International
Venezuelan electoral body holds meeting with the Carter Center
November 8 |
Authorities of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela met on Tuesday with representatives of the Carter Center in the capital of the South American country.
The meeting took place as part of the agreements signed last month in Barbados between the Venezuelan government and opposition sectors, to hold presidential elections in the second half of 2024 with the participation of international electoral accompaniment.
“We do not want interference. The more impartiality there is, the more participation there will be from international guests”, affirmed the president of the CNE, who expressed his “complacency” for the Carter Center to accompany the future electoral process.
The representatives of the US center specialized in electoral processes were received by the President of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso; the Vice President Carlos Quintero, the rectors Rosalba Gil, Juan Carlos Delpino and Acme Nogal Méndez, as well as by the alternate rectors Imad Saab Saab, Leonel Enrique Párica, Conrado Pérez and the Secretary General Antonio Meneses.
The meeting was attended by Jennie Lincoln, advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean; Ian Batista, project assistant; Elena Fernández, associate of the Democracy Project and Office of the Vice President, Latin America and the Caribbean; and Michela Sivich, electoral analyst.
The Carter Center senior advisor said that, for the organization, “it is an honor to be in Venezuela” and to accompany the Venezuelan electoral body as agreed in Barbados.
The head of the CNE indicated that the Carter Center is an important organization for settling controversies at world level, for which reason he expressed his importance in participating as accompaniers in the presidential elections of 2024.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
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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
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