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The Republican Convention stages the total unity around the figure of Trump

Republicans are united, with Donald Trump as the supreme leader. This was the main message conveyed by several of his most prominent figures on the second day of the Republican Party’s National Convention, including his main rival in the primaries: Nikki Haley.

With Trump himself listening to her from the stands, the former Republican candidate for the presidency, who at the time starred in loud confrontations with Trump, assured that she was at the convention at the invitation of the former president, who asked her to offer “a message of unity.”

“He asked me to speak on behalf of the unit. It was a kind invitation and I accepted happily and I will start by leaving one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my firm support,” she said after being greeted with some booing.

The former governor of South Carolina and former representative of the United States to the UN was the most prominent speaker on the second day of the Republican National Convention held this week in Milwaukee (Wisconsin).

A day after Trump made his first public appearance after the assassination attempt he suffered on Saturday in Butler (Pennsylvania), the Republican presidential candidate returned to the same forum today to listen to some of the speakers.

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Again he did not speak, since he is reserving himself for his speech of acceptance of the candidacy, which he will deliver on Thursday. Nor did his candidate for vice president, J.D. Vance, who will take the stage on Wednesday, speak.

Among today’s speakers were three of those who dared to challenge Trump and were candidates in the primaries: Haley, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley was the last Republican pre-candidate to surrender to Trump’s superiority and, before the primaries and caucus began, she sounded like the only aspirant capable of taking away the throne, so today she was the most suitable figure to convey the image of unity that the party seeks.

The former U.S. ambassador to the UN appealed to undecided voters and assured that she is aware that there are many people who do not agree with Trump and that she herself has not been on some occasions, but that “it is not necessary to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”

For his part, DeSantis offered a much more ideological speech than Haley and aimed at the party’s bases, claiming much of the conservative policies he carries out at the Florida front, with criticism of irregular migration and the left, which he accused of “indoctrinating” schools for talking about “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

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DeDantis asked for the vote for the Republican candidate because the United States needs “a commander-in-chief” active every day to lead the country and because the current president, Democrat Joe Biden, is not fit for his duties, he said.

Ramaswamy, who was also his rival in the primaries, resorted to humor: “Last year at this point I was a candidate for president and I am proud to say that I have achieved the impossible, that many of you know how to say my name,” he said before showing his strong support for Trump.

The former president is “the president who will manage to unite the country, not with words, but with deeds,” said the businessman, who also mentioned one of the most talked about issues on the day: the closure of borders. “If you want to seal the border, vote for Trump.”

With the unity shown at this convention, enhanced after the attempted assassination of the former president on Saturday, the times of division between the pro and anti-Trump, which only a few months ago starred in the headlines and the corrillos of the US Congress, are already far from behind.

Strong differences that were evident when, after the 2022 half-term elections, the Republicans won the House of Representatives and it was an odyssey to find a consensus candidate to exercise as a ‘speaker’ for the deep division between the most moderate and the MAGA, the radicals who identify with Trump’s motto Make the United States big again, for its acronym in English.

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The chosen one was Kevin McCarthy, but he needed fifteen votes to be approved and a year and a half later he became the first leader of the Lower House to be dismissed, at the request of Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, for supporting the sending of funds to Ukraine.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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