In a state of emergency, Washington is preparing for …

From Washington DC

Armored, the city of Washington is preparing for the inauguration of Democrat Joseph Biden. This Tuesday, President-elect and future Vice-President Kamala Harris will travel to the U.S. capital to begin the ceremony activities. An unprecedented security operation awaits them: more than 20,000 members of the National Guard guard the Capitol and White House neighborhoods, while access to the National Esplanade is completely blocked.

Security in downtown Washington is extreme. National Guard members in town had to be approved by the FBI. “Although we have no intelligence indicating an internal threat, we are sparing no effort to secure the capital,” Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said.

This Monday morning, a small fire in an area near the Capitol led to the execution of security protocols in the building while a rehearsal of what support activities will be carried out. There was a full lockdown and evacuation. Capitol Police, which were harshly criticized for their response to the Jan.6 assault, later announced that they had taken such measures “out of excess of caution.” The explosion that had been heard was that of a decanter and the smoke that could be seen from the building was coming from a burning tent a few blocks away, in a neighborhood inhabited by homeless people. The incident “did not pose a threat to the public”.

In the days leading up to the inauguration, the facades of buildings near the center were again bricked due to the possibility of disturbances. Traffic is cut off throughout the area and walking access begins to be limited to several blocks before the White House or the Capitol. The state of emergency has shaken the city where only 700,000 inhabitants live. DCist, a local media outlet, recently reported that there are residents who have avoided speaking Spanish in public and have purchased items for their personal protection. The memory of the assault on Capitol Hill and the uncertainty over what might happen in the coming days are the main reasons listed in the memo.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has called for people to stay away from the city for the inauguration. This is something unprecedented. Partly because of the pandemic and another because of security measures, Biden’s ceremony planning team opted for a similar scheme to that of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.. A mixed model that will combine the classic oath at the west door of the Capitol with virtual activities deployed across the country.

As preparations continue, Biden and Harris spent Monday volunteering. The third Monday in January in the United States is a public holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the customs associated with this day is community service. In Philadelphia, Biden packed boxes of food for a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering food. Something similar did Harris in the southeastern city of Washington. “We are here to renew our commitment to serve and serve others, especially those in need,” said the vice president-elect.

Harris She sent her resignation letter to the US Senate on Monday to become the country’s first vice president on Wednesday. Not only is she the first woman to achieve this position, but she is also the first black woman to do so and the first Native American. “This is not a goodbye. As I resign from the Senate, I prepare to take the oath which will make me preside,” he said in a column published in the Chronicle of San Francisco.

Biden’s first stop in the District of Columbia will be the pond in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There, 400 lights will be lit in honor of those who have died from the covid-19 pandemic in the country. The tribute will be repeated from coast to coast: The Empire State in New York and the Space Needle in Seattle will also be illuminated and there will be other similar events in different states. With nearly 24 million cases, the United States is on track to count 400,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

Trump signs final decrees

For its part, Donald Trump devoted the last Monday of his term to signing several decrees. One of them creates the “National Garden of American Heroes”, a space that will feature 244 statues of “those who have made substantial contributions to the public life of the United States or who have had a substantial effect on the history” of the country, whether American or not. The decree lists a long and eclectic list of these figures and includes judges, athletes, businessmen, presidents and musicians, among others.

The one who was officially fired was the first lady, Melania Trump. He posted a message on his Twitter account in which he said that having had the role was “the greatest honor” of his life. He thanked health workers and other essential workers for their work in the pandemic. “Be passionate in everything you do, but always remember that violence is never the answer and it will never be justified,” he said in a video.

During Trump’s tenure, Melania sought to focus on actions against cyberbullying, the nation’s opioid use epidemic, and child welfare through an initiative called Be Best. Like her husband, she will be leaving the White House this Wednesday morning and will not attend Biden’s inauguration.