International

The most ranking Hispanic legislator in the US appeals to Latinos to recover Congress

Democrat Pete Aguilar has been the highest-ranking Hispanic legislator in the US Congress since 2023. A position that he says he takes as an honor and from which he works so that his party snatts control of the House from the Republicans with the support of the vote of that community: “Trump chooses division, we chooses collaboration,” he tells EFE.

On November 5, Americans will not only vote for their future president, but also for the renewal of the Lower House, where he presides over the Democratic caucus, and a third of the Senate, in which his formation holds control.

“These are the most important elections we have seen in the last 50 or 60 years. This is our opportunity to get up as a community and ensure that we go forward and not backward. I will do everything in my power to make sure that I do my part,” explains the Californian legislator in an interview in his office.

Legislator says that Latinos play a key role in the US.

The Democrats need to snatch four seats from the Republicans to regain the Lower House. At the presidential level, the fight is fought between Vice President Kamala Harris and former Conservative President Donald Trump (2017-2021).

And in that fight, Latinos play a key role: their number of voters has gone from 27 million in 2016 to the current 36, but in this time their support for Democratic candidates has been significantly reduced, so we must not take their support for granted.

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“The Latino community is not monolithic. We need to understand that they are different, that the first generation can be different from those of the fourth. We have the responsibility to ensure that we communicate effectively and culturally competently to mobilize our voters,” he says.

His strategy, he says, bets on talking about the benefits already achieved and those that could continue to be achieved when the majority is obtained: from discounts on the price of health services to an increase in economic opportunities.

A mandate marked by the blockade

The current division in Congress, with a Republican Lower House and a Democratic Senate, has been characterized by a constant blocking of legislative projects. The rival bench, Aguilar maintains, “is not concerned about a government that works for the people, but about voting no and making Trump happy.”

Among Republican voters, the economy, immigration and violent crime are the main concerns. Health care and Supreme Court appointments prevail among Democrats, according to the non-partisan organization Pew Research Center.

For the legislator they are not opposite priorities. “They are all important. Now, the way in which candidates talk about them is very different. Trump chooses division and we choose collaboration and not chaos, but I have the feeling that the economy will be a driving force in these elections and we must underline what we have done to help it.”

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Aguilar, born in California and with Mexican roots, admits that the reform of the immigration system is another pending issue. “It’s broken and needs to be fixed. I think the Latino community understands the difference between border security and immigration,” he says.

“As president, Harris will work with Congress to address this issue,” says the legislator, confident that the candidate is committed to giving opportunities for immigrants to succeed in the United States.

The current Administration, however, has not been exempt from criticism for imposing measures that restrict the right to asylum on the border with Mexico.

Republicans don’t offer solutions

The 45-year-old legislator urges not to believe the republican rhetoric: “They are more concerned with writing down points politically than with offering solutions. (…) We have to make it very clear that it is important to have a strong border.”

And from the experience given by his position as number three of the Democrats in the Lower House and as a member of the parliamentary committee that investigated Trump for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, he also warns of the need not to lower his guard in these future elections.

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“I’m afraid I’m going to do the same and we must take precautions to be prepared.” At the moment Harris remains in the lead in voting intentions and gets Trump 2.6 percentage points, according to the average of polls of the FiveThirtyEight website.

The United States could have its first female president. Will there be a Latino in the White House? “I know there will be,” says Aguilar, who assures that he does not aspire to that position. “We need to benefit from our diversity and only then, when people see themselves in those positions of power, will the country have faith in what we do.”

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.