International
Kamala Harris, the woman who could make history
Kamala Harris could make history as the first African-American woman and the first person of South Asian origin to reach the White House. He does so without hardly alluding to his gender or race and with the promise of opening a “new chapter” in the politics of the United States.
The career of Harris, 60 years old, has been marked by the first times: she was the first black district attorney and the first woman to serve as attorney general in California; the first Indian-American to reach the Senate and, when Joe Biden elected her, the first woman in the Vice Presidency.
However, he has preferred not to emphasize the historical nature of his possible arrival at the White House, in contrast to Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.
In her biography, ‘The Truths We Hold’, she explains that she prefers to describe herself simply as “an American” and claims to feel comfortable with her identity as a mixed-race woman, despite Trump’s attacks, who has questioned whether she is African-American enough.
Harris is proud of her African-American and Indian heritage. Its name, which some Republicans pretend not to know how to pronounce to attack it, means “lotus flower”, a plant that emerges to the surface only when its roots are well anchored.
Born on October 20, 1964 in Oakland (California), she is the eldest daughter of Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher from India, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican economist, who divorced when she was seven years old.
His mother, who died in 2009, was a central figure in his life and the person he went to at a decisive moment for his future.
The path to politics
During her adolescence, her best friend from high school confessed to having been a victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather. Harris did not hesitate to call his mother so that his friend could move in with them.
That’s when she found her vocation and decided to dedicate herself to protecting victims of any crime, which pushed her to become a district attorney in San Francisco (2004-2011) and then a California attorney general (2011-2017).
In 2016 he won a seat in the Senate and quickly stood out for his incisive questions to members of the Trump Administration (2017-2021), as well as two judges nominated by him for the Supreme Court, including Brett Kavanaugh, accused of sexual abuse.
In 2020 he launched to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, but had difficulty defining his proposals. Biden ended up being the party’s candidate and elected her for the Vice Presidency.
Harris, married since 2014 to lawyer Douglas Emhoff, could barely shine in the White House. Biden commissioned him to tackle the “root causes” of migration in Central America, a cursed issue in US politics that has been unresolved for decades.
As part of that work, he traveled to Guatemala, where he starred in one of his most controversial moments by telling migrants who are trying to enter the United States: “Don’t come.”
Kamala Harris, to the election campaign
After a swee of criticism for the apparent lack of empathy, Harris withdrest from the public light. It came out again when the Supreme Court annulled the right to abortion at the federal level in June 2022, channeling the indignation of millions of women.
Thus, when Biden ended his electoral career in July of this year, Harris quickly built his candidacy around the concept of freedom: freedom for women to decide on their bodies and for every American to aspire to a better life.
To the rhythm of Beyoncé’s song ‘Freedom’, she has traveled the country shouting “we are not going to back down” and proclaiming that the US must decide at the polls if it wants a country of “chaos” and “hate” like the one established by Trump or one of “freedom” and “hope.”
His promise has been to unite the nation after years of tension and for this he has resorted to patriotic symbols, filling his rallies with US flags and adding support from republican figures such as former congressman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney (2001-2009).
Harris, who worked at a McDonald’s as a child, has positioned herself as the middle class candidate with the desire to reduce housing, food and drug prices.
It remains to be seen if the United States has heard its message and if that determination to change the course of the country convinces enough voters to make history.
International
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
The Vatican reportedly attempted to negotiate an offer of asylum in Russia for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before his capture by U.S. forces last Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
The U.S. newspaper reported that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch about a supposed Russian proposal to grant Maduro asylum. A source familiar with the offer said that what was proposed “was that he would leave and be able to enjoy his money,” and that part of the plan involved Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteeing Maduro’s security.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, the United States carried out a military operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture and detention, along with his wife Cilia Flores, who are now being held in New York on narcoterrorism charges.
The Washington Post also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump may have invited Maduro to Washington for in-person discussions about safe conduct, an offer that Maduro reportedly declined.
International
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
“War is becoming fashionable again, and war enthusiasm is spreading.” Pope Leo XIV delivered a somber assessment of international politics on Friday, sharply criticizing the growing reliance on force by nations at a time when his country of birth is increasing military displays.
While offering New Year’s greetings to the diplomatic corps, the U.S.-born pope — who also holds Peruvian nationality — delivered one of his strongest speeches to date, denouncing the “worrying weakening of multilateralism” and the emergence of what he described as “war enthusiasm.”
From the outset of his address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, delivered in English, the pontiff lamented the rise of a “diplomacy of force, by individuals or groups of allied states,” at the expense of dialogue, warning that such trends threaten the global order established after World War II.
“Peace is no longer sought as a gift or as a good desirable in itself, or as the pursuit of ‘the establishment of an order willed by God, one that entails greater justice among human beings.’ Instead, it is pursued through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominance,” the head of the Catholic Church said, without directly naming any country.
His remarks come amid ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Gaza Strip, and against a broader international backdrop marked by European concerns over a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, a scenario that could threaten the cohesion of NATO.
International
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
The incident occurred at around 4:10 p.m. local time in the Carabanchel neighborhood, in the southwest of the Spanish capital, according to a spokesperson for emergency services.
One person, whose identity was not disclosed, was killed, and nine others sustained minor injuries, the spokesperson said.
When asked about the possible cause of the explosion, emergency services did not provide any details.
Images shared by authorities on their official X account show a partial collapse of the building’s façade.
In October 2025, the collapse of a building under renovation in central Madrid left four people dead.
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
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
-
International4 days agoU.S. faces worst flu season in decades as new strain spreads nationwide
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador reports safest year in its history, security cabinet says
-
International4 days agoFlorida’s ‘Tidal Wave’ operation detains 10,400 migrants in largest ICE joint effort
-
International4 days agoU.S. Energy Secretary to meet oil executives on reviving Venezuela’s crude industry
-
International4 days agoDelcy Rodríguez, key figure in U.S.-Venezuela transition, remains under EU sanctions
-
International4 days agoMaduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism
-
International4 days agoColombia to maintain anti-drug cooperation with U.S. after Trump remarks
-
International2 days agoBeijing Says International Support Strengthens Its Position on Taiwan Sovereignty Issue
-
International4 days agoChina urges immediate release of Maduro, seeks emergency UN security council meeting
-
International1 day agoPetro and Trump Agree on Joint Action Against ELN Guerrillas After Tense Diplomacy
-
International1 day agoTrump Signals Extended U.S. Influence Over Venezuela Following Military Operation
-
International1 day agoLula Vetoes Bill That Would Have Shortened Bolsonaro’s Prison Sentence
-
International1 day agoSenate Bipartisan Vote Moves Measure to Block Further U.S. Military Action in Venezuela
-
International4 days agoColombia says border with Venezuela remains calm after U.S. arrest of Maduro
-
International2 days agoJustice Department Misses Deadline as Millions of Epstein Files Remain Under Review
-
International4 hours agoOne Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
-
International4 hours agoPope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
-
International3 hours ago
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture