Press Review of the Americas

In the News: new heat record in the United States

Temperatures of 43°C were recorded in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 18, 2023. © AP/Ross D. Franklin

Text by: Achim Lippold Follow

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Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, experienced yesterday its 19th consecutive day with temperatures greater than or equal to 43.3 degrees Celsius. It's on the front page of the Arizona Republic newspaper. According to forecasts, the mercury will not drop in the coming days. This heat wave is totally unprecedented, explains a meteorologist to the newspaper who recalls that even during the nights, temperatures do not fall below 32 ° C.

A cartoon published in another newspaper, Arizona Daily Star, sums up the situation quite well: an old couple shows up at the entrance of hell, greeted by the devil. And the wife said to her husband: "Ah, finally, some fresh air!

Donald Trump indicted again?

The former president announced himself that he is personally targeted by the federal investigation into the assault on the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. Donald Trump, who is the favorite in the Republican primaries for 2024, is already doubly indicted by the courts: in the case of confidential White House documents and for suspicious payments to a former porn actress.

According to the Washington Post, it is very likely that Donald Trump will be indicted. We will know in the coming days, and we will also know the accusations against him.

The Republican Party is united behind the former president

In any case, one thing is certain: by making public the letter sent by prosecutor Jack Smith, Donald Trump stole the show from his rival Ron DeSantis who was giving for the first time an interview for a non-conservative television channel. With this interview on CNN, the governor of Florida hoped to revive his campaign, writes the news site The Hill, but the interview was largely dominated by the latest information about Donald Trump. However, Ron DeSantis was careful not to condemn his rival.

The Hill notes that the former president can still count on the support of his party officials. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor, for example, called the likelihood of Donald Trump being indicted "absolute." This kind of comment, says The Hill, shows how "the Republican Party remains Trump's party." Even an indictment "that would make him guilty of one of the darkest days in American history may not loosen his grip on the party."

The European Union pushes for a revival of the inter-Venezuelan dialogue

The summit between CELAC and the European Union was also an opportunity to discuss the situation in Venezuela, where one of the candidates in the opposition primary was declared ineligible by the authorities. The European Union has tried to revive dialogue between the government of Nicolas Maduro and the opposition. A meeting in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron took place in Brussels.

According to the text, an excerpt of which is published by El Pais, the participants called on the government and the opposition to resume negotiations to "organize the presidential election in conditions of equality for all, in a transparent and inclusive manner, allowing the participation of all those who wish, in compliance with the law, international treaties in force and with international support".

If these conditions are met, the European Union plans to start lifting sanctions that still weigh on Venezuela, according to the newspaper El Universal. The daily also quotes Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as saying he is in favor of "dialogue and respect.

In Costa Rica, prosecutors opened an investigation against President Rodrigo Chaves

This investigation concerns his planned trip tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to Latvia, it is as part of a European tour. According to the prosecutor's office, the proceedings were opened for the apparent offence of influencing the Treasury. It is to read in the newspaper La Nacion. What happened? In fact, Rodrigo Chaves participated in the CELAC summit in Brussels and therefore wants to go to Latvia, which is his wife's country of origin. The Costa Rican presidency had indicated that the reason for this trip was a meeting with the European Commissioner for the Environment, but who is actually Lithuanian and whose offices are in Brussels.

So backpedaling: the presidency says that it is a confusion and specifies that Rodrigo Chaves intends to meet the Latvian president and the head of Parliament. La Nacion recalls that at a press conference last Wednesday, the president had again insisted that it was a work trip, to anticipate possible criticism concerning the fact that he is going to the country of origin of his wife. "They say I'm going to see the in-laws, yes, obviously, I'm going to see them," he said.

Haitian government lowers fuel prices

It's on the front page of the National. From tomorrow, the gasoline increases to 560 gourdes, a drop of 10 gourdes. And diesel sells for 620 gourdes, 50 gourdes cheaper than before. "On the eve of the 2nd anniversary of his taking office, Ariel Henry seems to have wanted to give a gift to the population by adjusting the price of fuel downwards," writes the Nouvelliste who doubts that this gesture will have the desired effect. Unions in the transport sector are already standing up and demanding a 40% price reduction. Otherwise, they threaten "to take the necessary measures," reads the Haiti Gazette.

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• United States
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