International

Electoral Power ratifies victory of the Yes in the referendum on the Essequibo

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December 7 |

The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela, Elvis Amoroso, offered to the public opinion new details on the voting during the consultative referendum on the Essequibo Guayana, held last December 3, and ratified the victory of the Yes vote in said democratic exercise.

He added that the new update corresponds to the transmission of 99.89 percent of the votes counted. On the other hand, he specified that there was a 51.01 percent participation of the electoral roll, which in concrete figures corresponds to 10,555,092 voters.

He then recalled the five questions of the referendum and offered the most recent figures computed:

1) Do you agree to reject, by all means, in accordance with the law, the line fraudulently imposed by the Paris Arbitration Award of 1899 that intends to dispossess us of our Essequiba Guyana? Yes – 10,315,445 votes (98 percent) / No – 210,329 (2 percent) / Valid votes – 10,525,814 / Void votes – 29,278 / Total votes – 10,555,092

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2) Do you support the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the only valid legal instrument to reach a practical and satisfactory solution for Venezuela and Guyana, regarding the dispute over the territory of Guayana Esequiba? Yes – 10,322,718 votes (98.27 percent) / No – 181,725 (1.73 percent) / Valid votes – 10,504,443 / Null votes – 50,649 / Total votes – 10,555,092

3) Do you agree with Venezuela’s historical position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to resolve the territorial dispute over Guayana Esequiba? Yes – 10,132,099 votes (96.35 percent) / No – 384,321 (3.65 percent) / Valid Votes – 10,516,420 / Spoiled Votes – 38,672 / Total Votes – 10,555,092

4) Do you agree to oppose, by all means, in accordance with the law, Guyana’s claim to unilaterally dispose of a sea pending delimitation, illegally and in violation of International Law? Yes – 10,134,189 votes (96.37 percent) / No – 381,770 (3.63 percent) / Valid votes – 10,515,959 / Void votes – 39,133 / Total votes – 10,555,092

5) Do you agree with the creation of the state of Guayana Esequiba and the development of an accelerated plan for the integral attention of the current and future population of said territory, which includes, among others, the granting of Venezuelan citizenship and identity card, in accordance with the Geneva Agreement and International Law, consequently incorporating said state in the map of the Venezuelan territory? Yes – 10,070,255 votes (96.37 percent) / No – 379,397 (3.63 percent) / Valid votes – 10,449,652 / Null votes – 105,440 / Total votes – 10,555,092

Mr. Amoroso reiterated the CNE’s congratulations to voters for their participation in the historic referendum.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”