International
Harris vs Trump: the battle for the young male vote and the debate on masculinity
The US elections could be decided in an unexpected struggle to attract the male voter of Generation Z, where Donald Trump has eroded Democratic domination over young people while Kamala Harris offers a new model of masculinity, closer to empathy and equality.
The former Republican president (2017-2021) courts those voters by appearing in popular podcasts among Generation Z (born from 1997), while the Democratic vice president tries to position herself as a strong leader, relying on a new model of masculinity championed by her running mate, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.
This battle reveals a deeper debate between the different conceptions of masculinity that prevail in the Democratic and Republican parties and how they resonate among young people.
Trump’s hypermasculinity
Trump’s campaign embraces a kind of hypermasculinity that reached its maximum expression at the republican convention in Milwaukee, where the former fighter Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt live and the former president himself went on stage to the rhythm of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ by James Brown.
At every rally, Trump projects the image of a tough leader. When in July in Pennsylvania a man tried to kill him, he got up after a few minutes crouched and, with a bloody face, raised his fist in front of the American flag, shouting “Fight, fight, fight!”.
Its objective, University of Michigan professor Aaron Kall explains to EFE, is to seduce young voters without university studies and who feel less affinity with democratic ideas than previous generations.
Therefore, Trump has chosen as a running mate the Ohio senator, J.D. Vance, the first member of the ‘millennial’ generation (born between 1981 and 1996) to be part of the commitment of a great party for the White House.
However, in their eagerness to attract the male electorate, both are pushing women away, enthusiastic about the possibility of a woman arriving at the White House for the first time.
For years, Trump has been accused of abuse by dozens of women and this same year a jury found him guilty of abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. Nor do some comments that Vance made in 2021, when he referred to women without children as “lady spinsters with cats” help him either.
Harris’ proposal: a new masculinity
Harris is doing everything possible to mobilize the female vote with the promise of protecting the right to abortion, legal for half a century until in June 2022 the Supreme Court annulled the ‘Roe vs Wade’ ruling.
In addition, to counter that narrative of Trump’s “strong man”, Harris’ campaign has presented its own masculinity alternative: men capable of leading with empathy and comfortable in the background next to a powerful woman.
This image is embodied by the second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who left his job as a lawyer when Harris became vice president, and especially Walz, who represents that renewed masculinity, as Georgetown professor Michael Cornfield explains to EFE.
Nicknamed “trainer Walz” for his experience in American football, Walz has 24 years of service in the National Guard and projects the image of a simple man from the crucial Midwest, appearing in rallies with a flannel shirt and mountain boots.
In his election debut with Harris, on August 6, Walz greeted the vice president by putting her palms together at chest height, showing a deference that enhanced Harris’ aura of leadership.
“Walz is the gateway for those men who feel uncomfortable accepting the possibility that a woman could be a commander-in-chief. It shows that real men can take a back seat with strong and capable women,” Cornfield explains.
The biggest gender gap in history
According to Lanae Erickson, former Barack Obama’s advisor (2009-2017), these differences between the candidates anticipate that in the November 5 elections there will be the largest “gender gap” in the recent history of the United States, that is, the largest difference ever recorded between the percentage of women and men who vote for one or another applicant.
“There is unprecedented enthusiasm for Harris among women. On the other hand, men, especially young people who vote for the first time, are turning to Trump,” says Erickson.
A recent survey by ABC and Ipsos reveals that the gender gap could reach 18 points, surpassing 12 points in 2020 and 11 in 2016.
Specifically, Harris is 13-point advantage of Trump among women, while Trump surpasses Harris by 5 points among men, an unprecedented phenomenon in American politics.
International
German Authorities Investigate More Than 100 New Cases Against Convicted Nurse
German authorities announced Monday that they are investigating more than 100 additional cases involving a nurse who was sentenced to life in prison in November for the murder of 10 patients.
The man, who was 44 at the time of his conviction, worked in palliative care at a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. He was also found guilty of 27 attempted murders.
Aachen prosecutors are now examining 121 new cases, a spokesperson for the office said.
