International
Kamala Harris seeks to shorten distances with Trump in conservative areas of Pennsylvania

US Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned this Friday in Republican counties of Pennsylvania, in a strategic effort to reduce Donald Trump’s advantage in that region and increase the Democratic chances of conquering this key state for the November elections.
Harris ended the day with a rally on a university campus in Wilkes-Barre, where he proposed an “economy of opportunities” for the middle class, reaffirmed his defense of the right to abortion and described Trump as a divisive leader, focused on his own interests.
“We need a president who works for all Americans and who stops trying to divide us. People are already tired of that,” Harris said, receiving continuous applause from the public.
At one point in the event, the vice president was interrupted by demonstrators protesting against the war in Gaza. One of them raised his voice, causing discomfort among the attendees. Harris intervened, and although he expressed that he “respected their voices,” he reminded them that “at that moment, she was talking.”
Harris’ campaign considers that this Friday’s visits to conservative areas of the interior of Pennsylvania are an opportunity to reduce Trump’s advantage.
His strategy is to attract undecided voters in Republican counties, in order to decrease Trump’s margin of victory in those areas and ensure that Harris gets enough votes at the state level to win Pennsylvania.
Harris’s campaign
Wilkes-Barre, where he gave his speech, is in Luzerne County, an area that Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012, but that passed into the hands of Trump in 2016, when he beat Hillary Clinton by almost 20 points. In 2020, Biden lost Luzerne by 14 points.
Harris’ other stop was in Johnstown, located in Cambria County, about 100 kilometers east of Pittsburgh. This county also shows a trend similar to that of Luzerne: Obama won it in 2008 and 2012, but Trump conquered it in 2016 and 2020.
In Johnstown, Harris talked to voters in a place that functioned as a cafe and bookstore. He told them that he is aware of his responsibility to win “each” of his votes, and therefore wants to spend time in the communities where they reside.
“That’s why I’m here, and we’re going to spend much more time in Pennsylvania,” said Harris, who has dedicated six of the last seven days to campaigning in this state.
His campaign team has highlighted the importance of Pennsylvania, since with 19 votes in the Electoral College, it is one of the states that could decide who reaches the White House.
On Friday, Harris’ campaign indicated in a statement that 16 of its 50 offices in Pennsylvania are located in rural counties where Trump won by a wide margin in 2020. The goal is to limit Trump’s advantage in those areas of the state, and thus increase the Democratic possibilities in the contest.
International
Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.
“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.
International
Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses

The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.
The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.
Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.
“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.
International
Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations

A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.
With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.
On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.
The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.
-
International5 days ago
Miami crash injures three, including police officer; one in critical condition
-
Central America3 days ago
Costa Rica’s Poás volcano on orange alert amid rising magma activity
-
International5 days ago
Petro criticizes Milei, calling him ‘greedy’ and a ‘Mussolini nostalgic’
-
International1 day ago
Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations
-
International3 days ago
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to meet with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on friday
-
International3 days ago
Maduro urges UN to intervene for venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador
-
International3 days ago
Canada updates U.S. travel advisory amid immigration policy changes
-
Central America1 day ago
Kristi Noem in Latin America: Talks with Bukele on expulsions and security policies
-
International3 days ago
Trump’s tariff decree disrupts venezuelan oil exports to China
-
International3 days ago
Lula meets Japan’s emperor as Brazil seeks stronger trade ties
-
International1 day ago
Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses
-
International3 days ago
Mystery deepens in Émile Soleil case as family members are arrested
-
International3 days ago
U.S. Homeland Security Chief tours Latin America as deportation policy sparks tension
-
Central America1 day ago
Honduran group in U.S. pushes for voter registration to prevent election fraud
-
International3 days ago
Tech industry shocked by sudden death of Samsung executive Han Jong-hee
-
International3 days ago
DHS official recognizes El Salvador as key ally in combating irregular migration
-
International3 days ago
Forensic genealogy uncovers identity of woman found in California in 1966
-
International3 days ago
Bolivia declares disaster in 90 municipalities as heavy rains continue
-
International3 days ago
23andMe declares bankruptcy amid data breach fallout and declining sales
-
Central America9 hours ago
Nicaragua denounces Costa Rica’s position in SICA as aligned with foreign interests
-
Central America9 hours ago
Panama’s president declares Darién gap ‘closed’ amid sharp drop in migrant flow
-
Central America9 hours ago
Nicaragua’s new judicial law consolidates power in Ortega and Murillo’s hands
-
International9 hours ago
Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana
-
International3 days ago
Mexico to launch National Identity Platform to aid in missing persons search