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SUV Rammed Through Christmas Parade; Police Need to be More Vigilant; Two Hostages Released by Mawozo Gang; IOC Talk with Peng Shuai. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 22, 2021 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

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UNKNOWN: This is CNN breaking news.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

We begin with this breaking news. City government officials in Waukesha, Wisconsin, say at least five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed through a Christmas parade. Children are among those who were hit. They say one person is in custody, and that there is no active threat to the community. One man caught the moment the vehicle sped by members in the parade.

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UNKNOWN: My God!

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CHURCH (on camera): Another video shot at the parade shows you just how quickly the SUV sped past a marching band, still heading down the street. Then in this one, the driver is seen plowing through barricades before driving off.

Police say an officer did fire his weapon at the vehicle to try to stop it. But no one was injured by the gunfire. One woman caught the moment the vehicle ran down members of the marching band. And we should warn you that while we are not going to show the impact, the video is disturbing.

Earlier CNN spoke to a witness who was actually marching in that parade. He had just finished and was circling back to watch it for himself when he spotted the speeding SUV. He described what he saw to CNN's Pamela Brown.

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ANGELITO TENORIO, EYEWITNESS, MARCHED IN PARADE: I saw an SUV speeding along the parade route, and then all of a sudden, I heard a loud bang. And then I heard deafening cries, screams from people in attendance, people marching in the parade. Folks are running away from the scene and folks were -- left their

belongings behind, holding onto their kids, running away from main street where the parade was. And then when the crowd cleared out, it looked like that they were people on the ground who were struck by the vehicle.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The ones that were on the ground, those that you did see, were they, were they young? Could you tell? I know there were a lot of young people in this parade.

TENORIO It was hard to tell, but it did look like there were small children who were lying on the ground. I just saw bodies lying almost lifeless on the ground. So, it was really hard to tell, and it was so much happening all at one time.

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CHURCH (on camera): And last hour I spoke with Drake Bentley, a reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who was on the scene shortly after the tragedy occurred. He described the heartbreak and confusion so many community members are feeling right now.

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DRAKE BENTLEY, REPORTER, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: From talking to people it's -- they're just devastated. They don't know why something like this would happen in their community. You know, there's a lot of, you know, national spotlight on this area of the country right now with the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, and, you know, people are naturally going to connect the two events. And let's hope that they aren't connected, but, you know, that possibility remains.

But that tells you the level, you know, the emotions that people are having right now where it's a very divided country. Emotions are at an all-time high right now.

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CHURCH (on camera): And for so many watching this tragedy unfold, one question comes to mind. How do we stop this from happening again?

[03:05:00]

CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem says it might not be possible to entirely eliminate the threat, but communities can reduce risks.

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JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: How can we be better prepared at that moment of impact, right, so we can minimize losses, get communities back up and running and thinking about what we call right of boom, right, after that. There's no way you can have societies like ours. People want to get together, they want to go to sporting events, they

want to go to parades, it's the holidays, there's been a pandemic. People want to be together. We want them to be together safely and vaccinated. There's no way that you're going to get the threat down to zero.

So, what we have to do is anticipate, as you said, sort of, you know, a world in which these may be recurring, but their success is measured if less harm is done. That is unfortunately in an age of all sorts of mayhem, whether natural or manmade. That is what we're going to have to think about. So, from that perspective, this is an incident that is tragic, but it could have been so much worse.

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CHURCH (on camera): And joining me on the phone now is retired police chief Jim Bueermann. He served in Redlands, California, and spent more than 40 years in policing. Thank you, sir, for talking with us.

JIM BUEERMANN, RETIRED POLICE CHIEF, REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA: You're welcome.

CHURCH: So, there are still more questions than answers and, of course, the biggest question is why, but with a person of interest in custody now, how long would you expect it to take to have an answer to that?

BUEERMANN: So, I think at the next press conference we're going to hear an explanation that encompasses probably the motive, what actually happened, who this person is, and how the vehicle was allowed to get onto the parade route. Many of our questions are going to be answered then.

I'm sure that the police department has been working around the clock since this incident occurred, and for the entire city it's going to be an all-hands-on-deck. The police department does not have unlimited resources. It's got quite a crime scene that it has to maintain, lots of people to interview, lots of footage to watch.

And then they've got a suspect that they've got to interview and deal with. So, they're going to be reaching out to other surrounding agencies and all of the resources they have available to them.

CHURCH: Yes, a lot of work ahead of them. So, what were your thoughts as you watched the disturbing video of this car avoiding some people, then hitting others?

