International
Venezuelan opposition calls for “peaceful transition” amid election dispute
The majority opposition in Venezuela, grouped under the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), stated Thursday that the country must “materialize” a “peaceful transition” as it marks four months since the presidential elections in which they insist their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won, despite the official result declaring Nicolás Maduro the victor.
“We must materialize a peaceful transition and work together to build a Venezuela with a future full of opportunities,” the PUD said in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The opposition bloc maintained that the “decision for change” expressed four months ago continues to “grow.”
“The electoral records that are circulating globally clearly demonstrate Edmundo González Urrutia’s victory,” they added.
On the same day, former governor Henrique Capriles demanded, through the same social network, that “the truth” of the presidential elections prevail.
The anti-Chávez figure believes the “hope to transform” Venezuela — governed by Chavismo since 1999 — “remains intact,” reiterating his call for “popular sovereignty” to be respected by the state’s institutions, all of which support Maduro, including the Armed Forces.
The PUD shared electoral records that they claim show the opposition’s victory in the elections, leading countries like the United States and bodies such as the European Parliament to recognize González Urrutia as the “elected president,” although the government has dismissed these as “false.”
González Urrutia, who has been in exile in Spain since September 8, has stated that he plans to swear himself in as the new president of Venezuela on January 10, when the new presidential term begins, without clarifying how he plans to achieve this goal.
Meanwhile, Maduro is preparing his government to begin a third consecutive term, while the judiciary continues to address alleged conspiracies and coup plans by those who refuse to recognize Chavismo’s victory at the polls.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
The death toll from the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,490, according to the latest official figures released by the government on social media.
Authorities reported that 16,740 people have been injured, while more than 19,500 residents remain in temporary shelters after the twin earthquakes devastated Caracas and the neighboring state of La Guaira.
Rescue teams from Venezuela and several foreign countries continue searching through collapsed buildings in an effort to recover victims who remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Government officials said the earthquakes damaged more than 850 buildings, with 190 structures completely collapsing.
Thousands of families who lost their homes are currently staying with relatives or friends, while more than 19,500 displaced people are living in overcrowded emergency camps set up in parks, stadiums, and public squares across La Guaira and Caracas.
International
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
The United States launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday, following President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington would “hit hard” against the Islamic Republic. While Trump ordered the retaliation after attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, he also said he hoped the latest wave of bombings would end soon and left the door open for renewed negotiations.
U.S. forces “have begun carrying out additional strikes against Iran to further reduce its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X.
Washington blamed Iran for what it described as “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping.”
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that explosions were heard in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar.
“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will be much worse,” Trump wrote on social media alongside an image showing what appeared to be a bombing at an Iranian location.
Before ordering the strikes, the U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran had ended. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar called for de-escalation, while the United Nations also urged both sides to reduce tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran-linked attacks on at least three vessels in recent days triggered a U.S. offensive against Iranian targets on Tuesday. Tehran responded by launching attacks against Gulf countries that are allies of Washington.
International
Deadly Drug Trade Rivalry Suspected After Eight Bodies Discovered in Southern Mexico
Eight bodies were found Wednesday along a highway in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala, in an incident authorities believe may be linked to a dispute over local drug sales.
The victims — six men and two women — were found abandoned on a road in a mountainous area of the municipality of El Bosque, according to the state prosecutor’s office in a statement published on Facebook.
Initial investigations indicate that the killings may be connected to “a dispute over retail drug sales between local criminal groups operating in the region,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Local media reports that several criminal incidents have increased in the area since the beginning of the year.
The road where the bodies were discovered is located in a mountainous region largely inhabited by Indigenous communities. Authorities have not released further details about the victims or possible suspects as the investigation continues.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 4,490 as Rescue Efforts Continue
Panama launches anti-drone measures as prison security crisis deepens
Tensions Escalate in Middle East as U.S. Bombs Iran After Maritime Attacks
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
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