International
An anti-Revista candidate sees “desperation” as his biggest rival in the municipal elections
The opposition candidate for Mayor of Caracas Jorge Barragán assured, in an interview with EFE, that his main contender in next Sunday’s municipal elections in Venezuela is “desperance”, which, he considers, has been installed in the electorate due to distrust in the vote.
“Our main rival is not the (ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela) PSUV itself, our main rival is hopelessness. It’s getting up every day thinking that things are not going to change and that they (Chavismo) have already won,” said this 27-year-old.
Backed by the Alianza del Lápiz party, Barragán aspires to occupy the position held since 2021 by the admiral and former minister Carmen Meléndez, a charter of Chavismo for re-election, whose management he especially criticizes what he describes as the deterioration of public services, in particular the lack of water and garbage collection.
A native of Táchira, a state in the west of the country bordering Colombia, this opponent considers that change should not come from a “break” by force as, he says, proposed by some anti-Chavista sectors that call for abstention after the 2024 presidential elections, in which Nicolás Maduro was proclaimed the winner despite opposition’s allegations of “fraud”.
“I believe that the way is transition, and the transition is achieved through voting. The breakup has not worked in these 25 years that we have been living this political process,” he added.
Barragán, who began his career in the student movement at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), where he studied International Studies, is confident of winning the mayor’s office and explains that for this he has focused on taking his message to the streets of the capital.
Among its main proposals are the creation of a training center in technological trades aimed at young people, the development of a telemedicine application to improve access to health, a program of investment incentives through tax exemptions and the organization of the informal economy, which he prefers to call the “entrepreneurial sector”.
This young man wants to “turn Caracas into an educational city and example of Latin America,” he proposes to modernize it, “that people feel proud” of the capital “for the ideas, for the form and management,” as well as for coexistence and values.
For this he hopes to have the support of professionals from all over the country and the “human capital” of different political formations such as Unión y Cambio, promoted by the opponents Henrique Capriles and Tomás Guanipa -elected deputies to Parliament last May -, or Un Nuevo Tiempo, headed by figures such as former governor Manuel Rosales and Stalin González, who also got a chair for the legislative period 2026-2031.
As a politician, he distances himself from the “authoritarian” leaderships in the world and says he is inspired by leaders of Venezuelan history, such as former President Isaías Medina Angarita, also from Táchira.
International
Rubio rules out 2028 presidential bid if Vance runs
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if current Vice President JD Vancedecides to run as the Republican nominee to succeed President Donald Trump.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in an interview with Vanity Fair, in which he appeared alongside other senior members of the presidential cabinet.
Rubio, 54, and Vance, 41, are widely viewed as two of the leading Republican figures who could headline the party’s ticket in the 2028 election. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump is barred from seeking another term after completing two presidential mandates.
In a lighthearted moment during the interview, Vance jokingly offered photographers $1,000 if they managed to make him look better than Rubio in the photos. Both leaders have received public backing from Trump, who last October floated the idea of a joint ticket featuring Rubio and Vance, without clarifying who would lead it.
“I think that if they ever teamed up, they would be unstoppable. I don’t think anyone would run against us,” Trump said at the time.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who also took part in the interview, confirmed that Trump does not intend to violate the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third presidential term, though she acknowledged that the president is “having fun” with speculation about a possible return to office.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, served as a Republican senator from 2010 to 2025. He sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump after a bruising primary contest. His name was floated as a potential vice presidential pick in 2024, but Vance ultimately secured the spot. After taking office, Trump appointed Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first Latino to hold the position.
International
Authorities search for armed and dangerous suspect in fatal Brown University attack
According to the statement, investigators are “seeking the public’s help to identify and speak with an individual” who was seen “near” the suspect at the time of the attack.
The Providence Police Department in Rhode Island released three photos of the person of interest, whose face has been blurred. In the images, the individual is wearing navy blue clothing, what appears to be a green hood, and carrying a light-colored backpack.
Earlier, authorities had released several photos and videos of a suspect described as “approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a stocky build,” dressed in dark clothing, with their face covered by a surgical mask and wearing a beanie. The suspect’s identity remains unknown.
Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for the killings, who is considered armed and dangerous.
The gunman opened fire on Saturday at Brown University’s engineering and physics building, where exams were being held, killing students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. The names of the nine people injured have not been released.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
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