he concluded.
For her part, federal deputy Carla Zambelli, a relevant figure of the Brazilian far right, pointed out that Biden’s withdrawal from re-election has caused “the American left” to enter a state of “total despair.”
Jair Bolsonaro has not yet spoken publicly, nor has the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, so far.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
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.
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