International

Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama ally to warn about the danger of choosing Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris and the former first lady of the United States. Michelle Obama joined forces this Saturday to warn voters that “there is a lot at stake” in the November 5 elections, especially for women’s health and reproductive rights, if Donald Trump reaches the Presidency again.

In a crowded rally in Kalamazoo, in the key state of Michigan, the Democratic candidate and the former first lady raised their voices to charge against former President Donald Trump, between 2017 and 2021, and the setbacks in rights that, in her opinion, the United States has experienced.

“There is a lot at stake in this election,” Harris said, stressing that the current race for the Presidency is “en even more important” than that of 2016 or 2020.

Kamala Harris: “It is clear that Trump has become increasingly deranged”

“In the last eight years, Donald Trump has become more confused, more unstable and more angry, and it is clear that he has become increasingly deranged,” Harris accused.

Harris also used a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted partial immunity to the former president for the case of the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. “Imagine Donald Trump without a barrier to stop him,” he stressed.

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Kamala Harris again criticized her opponent for saying that she wanted generals like those of Adolf Hitler during his tenure in the White House and threatening to use the army against those who disagree with him.

Michelle Obama follows the questions to Trump

Obama was not left behind in criticism of Trump by confessing that she is “a little angry because we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental deterioration, and his history as a convicted criminal,” when comparing the Republican candidate with Harris.

The first lady also dedicated a good space of her speech of more than 40 minutes and anteroom to Harris to list the failures of the Trump Administration in describing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as poor, when it discredited scientists and spread false information.

A message focused on women’s reproductive rights

The rally in Michigan also served for Harris and Obama to appeal to the vote of women and warn them about the risks of allowing the Republican to return to the White House.

“I ask you from the depths of my being to take our lives seriously,” Obama said. “We need you to vote for the only candidate in this race who will protect our lives. Kamala Harris will fight to restore our reproductive freedoms and defend our health,” he added.

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They invite women to vote

The former first lady challenged women to keep their vote private, regardless of the political opinions of the men in her family and told them that voting for Trump or a third-party candidate “would bring collateral damage” to their wives, sisters and daughters.

For her part, Kamala Harris recounted how the three Supreme Court members elected by the Republican in his mandate helped repeal the Roe vs Wade sentence that protected abortion nationwide.

“They did what he wanted and now one in three women in the United States lives in a state where Trump prohibits abortion, and many of them have no exceptions in cases of rape and incest,” the candidate said.

Both Harris and Obama urged voters to cast their vote in advance.

Key support in Michigan

“I think Donald Trump is a not very serious man, but the consequences of him becoming president again are brutally serious,” Harris said.

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The appearance of the former first lady at this Saturday’s rally is fundamental for the Democratic campaign that seeks to consolidate itself in the so-called “blue wall”, to which Michigan belongs, a state that offers 15 electoral votes to the winner.

Michigan is one of the seven competitive states in the United States that will decide the election in ten days.

Harris has leveraged great and recognized figures in the final stretch of his campaign. This Friday he performed in Houston (Texas) with Beyoncé, and on Thursday he shared the stage with former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) in Atlanta (Georgia).

International

Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions

Bogotá and Quito will hold an emergency bilateral summit next week amid recent developments that have strained relations between the two countries.

Tensions escalated this week after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa unexpectedly announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Colombia responded with a reciprocal measure, imposing the same tariff on around 20 Ecuadorian products and suspending electricity exports to Ecuador.

Aware that electricity imports are critical to easing Ecuador’s recent energy crises, Quito further imposed a 30% tariff on the transportation of Colombian oil through its territory.

However, recent statements from the Ecuadorian government suggest that dialogue between the two sides has intensified in recent hours. Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, confirmed that active conversations are under way.

In Colombia, segments of the business sector have welcomed the prospect of negotiations. The National Business Council (Consejo Gremial Nacional, CGN), for instance, urged both governments to restore commercial relations, warning that the dispute “puts jobs and regional economic stability at risk.”

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International

Trump-Era Defense Plan Prioritizes Border Security and Scales Back Global Commitments

The U.S. military will prioritize the defense of the homeland and the deterrence of China, while providing more limited support to its allies and elevating Latin America as a key focus of its agenda, according to a Pentagon strategic document released on Friday.

The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) represents a significant shift from previous Pentagon policies, both in its emphasis on allies assuming greater responsibility with reduced backing from Washington and in its more moderate tone toward traditional adversaries such as China and Russia.

“As U.S. forces focus on defending the homeland and the Indo-Pacific, allies and partners elsewhere will assume primary responsibility for their own defense, with crucial but more limited support from U.S. forces,” the document states.

The previous defense strategy, published during President Joe Biden’s administration, described China as Washington’s most consequential challenge and characterized Russia as an “acute threat.”

The new strategy, however, calls for maintaining “respectful relations” with Beijing and makes no reference to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China and allied with the United States. It also describes the threat posed by Russia as “persistent but manageable,” particularly affecting NATO’s eastern members.

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While both the Biden-era strategy and the Trump administration’s approach emphasize the importance of defending U.S. territory, they differ significantly in their assessment of the challenges facing the country.

The Trump administration’s NDS sharply criticizes the previous government for neglecting border security, arguing that this failure led to an “influx of illegal immigrants” and widespread narcotics trafficking.

International

Guatemala considers sending high-risk gang members to military prisons

Amid the escalating crisis in Guatemala’s prison system, the government is considering transferring high-risk gang members to military-run detention facilities, a move that analysts say could help address overcrowding and the lack of control in civilian prisons.

The debate has gained urgency following the killing of ten police officers by gang members, reportedly in retaliation after the government refused to meet demands made by Aldo Dupie Ochoa, alias “El Lobo,” leader of the Barrio 18 gang, which authorities identified as responsible for the attack.

Guatemala’s Minister of Defense, Henry David Sáenz, told local media that the possibility of relocating high-danger inmates to military brigades has not been formally discussed. However, he noted that the practice is not new to the Armed Forces and said it is something that “was already being done.”

One example is the detention center located within the Mariscal Zavala Military Brigade, in Zone 17 of Guatemala City, where several inmates are held under military supervision. The facility also houses high-profile detainees, including former official Eduardo Masaya, who faces corruption charges.

In 2015, a ministerial agreement authorized the establishment of the Zone Seventeen Detention Center within the brigade, with a maximum capacity of 114 inmates in Area A and 21 in Area B. The agreement specified that the facility would be used exclusively for civilians or military personnel considered at risk of assassination.

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Additionally, since 2010, a prison has operated within the Matamoros Barracks in Zone 1 of Guatemala City, holding dangerous or high-profile inmates. However, media outlets have described these military detention centers as “VIP prisons,” particularly for former government officials such as ex-president Otto Pérez Molina.