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☆ Venezuela blasts U.S. for critique over barred opposition candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, July 1 (Reuters) - Venezuela's government on Saturday said it rejected the U.S. stance around the South American country's upcoming elections, calling it "interference," a day after the U.S. criticized Venezuela's decision to disqualify an opposition candidate. Maria Corina Machado, one of the favorites to win the Venezuelan opposition's nomination for president in an October primary, has been barred from holding public office for 15 years. In response, the U.S. State Department said Venezuelans should be able to act freely in the 2024 presidential elections, and disqualifying Machado "deprives" them of political rights. The Washington-based Organization of American States also rejected the decision to bar Machado and called for free and transparent elections. Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Venezuela's, Maria Corina Machado, disqualifying Machado, deprives, Machado, Deisy Buitrago, Daina Beth Solomon, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Venezuelan, U.S . State Department, American, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, U.S, United States, Washington

Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer and former lawmaker, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face socialist President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been expanded because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. The ban does not affect Machado's ability to run in the primary because the opposition is holding it without state support. The opposition has said for years that bans are used by the ruling party to prevent political change. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Venezuelan, American States, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, Washington

☆ Human rights body finds Cuban gov't responsible in 2012 deaths of dissidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, June 13 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has found the Cuban government responsible in the deaths of democracy activists Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero in a 2012 car accident, saying it had concluded that state agents were involved in the incident. The commission's report, released on Monday, also said the government had violated the two men's rights to life, honour and freedom of expression. It said the commission had "identified sufficient serious evidence to conclude that State agents had been involved in the deaths of Payá and Cepero". Friends, family and fellow dissidents, as well as international human rights groups, have long accused the Cuban government of causing the crash, a charge it denies. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), a group the Cuban government brands an imperialist instrument of the United States.

Persons: Oswaldo Paya, Harold Cepero, Angel Carromero, —, Cepero, Dave Sherwood, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Inter, American, Human Rights, Cuban, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Paya, United States

☆ Advocates want to spend $11 billion to fix Austin's crappy public-transit system. But many critics say the price tag is too high for a system hardly anyone will use.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Officials say an $11 billion public-transit plan could make Austin safer, greener, and more affordable. Austinites voted to approve Project Connect in 2020 when its total price tag was $7.1 billion. However, nearly 50% of the riders of MetroRail — the city's current rail system — earn more than $60,000 a year. Public-transit advocates say the plan is worth the costSupporters of Project Connect are open to lowering its price tag. But on a larger scale, Project Connect supporters say that public transportation provides better access to healthcare, education, employment, and affordable housing.

☆ Utah changed its state flag to honor Mormon work ethic — but it was a total flop. Now, even the state's governor admitted he 'should have known better.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Utah's new flag design is ruffling feathers, and people are already trying to replace it. Spencer Cox said that he should "have known better" that the new flag would be unpopular. Brandon Beckham, a member of Utah's Republican party central committee, told the Journal that the new design is "just a logo." "The original Utah flag has built in its ideals that are true to the founding of the state that are linked to history," Beckham told the Journal. Ryan Woods, a conservative drag performer known as Lady MAGA USA, said the change flies in the face of history.

☆ OAS says no reason to put into doubt Paraguay's election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Tuesday that its electoral observation mission saw no reason to put into doubt Paraguay's election results, following protests by supporters of a right-wing candidate who came in third. The statement follows clashes on Monday between police and supporters of Paraguayo Cubas amid complaints of fraud in a vote that the ruling Colorado Party won comfortably. President-elect Santiago Pena won 43% of the vote on Sunday compared with 27% for runner-up Efrain Alegre. Cubas, who surprised observers by winning nearly 23%, called in a post on Instagram for a recount and asked his supporters to protest. Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Paraguay's conservatives score big election win, defusing Taiwan fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paraguayan presidential candidate for the Colorado Party, Santiago Peña (C), celebrates with his wife, Leticia Ocampos de Pea (R), and Paraguayan former President Horacio Cartes, after winning the presidential election in Asuncion on April 30, 2023. Norberto Duarte | AFP | Getty ImagesParaguay's ruling candidate Santiago Pena, 44, scored a big win in the country's presidential election on Sunday, tightening the conservative Colorado Party's political grip in the country and defusing fears about the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan. "Thank you for this Colorado victory, thank you for this Paraguayan victory," Pena said in a speech. Colorado and right-wing party candidates also performed strongly in congressional elections and governor races, with some provinces recording a historic Colorado majority over opposition rivals. The Colorado Party has dominated politics in the landlocked South American country since the 1950s.

