International
Puerto Rican voters in the US do not forget the insult to Puerto Rico by casting their vote
Life in El Barrio, the traditional Puerto Rican neighborhood of New York, took place this Tuesday with businesses open and almost empty like their streets, unlike polling centers where the flow of voters did not stop, a large number of them ‘boricuas’ who, when casting their vote, did not forget the insult to their country that a Republican supporter made at a rally last October 27.
“That offended me, that’s not said,” Juan, 67, told EFE, accompanied by his brother William, 68, who, in a wheelchair and having trouble speaking, moved his head giving him the reason. (they referred to the qualifier of Puerto Rico as a “floating garbage island” pronounced by a comic ‘headline’ at a Trump rally in New York).
Both were born in Puerto Rico and today voted for the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, like many other residents of El Barrio, where no surprises are expected with the results, at least there.
However, voters interviewed by EFE expressed their concern about the country’s overall results in the face of an electoral race against Republican Donald Trump, which has been characterized by its very narrow margins.
Annoyance for comments
These were the second elections as a citizen for the Mexican Maricruz Eduardo, who said at the exit of the polling station that she supported Harris because she believes in the power of women. “I am one of them,” she said, “by raising four children alone in New York, with whom she emigrated only with a Mexican peso “that they gave me when she was going to come.”
Eduardo said she was upset with Trump’s comments against immigrants because, he recalled, she worked hard to get her children ahead as a seamstress and then as a caregiver at home. “I want women to win!” he said.
The presidential elections in centers visited by EFE in the Bronx and Harlem have attracted a large number of people, who alone or accompanied by relatives, in wheelchairs or with canes, came early to cast their vote.
“Many people have come, even people who had not voted before” although they are registered to vote, commented a worker from El Bronx.
In El Barrio it was no different. Congressman Adriano Espaillat also voted there, who attended with a delegation of Dominican legislators whom he invited to observe the process in the district he represents and that includes Harlem.
“I was surprised by the level of voting today because many already voted early. Hispanics have gone out to vote in large numbers,” he said, and assured that at the end of the election “there will be surprises.”
He expressed “optimistic” that in the seven ‘hinge’ states, which are key to the results, they end up leaning towards Harris.
Passions and divisions
Trump’s candidacy provokes passions among his followers and has divided even families, a community activist from Hispanic Harlem told EFE, who was outraged by the comments of the Republican comedian who called Puerto Rico an “garbage island” and who cannot understand “how a Puerto Rican can vote for Trump.
Margarita even spoke about Trump and the Republicans’ position of opposing abortion by recalling that she had to undergo one because her five-month-old fetus had died. “I had access to health services,” which not many women have in states where they have passed very restrictive anti-abortion laws that have already cost the lives of some women, she says.
While in Midtown, the head of a polling center, Michael Bushman, explained that unlike other years, today there have been fewer queues, since in the nine days of early voting “many people came.”
New York began allowing early voting in 2019.
“Before early voting existed, queues formed that went around the block, but since people have nine days to vote in advance, there are no queues. Today, there is a constant but fluid movement. Voters don’t have to wait an hour or two,” says Bushman.
In total, 1,089,328 residents of the city voted in advance, a number slightly lower than in the 2020 presidential elections, when more than 1.1 million people voted before election day.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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