International
Who will be Trump’s vice presidential candidate? He will announce it today
The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday with the question of who will be chosen here as Donald Trump’s vice president, a role that has taken on greater relevance after the attempted assassination of the former president has reminded that this running mate could one day be forced to govern the country.
According to Fox News, Trump will make his decision, which he has kept secret and limited to three names, this Monday.
Saturday’s assassination attempt, in which the former president was wounded and one of his supporters killed, adds to the calculations the need for the chosen one to be capable of governing and not just represent a help in attracting votes and being a loyal “number two.”
The quality of loyalty has until now been essential for Trump, who believes that Mike Pence, who was his vice president between 2017 and 2021, betrayed him by refusing to block the transition of power after Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
One of the front-runners for the post is Ohio Sen. JD Vance, 39, who won his Senate seat in 2021 thanks to key support from Trump, whom he had criticized in years past.
A law graduate from Yale University and a Navy veteran, he rose to fame in 2016 thanks to the publication of his memoirs ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ about his childhood in a poor family and has become a young figurehead of the American right.
Trump recently denied a rumor that Vance was disqualified from the race for wearing a beard, as the former president does not like facial hair. “He looks good,” he said of him in an interview.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s dream of reaching the White House, after his failed attempt in 2016, could become a reality if he is chosen by Trump as his running mate.
But this son of Cuban immigrants faces a legal obstacle: the 12th Amendment of the Constitution prohibits presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ticket from living in the same state, as is the case in Florida in the case of Trump (Palm Beach) and Rubio (Miami).
If the residency issue is resolved and Trump chooses him, the 53-year-old senator would become the first Hispanic on a U.S. presidential ticket.
On the plus side, ‘Little Marco’, as Trump called him before they became allies, is helped not only by his fluency in Spanish, but also by his role as a key point of reference for Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan exiles.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, 67, was little known nationally until he entered the Republican primary. He withdrew his candidacy to endorse Trump and has gradually become a stronger vice presidential contender.
Burgum is a billionaire businessman who began his career with a small software company that was eventually acquired by Microsoft for more than $1 billion.
On the downside, Trump has expressed suspicions about the governor’s strong support for abortion restrictions in North Dakota, an issue that the New York magnate fears will come back to haunt him in the November elections.
Tim Scott is the only black senator in the Republican Party. The grandson of a cotton worker in the American Deep South, he is often held up as an example of the American dream and initially ran for the presidential nomination himself.
The 58-year-old South Carolina representative, a staunch believer, never managed to get above 4 percent of the vote in the primary process and eventually gave up his aspirations, saying voters had made it clear to him that now was not the time.
Since then, his support for Trump has been clear. In January, he interrupted a speech by the former president to tell him that he loved him: “That’s why he’s a great politician,” he replied, and that if he were to elect him, Scott could be an ally in bringing the African-American community closer to his base.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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
-
International9 hours agoLooting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador and Chile Mark 150 Years of Relations With Expanded Bilateral Cooperation
-
International4 days agoOAS Secretary General Pledges Regional Assistance Following Venezuela Quake Disaster
-
International4 days agoUnited Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
-
International4 days agoWHO Expects Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship to End by July 2
-
International4 days agoBill Gates Says Jeffrey Epstein Made “Veiled” Threats Over Extramarital Affairs
-
International2 days agoUN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people