International
Machado calls Venezuelans to the streets one day before the presidential investiture

Opposition leader María Corina Machado called on “everyone” on Sunday to take to the streets of Venezuela and the world on January 9, one day before the presidential investiture, which both President Nicolás Maduro and anti-Chavista leader Edmundo González Urrutia promise to assume.
“This day will be recorded in history as the day when Venezuela said enough. Stop holding on, stop shutting up. It’s our land, our flag. Freedom is not begged, it is fought and conquered,” Machado said in an audio published in X.
He asked to leave “full of confidence” because -he stressed- “Maduro is not going to go alone, you have to make him leave with the strength of a people who never give up.”
“Get out, shout, fight, it’s time to stand firm, to make them understand that they have come this far, that this is over. There are no excuses, there is no tomorrow if we don’t fight today. Freedom is achieved when we overcome fear. I’m going with you,” said the former deputy, who claims to be in hiding for fear for her safety.
Machado and the largest opposition coalition in front of the presidential investiture
Machado and the largest opposition coalition maintain that González Urrutia is the winner of the presidential elections of July 28, so they demand that this triumph be recognized, despite the fact that the National Electoral Council proclaimed Maduro’s re-election.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader – exiled since September in Spain – reiterates that he will travel to Venezuela to assume the Presidency and, as a preliminary step, he is on an international tour, which has already taken him to Argentina and Uruguay, in search of support.
Tomorrow, Monday, he will be received in the United States, where he hopes to meet with President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor’s Office maintains an arrest warrant against González Urrutia and the Police recently offered a reward of 100,000 dollars to anyone who provides information about the opponent’s whereabouts or provides some information that facilitates his arrest.
The Government of Venezuela deployed 1,200 troops throughout the country with the aim of “guaranteeing peace” in view of the inauguration of the Presidency.
International
Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion

When Bill and Melinda French Gates established the Gates Foundation in 2000, they envisioned an organization that would continue its work for decades after their deaths. But now, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he doesn’t want to wait that long to give away most of his fortune.
On Thursday, Gates announced that he plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years and will dissolve the foundation on December 31, 2045.
The announcement comes amid deep cuts by the Trump administration to funding for health, foreign aid, and public assistance programs — the very causes the Gates Foundation supports. The shift raises concerns about setbacks in global health research and critical development initiatives.
Gates says he wants to accelerate the foundation’s work in global health and equity, and hopes the move will inspire other billionaires to follow suit. In a blog post published Thursday morning, he emphasized that the foundation’s final phase should serve as a model for large-scale philanthropic impact.
This new pledge builds on Gates’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. Alongside French Gates and Warren Buffett, he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The campaign now has more than 240 signatories worldwide.
International
Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft turned global health philanthropist, sharply criticized Elon Musk in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying the tech billionaire is “the richest man in the world and is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”
At 69, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045, and he urged the next generation of billionaires to step up. However, he expressed concern that today’s wealthy individuals are less committed to humanitarian work than they were two decades ago.
He cited Elon Musk as a prime example: “He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He shredded it — all because he didn’t attend some party that weekend.”
Gates argued that Musk “could have been a great philanthropist,” but instead, “the richest man in the world is now contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children.” He pointed to how cuts to USAID have disrupted essential programs fighting HIV, malaria, and polio.
Gates called on the global elite to do more: “It’s not that we’re running out of rich people. There will be more, and they’ll reflect on what AI has done — or hasn’t — and what governments have done — or haven’t.”
Looking ahead, he urged future billionaires to commit to greater philanthropy, especially as his own foundation phases out: “The rich of today should do more. The rich twenty years from now should do more.”
Despite his criticisms, Gates maintained his trademark optimism. He dismissed fears that repeated U.S. administrations will continue cutting humanitarian budgets: “I don’t think there will be administration after administration slashing these things. If we look 20 years ahead, I believe we’ll continue reducing child mortality.”
Gates also expressed faith in artificial intelligence, suggesting it can provide medical expertise in remote regions on par with doctors with decades of experience — potentially even better than what’s available in wealthy countries.
International
VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.
“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.
Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”
The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.
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