International
United States: “Maduro has deprived the results they announced of credibility”
The U.S. Government said on Monday that the announcement of the results of Sunday’s elections in Venezuela, which were won by President Nicolás Maduro, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE), had no credibility and called on local authorities to publish the minutes.
“By declaring a winner without the detailed minutes by district to support it, the representatives of (Nicolás) Maduro have deprived of any credibility the alleged election results they announced,” a senior US official said in a call with journalists.
“We have serious concerns that this result does not reflect the will or votes of the Venezuelan people,” he added.
The US representatives in the call did not want to address the possibility of imposing sanctions or other measures, although they said that they have “a number of options” and that it will depend on “what decisions the CNE takes in the coming days, in relation to the publication of the data.”
The White House announced earlier that it will postpone decision-making on Venezuela, including the possibility of imposing new sanctions, until all the voting minutes of the elections are published.
Joe Biden’s Administration has “serious concerns that the announced results do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said at a telephone press conference.
The spokesman considered that it is “absolutely essential that each vote is counted in a fair and transparent manner, that electoral officials immediately share the information with the opposition and independent observers, and that the electoral authorities publish the complete and detailed minutes of the votes.”
“We will hold on to our pronouncement until that happens. We and the rest of the international community are observing and will respond accordingly,” he said.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Chavista leader obtained 51.20% of the votes (5,150,092 votes), compared to 44.2% of the votes of the majority opposition champion, Edmundo González Urrutia (4,445,978 votes), who denounced an electoral fraud.
The governments of China, Russia and Iran have congratulated the Venezuelan leader on the electoral victory while leaders of Europe and other Western countries have asked for transparency in the count.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on an official visit to Tokyo, was “seriously concerned” about the validity of the announced results and questioned that they reflect the “volunity” of the voters.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
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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