Will the earthquake shake Venezuela’s government?
The death toll from the Venezuelan earthquakes continues to rise, nearing 600 by Friday morning. The US believes that figure could rise to a staggering 10,000 once all the dead are located under the rubble. The human and economic toll are immense. But as is often the case with natural disasters of this scale, there will be a political dynamic too. After ousting strongman Nicolás Maduro in January, the US chose to work with his deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, rather than risk the instability of immediate regime change or fresh elections. That proved unpopular among Venezuelans. Now, in the aftermath of one of the country’s worst natural disasters in a century, that arrangement is being tested. Is the current government up to the tasks of rescue, aid, and reconstruction? If so, it could boost the legitimacy of the new system. If not, popular anger could quickly boil over, posing a big challenge to Rodriguez and her masters in Washington.
A strange way to celebrate Pride at the World Cup
If you were organizing a soccer match on a day meant to celebrate LGBTQ+ rights, Egypt and Iran would hardly be top of your list for participating nations, would they? After all, both countries de facto criminalize same-sex relations. But tonight they face off in Seattle in a World Cup match that the city’s hosting committee has, independently of FIFA, dubbed the “Pride Match,” with spectators expected to bring rainbow flags into the stands. Both countries complained about the occasion to FIFA when the game schedule was released last year. Football’s governing body distanced itself from the framing of the match, but said it wouldn’t outlaw the appearance of rainbow flags. It’s only the latest in several high profile clashes in sports over celebrating Pride. In the English Premier League in 2024, a player refused to wear a rainbow armband, citing his Muslim beliefs. Meanwhile in Major League Baseball, controversy is swirling around the San Francisco Giants after several players wrote bible verses on their caps to protest the team’s recent Pride Night game.
On the scene: GZERO’s Alex Gibson will actually be at the Egypt-Iran match. We look forward to hearing what he sees there!
Another strike in the Strait
On Thursday, Iran fired a drone at a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after releasing a public warning that passing ships must submit a transit request in order to travel freely. The US and Iran last week agreed to reopen the narrow waterway for 60 days as part of a preliminary agreement, giving a respite to months of shipping disruptions that impacted global trade and oil prices. But the pact leaves ample room for interpretation on what the future administration of the Strait will look like. Today’s strike suggests Tehran is interpreting its freedom of action more broadly than the US is, and that the Islamic Republic remains intent on exerting a measure of control over the strait.
