International

Biden intensifies his campaign in several key states to silence criticism

In the midst of criticism for his mediocre performance in the first debate of the race to the White House, President Joe Biden will travel over the next few days to the states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, key to guaranteeing his victory against Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the November elections.

Meanwhile, his campaign team announced this Friday through a statement the launch of an “aggressive and specific” campaign to reach the voters of “disputed states that will decide this election.”

This weekend, Biden will travel to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are part of the so-called ‘blue wall’ of the United States – which also includes Michigan -, states that since 1992, except for the exception of 2016, have voted Democrats.

According to the campaign, the Democratic Party has broken a record collection of 127 million dollars in June, an advantage that they will take advantage of for “new efforts in the field of organization and mobilization of critics, new strategic efforts in the paid media and an aggressive travel schedule led by President Biden.”

Among other things, a paid media campaign worth 50 million dollars will be held aimed at “key and high-impact moments that will attract a wide and diverse audience,” such as the Olympic Games.

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In addition, at the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to accept the nomination and which will be held in two weeks in Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Democrats will also go to the city to face “the hatred and extremism of MAGA.”

Biden will also continue to do interviews, the campaign said, including one that will be broadcast tonight with journalist George Stephanopoulos and that will be broadcast on the ABC channel.

After this weekend’s trip to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, President Biden will return to Washington for the NATO summit to be held next week.

He is scheduled to give an opening speech and participate in a press conference. As soon as the summit ends, he will return to the electoral campaign with a tour of the southwest focused on involving black and Latino voters.

During the Independence Day celebrations of July 4 that took place yesterday, Biden responded to those who ask him to continue in the electoral contest with a resounding “I’m not going anywhere.”

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The president held a barbecue in the gardens of the White House to celebrate Independence Day and when he was spat by sympathizers with a “continues in the fight. We need you,” he replied: “Trust me. I’m not going anywhere.”

The president has been answering questions privately and in public for several days about whether he will be able to face a second term at the age of 81 and whether he is in a position to defeat Trump.

His bad performance in last week’s debate against Trump triggered speculation about whether he should be replaced before the August Democratic convention.

Biden confessed in a meeting this Wednesday with Democratic governors in the White House that he has to sleep more and will avoid organizing events after 8:00 p.m., according to several U.S. media.

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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.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.