International
American astronauts vote from the International Space Station (ISS)
The four American astronauts of the International Space Station (EES), Don Pettit, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, vote in the face-to-face US elections this Tuesday 400 kilometers from the earth’s surface.
In September, Wilmore communicated at a press conference from the EEI that he sent his request for the ballot and stressed that “it is a very important role that we all play as citizens, to be included in those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us.”
“It is a duty as citizens and we are looking forward to voting from space, which is very good,” Williams added while floating in zero gravity.
The vote that travels through space
NASA allows this exceptional mail-in vote through the Space Navigation and Communication Program (SCaN), so that astronauts fulfill their civic duty from orbit.
Astronauts can vote in these general elections, like any other US citizen, thanks to absenteeism or early voting in coordination with the office of the county secretary where they live, according to NASA.
When the electronic ballot is completed from the station, it goes to the satellite system of tracking and data retransmission until finally reaching Earth, specifically to the ‘White Sands’ test facilities of the Las Cruces agency, New Mexico.
From there, the ballot is transferred to the Johnson Mission Control Center so that the responsible county secretary can finally cast the vote.
According to NASA, the ballot is encrypted and only the astronaut and the secretary can access it, in order to preserve the integrity of the vote.
International
Caravan of 1,500 migrants depart Mexico amid growing fears of U.S. border closure
A caravan of 1,500 migrants departed from Mexico’s southern border on Monday, defying statements from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who assured last week that such groups no longer reach the northern border.
The mostly Venezuelan group walked 26 kilometers for about 10 continuous hours, from Tapachula, the largest city on the border with Central America, to Huehuetán, where they split into two groups.
The larger group continued towards the municipality of Huixtla, while the second group stayed behind to rest in Huehuetán’s park.
The caravan also includes migrants from Colombia, Haiti, Cuba, Central America, and regions further away, including the Middle East.
Venezuelan Joswes Linares shared with EFE that they fled due to insecurity, kidnappings, and extortion, which is why they prefer traveling in groups for safety.
Linares explained that they are hurrying due to the incoming presidency of Trump, who last week warned that another migrant caravan was heading towards the U.S.
“We fear that he will close the border, because the asylum appointment takes six to seven months. Some are lucky, but it would be worse for us to wait,” he stated. “We are going to cover about 1,000 kilometers.”
International
ICC prosecutor urges Venezuela to release political prisoners and children detained
International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan urged the Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, to release minors and civilians detained for “political reasons.”
“After this year’s elections, I insisted in my communications with Venezuela and in public statements about the need to protect the rights of civilians, including children, who should be released if detained for political reasons or for peacefully protesting,” Khan said on Monday during his speech at the annual meeting of ICC member countries.
Khan emphasized that the ICC’s independent investigations into Venezuela “remain active,” and warned that Venezuela’s lack of action could hinder progress in the principle of complementarity. “I have not seen the concrete implementation of laws and practices in Venezuela that I had expected. The ball is in Venezuela’s court. The route of complementarity is running out,” he cautioned.
International
José Mujica apologizes for “crude” comments about Cristina Kirchner, urges peronist renewal
Former Uruguayan President José Mujica acknowledged on Monday that his comments about Argentina’s ex-president Cristina Kirchner, made during an AFP interview, were “crude” and “not at all diplomatic.” Mujica criticized Kirchner for not stepping aside to allow new generations to lead but reiterated the need for renewal within the Peronist movement.
“The terminology was not diplomatic at all—it was crude,” Mujica told the Uruguayan newspaper La Diaria. He was referring to remarks about Kirchner, who served as president from 2007 to 2015 and as vice president from 2019 to 2023.
“There’s old Kirchner in Argentina, still leading Peronism. Instead of becoming an elder advisor and letting new generations take over, no, she’s still meddling. How hard it is for them to let go of the cake! Damn it!” Mujica had said in the AFP interview published last Friday.
Mujica, an 89-year-old former guerrilla fighter and global leftist icon who served as Uruguay’s president from 2010 to 2015, emphasized to La Diaria that he respects Kirchner, describing her as “a phenomenon,” with “tremendous subliminal weight,” and “an admirable and exceptional woman.”
However, he doubled down on his call for renewal within Peronism. “I think that major figures—and there’s no greater figure in Peronism than Cristina Kirchner—should use their influence to explore, identify, and promote new generations,” he stressed.
Mujica’s comments to AFP about Kirchner generated significant media attention, though he told La Diaria that “no one has said anything” to him about it because people are familiar with his blunt way of speaking.
This isn’t the first time Mujica’s remarks about Kirchner have sparked controversy. In April 2013, while serving as president of Uruguay, he was overheard saying, “That old lady is worse than the one-eyed man. The one-eyed man was more political; she’s more stubborn,” referring to then-President Kirchner and her late husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, unaware his microphone was on before a meeting in Uruguay.
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