BUEERMANN: Well, I was horrified, I think be, as anybody that has half a heart would be when they watch this. But in my own experience, this is a potential that we plan for in my own agency, and that having been to many public events in many cities where they have done this, I can see that we were not alone.

And my guess is that the city of Waukesha is going to change some of the things that they do in the future to preclude vehicles from getting into event spaces like a farmer's market or craft fair something that's held on a public street or to -- onto a parade route.

And there are techniques that they can use to do that. They're used all over the country. The lowest tech of that is simply park trucks, cars, or use barriers, big barriers to block off the intersection so that nobody can get on to the actual parade route.

CHURCH: Yes, I do want to talk more about that because that is the big problem here. The fear of anything like this happening again and how you avoid this with more parades planned as we head into the holidays. We've seen these sorts of accidents happen in other parts of the world.

Is it time to stop holding parades like this where cars do have access? You know, you mentioned blocking it there. But should there be paths where these parades are held where it's impossible for cars to enter?

BUEERMANN: Well, I don't think that communities should stop having events like this or parades. I think that they represent part of the social fabric -- fabric of a community and what makes a community special to the people to live there.

But having said that, I do think that the public safety officials need to think very seriously about how you keep vehicles away from pedestrians, people that are either participating, as I said, some kind of outdoor event or a parade, because a car can get onto a course or run into people accidentally.

We saw this happen at an outdoor event in the Los Angeles area a while back, several years ago when an elderly gentleman hit the gas instead of the brake in his car and killed a bunch of people.

[03:09:59]

Or as we have seen in other parts of the world, it could be a terrorist action. A vehicle is a very large weapon and can be used intentionally to harm people. So, there are things that I think city officials and public safety people ought to be thinking about. They're easy to do. They can be expensive or they can be inexpensive just using the

resources you have to keep vehicles off there.

But I think you have to think this way and it's certainly what we did in my hometown even though we have not had an incident like this, but we have parades. We have farmers markets and things and we go to quite an extent to keep vehicles off, but out of those areas for exactly this kind of reason.

CHURCH: Right. And, of course, in this day and age now with social media and a heck of a lot of misinformation out there, do police need to get out with the media and explain what has been going on a little faster than they have in the past so that they fill that vacuum that unfortunately gets filled now --

BUEERMANN: Right.

CHURCH: -- if there's no one out there with misinformation?

BUEERMANN: So, the simple answer is yes, but it's a bit more complicated than just that because they're balancing the need to investigate and not compromise the investigation with the need to get out accurate information, not inaccurate.

But I believe that policing has pivoted to a place now where the best practice is widely held belief that you put out as much information as fast as you can, and you have to do it a lot, and you have the caveats out there and you hope the media picks up on these that we're giving you information based on what we know. But it could change as our investigation progresses.

But here's what we know now. And I think that as a general statement, policing has not done that well, has not communicated to the public after events like this often enough or quickly enough. And I think they need to do a better job doing that as a general.

CHURCH: All right, Jim Bueermann joining us live from Redlands, California, on the phone, I should say. Thank you so very much. I appreciate it.

BUEERMANN: Sure.

CHURCH: Well, two of the 17 missionaries kidnapped in Haiti last month have been freed. The White House has issued a statement saying they welcome reports of their release.

Matt Rivers has been following the story from the beginning and has the very latest.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it had been several weeks since we received any substantive updates on the status of 17 missionaries who were in Haiti when they were kidnapped back on October 16th by gang members, according to Haitian security forces, the gang being -- gang called 400 Mawozo.

They kidnapped the 17 missionaries just outside of Port-au-Prince while this group was on a missionary trip. But the group that they were working for, Christian Aid Ministries, they released a statement on Sunday later in the day, saying that two of the 17 missionaries that had been kidnapped have now been released. They really didn't give too much more information.

Part of the statement, they said, quote, "the two people that were released are safe, in good spirits and being cared for. We with cannot provide or confirm the names of those released, the reasons for their released, where they are from or their current location."

They went on to say, that our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held at this time. So basically, confirming that two of the 17 missionaries that were kidnapped have now been released. A source in Haiti security forces did confirm to CNN that those two hostages have been released.

The White House issued a statement basically saying that they welcome these reports of the hostages being released. They don't have further comment at this time, according to a White House spokesperson. But this is a big development in this case. And certainly, one that is quite welcome at this time after so many weeks of not hearing anything.

