International
Venezuela shows evidence of fraud in primary event
October 27 |
The president of the National Assembly (AN) of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, met in Caracas with representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and exposed details of the agreements assumed by the National Government and a sector of the opposition to contextualize the evidence of the fraudulent primary event that took place last October 22.
He referred that recently the National Government signed in the capital of Barbados with representatives of the oppositions two agreements: one related to the political and electoral conditions, with a view to the presidential election of 2024, and the other which expressed the firm intention to defend the territorial integrity of Venezuela and to defend the Venezuelan patrimony and assets that are abroad.
He pointed out that the first of them seeks that the results of that election be shared by all and that they may be fair, verifiable and supported by the goodness and strengths of the national electoral system, considered one of the most reliable, efficient and fast in the world. All this was embodied in this agreement, he emphasized.
He reminded that it is a robust and reliable automated system, and throughout it there are 18 audits (including the inspection by experts of the machines, the software, the electoral registry, the machine set to zero on the day of the elections and the voting records, among many others).
He explained that in one of its paragraphs, the agreement on the elections makes it clear that these conditions will be applied to the rest of the electoral processes to be carried out in the country.
He emphasized that political parties in Venezuela are subject to public scrutiny and to the provisions of the Constitution and electoral laws, such as the Organic Law of Electoral Processes, the Comptrollership Law and others. He made clear that these parties “are not secret brotherhoods, they are not private companies, they are not anonymous companies” and must adhere to the mandate of the law.
In addition to these standards, during the signing of the agreements it was defined that the National Electoral Council (CNE) is the only entity legally vested in the country to summon, organize and carry out elections of any kind and thus avoid any irregularity.
He added that on two occasions the NEC communicated with the organizations with political purposes which conform the so called Unitary Platform and on both occasions this sector refused to allow the NEC to organize the election.
He questioned the refusal of this sector to use the voting centers and tables, the electronic machines and all the support usually provided by the CNE. He assured that this could only be explained because a fraud of incalculable proportions had been organized.
He denounced that there were no voting centers and people did not know where to go to vote. Very few were known to exist and with very vague coordinates. On the other hand, 30 percent of the voting centers were inside private residences.
He commented that then began to appear denunciations of candidates and resignations of members of the boards of this primary event in the states, among them the vice-president of the national commission of the event, who claimed the participation of the CNE in this process.
She said that the resignations of candidates prevented the election from being participatory. How can an election be competitive if there is only one candidate left with possibilities, since two others resigned, she asked. He assured that what happened on Sunday, October 22 cannot be considered an election. It does not have any quality or verifiability.
He commented that another candidate explained that there were no voting centers, it was not known who the witnesses were and the audited electoral material had not arrived, among other irregularities. He said that weeks before the primary event, a private company called Súmate -owned by María Corina Machado- hijacked the primary event and, for example, created mega voting centers -with 6,000, 10,000 voters, for example- which prevented thousands of voters from voting.
He affirmed that 25 percent of the 5,000 voting tables were never installed. He emphasized that the objective of all this was to create agglomeration and irritation among his own followers, in addition to trying to mediatically implant an opinion matrix favorable to anxiety and to politically annihilate the parties that signed the agreements in Barbados.
There is no election if you cannot present medium or minimally reliable results, said Rodriguez.
International
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
Tensions remained high in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a vessel was hit by a projectile, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that negotiations with Iran were moving forward and that the strategic maritime route could reopen as early as Tuesday.
Tehran denied that direct talks were taking place, but Trump insisted that discussions were underway and described the situation as a final opportunity for Iran to reach an agreement.
“This is the last chance they have to sign a good document,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could happen “literally tomorrow” Tuesday.
The comments came after another escalation in rhetoric from Washington. Last week, Trump threatened Iran with military strikes before unexpectedly changing course on Sunday and announcing that negotiations with Tehran would resume.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai rejected the U.S. president’s version of events, stating that Tehran was not holding negotiations with Washington.
“At this moment, we are not negotiating with the United States. We are negotiating with Oman to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqai said.
Earlier, the Iranian official said that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz, to reopen the crucial waterway that plays a key role in global energy trade.
The maritime route has remained blocked by Iran since the outbreak of hostilities following U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Tuesday that they had launched an attack against an airport in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed group had previously disrupted the passage of Saudi vessels through the Red Sea, an alternative route used for crude exports by the world’s largest oil producer.
The continued instability in the region has raised concerns over global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important chokepoints for international oil shipments.
International
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to be officially nominated for re-election by his Workers’ Party (PT), marking the start of his campaign for a fourth presidential term.
The nomination takes place during the party’s national convention in São Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub, where around 3,000 supporters gathered to back the veteran leftist leader.
“Today I’m here because Lula’s policies changed my life and my family’s. Thanks to him, we finally own a home after eight generations without one,” said Cristiane Rosa Julho, a 51-year-old social worker attending the event dressed in the PT’s signature red.
Seeking the presidency for the seventh time in his political career, Lula is expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in next year’s election.
The 45-year-old senator is the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been jailed over his alleged role in an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election.
The party convention opened with videos highlighting Lula’s social initiatives and speeches by four women praising his leadership, while supporters waved PT flags and held signs reading “We Want Lula as President” and “Brazil Is Not for Sale.”
The campaign begins amid growing tensions with the United States and President Donald Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family who has openly backed several conservative candidates across Latin America.
Last week, Lula warned against foreign interference, declaring, “In Brazil, we do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
In July, the United States imposed two rounds of tariffs on Brazilian products, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. The measures followed earlier restrictions introduced in 2025, encouraged by Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, in response to legal proceedings against the former president.
Lula has vowed to wage what he called a “war of truth against lies” in response to Washington’s pressure and accused Flávio Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s interests by allegedly helping the United States damage the country’s economy. The senator has denied the accusations.
The Brazilian president also claims Washington is attempting to influence the country’s political landscape in an effort to prevent his re-election.
International
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
A truck loaded with explosives exploded on Saturday near a police station in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, close to the Venezuelan border, leaving 14 people injured in an attack that occurred six days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration.
The blast took place in the early hours of the morning and was allegedly carried out by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. According to the latest report from the Colombian Army, the attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians.
The explosion involved around 15 explosive devices, and two of the wounded officers are in critical condition and “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, governor of Norte de Santander, the region where the attack occurred.
The incident comes amid Colombia’s worst wave of violence in the past decade, with armed groups expanding their presence in several areas of the country.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out in Cúcuta against our National Police. Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia or break the determination of Colombians to live in peace and security,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The conservative lawyer, who has been described as a far-right figure, will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president. The inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, the country’s third-largest city and a frequent target of attacks by armed groups.
The United Nations condemned what it described as an “indiscriminate attack” that caused not only injuries but also “fear and distress among the population.”
De la Espriella has repeatedly warned about an alleged plot against his life. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro, who is currently visiting Cuba, has not commented on the attack. During his visit, Petro met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to discuss what Havana describes as the United States’ “policy of suffocation” toward the island.
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