International
The White House denies that Elon Musk is the legal manager of the Department of Efficiency
The White House denied before a court that Elon Musk is the legal manager of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an office that President Donald Trump created for the tycoon to cut public spending of the federal Administration.
In a document filed on Monday with the District of Columbia federal court, White House Administration Director Joshua Fisher detailed that Musk is neither the administrator nor an employee of the DOGE.
According to Fisher, the richest man in the world is actually a White House worker who serves as an advisor to the president and who, therefore, has no direct authority to make government decisions.
The document does not clarify who is the legal guardian of the DOGE.
The White House’s revelation comes in response to the lawsuit filed by several Democratic prosecutors from different states accusing Trump of having delegated to Musk “a practically uncontrolled authority” and without the authorization of Congress.
The argument that Musk is not the legal manager of the DOGE contrasts with the public statements made so far by Trump himself, Musk and the DOGE.
After winning the elections last November, Trump announced the creation of the DOGE to cut bureaucracy and placed businessmen Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy at the head, but the latter disassociated himself from the organization.
Musk was last week in the Oval Office with Trump detailing to the press the actions that the DOGE is carrying out and assuring, in the face of criticism from the opposition, that its management is “transparent.”
To date, DOGE and Musk have led the dismantling of entities such as the International Development Agency (Usaid) or the Consumer Financial Protection Office (CFPB), in charge of monitoring Wall Street and protecting consumers.
The broad power of the businessman within the Administration has generated concern in some departments and a federal judge blocked the DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment system.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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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