You can imagine how thrilled the loved ones of these two people who were released must feel. But of course, the focus also remains on the 15 missionaries that remain basically as hostages in Haiti at this time, you know, as they are continuing to be held by that gang.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

CHURCH: Still ahead here on CNN, after days of concern over the safety and whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai, the National Olympic Committee said she told them she is safe and well in China. But critics are still skeptical. Back with that in just a moment.

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CHURCH (on camera): Welcome back, everyone. Well, the International Olympic Committee says Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai insists she is safe and well at her home in Beijing. The IOC says its president held a 30-minute video call Sunday with Peng who hasn't been seen publicly since accusing a former top Chinese official of sexual assault early this month. Many in the tennis community have expressed concern about her well-being. The IOC did not give CNN access to that video call.

So, for more on this, we want to bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout who joins us live from Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie.

So, it's worth saying not everyone is assured of Peng Shuai's well- being after this IOC video chat, particularly with the Beijing Winter Olympics just weeks away. How significant is it that this chat was done with the IOC and not the Women's Tennis Association?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, it is very significant because the IOC is not a neutral party. They have a very close relationship with Beijing and a lot at stake. You know, concerns over Peng Shuai and her welfare have cast a shadow on the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games. It has prompted discussion about whether or not governments would consider a diplomatic boycott.

So, the IOC had to address this and they did in the form of this very choreographed response. According to the IOC there was a 30-minute video chat that took place on Sunday between its president Thomas Bach and Peng Shuai.

[03:20:05]

During the chat Peng Shuai said that she is safe at well, she is at home in Beijing and that she would like her privacy respected. We also know that two other individuals were part of this video chat including a Chinese sports official, and the IOC did not hand over the video for this video chat. We only have the statement and we only have that still photo in which you can see Peng Shuai smiling at the camera.

It was about three weeks ago when Peng Shuai made that explosive allegation of sexual assault against a very powerful man, a former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli. She made that accusation on Weibo, popular Chinese social media platform. Within half an hour that was taken down. She has been under blanket censorship since then.

There is no discussion about her allegations in state media in China. And that sparked this international outcry and the hash tag where is Peng Shuai and which in turn spurred Chinese state media to, over the weekend release a series of proof of life videos and photographs, in which we see Peng Shuai apparently out and about and active in Beijing.

But the Women's Tennis Association, they are not buying it. They say those videos are insufficient. And let's bring up their freshest statement that is most recently released from the Women's Tennis Association.

In it they say, "it was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her well-being and the ability to communicate without censorship or coercion.

This video does not change our call for a full, fair, and transparent and investigation without censorship into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," unquote.

So, Rosemary, as you suggest at the top, the IOC's video chat statement that's been put out there, that is not easing concern. In fact, it's helped to morph the question. The question is no longer where is Peng Shuai, but is Peng Shuai free, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. And, of course, while we have been covering this story, we can see there the bottom right of the screen there that China has blocked CNN's signal. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong, many thanks.

LU STOUT: You're welcome.

CHURCH: Nancy Hogshead-Makar is a civil rights lawyer, Olympic champion and the CEO and founder of Champion Women. She joins me now from Jacksonville, Florida. Thank you so much for talking with us.

NANCY HOGSHEAD-MAKAR, CEO & FOUNDER, CHAMPION WOMEN: Thank you for having me on.

CHURCH: So, I do want to ask you, how concerned you are for the well- being of Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai, despite this 30-minute video chat with the International Olympic Committee president where he failed to even ask her about the rape allegation she made against a high-level government official.

HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: Yes, the main issue is, is she safe because she made this allegation, because she claims that she was raped by a high government official and that's what put her in danger and they didn't ask about that.

You know, the International Olympic Committee has known since 2007 it released great research showing that the more elite the athlete, the more likely they are to be abused from someone within their own entourage. So the Olympic Committee knows this is a major issue for athletes.

CHURCH: And given both the U.N. and Women's Tennis Association have called for proof that Peng Shuai is safe and for an investigation into her rape allegations, why would this video chat have been conducted by the IOC president with the Beijing Winter Olympics weeks away, what are the optics of that?

HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: I think he was just trying to show that she was alive. We haven't heard from her in two weeks. There's been no evidence that she's actually been alive. So, right, so he probably thought that was enough, that people who follow the Olympics and who are concerned about Olympic athletes, that just knowing she was alive would be OK. And it's just -- it fails miserably.

