International
Chavismo proclaims Nicolás Maduro as a presidential candidate for a third term
The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) proclaimed this Saturday President Nicolás Maduro as its candidate for the elections of next July 28, in which he will seek his third term in power, which he arrived in 2013.
The first vice president of the PSUV, Diosdado Cabello, considered the number two of Chavismo, delivered the banner of the formation to Maduro, after the speeches of six supporters that resulted in praise for the president.
“Despite all the adversities, (Maduro) has managed to maintain peace in this country, doing politics, defeating the oligarchy, not once but many times,” said Cabello, who recalled that a total of 4,240,032 PSUV militants supported, in previous assemblies, that the head of state seek a second consecutive re-election.
The thousands of supporters who gathered in the Polyhedro of Caracas, the largest covered capacity in the country, responded in the affirmative when asked if they approved to nominate Maduro “as a candidate of the PSUV and the Bolivarian revolution” for the July elections.
After that, Cabello said that the president had been ratified by acclamation as the presidential candidate, so they will register him as such before the National Electoral Council (CNE), which opened a period, between March 21 and 25, to present these candidacies.
When he took the microphone, after flying the PSUV flag, Maduro thanked the support and promised to fight to win the elections.
“There is only one destination: the popular victory. Whatever they do, what they say, they have never been able and will never be able to with us,” he said.
The head of state – who won his first re-election in 2018 with 6.2 million votes, in elections questioned by the international community – will compete, now at the age of 61, without it being clear who his opponents will be.
On the part of the majority opposition, former deputy María Corina Machado, who won a primary last October, expects to compete despite being disqualified from holding public positions, by opinion of the Office of the Comptroller General, which will prevent her from registering her candidacy with the CNE.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
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.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
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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