The New York Times 2024-07-21 12:11:18


How the U.S. Has Played a Role in Venezuela’s Presidential Election

Venezuelans will head to the polls on July 28 to choose a new president, an election that could determine if democracy will be restored to the South American nation. It is also a vote that the United States played a role in helping ensure would take place.

Voters will pick between a little-known diplomat named, Edmundo González, and President Nicolás Maduro, the country’s autocratic leader who has been in office since 2013.

Many analysts are skeptical that Mr. Maduro would accept an electoral loss and, if that happened, it is unclear how the Biden administration would respond to a rejection of the results.

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Divisive Far-Right Politician in Ukraine Is Fatally Shot

A gunman shot and killed a far-right Ukrainian politician who stirred controversy with campaigns to promote the Ukrainian language and discredit Russian-speaking compatriots, the authorities say.

The former lawmaker, Iryna Farion, was a highly divisive figure. A linguist who belonged to a hard-line nationalist party, she was despised by some for her denunciation of Russian-speaking fighters in elite Ukrainian military units. Many Ukrainians speak Russian, especially in eastern regions closer to Russia.

Ms. Farion, 60, was shot in the head by a young man on a street in the western city of Lviv on Friday evening, and the Ukrainian authorities said early Saturday that they were still searching for the gunman, who fled the scene. Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s interior minister, said he believed she was targeted for killing.

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