U.S President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will end his presidential re-election campaign, bringing to an abrupt end his half-century-long political career less than four months before Election Day.
There was pressure from within his party that the 81-year-old was too frail to serve, with questions over his ability to defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump in November.
While dropping his bid, President Biden backed his Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
World leaders react
During one of his political rallies, Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro, who is one of America’s chief adversaries, had warm words to say to President Biden.
To note is that The Biden administration has loosened economic sanctions on Venezuela as part of a nearly three-year rapprochement effort.
“He prioritized his family and his health,” Maduro, who faces a hotly contested election next Sunday, told his supporters. “I only tell President Biden, ‘Be at peace with your conscience because you took a wise and correct decision.'”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Biden’s is “the best political decision he can make”.
“The Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of our country’s diplomacy and security, so we will monitor the situation closely,” Kishida said.
