International
Noboa proclaims victory in the referendum and assures that Ecuador said “‘Yes’ to the future”
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, said after winning the ‘Yes’ in nine of the eleven questions of the referendum held on Sunday that the result was a “victory of the people” because “the country said ‘Yes’ to the future.”
In his first public speech since the plebiscite, Noboa expressed his satisfaction with the wide support received for the issues that seek to reinforce the State’s fight against organized crime gangs.
With more than 95% of the votes scrutinized, the triumph of the ‘Yes’ was consolidated in nine of the eleven questions related to security issues.
The ‘No’ was based on economic reforms related to legalizing hourly labor contracting and allowing international arbitrations on investments in any jurisdiction.
“After the country said yes to the future, we will not give in a single step to violence, corruption and impunity,” Noboa said during a speech.
“We have more tools to judge these crimes and tighten the penalties for their perpetrators,” the president added, referring to the initiative to raise the penalties to a series of crimes related to organized crime.
Among them, terrorism and its financing.
The proposals raised on security received between 75% and 61% support.
In addition to tightening penalties, they also imply that the Armed Forces participate permanently together with the Police in operations against organized crime. And that Ecuadorians can be extradited when they are required by the Justice of other countries.
They also supported the creation of a system of courts in constitutional matters, military surveillance around prisons and the equipment of state forces with weapons seized from crime.
In turn, the crime of possessing weapons for the exclusive use of the Police and Armed Forces and a mechanism for the expropriation of illicit property will be created.
Noboa asserted that “they will not stop the new Ecuador.” “This victory is of the people and the people who want a better future and that their children live better than them,” he said.
In Noboa’s statements, the president made no mention of the two questions where he won the ‘No’.
Those points constitute, according to former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), a “categorical defeat” for Noboa because in his opinion they were “the two questions that (really) mattered to him.”
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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