International
The Foreign Minister of Uruguay assures that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship”
The Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Omar Paganini, assured on Tuesday that Venezuela is consolidating itself as “a dictatorship” and that the electoral process of that country “has been completely distorted.”
This was assured at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which he emphasized that “the worst forecasts” were confirmed after the disqualification of María Corina Machado and that Corina Yoris could not register with the National Electoral Council.
“Yesterday the Government of Uruguay along with many countries in South America issued a statement very concerned about what is happening regarding the electoral process in Venezuela and unfortunately today the worst forecasts have been confirmed,” the chancellor stressed.
In that way, he referred to the statement in which the Governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay expressed their “serious concern” about the “persistent impediments” in the registration of Venezuela’s presidential candidates before the National Electoral Council.
“They let some candidates register that evidently the Venezuelan regime has no concern that they can gather a flow of votes,” said Paganini, who recalled that “those who mean a risk” could not do so.
“The Venezuelan electoral process has clearly been completely distorted and unless these things are reversed, it does not admit a surprise but it also indicates that Venezuela is consolidated as a dictatorship that moves away from any possible democratic practice,” he emphasized.
Asked about whether Uruguay will recognize the result of that country’s elections, Paganini explained that that will be seen when the time comes, but said that the situation is very distorted.
“The elections are for people to choose between alternatives. The elections are not for people to choose what the Government of the day wants. It is not the attitude of the Venezuelan regime and therefore it is consolidated in a dictatorial practice,” he said.
Beyond this, the minister said that Uruguay understands it as “valuable” to have diplomatic representation in Venezuela, because relations are with countries and not with governments.
Machado ratified on Tuesday that he will remain on the electoral route ahead of the presidential elections on July 28, without explaining how he will do it, given the impossibility of the Platform of Democratic Unity (PUD) to register Yoris within the deadline established by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which ended on Monday.
On the other hand, President Nicolás Maduro made official on Monday, before the CNE, his candidacy for the elections of July 28, in which he will compete for a third term in power, which he has occupied since 2013.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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