Top of The World: US President Joe Biden called the airlift of more than 120,000 Americans, allies and Afghans an “extraordinary success.” And, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet with Biden in Washington DC on Wednesday, in what has been described as a show of renewed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. Also, opposition parties in Venezuela announced in a strategy shift, that they will participate in the November local and regional elections.
World leaders pledged billions in the race for vaccines and drugs to fight the coronavirus — but some nations, including the US, were conspicuously absent. And, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro detained two Americans allegedly trying to oust him from leadership. Also, as South Koreans turn to drive-in movies for entertainment, artists around the world are finding inspiration in quarantine.
A year has passed since 1,400 soldiers defected from Venezuela’s military hoping for the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro. But Maduro is still firmly in control and some soldiers feel they gambled their careers away while they struggle to get by in neighboring Colombia.
President Nicolás Maduro’s government has accused more than 20 lawmakers of treason and conspiracy or similar crimes, most recently on Monday. The World’s Marco Werman speaks with opposition politician Juan Andrés Mejía, who recently fled to the US to avoid being detained by Maduro’s regime.