International
Chancellor Scholz to Vance: We will not accept intrusions in democracy and elections
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded this Saturday to US Vice President JD Vance that the Central European country will not accept that foreigners meddle in democracy and the German elections with their support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and calls to eliminate the cordon sanitaire that the other parties have imposed on it.
“The AfD is a party, which, from its ranks trivializes as ‘bird shit’ of German history National Socialism and its monstrous crimes – crimes against humanity, such as those committed in (the Nazi concentration camp of) Dachau,” Scholz said in his speech at the Munich Security Conference.
The Chancellor recalled that Vance had visited the day before his controversial speech in which he criticized European democracy precisely in the extermination camp northwest of Munich, where he said that this terrible place – where at least 41,500 people died of hunger, diseases, torture, murders and the consequences of imprisonment – reminds everyone the reason why “we must work so that this does not happen again.”
Therefore, Scholz stressed, the commitment to the “never again!” is not compatible with support for the AfD, and “that is why we will not accept strangers intervening in our democracy, in our elections and in the formation of democratic opinion in favor of this party.”
The social democratic politician, who is running again as a candidate for chancellor in next Sunday’s general elections, emphasized that this “is not acceptable, and even less among friends and allies,” in reference not only to Vance and his speech in the middle of the German election campaign, but also, although without naming him, to the explicit support of technological billionaire Elon Musk to AfD.
“We firmly reject it. We decide for ourselves what happens to our democracy. Us and no one else!
The German chancellor maintained that “current democracy in Germany and Europe is based on the historical certainty that democracies can be destroyed by radical anti-democrats.”
“That is why we have created institutions that make our democracies defenses against their enemies. And rules that do not restrict our freedom, but protect it,” he insisted.
Vance’s speech has created great discomfort in Germany and among several European leaders who listened to his words in Munich, since his central thesis was that the main threat to Europe did not come from either Russia or China but from the interior of the continent itself.
International
Former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney dies at 84
Dick Cheney, former U.S. vice president under George W. Bush and a chief architect of the 2000s “war on terror,” died Monday night at age 84.
According to a family statement, Cheney passed away due to complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease.
Cheney, who rose to political prominence as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford in the 1970s, went on to become one of the most influential vice presidents in U.S. history during the Bush administration (2001–2009). He was widely known as one of the strongest advocates for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In his later years, however, Cheney emerged as a vocal critic of the Republican Party under Donald Trump’s leadership.
“Dick Cheney was a great man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country and to live with courage, honor, love, kindness, and a passion for fishing,” his family said in a statement.
International
Sheinbaum maintains 70% approval despite growing discontent in Mexico
Seven out of ten Mexicans — 70% — approve of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s performance a little over a year into her term, even as disapproval reached its highest level in October at 30%, according to a monthly survey published by the newspaper El Financiero.
The approval rating marks a slight decline compared to September (73%), August (74%), and especially February, when Sheinbaum peaked at 85%. Meanwhile, disapproval rose to 30%, three points higher than in August and double the levels recorded between January and March, when just 15% of respondents disapproved of her leadership.
Of the 1,000 Mexicans surveyed, 59% rated the government’s response to last month’s deadly storms — which left 83 people dead and 16 missing — as good or very good. Additionally, 56% gave positive marks to cleanup and recovery efforts, while 40% viewed them negatively.
Support programs for affected families received 53% positive and 42% negative evaluations. Sheinbaum’s visits to impacted areas generated a narrower split: 50% approval versus 45% disapproval.
The president’s empathy stood out as her most valued attribute, earning 63% favorable ratings, followed by honesty (59%), leadership (59%), and ability to deliver results (47%).
International
Shootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
A confrontation between Mexican security forces and an armed group in the troubled state of Sinaloa left 13 gunmen dead and four others arrested, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported on Monday.
Sinaloa, located on the Pacific coast, has been shaken for more than a year by a violent power struggle between factions of a powerful local cartel — a conflict that has resulted in at least 1,700 homicides, including 57 minors, and nearly 2,000 disappearances.
The shootout occurred around 12:45 p.m. local time (18:45 GMT) in the municipality of Guasave, where authorities were able to rescue nine kidnapped individuals following the clash. Officers also seized seven vehicles, long weapons, and tactical equipment, according to the minister’s post on X.
García Harfuch explained that security forces “were attacked by an armed group hiding under a bridge” while patrolling the La Brecha community of Guasave, prompting an “immediate response” from authorities.
The detainees and seized items have been turned over to Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office, he added.
The internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel erupted after the capture of longtime leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who was betrayed and extradited to the United States in July 2024 by the son of his former partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Guzmán has been serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison since 2019.
Former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney dies at 84
Sheinbaum maintains 70% approval despite growing discontent in Mexico
Shootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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