International
Biden does not support a new election in Venezuela, he misunderstood the question
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, misinterpreted on Thursday a question about the holding of new elections in Venezuela, which created hours of confusion after he implied that he supported the repetition of the elections.
The confusion occurred when Biden appeared before the press before boarding the Marine One presidential helicopter. When a journalist asked him if he supported the call for new elections in Venezuela, he limited himself to answering: “Yes, I do it,” without offering more details.
However, hours later, a spokesman for the White House clarified that the president was actually referring to the “absurd” that the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has not published the voting minutes of the July 28 elections, where Maduro’s re-election was proclaimed with questioned results inside and outside the country.
That spokesman reiterated that Washington considers that the winner of the elections was Edmundo González Urrutia, according to the minutes reviewed by the opposition bloc, and again called for “the will” of the people of Venezuela to be respected so that there is a “transition back to democratic norms.”
This Thursday, during an interview on Radio T, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, suggested two possible solutions to the post-election crisis in Venezuela: the formation of a coalition government that integrates members of Chavismo and the opposition or the holding of new elections.
Lula’s words immediately generated the reaction of the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who said that he does not see “prudent” to ask for new elections in Venezuela now.
Meanwhile, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, suggested for Venezuela a “national front” like the one in Colombia in the twentieth century, in which liberals and conservatives took turns power as a “transitory” step towards a “definitive solution” to the crisis, in an idea similar to the one suggested by Lula about a coalition government.
In addition, the president of Colombia called for “new free elections”
Maduro’s victory in the elections of July 28 was proclaimed by the National Electoral Council (CNE) without publishing the voting minutes, and the Biden Administration considers that the winner was the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia, according to the minutes obtained by the majority opposition bloc.
After the elections in Venezuela, the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico began contacts to find a solution to the crisis, a mediation effort that has, among others, the support of the United States.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoDeadly crash in Santa Bárbara leaves eight victims as campaign activities conclude
-
International5 days agoTatiana Schlossberg reveals aggressive leukemia diagnosis in personal New Yorker essay
-
International3 days agoTrump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
-
International5 days agoTrump attacks Europe and Biden on Truth Social ahead of talks on Ukraine peace plan
-
International5 days agoPeru’s president says he is open to entering mexican embassy to arrest Betssy Chávez
-
International5 days agoZelensky hails ‘important steps’ in Geneva talks but says more needed for real peace
-
International5 days agoWhite House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas to pressure Maduro
-
International3 days agoBolsonaro misses appeal deadline, faces imminent prison order by Brazil’s Supreme Court
-
International3 days agoMan pleads not guilty in Liverpool parade incident that injured more than 130
-
International5 days agoSnapchat begins age verification for australian teens ahead of strict social media ban
-
International3 days agoMacron to announce new voluntary military service amid rising security concerns in Europe
-
Central America2 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
International5 days agoInvestigations continue after mexican naval vessel’s deadly collision with bridge in New York
-
Central America2 days ago
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
International2 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America3 hours agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
Central America2 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
International3 hours agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication