International
Harris surpasses Trump in Latin voting intention, but the Democratic advantage is reduced
Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris surpasses her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, in Latin voting intention, but has the slightest advantage of a Democratic candidate in the last four elections in the United States, according to a poll by Telemundo, NBC News and CNBC published this Sunday.
Harris achieved 54% of the voting intention compared to 40% of Trump in a poll with 1,000 Latino voters registered in the US, conducted in English and Spanish between September 15 and 23 and with a margin of error of more or less 3.1 percentage points.
Harris’ 14 percentage point advantage over Trump improves the one that President Joe Biden had before withdrawing his candidacy for re-election last July, but the figure represents the narrowest margin for a Democratic candidate since 2012, says CNBC.
What do Latinos think of Harris and Trump?
54% of respondents also indicated that they prefer Congress to be controlled by the Democrats, compared to 42% who prefer the Republicans, which also represents the most reduced Democratic advantage since 2012.
The survey shows that the cost of living and inflation, as well as jobs and the economy, are the issues of greatest concern for Latinos, in line with the general trend in the United States, and those are the issues in which Trump has the best score.
46% of respondents said they preferred Trump over 37% to Harris when it comes to tackling inflation, and in economic matters in general Trump also prevails (45% versus 41%).
Migration and borders
Regarding other issues, Harris surpasses Trump with the greatest advantage (39 percentage points) in human treatment and protection of immigrants’ rights, followed by the issue of abortion (32 points).
However, the survey reflects the diversity of the Latino community in the US and its division in immigration issues: for example, 62% said that immigration helps more than it harms and 35% the opposite, the latter percentage being the highest among Latinos in two decades, according to Telemundo.
Apart from that, 52% considered it more important to give immigrants a way for citizenship and avoid their discrimination, compared to 47% who advocated making the border safer and stopping the illegal crossing of immigrants.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
International
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
The United States Department of State announced sanctions on Thursday against 23 individuals and companies allegedly linked to an international fentanyl production and smuggling network operating in India, Guatemala and Mexico.
According to the State Department, the network supplied precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Washington declared fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, a weapon of mass destruction last year due to its role in the ongoing overdose crisis in the United States.
“By targeting the entire supply chain — from chemical suppliers in Asia to logistical intermediaries in Central America and cartel-linked networks in Mexico — the Trump Administration is dismantling networks that destabilize governance across our hemisphere and threaten U.S. security,” the State Department said.
In a separate statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control detailed sanctions against three Indian chemical and pharmaceutical companies: Sutaria, Agrat and SR Chemicals, along with a sales executive accused of supplying precursor chemicals to contacts in Guatemala and Mexico.
In Guatemala, authorities sanctioned J and C Import and Central Logística de Servicios, as well as intermediary Jaime Augusto Barrientos.
The OFAC also designated several intermediaries and import companies operating in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
As part of the investigation, U.S. authorities identified Ramiro Baltazar Félix as a member of Los Mayos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Alejandro Reynoso, accused of operating clandestine drug laboratories in Guadalajara.
International
Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect
Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that migrants must be treated with dignity as he addressed the global migration crisis during a press conference aboard the plane returning from his tour of Africa.
The pontiff answered questions from journalists regarding his upcoming trip to Spain, which will include a visit to the Canary Islands, a region heavily affected by migration flows and growing political polarization surrounding the issue.
“Obviously, migration is a very complex issue and affects many countries — not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. It is a global phenomenon,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV also questioned the role of developed nations in addressing the crisis.
“My response begins with a question: What is the Global North doing to help the Global South and those countries where young people no longer see a future and dream of going north, even when the North sometimes has no answers to offer?” he asked.
While acknowledging that “a state has the right to establish rules for its borders,” the pope insisted that the debate must go beyond border control and address the structural causes that force people to leave their home countries.
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect
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