International

The cry of “freedom” of thousands of Venezuelans resounds in various cities of America

Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets this Saturday in various cities of America in “defense of the truth” and urged the Governments of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to take a clear position and pressure so that the National Electoral Council, which declared Nicolás Maduro re-elected president, to announce the disaggregated results of the elections of July 28, which according to the majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia won.

From Canada to Argentina, these demonstrations take place in a context of great political tension, where the opposition denounced an “electoral fraud” in an election in which the majority of the diaspora could not participate in the face of bureaucratic obstacles, another of the great complaints of the thousands of Venezuelans against the Maduro Government.

The global marches were called by Venezuela’s largest opposition alliance, the Platform of Democratic Unity (PUD), led by María Corina Machado, to claim the truth of victory in the presidential elections.

In Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, Venezuelans and many local citizens, who marched in solidarity, criticized the position of the governments of these three countries, close to Maduro, which have adopted varied and changing positions regarding the crisis in Venezuela, while they have tried to make medication arrangements to provide a peaceful way out of the crisis.

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose party was one of the first to recognize Maduro’s triumph, has hardened his speech in recent days in the face of the official result of the presidential elections.

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Both Lula and the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, have put forward several proposals. The Brazilian proposed two solutions – the formation of a coalition government that integrates members of Chavismo and the opposition or the holding of new elections – and the Colombian suggested a “national front” as a “transitory” step towards a “definitive solution” to the crisis.

These alternatives have already been rejected by Chavismo and the opposition, both sides defend their victory in the presidential elections.

For Lorena Lara, a 44-year-old Venezuelan who has been living in Brazil for 17, the proposal “does not make sense” because the elections were already held “with the rules of the Government” and it has not yet “proved” the results published by the National Electoral Council and that gave the victory to Maduro.

While President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated that Mexico’s position is to “wait” for what the electoral court resolves and criticized the governments and international organizations that have recognized González Urrutia’s victory.

“The position of the president of Mexico is a position, let’s say, like Pontius Pilate, it’s like wanting to save himself from giving an opinion that can then create a compromise, we don’t know what his reasons are,” Venezuelan dentist and university professor Juan Carlos Vielma told EFE.

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Carrying flags, dressed in the colors of the national flag and with the printed ballots that, according to them, show that González Urrutia was the winner of the elections, many Venezuelans maintain “alive hope” that there will be freedom in their country, which they long for to returning soon.

In Colombia, Ana Ángela Jugo, who left Venezuela in 2019 after “a series of blackouts” in which they lasted several uninterrupted days without electricity and endangered the work with which she kept her family, said that her desire is to return, like that of many of the eight million Venezuelans who have left the country to other parts of America in recent years motivated by the economic crisis above all, but also by opposition to the Venezuelan Government.

Shouting “enough is enough!”, Venezuelans in Chile demanded that Maduro show all the minutes of the elections and leave power.

One of the organizers of the Toronto march, Rebeca Sarfatti, told EFE that the congregated represented “the democratic will of the Venezuelans of the world who passionately” want the end of the Maduro regime.

“I want to be recognized internationally and not to leave us alone. Don’t turn your back on us. Those elections in Venezuela were manipulated. Edmundo won,” Génesis Pernia, one of the Venezuelans present in the massive march and resident in Panama for almost a decade, told EFE.

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In the rest of the main capitals of the world, thousands of Venezuelans also demonstrated as a show of strength and unity against the “fraud” that they say the Maduro Government committed in the presidential elections.

The surprise of the day took place in Caracas, the epicenter of the worldwide call of the PUD, with the reappearance of María Corina Machado before thousands of her followers, after spending several days “in protection” for her safety.

On the eve of the marches, twenty-two countries and a group of nations of the European Union asked for the “immediate publication of all the original minutes” of the elections and the “impartial and independent” verification of the results of those elections, according to a statement signed in Santo Domingo this Friday.

In addition, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved by consensus a resolution that requires the authorities of Venezuela to publish the “expitently” of the election minutes, which Venezuelans have been waiting for almost a month ago.

