International
Venezuela’s Guaido calls for ‘sincere unity’ after election defeat
AFP
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called Monday for “sincere unity” following a disastrous defeat in regional elections the day before.
The fractured opposition broke a three-year election boycott to take part in mayoral and gubernatorial votes but paid for its failure to put up single candidates against President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV).
Opposition figures won in only three out of 23 states, while Maduro allies won 18 governorships and are well-positioned to claim the final two.
The PSUV candidate also took the mayor’s office in the capital Caracas.
Guaido himself rejected the election over fears it would not be fair, and refused to vote.
“It would be unfair to talk of an election failure” in an “alleged election that wasn’t one,” insisted Guido, adding that it was “absolutely flawed” and “clearly unequal.”
“Those that managed to snatch (posts) from the dictatorship is a feat… my respects,” said Guaido.
But he said what happened on Sunday highlighted “the obvious need for unification” among opposition forces if they are to challenge the ruling party, or Maduro in the 2024 presidential election.
“It is an event that should bring us towards greater unity, a sincere unity,” said Guaido.
Guaido has lost much of the luster he gained with his audacious bid in January 2019 to oust Maduro through popular will.
He used this position as then-parliament speaker to declare himself acting president after the legislature dismissed Maduro as a “usurper” over his 2018 reelection that was widely dismissed by the international community.
But Guaido was never able to force Maduro, who maintained the support of the powerful military, out of the presidential palace. and within six months he had lost most of his pulling power.
Although around 60 countries recognized Guaido’s claim to be acting president, much of the opposition broke ranks and rejected him as their leader.
“It’s time to open our arms” to bring everyone back into the same fold, said Guaido.
Election authorities said Monday that 42.2 percent of the 21 million registered voters went to the polls on Sunday, although it is yet to publish final official results.
International
At least 10 dead and 20 injured in highway crash near Morelia
The accident occurred on the highway connecting Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, with the town of Pátzcuaro, the Morelia police reported in a statement.
“Preliminary information indicates there are around 10 fatalities and nearly 20 people injured. Emergency teams are carrying out extraction efforts and providing medical assistance at the scene,” the department said. It added that traffic on the roadway remains closed while rescue crews continue their work.
So far, authorities have not specified the cause of the crash.
Road accidents are common in Mexico, often caused by excessive speed or poor vehicle maintenance, particularly involving buses or cargo trucks.
In September, a truck carrying nearly 50,000 liters of gas exploded at an intersection in Mexico City, resulting in 32 deaths.
International
Democrats press prince Andrew for testimony as Epstein probe intensifies
Sixteen Democratic lawmakers have signed a letter urging Prince Andrew to participate in a “transcribed interview” with the U.S. House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the Epstein case. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while jailed and awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The letter asked Andrew — the younger brother of King Charles III and now referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after being stripped of his royal titles due to his association with Epstein — to respond by November 20.
“Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s silence in response to the Oversight Committee Democrats’ request for testimony speaks volumes,” said Representatives Robert Garcia and Suhas Subramanyan, both members of the committee, in a statement released on Friday.
“The documents we have reviewed, along with public records and the testimony of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, raise serious questions he must answer, yet he continues to hide.”
Giuffre, a U.S.-Australian citizen who died by suicide in April, wrote in posthumous memoirs that she had been forced into sexual encounters with Andrew on three occasions — the first two when she was 17.
International
President Sheinbaum Hails Fátima Bosch’s Miss Universe Win as a Victory for Women’s Voices
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised Fátima Bosch on Friday for winning the Miss Universe 2025 title, recognizing her as a symbol of courage for Mexican women and highlighting her stance against an act of injustice during the international pageant.
Bosch, a native of Tabasco, claimed the crown at the competition held in Thailand. Her participation drew significant attention following an incident involving the director of Miss Universe Thailand, Nawat Itsaragrisil, who told her to remain silent for not sharing event-related content on her social media platforms. The remark prompted Bosch to walk out of the room in protest, an action supported by several other contestants.
President Sheinbaum denounced expressions like “you look prettier when you’re quiet,” asserting: “Women look more beautiful when we speak up and participate. And she raised her voice, saying, ‘This is unjust, I don’t agree.’”
Fátima Bosch, 25, became the fourth Mexican woman to win the Miss Universe crown, joining Lupita Jones (1991), Ximena Navarrete (2010), and Andrea Meza (2020).
Bosch triumphed over Thailand’s Veena Praveenar, who placed as first runner-up, and Venezuela’s Stephany Abasaly, who took third place. This year’s pageant featured contestants from 120 countries and territories, including nine mothers, one transgender woman, a genocide survivor, and the first-ever Palestinian contestant in the competition’s history.
At least 10 dead and 20 injured in highway crash near Morelia
Democrats press prince Andrew for testimony as Epstein probe intensifies
President Sheinbaum Hails Fátima Bosch’s Miss Universe Win as a Victory for Women’s Voices
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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