International

Henrique Capriles is chosen as candidate for Venezuela’s internal opposition race

Photo: Los Angeles Times

March 12 |

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles was designated on Friday as his party’s representative for the primary elections proposed for October 22 in which, despite their divisions, the opponents of Nicolás Maduro’s government will choose a unitary candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.

“I am convinced that in 2024 this country has a chance,” Capriles said after being proclaimed candidate of the Primero Justicia party.

Capriles – who lost the 2013 presidential elections to Maduro and those of 2012 in which he faced the late President Hugo Chávez – has defended the idea that the opposition should participate electorally despite the stance of the main parties to promote boycotts in past national and regional elections arguing that conditions for free and democratic elections did not exist.

In April 2017 the Comptroller General’s Office, controlled by the ruling party, politically disqualified him from participating in electoral events for 15 years and in June of that year the Supreme Court, with a majority of magistrates sympathetic to the government, threatened him with arrest if he refused to contain the anti-government protests and road blockades he led that left at least 120 dead.

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Capriles remains disqualified and it is unclear whether the ban will be lifted in a timely manner to allow his participation in an eventual run for the presidency.

The primaries organized by the opposition have not yet defined the infrastructure they will use, although they hope to count on the support of the National Electoral Council, which is in charge of carrying out national, state and municipal elections in the country. The commission in charge of coordinating the election has said that they will take place on October 22, but it is yet to be defined where, how and who will vote.

The primaries reflect the will to unify the opposition forces that have been deeply fragmented since 2020. In June of that year, the Supreme Court suspended the boards of directors of the Acción Democrática, Voluntad Popular and Primero Justicia parties and handed over their leadership, assets and symbols to dissident opponents.

In 2019 opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself interim president while serving as head of the National Assembly arguing that Maduro had been reelected in 2018 in fraudulent elections.

International support for Guaidó, one of his main strengths to take on Maduro, diminished significantly over the years and his former allies terminated the interim government figure last December.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.