The non-binding text was presented on behalf of the United States and Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Uruguay as co-sponsors.

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International

Artemis II crew prepares for Earth return and splashdown recovery

Astronauts from the Artemis II mission are expected to be extracted from the Orion spacecraft approximately two hours after splashdown, scheduled for 20:07 UTC this Friday (6:07 p.m. in San Salvador), according to NASA.

Following recovery, a rescue team will transport the crew by aircraft to the USS John P. Murtha. Once onboard, they will undergo medical evaluations before boarding another flight to the Johnson Space Center.

On Thursday, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, continued preparations for their return to Earth.

Their activities include stowing equipment used during the mission, securing cargo and storage compartments, and installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are properly fastened. The crew will also review the latest weather updates, recovery operations status, and reentry timeline, while preparing for post-landing procedures.

At 21:53 UTC (9:53 p.m. in San Salvador), Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to perform a second trajectory correction maneuver, refining the spacecraft’s path back to Earth. During this operation, Hansen will monitor guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.

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NASA explained that during Friday’s reentry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii. If necessary, a final trajectory adjustment will fine-tune the flight path before the capsule begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from jettisoned components.

Just before atmospheric interface, Orion will reach a peak speed of approximately 3,800 km/h. As it descends to about 400,000 feet (around 121.9 km), communications will be interrupted for approximately six minutes due to plasma formation around the capsule during peak heating.

NASA expects the crew to experience up to 3.9 G during a nominal reentry profile. After exiting the blackout phase, the capsule will jettison its forward bay cover. Drogue parachutes will deploy at around 22,000 feet (6.7 km), followed by the three main parachutes at approximately 6,000 feet (1.8 km).

Artemis II marks NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon. The mission aims to validate capabilities for deep space human exploration and lay the groundwork for future long-term scientific missions on the lunar surface.

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International

Flooding in Dominican Republic leaves child dead and thousands affected

A two-year-old girl died after a wall of her home collapsed amid severe flooding that struck Dominican Republic on Wednesday. The heavy rains also caused power outages, school closures, and reduced working hours across affected areas.

Authorities issued preventive alerts in 15 of the country’s 31 provinces due to intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms that began Tuesday night.

Juan Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations (COE), confirmed the child’s death to the press. The incident occurred in Santo Domingo Oeste, part of the capital region.

According to Red Cross officials, the girl died when a wall in her home collapsed following a landslide triggered by hours of heavy rain.

President Luis Abinader provided an update from the COE, stating that government agencies had been mobilized since early morning, particularly in Greater Santo Domingo, to protect lives and minimize material damage.

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Floodwaters left several vehicles submerged, while others were swept away by strong currents. Authorities estimate that around 250,000 families have been affected by the flooding.

Earlier, Public Administration Minister Sigmund Freund announced reduced working hours, encouraging remote work for those facing transportation difficulties, while maintaining in-person operations for essential services.

International

Bill Gates to testify before Congress over Epstein connections

Bill Gates is set to testify on June 10 before a congressional committee in United States investigating links connected to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Tuesday.

The Microsoft co-founder is among several high-profile figures named in documents released by the Department of Justice, which detail alleged close associations, questionable financial dealings, and private photographs involving Epstein.

According to a spokesperson cited by Politico, Gates “welcomes” the opportunity to appear before the committee. The representative emphasized that Gates “never attended or participated in any illegal activities with Epstein” and is prepared to answer questions to support the investigation.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In late February, Gates told members of his foundation’s board that his association with Epstein was a “huge mistake.” He has consistently denied any involvement in the financier’s criminal activities. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.

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“I did nothing illegal. I saw nothing illegal,” Gates said, according to a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

Gates acknowledged that his relationship with Epstein began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A draft email written by Epstein and released by the Department of Justice referenced alleged extramarital relationships involving Gates. The message, which was apparently never sent, claimed that Epstein had helped “Bill” obtain medication related to encounters with Russian women.

Gates admitted to having had two extramarital affairs but denied any involvement with Epstein’s victims.