International
Boluarte calls for “international strength” to respect the vote in Venezuela and decorates González Urrutia
The Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, demanded that multinational organizations and democratic countries generate “international force so that the will of the Venezuelan vote is respected,” after meeting in Lima with the opposition leader of Venezuela Edmundo González Urrutia, to whom she reiterated his recognition as elected president.
“It is time for the countries that we are living in democracy, such as Peru, to be next to Edmundo to give him strength, strength, and tell the elected president of Venezuela that he is not alone,” Boluarte said in the Government Palace.
And he added: “To international organizations such as the (Organization of American States) OAS, (I ask you) to make the international force so that the will of the Venezuelan vote is respected and Edmundo will soon be in Caracas directing the destinies of his homeland.”
Given this situation, he reiterated that the Government of Peru is with González Urrutia “in that struggle, which hopefully and soon” will lead him to be in Venezuela “directing the destinies, in peace, in democracy, of a rule of law.”
The president repeated that she recognizes González Urrutia as the winner of the July 2024 elections “so that the whole world is heard free and the tyrannies tremble.”
He stressed that on July 28, 2024, Venezuelans chose him “democratically to take the reins of their country.”
“We trust that the legitimate will of Venezuelan citizens will prevail, because this is how it is expressed at the polls and because we are facing a legal and legitimate cause,” he stressed.
González Urrutia went to the Government Palace of Lima accompanied by his wife, Mercedes López, as well as the former metropolitan mayor of Caracas Antonio Ledezma, and was received by Boluarte, the prime minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, and the foreign minister, Elmer Schialer.
Boluarte awarded the highest decoration of the Peruvian State to the opposition leader. The decoration with the order of The Sun of Peru, in the rank of Grand Cross, was held in a ceremony held at the Government Palace of Lima.
The official resolution stated that it was decided to decorate González Urrutia for his defense of democratic values, respect for human rights and the leadership and defense of the fundamental freedoms of the Venezuelan people “who have been recognized internationally.”
He added that, “despite the adverse circumstances in the Venezuelan political context,” González Urrutia has carried out “significant initiatives aimed at restoring constitutional order in his country.”
After receiving the decoration from the hands of Boluarte, the Venezuelan leader assured that it is a recognition that “honors” him and that he values “on behalf of all the Venezuelan people.”
This tour began after he received asylum in Spain last September, considering that he was at risk of detention by the authorities of his country for not accepting the results of the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), which proclaimed the victory of Nicolás Maduro without publishing the detailed data, as his own schedule demanded.
For its part, the largest anti-Chavista bloc, Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD), has insisted that González Urrutia was the winner of the elections, something he says he proves with 85.18% of the electoral records that, he says, he gathered through witnesses and table members, documents that Chavismo calls “false”.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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