Prosecutors leading the investigation are preparing a new indictment that could be filed next year. Nearly 40 bodies have so far been exhumed as part of the investigation, which covers alleged incidents dating back to September 2022.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the city of Cologne are investigating 18 additional cases. According to a spokesperson, the oldest case dates back to 2010.
Before working at the Würselen hospital, the nurse is believed to have worked at a clinic in eastern Cologne, according to local media reports.
At the time of his November conviction, the court ruled that the severity of his crimes was particularly serious, a finding that would make it difficult for him to obtain early release after 15 years in prison.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, the nurse administered overdoses of sedatives or painkillers to terminally ill patients, most of them elderly, according to the indictment in the original case.
His alleged motive was to sedate patients who required care so that he could minimize his workload during night shifts, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the nurse worked «without enthusiasm» and «without motivation». When faced with patients requiring extensive care, he allegedly became «irritated» and showed a lack of empathy.
The case has revived painful memories in Germany of Niels Högel, a former nurse and serial killer who was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2019 for the murders of at least 85 patients.
International
Venezuela Raises Earthquake Death Toll to 6,301
The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 6,301, while relatives continue searching for missing people among the rubble of collapsed buildings, parliamentary leader Jorge Rodríguez said Monday.
So far, the Venezuelan government has not released an official figure for the number of people missing after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which caused around 190 buildings to collapse, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Caracas.
The latest figure represents an increase from the 6,125 deaths reported by Venezuelan authorities on August 3.
According to statements made to local media by La Guaira Governor José Alejandro Terán, around 1,400 people were still missing just over a week ago.
Thousands of homes remain at risk
In addition to buildings that completely collapsed, authorities have classified another 9,567 structures as being at «high risk». Meanwhile, 12,411 homes remain under a «restricted» classification.
As a result, many families who lived in these properties have been relocated to temporary shelters or have sought accommodation with relatives and friends.
Nearly 24,000 people left homeless by the disaster are currently living in camps in Caracas and La Guaira, a popular tourist destination whose economy has been severely affected by the earthquakes.
The situation sparked renewed concern among Venezuelans on Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, with its epicenter in Colombia, was felt across several regions of Venezuela.
The earthquake in Colombia left at least 111 people dead and dozens injured, according to preliminary figures released by authorities in that country.
International
CEAPI Backs Colombia’s New Government and Calls for Greater Public-Private Cooperation
The Ibero-American Business Alliance Council (CEAPI), led by its president, Núria Vilanova, participated in the inauguration ceremony of Abelardo de la Espriella as Colombia’s new president. The events were held on August 7 in Cali and brought together heads of state and institutional representatives from numerous countries.
CEAPI maintains a strong relationship with Colombia as part of its mission to serve as a meeting point between Ibero-American business leaders and the region’s main institutions and governments. The organization has more than 25 members in Colombia, including Jaime Gilinski, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Omar González and Diego Urrea. In addition, Colombia hosted the seventh CEAPI Ibero-American Congress, held in Cartagena de Indias in 2024.
During his inauguration speech, President De la Espriella identified confidence and economic stability as key pillars of his administration and emphasized the role of private enterprise in Colombia’s future.
He also reaffirmed his intention to govern for all Colombians and strengthen institutional dialogue, while referring to Spain’s democratic transition and the leadership of former Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez.
Vilanova said she has seen this commitment firsthand during meetings with members of the new government, who have expressed their willingness to work closely with business leaders and the private sector to promote economic growth.
According to CEAPI, the government is considering measures aimed at strengthening legal certainty and business confidence, encouraging investment and promoting formal employment.
For Vilanova, Colombia’s new political and economic stage represents an opportunity to demonstrate that «when the public and private sectors are aligned, they can achieve more».
«Colombia has everything it needs to make it happen. And Ibero-American business leaders are ready to support it», she said, adding that CEAPI is already working with the government to organize a future investment delegation to the country.
The organization said the planned visit would seek to strengthen business ties and identify new investment opportunities in Colombia, reinforcing the role of the private sector in the country’s economic development.
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