International

The presidential candidates in Uruguay promised in a debate not to raise taxes

The candidates for the Presidency of Uruguay for the ruling National Party, Álvaro Delgado, and the opposition Frente Amplio, Yamandú Orsi, presented their proposals in a televised debate, in which both politicians promised that they would not raise taxes.

The debate between the candidates prior to the second round next Sunday, was broadcast on national radio and television, and is stipulated by Law 18,827, promulgated in September 2019.

A debate in Uruguay with counterpointing

It began with opposing messages from the aspirants. While Orsi pointed out that Uruguay is “a stagnant country,” Delgado pointed out that the government model ensures “future and development.”

“Next Sunday we will have to choose between two options: that of a stagnant country, that of unfulfilled promises or that of a sure change. A change that will certainly not be radical and that involves the well-being of our people,” said the Frenteamplista.

Delgado stressed: “Here two models of country are compared, a model that retreats with ideology and with uncertainties. And a model – ours – that ensures guarantee, certainties, future and development.”

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From human development to work

In the 90-minute debate, the candidates presented their views on five thematic blocks: human development, security, economy, knowledge and work.

In the first of these, both agreed on the importance of giving “quality of life to citizens.”

In terms of security, Delgado pointed out that the current government will leave the next, for the first time since 1984, fewer crimes reported, something that was achieved, he said, by trust in the police.

Although he said that they are not satisfied with what has been achieved, he reviewed with a graph numbers in the decrease in robberies (42%), thefts (22%), abigeato (57%) and homicides (3%); he said that “is the way.”

In addition, he mentioned the importance of repression, rehabilitation and reintegration.

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Orsi, for his part, spoke of the victims “fruit of violence” in Uruguay, and gave as an example that every 15 days a child enters a hospital for a gunshot wound.

In that sense, he said that the pillars of his security policy will be the active exercise of authority, the defense of victims of crime and crime, in addition, he supported the police and the incorporation of more technology.

When talking about the economy, the Frente Amplio candidate recalled that when that party governed, between 2005 and 2020, the Gross Domestic Product increased by 73.2%.

Taxes: key point

“We are not going to increase taxes. In this period in which I will have to be Government, we are especially going to support small and medium-sized enterprises,” Orsi said.

On the contrary, Delgado said that the Government of the Frente Amplio gave the country with an inflation “of almost two digits” and that currently this is half, while pointing out that the real salary “is the highest in 49 years.”

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He also said that an eventual government headed by Orsi will raise taxes, since, he said, this is what the Frente Amplio program says, and that on the contrary the ruling coalition will not do it.

“We are not going to raise taxes, we are going to generate investment incentives and we are going to open Uruguay to the world with pragmatism and without ideology,” Delgado said.

Delgado added that he intends “a cheaper Uruguay to live and to produce.”

When Orsi intervened again, he reiterated that he will not raise taxes.

He spoke of unemployment in the country, detailed that unemployment at the level of young people is close to 26%, the highest in the region, he said.

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The National Party candidate said, on the contrary, that the unemployment rate in the country is 8.1% and among young people it is almost 2.5% higher.

The final message

The debate, carried out exactly one week before the second round of the elections, closed with a final message from each of the candidates.

“Here people can buy two country models and two leaderships. Our model that is a model of certainties, with economic growth, with security, with guarantees and with freedom. And the other model that is to return to the past with a lot of ideology, with more uncertainty, with surely more taxes, but surely with less freedom and with many more risks,” Delgado said.

He offered his experience and added that he is prepared and tested to govern the country.

“There’s one week to go. You will all have to choose between two proposals, two projects: the one of broken promises or the country of commitments. The country of commitments is one that implies a sure change,” emphasized the opponent Orsi.

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He reiterated that he wants to become the next president of the Uruguayans and that, just as he knew how to do it when he governed the department (province) of Canelones (2015-2024), he will know how to do it at the head of all of Uruguay.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.