International
Trump visits the city he used to stigmatize Venezuelans and promises to “clean” the US
The former president of the United States (2017-2021) and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, sokened this Friday fears of migration in Aurora (Colorado), a city that he himself put at the center of national attention to criticize the policies of the Democratic government and promote false narratives about Venezuelan immigrants.
In a massive rally, Trump raised the tone of the xenophobic ideas that set the pace of his campaign, said that Venezuelan migrants have “infected” Aurora and promised to “clean” the country if he reaches the Presidency.
“On November 5, I will rescue all the cities that have been invaded and conquered,” stressed the former president, among cheers from the attendees.
Trump spoke in front of a false wall, decorated with the words ‘deport all illegals now’ and stood in the middle of the photos of two migrants, pointed out by local authorities as members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua.
Trump and the myth
Aurora, a suburb of Denver – the capital of Colorado – jumped to the national sphere in Trump’s mouth and through the right-wing media ecosystem, as did social networks such as X or TikTok.
The area has become a kind of myth for the Republicans, who have drawn the image of a city “taken” by Venezuelan gangs.
In particular, they mention the Aragua Train, an organization born in a prison near Caracas and pointed out for crimes such as extortion and sexual exploitation of migrants in South America.
Local authorities deny this narrative, including the Republican mayor of Aurora, Mike Coffman, who said this week that “concerns about the activity of Venezuelan gangs are gross exaggeration.”
The Denver Metropolitan Area Police has acknowledged having identified the presence of members of the Aragua Train in the area and have pointed to 10 people, several of them already arrested.
The statistics
Multiple studies have shown that the migrant population commits fewer crimes than people born in the US and in Aurora, in particular, crime has decreased by 17% in the last five years, according to data compiled by the local network Denver 7.
Throughout the election campaign, the president has extrapolated individual cases of crimes committed by migrants in the country to stir up fears among foreigners and accuse the government of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in November, of promoting a policy of “open borders.”
“She has committed crimes by allowing these migrants to enter the United States. They are ruining our country,” Trump said.
The Democratic government, contrary to what Trump assures, has imposed harsh restrictions on asylum on the border that have been criticized by international organizations such as the UN agency for refugees.
As a result, the number of irregular crossings on the border with Mexico has reached its lowest point in four years and the number of deportations under this Government – including hot expulsions at the border – are on their way to surpassing those carried out during the four years that Trump was in power.
International
India Approves New Dengue Vaccine as Global Cases Continue to Rise
India has approved a new dengue vaccine as health authorities seek to strengthen prevention efforts against a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the global population is currently at risk of contracting dengue, which causes between 100 million and 400 million infections annually.
Since 2021, India has recorded more than one million dengue cases, including at least 1,500 deaths.
The virus can cause high fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea, skin rashes and, in rare cases, internal bleeding and death.
The vaccine, authorized by India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), was developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. The Indian Health Ministry said the vaccine is recommended in two doses for people between 4 and 60 years old.
The treatment has already been approved by health authorities in around 40 countries worldwide.
Meanwhile, Indian pharmaceutical company Panacea Biotec has begun the final phase of clinical trials for a single-dose dengue vaccine, aiming to provide another prevention option against the disease.
Brazil recently announced the suspension of the use of another single-dose dengue vaccine developed in the country after two suspected deaths were reported.
International
U.S. Sends First Humanitarian Aid Flight to Cuba Amid Ongoing Tensions Between Both Governments
The United States announced Tuesday the dispatch of a humanitarian aid flight to Cuba as part of a $100 million assistance package proposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in May.
The flight departed from Miami with the support of Catholic Relief Services, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
The administration of President Donald Trump, which has maintained restrictions on oil supplies to the island and tightened sanctions against the Cuban government, had initially announced humanitarian assistance in November following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.
In February, amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana, Rubio announced an increase in aid while continuing to criticize the Cuban government.
The U.S. secretary of state accused Cuba’s communist authorities of obstructing the distribution of assistance. Washington has insisted that the aid be delivered through the Catholic Church to ensure it reaches Cuban citizens directly.
The Cuban government, meanwhile, has blamed the U.S. oil blockade for making the distribution of humanitarian assistance significantly more difficult.
The aid shipment comes as relations between the two countries remain strained, with disagreements continuing over sanctions, energy supplies and the management of humanitarian support.
International
Controversial Pesticide Law Passes in France, Sparking Ecological Concerns and Ministerial Fallout
The French Parliament on Tuesday approved a highly controversial agricultural law that allows certain farmers to use two pesticides considered harmful to bees, substances that had been banned in France but remain authorized in the European Union.
After the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, approved the agricultural bill in the early hours of Tuesday, the Senate gave its final approval with a vote of 214 in favor and 111 against, officially adopting the measure.
Following the decision to reintroduce the use of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, the office of Environment Minister Monique Barbut announced that she would soon submit her resignation.
Supporters of the measure argue that French producers of sugar beets, apples and hazelnuts need access to these insecticides — banned in France since 2018 and 2019, respectively — to remain competitive with European farmers in other countries where the products are still allowed.
Opponents, including environmental groups, argue that the substances pose serious risks to bees and could also threaten human health.
“Let us be proud of the work that has been done,” said Senator Laurent Duplomb of the conservative Republicans party, one of the main supporters of the measure.
The vote came after France’s Constitutional Council, the country’s highest court, struck down a previous attempt last year to bring back acetamiprid, ruling that the measure could pose risks to human health. That decision followed a petition signed by more than two million people opposing the pesticide’s reintroduction.
The previous bill had also been promoted by Duplomb, who argued that French agriculture needed additional tools to compete in international markets.
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