International

Trump appoints new members to his government cabinet

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, announced four new nominations for his government cabinet, some of which will have to be ratified by the US Senate starting January 20, 2025.

The most controversial of them is that of Russell Thurlow Vought, one of the “architectures” of the ultra-conservative government program Project 2025, to be at the head of the Office of Management and Budget of his future Administration.

Vought, 48, was already in charge of that same portfolio during part of Trump’s first term (2017-2021).

“He did an excellent job: we removed four regulations for each new regulation, and it was a great success!” he said in a statement from his transition team.

A “cost reducer” in the cabinet

Trump recalled that Vought has spent many years working on public policies in Washington and is an “aggressive cost reducer and deregulator” who will help his government cabinet implement his “United States first” agenda in all agencies.

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“He knows exactly how to dismantle the deep State (…) and will help us return self-government to the people,” added the future president about his chosen one.

An ex-NFL to Urban Planning and Housing

He also nominated in the Urban Planning and Housing portfolio of his future Administration the former American football player Scott Turner, who spent nine seasons in the National League of American Football (NFL) with the Washington Redskins, the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

During Trump’s first term (2017-2021) Turner served as the first executive director of the White House’s revitalization and opportunity office, dedicated to the most needy communities.

According to the statement of the transition team, these areas received thanks to their work about 50 billion dollars (about 48 billion euros) in private investment.

Trump also pointed out that Turner, originally from Texas, is a pastor at the Prestonwood Baptist Church.

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“He will work with me to make the United States great again for EVERY American,” said the New York tycoon, who also congratulated the appointment of the woman and the son of his chosen one.

The Work portfolio at the hands of a Latina

On the other hand, the congresswoman of Latin origin Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be his next Secretary of Labor.

“He has worked tirelessly with the business and labor sector to develop the workforce of the United States and support working men and women,” said the former president, who won the elections on November 5 against Democrat Kamala Harris.

As the congresswoman explained so far, her grandmother’s family emigrated to the United States from Mexico so that her children could live a better life and achieve their American dream.

“I am proud of my Latin roots and the achievements achieved by the Hispanic community in our great country,” she said in a Facebook post.

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Chavez-DeRemer began her career in public service in 2002 at the Parks Committee of the city of Happy Valley, Oregon, and later won a position on the City Council, of which she was later president.

She was elected mayor in 2010, becoming the first Latino mayor of the municipality, and re-elected in 2014.
In 2022 she was elected to the US House of Representatives to represent the fifth district of the Oregon Congress.

A billionaire to take care of the Treasury

For the cabinet’s Treasury portfolio, Trump trusted billionaire Scott Bessent, investor and fund manager.

Bessent is the founder of the macro-investment firm Key Square Group, in the last election campaign he hosted a fundraising event for the Republican in South Carolina and Trump has described him in the past as one of the brightest minds on Wall Street.

In the event that his nomination is confirmed and validated by the Senate, Bessent awaits Bessen a crucial role in overseeing a broad portfolio that will cover international trade, taxes, financial regulation and US sanctions.

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The Washington Post newspaper pointed out that people close to Trump’s transition team point out that the financier caught his attention in part because of his negative predictions about the impact of a possible Democratic victory in the elections of last November 5.

Bessent, who studied at Yale, was manager of George Soros’ fortune, but left the investor and philanthropist’s firm to set up his own fund.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.