International
Venezuela’s electoral body calls the UN report on the presidential elections a “pamphlet”
The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela lamed this Wednesday a “pamphletary” the provisional report prepared by the panel of experts of the United Nations (UN), according to which the presidential elections of July 28 lacked the “basic measures of transparency and integrity that are essential to hold credible elections.”
In a statement, the CNE recalled that, as agreed with the UN, this document would have internal purposes, so its public disclosure violates the agreement and “demoverses the perverse political intentionality of such dissemination, composed of fallacious and disfigured arguments.”
“The content of this ‘report’ is a pamphlet document and its ‘expertise’ is absolutely crumbled in view of the poor and easily deniable arguments that they use to try to delegitimize the impeccable and transparent electoral process carried out on July 28,” says the election body.
In addition to repeatedly denying the document, the CNE insisted that since July 28 a “cyberterrorist attack” was carried out that continues and before which “the contingency protocols” were applied that allowed “to have a transmission of 80% of the minutes, with an irreversible result in favor” of President Nicolás Maduro.
In view of the lack of results disaggregated by voting center, which contradicts the established schedule, the CNE indicated that “the detailed disclosure could not be made” “for continuous attacks on the dissemination platforms, which are exposed to the internet,” in allusion to the institution’s website, which has been down for 17 days.
In the opinion of the CNE – whose majority of authorities are alike Chavismo – the UN experts “shamelessly try to endorse the scam” of the majority opposition, which published “83.5%” of the electoral records on a website to support their complaint of fraud and ensure that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the elections by a large margin.
The entity stressed that the UN group “was not authorized to carry out audits on alleged records that do not have any level of legality, since they were not provided by the electoral body,” so “the ‘experts’ incur an act of illegality, by giving as valid” the ballots disclosed by anti-chavismo.
“With their political agenda against the Venezuelan people, these characters question the credibility and reliability of the UN, while mocking the trust placed in them by the Member States,” the letter concludes.
In addition to this panel, the Carter Center – which was also invited by the CNE as a supervisor of the presidential elections – considered that the elections cannot be considered democratic for violating the established standards.
International
Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict
Air Canada announced on Friday that it will suspend its flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June through late October, citing rising jet fuel costs driven by the conflict involving Iran.
“Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, some routes and less profitable flights have become economically unviable, so we are making adjustments accordingly,” the airline said in a statement.
Despite the suspension, the carrier confirmed it will continue operating 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Air Canada expects to resume its JFK operations after October 25.
Meanwhile, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a temporary ceasefire in the region. However, jet fuel shortages could persist even if the truce holds.
Fuel accounts for between 25% and 30% of operating costs for most airlines, and carriers worldwide have responded to the crisis by raising fares and suspending select routes due to safety and profitability concerns.
International
UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions
The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.
Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.
The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.
“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.
While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.
To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.
Central America
El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program
The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.
Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.
The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.
According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.
In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.
Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict
Panama and OECD sign deal to boost investment climate and global integration
UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions
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
