International
Trump links Mike Johnson’s re-election to meeting his budget requirements
The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, linked on Thursday the re-election of Republican Mike Johnson as president of the House of Representatives to his compliance with his demands on the budget package and the debt ceiling.
“If the Speaker of the House acts decisively and firmly and gets rid of all the traps that the Democrats are setting for him, which would economically destroy our country, he will easily remain president,” Trump told Fox News Digital.
Trump has a huge influence on the Republican majority in Congress and could thwart Mike Johnson’s plans to continue presiding over the Lower House for the new legislature that will begin on January 3.
The president-elect, who will be invested on January 20, overturned on Wednesday the agreement reached by the Republican majority of the House of Representatives and the Democratic majority of the Senate to provide the Government with new funds and avoid an administrative closure before Saturday.
Trump and his ally, tycoon Elon Musk, in charge of cutting the next government’s spending on bureaucracy, oppose several budget provisions and demand the abolition of the debt ceiling.
Threat of government closure
The White House, through its spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, accused Trump and his vice president, J.D. Vance, of “ordering the Republicans to close the Government” with their “threat”, said that “basic services” are in danger and demanded that conservative legislators “emay their word.”
The partial budget provides funds to the Government from midnight on Friday to Saturday, when the current ones expire, until March 14, with Trump already installed in the White House.
Trump pointed out some of the provisions that conservatives do not consider essential for the functioning of the Executive and that have generated rejection, such as a salary increase for legislators.
More than $100 billion in aid for victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton or nearly $10 billion in support for farmers is also in question.
International
Erin brings strong winds and storm surge despite weakening offshore
Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 storm on Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to parts of the U.S. East Coast with potentially dangerous flooding, according to meteorologists.
Although the hurricane’s eye is expected to remain offshore, experts are concerned about Erin’s size, as strong winds extend hundreds of kilometers beyond the storm’s center.
In its 18:00 GMT bulletin, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) lifted tropical storm warnings for the Bahamasand Turks and Caicos Islands, but kept them in effect for parts of North Carolina.
Erin was located several hundred kilometers southeast of North Carolina and was moving northwestward.
“This means there is a risk of potentially life-threatening flooding of 60 to 120 centimeters above ground level,” said NHC Director Michael Brennan.
He also warned of the possibility of destructive waves, combined with storm surge, that could cause severe damage to beaches and coastal areas, making roads impassable.
International
Three U.S. Warships deploy near Venezuela to combat drug trafficking
Three U.S. naval vessels are moving toward the coasts of Venezuela, according to international media reports on Tuesday, after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump is ready to combat and curb international drug trafficking.
Reports indicate that the ships will reach Venezuelan waters within the next 36 hours as part of a recent U.S. deployment aimed at countering international narcotics operations.
The announcement coincides with Leavitt’s statement that Trump is prepared to “use the full extent of his power” to halt drug flows into the United States. The naval deployment involves approximately 4,000 military personnel.
“The President has been clear and consistent. He is ready to use every element of U.S. power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice. The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela—it is a narco-terror cartel,” the spokesperson said during a press conference.
International
Cuban authorities free salvadoran convicted in 1997 hotel bombing
Salvadoran national Otto René Rodríguez Llerena was released after serving a 30-year prison sentence for his involvement in a terrorist attack at a hotel in Cuba in 1997, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
During his trial, Rodríguez Llerena admitted to placing an explosive device at the Meliá Cohiba Hotel under the orders of anti-Castro exile leaders. He was arrested the following year when he returned to Havana with another load of explosives that failed to detonate.
“The Cuban government reiterates its commitment to combating terrorism, respecting human rights, and the need for the international community to hold accountable those who promote such acts,” the statement read.
He was released on August 15 and is the second Salvadoran to complete his sentence. In December of last year, another Salvadoran, Ernesto Cruz León, was released after planting bombs at tourist centers, one of which killed an Italian tourist identified as Fabio Di Celmo.
A third Salvadoran, Francisco Chávez Abarca, also received a 30-year sentence from Cuban courts in 2010 after being extradited from Venezuela through Interpol for actions against Cuba.
Rodríguez Llerena had requested conditional release in 2016, arguing that his actions had not caused any direct fatalities, but no further information was released about his situation until now.
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