☆ Probe of OAS chief draws members' push for ethics reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The OAS Permanent Council approved the document by consensus, but Mexico took the opportunity to criticize Secretary General Luis Almagro, saying he should have resigned and could not be trusted. The findings of the probe, launched late last year following a whistleblower's complaint, were laid out in a 121-page report distributed to member-states on Monday. It was founded 75 years ago to promote regional cooperation, but in recent years has struggled with ideological divisions among its 34 members. The resolution called on OAS officers to present "proposals for the further updating of the Code of Ethics and the Staff Regulations of the Organization." Luz Elena Banos Rivas, Mexico's OAS ambassador and a frequent critic of Almagro, said he should have resigned after admitting to the relationship.

☆ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he will pardon an Army sergeant who was convicted for shooting a Black Lives Matter protester ‘as soon as it hits my desk’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A jury unanimously convicted Perry on murder charges on Friday. Greg Abbott on Saturday said he will work "swiftly" to pardon an Army sergeant who was recently convicted of shooting and killing a Black Lives Matter protester. Daniel Perry for the shooting death of Garrett Foster, 28, at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas. Perry then shot Foster five times with a revolver before driving away, the American-Statesman reported. "I look forward to approving the board's pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk," Abbott said in Saturday's tweet.

☆ Human rights body urges El Salvador to restore civil rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, April 6 (Reuters) - A regional human rights body implored El Salvador's government on Thursday to reverse a year-long suspension of constitutional rights that form part of a sweeping anti-gang crackdown enacted last year and credited with sharply reducing violent crime. In a statement, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), part of the Washington-based Organization of American States, called on President Nayib Bukele and his allies in Congress to restore rights put on hold by the so-called state of exception. The emergency powers allow police to swiftly arrest and jail suspected gang members while suspending their right to a lawyer and court approval of preliminary detention. "IACHR calls on the government of El Salvador to restore the full validity of the rights and guarantees suspended during the last 12 months within the framework of the emergency regime," the body said in a statement. The state of exception followed the murders, blamed on gangs, of nearly 90 people over a single weekend in March 2022.

☆ Gun lobby celebrates 'historic' win in Florida after DeSantis signs bill eliminating permit and training requirements for concealed carry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The NRA is praising a new Florida law that eliminates concealed-carry permit requirements. A majority of states have now made it legal to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Ron DeSantis after the Republican on Monday made Florida the 26th state to eliminate permit requirements for concealed carry of a firearm. The signing comes not only as DeSantis weighs a run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, but as Florida is struggling to combat violent crime, in particular gun violence. In terms of gun violence, Florida is also slightly more dangerous than the national average.

☆ Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk is planning to build his own town
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Entities connected to Elon Musk and his companies have reportedly been acquiring thousands of acres of land in Texas with the hope of starting a town where his employees could live and work, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal Thursday. (CNN has not reviewed all of the land and other records cited in the Journal report.) By building out a company town of his own, Musk could take that approach even further. Incorporating a town might also give Musk, who has been known to clash with state and federal regulators, more say over how things are run. The Journal reported that Musk’s team has discussed incorporating the town in Bastrop County.

☆ Canada's Trudeau to deploy Navy vessels to Haiti for surveillance, presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NASSAU/PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels in the coming weeks to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the coast of Haiti. Canada, which this month deployed surveillance aircraft to Haiti, has also sent armored vehicles and security gear to support anti-gang efforts and said it would make an additional delivery of vehicles in the coming days. Trudeau also announced fresh sanctions on another two Haitian individuals determined to be supporting gangs, without disclosing their names, bringing Canada's total sanctioned people to 17. U.N. envoy to Haiti Helen La Lime has said she is "still hopeful" the force could be created, stressing the need for urgency. On Tuesday, more than 40 civil society representatives signed an open letter rejecting any draft resolution backing Prime Minister Ariel Henry's administration and demanding reparations to the families of those killed in a U.N.-linked cholera outbreak a decade ago.

☆ OAS members recommit to helping Haiti through gang violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela PonceFeb 10 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) on Friday passed a resolution to support Haiti on its path to long-delayed elections and help the Caribbean country manage widespread gang violence that is driving a humanitarian crisis. Talks on such a force have lagged as no country has offered to lead it, though some Caribbean states said they would participate and Canada sent a surveillance military aircraft. Henry has pledged to leave office by Feb. 7, 2024, after repeatedly postponing elections due to a devastating 2021 earthquake as well as the gang violence. The head of the Washington-based OAS, Luis Almagro, has agreed and said locals would have to drive a precise roadmap.

☆ Organization of American States backs Peru's president as protests mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File PhotoJan 25 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States' permanent council expressed its "full support" for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday, following weeks of anti-government protests that have left dozens dead. Attending virtually, Boluarte told the council meeting in Washington that she had asked Peru's Congress to approve early elections "as soon as possible". The Congress is set to hold a second and final vote to ratify early elections, moving them from 2026 to April 2024. However, there is mounting pressure to move the elections forward even earlier, as the death toll from weeks of social unrest ticks up.

