International
Luisa González, Correa’s bishop who seeks revenge against Noboa
Luisa González, the bishop of the former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa (2007-2017), once again personifies the hope of the correismo to return to govern the country after eight years away from power and to be the first Ecuadorian woman to win a presidential election.
González (Quito, 1977), a lawyer with peasant roots on the Ecuadorian coast, was on the verge of achieving it in 2023, when she was surpassed in the second round of the extraordinary elections by the current president, Daniel Noboa, who now seeks his re-election and once again profiles himself as the greatest rival of the correísmo.
This 47-year-old single mother with two children, a woman of Correa’s absolute confidence, accepted the challenge of seeking her particular revenge and returning to being the candidate of the Citizen Revolution led by the former president, who is disqualified from being a candidate for the sentence of eight years in prison for bribery he received in 2020 and he considers “lawfare”.
Although he was born circumstantially in Quito when his parents visited the capital, González defines himself as an “authentic manaba”, originally from the coastal province of Manabí, where he grew up in Canuto, a lavish agricultural land where the “montubios” the tough peasants of the coast are also forged.
He worked in the field with his grandfather, who taught him to temper his character, to ride a horse, to handle the machete and perform the hard tasks entrusted to the mountaineer. Emerging from that rural and challenging environment, González proudly claims to be a woman who has managed to make herself and get her children ahead.
With a strong Catholic conviction, a crucifix hangs from González’ neck and on her skin she has tattooed pink paths since she was a twenty-year-old that symbolize her commitment to the Lord, one with a stem formed by the words of a fragment of the Bible.
His positions against the total decriminalization of abortion have also cost him criticism from leftist groups in his time as an assemblyman.
González studied at the International University of Ecuador, where she received a lawyer’s degree, but also has a master’s degree in Economics and Development at the Complutense University of Madrid.
He is a lover of Manabita cuisine, one of the most precious in Ecuador, as well as sports and animals, to the point that he has two dogs at home.
He was linked to Correísmo from the beginning, when Rafael Correa began his political life and quickly reached the Presidency of the Republic in 2007. She is faithful to the former president, of whom she was his coordinator of Strategic Agenda (2010), a key and close position that allowed her to understand the twists and turns of power.
She also served as Deputy Minister of Tourism Management (2014), Secretary General of the Presidential Office (2015) and National Secretary of Public Administration (2017).
She served as vice-consul of Ecuador in Madrid (2011) and consul in Alicante (Spain) in 2017, as well as general secretary of the Intendencia de Compañías de Quito.
After concluding Correa’s mandate in 2017, she launched into active political life and in 2021 she was elected as a member of the National Assembly (Parliament), where she held a strong critical position against the Government of conservative President Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023), whose early departure led to the extraordinary elections of 2023.
His name began to sound just after Lasso invoked the so-called “cross death”, a constitutional mechanism that allowed him to dissolve Parliament and call new elections to complete the period that did not end (2021-2025).
After the 2023 elections, she remained as the president of the Citizen Revolution, which gave her strength to be the presidential candidate again against other possible candidates of the Correísmo such as Paola Pabón, Augusto Verduga and Gustavo Jalkh.
On this occasion he accompanies González as a candidate for vice president Diego Borja, instead of Andrés Arauz, who was the presidential candidate of the correísmo in 2021.
The Citizen Revolution appeals to the stability enjoyed by Ecuador during the decade that Correa ruled the country, which the presidential candidate wants to “revive”, as she repeatedly mentions in her campaign interventions, which happens to a large extent by appeasing the crisis of violence that affects the country due to the rise of organized crime gangs.
International
WHO warns of increased disease outbreak risk in Venezuela amid low vaccination coverage
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of an increased risk of disease outbreaks in Venezuela, including vaccine-preventable illnesses, due to low immunization coverage across the country.
“The vaccination coverage in Venezuela, particularly against measles and other diseases, was already low, so the risk of measles cases and other illnesses is currently high,” said Ciro Ugarte, director for emergencies at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO’s regional office.
Speaking during a video conference with journalists, Ugarte said the risk is especially high in shelters, where overcrowding could significantly accelerate the transmission of infectious diseases.
He also highlighted water quality as an additional concern in the aftermath of the disaster, noting that safe drinking water is not guaranteed in the most affected areas.
“Unfortunately, supply is scarce, making it very difficult to assess conditions in all shelters. That is why evaluating the quality of water provided to the population, especially in large shelters, is a priority,” he said during a briefing in Geneva.
Ugarte suggested that targeted vaccination campaigns could be deployed against mosquito-borne and other vector-transmitted diseases, particularly in overcrowded shelters and in areas where people remain displaced.
According to PAHO, eight health facilities have been assessed so far, all of which require assistance, with three reporting structural damage.
He also stressed that the José María Vargas Hospital, one of Caracas’s major public reference hospitals, requires urgent support due to critical conditions. The facility is currently treating 96 patients in an eight-bed unit, while its blood bank is operating at extremely low levels.
In La Guaira, the Rafael Medina Jiménez Hospital has reduced its capacity from 108 to 35 beds. Additionally, 22 other health centers have reported severe shortages, underscoring the strain on Venezuela’s healthcare system.
International
María Corina Machado’s attempted return to Venezuela reportedly halted amid US political concerns
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly pressured Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado and disrupted her planned return to Venezuela following recent earthquakes, amid concerns over a potential political crisis, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that a private jet carrying Machado from the United States to Curaçao was ordered to turn back last week after U.S. officials concluded she intended to continue onward to Venezuelan territory, effectively reversing her earlier departure route from December.
The opposition figure had reportedly spent months preparing to re-enter Venezuela in an effort to renew pressure for new elections, following the detention of then-president Nicolás Maduro under an order issued by Trump. The U.S. president has since stated that Washington’s relationship with Venezuela’s acting leadership, headed by Delcy Rodríguez, is “excellent.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, intermediaries close to the White House warned Machado that proceeding with her return plan could jeopardize her support from Trump and undermine broader U.S. strategy toward Venezuela, potentially delaying electoral plans.
Despite these warnings, Machado reportedly attempted a second route back through Panama. However, Copa Airlines declined to transport her to Venezuela, citing concerns over possible retaliation from Caracas against the airline, according to unnamed sources.
From Panama City, Machado stated on Monday that the Venezuelan government had closed commercial airspace to prevent her return, calling it “urgent” to go back to the country to “face this catastrophe together,” without addressing reports of U.S. pressure.
Axios reported that Trump administration officials viewed Machado’s attempted return as “grotesque political opportunism” in the aftermath of recent earthquakes that have left at least 2,595 people dead and thousands injured, while also delaying reconstruction efforts and potential electoral processes.
Since Maduro’s detention on January 3, President Trump has reportedly expressed support for Rodríguez, the former vice president, who has agreed to trade, mining, and oil agreements demanded by Washington. Trump has described Venezuela as effectively operating under U.S. oversight and has claimed the country is improving economically through increased oil production and exports.
Venezuelan opposition groups based in the United States have urged the Trump administration to reconsider its relationship with Rodríguez and criticized Washington’s stated satisfaction with reconstruction efforts following the June 24 earthquakes.
International
Rush for Air Conditioners Sparks Tensions at French Supermarkets Ahead of New Heatwave
Scenes of long lines, overcrowded stores and customer disputes unfolded across France on Thursday as shoppers rushed to buy air conditioners and fans ahead of another expected heatwave.
The buying frenzy comes as the country continues to recover from last week’s extreme temperatures, which exceeded 40°C (104°F) in several areas and produced the warmest night on record, with an average temperature of 22°C (71.6°F). Authorities have linked the heatwave to at least 1,000 excess deaths.
Demand for cooling appliances has surged in recent days, prompting heavy traffic at appliance retailers. The situation intensified on Thursday when German discount supermarket chain Lidl launched a promotion on portable air conditioners and electric fans.
Videos shared on social media showed large crowds gathering outside stores, with customers pushing and rushing to secure the discounted products.
“Lidl France regrets the incidents that occurred in its stores,” the company told AFP, adding that employees were forced to manage tense situations in what it described as a challenging environment.
Outside a Lidl store in northwestern Paris, dozens of customers began lining up as early as 7:00 a.m., two hours before opening, while police monitored the crowd, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
Although many shoppers remained in good spirits, tensions escalated as some people attempted to cut in line. “I will not open the store until they leave,” a store manager reportedly shouted as frustrated customers protested.
The situation worsened after customers discovered that the store, located in a working-class district of Paris, had only two air conditioning units available for sale.
One of the successful buyers, Lassana, who declined to provide his last name, said he had queued since 4:00 a.m. to secure one of the units.
Another customer, 69-year-old Fatou, was only able to purchase a small fan after what he described as a struggle. He criticized Lidl’s advertising as “misleading,” claiming police had temporarily closed access to the store because of the crowds.
Lidl France attributed the shortages to its fixed annual purchasing cycle, explaining that the promotional products had been ordered a year in advance and were offered at predetermined prices, limiting the available stock.
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