☆ TikTok’s best U.S. charm offensive involves an IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But even if proposed fixes get past federal officials – no sure thing – it still must contend with activist state leaders. That’s problematic, given that trust between Chinese and American government officials is at a low. To make matters worse, ByteDance said late last year that some employees had improperly accessed TikTok user data of two journalists. More than 40% of American states, including Wisconsin and Texas, have banned the app on government-owned devices. But if an IPO helps TikTok to keep operating in the United States, it’s worth a try.

☆ Chile, Colombia call for extraordinary OAS meeting after Brazil riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chilean President Gabriel Boric called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday to address riots in Brazil where supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed top government buildings. Boric, speaking alongside Colombia President Gustavo Petro outside La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, called Sunday's riots "unacceptable" and also condemned "complicit silence." Petro, a former rebel and Colombia's first leftist president, compared the attack to the 1973 Chilean coup against Salvador Allende. "We just saw it in Brazil, but it's not just in Brazil," Petro said. Reporting by Alexander Villegas in Santiago and Julia Symmes Cobb Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Global leaders condemn assault on Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE"We strongly condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress, Palace and Supreme Court by anti-democratic groups. A return to normality is urgently needed and we express solidarity with Brazilian institutions. We categorically condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress and make a call for the immediate return to democratic normality."

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Honduras to sign agreement for U.N. anti-corruption mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Gustavo Palencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Honduras will sign an agreement Thursday to install a United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission in the country, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday, making good on a key campaign pledge of President Xiomara Castro to root out graft. The foreign ministry tweeted that the agreement will be signed Thursday, but later took down the post. Hernandez was extradited to the United States earlier this year on drug-trafficking charges. A similar mission supported by the Organization of the American States (OAS) operated in Honduras until January 2020, but disbanded after then-President Hernandez let its mandate expire. The OAS mission, called the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), was created in 2016 and led corruption investigations into officials, legislators and Hernandez himself.

☆ Peru's Castillo says opponents trying to 'blow up' democracy with impeachment trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIMA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Pedro Castillo came out fighting on Tuesday ahead of an impeachment trial in Congress, accusing his opponents of trying to "blow up" democracy in the copper-rich South American nation. Peru's congress summoned Castillo last week to respond to accusations of "moral incapacity" to govern, which will precede a congressional vote on whether to oust him. "They intend to blow up democracy and disregard our people's right to choose," Castillo said in a ceremony celebrating the creation of the national police. Congress is also accusing Castillo of incompetence to govern after appointing five cabinets and at least 80 ministers since taking office. The motion to start impeachment required less votes and passed last week with week 73 votes, most from mostly right-wing parties.

“Let’s say no to Norma Torres because she has caused so much harm to El Salvador,” one of the many tweets read. The State Department considers this an attempt to influence the elections. You can say someone is interfering with the election, you can call it election interference. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and his party Nuevas Ideas, or New Ideas, and its allies won the biggest congressional majority in the country’s history. Bukele and Torres met once in 2019 when she was with a congressional delegation visiting El Salvador.

☆ Analysis: COP27 loss and damage fund heralds 'new dawn for climate justice'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Yeb Saño, head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the fund's approval "marks a new dawn for climate justice." While the loss and damage fund would not be enough to deal with growing climate losses, "it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust" between rich and poor nations, he said in a video statement. Their opposition was rooted in fears of being held financially liable for the impacts of their historically high greenhouse gas emissions. FOSSIL FUELS MISSINGPolitical figures had urged countries at COP27 to set aside geopolitical fights in order to keep climate action on track. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global climate and energy lead for environmental group WWF, who presided over COP20 in Peru, said leaders had missed the chance in Egypt to speed up the rapid and deep emissions cuts essential to limit climate damage.

☆ Austin, Texas locals have been priced out by wealthy out-of-state tech workers. Now the government is stepping in.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new $350 million housing bond is intended to help Austinites struggling with the high cost of living. The tax-supported housing bond, named Proposition A — which will cost the typical homeowner an additional $45 a year in property taxes — is the city's largest housing bond to date. According to Austin eligibility guidelines, families earning 80% or less of the area median income are considered low-income. However, in 2023 most of the fund has nearly dried up — at a time in which the city's cost of living has risen to astronomical levels. "This is the third housing bond that this city has passed in the last eight years, 10 years," Adler told KXAN News.

☆ Nikki Hiltz: How this professional runner is making their sport more inclusive
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“I was open about my sexuality at that point, but not my gender identity,” Hiltz tells CNN Sport. After coming out as trans and non-binary, Hiltz continues to compete in the women’s division. “You know, I have no business putting on an in-person race,” Hiltz jokes. Spencer Cox’s veto of a bill that bans transgender women from competing on women’s and girls’ sports teams. Since coming out as trans and non-binary last year, Hiltz has had conversations with race directors and announcers about making running more inclusive.

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