The International Olympic Committee has a responsibility to make sure that athletes are protected from physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

CHURCH: The Women's Tennis Association is, of course, ready to pull out of China for all events, leaving $1 billion on the table and other athletes are speaking out as well. Is that what needs to happen here to apply more pressure on China?

HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: Yes, I think the whole world needs to get behind the Me Too movement and recognize that there are many governments that are just not going to do anything about sexual violence. And that instead there have to be these other layers of protection.

Sport can do something about it. We know from lots of other -- in some cases FIFA, the governing body for soccer, helped athletes who were being systematically raped in Afghanistan.

[03:25:05]

The international federation for basketball also put on sanctions for another country that was systematically raping athletes. So, sort can do something. The question now, it's been left up to countries like the United States.

We, as of 2017, the United States opened up a new center called the United States Center for Safe Sport that investigates allegations of abuse. But she really has nowhere to go within sport to be able to address these allegations. And until the International Olympic Committee does that, you know, athletes are not going to be safe --

CHURCH: Right.

HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: -- because we cannot rely on governments.

CHURCH: Nancy Hogshead-Makar, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it. HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: Thank you very much for having me on. I appreciate

it.

CHURCH: And still to come, winter is coming and it might be bringing another surge in COVID cases for the U.S. We'll have a look at the latest numbers.

Plus, live pictures from Austria right now as backlash grows in Europe. Now several countries impose tough new restrictions. That's ahead here on CNN Newsroom.

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CHURCH (on camera): Updating our breaking news out of Wisconsin, Waukesha officials say five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed through a crowd during a Christmas parade. Children are among those who were hurt.

03:30:00]

The police chief says the suspect's vehicle was recovered and a person of interest is in custody.

COVID cases are on the rise here in the United States and experts warned a combination of holiday gatherings and cold weather could lead to a further surge. The U.S. is averaging more than 92,000 news cases a day, but experts say it is not too late to blunt the surge, especially with vaccine boosters now available for all adults.

Here is Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday.

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ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's make it clear, you know, when there is lack of clarity, people get confused, they're not sure what to do. If you are 18 or older and you've been vaccinated, fully vaccinated with the Moderna or the Pfizer MRNA six months or more ago, get a booster. If it is J&J and it's two months ago or more, get a booster. I don't think we should get hung up on should may. Just go out and get boosted.

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CHURCH (on camera): And here is a stark reminder about exactly what is at stake. More Americans have died so far in 2021 than in all of 2020, and that is despite the fact that vaccines have been widely available for most of the year.

Well, anger over new COVID restrictions has led to protests across Europe, some of them violent. A nationwide lockdown has gone into effect in Austria with a vaccine mandate expected in February. In Croatia, thousands rallied against mandatory vaccination certificates and other health measures. Police in Brussels used water cannon to disperse protest against a plan to ban unvaccinated people from some venues. And in the Netherlands, a partial lockdown is underway.

Many people already were frustrated by months of restrictions and they are lashing out.

Well, CNN is following Europe's COVID crisis across the continent, so we want to bring in Salma Abdelaziz in Vienna, Austria, and Ben Wedeman, who joins us live from Bucharest, Romania. Good to see you both.

So, Salma, tough restrictions put in place in Vienna where you are. How are people responding to these restrictions across Austria and, of course, elsewhere?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (on camera): Rosemary, let me just start by telling you where I am. I am in one of Vienna's beloved Christmas markets, and as you can see behind me here, it is completely shut down. Today, Monday, lockdown, a nationwide lockdown went into force. The chancellor here says the issue is that these high infection rates are caused by people who do not want to get vaccinated.

Austria is unique and that has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. One out of three people have yet to be immunized and the government here has a bold plan to deal with it. Mandate the vaccine. Take a look.

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ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Restrictions met with resistance on the streets of Vienna. COVID cases are on the rise, and so is public anger. An estimated 40,000 people attended this anti-government demonstration.

UNKNOWN: We will resist.

UNKNOWN: We will resist.

UNKNOWN: We say no to that.

UNKNOWN: We all have the choice what to do with our body. All of us.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Nearly one in three Austrians are unvaccinated. Authorities blame fake news and far-right politics for the slow uptake.

UNKNOWN: I don't know if something like this is necessary in Austria or in Europe.

UNKNOWN: The people are being treated like children. They are not allowed to make their own decisions.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): As night fell, tensions rose. Several were arrested and two police officers injured. At Austria's largest vaccination center, we find restrictions are quietly working. Rules targeting the unvaccinated have forced some to come forward. Up to 20 percent here are getting their first shot, officials said.

(INAUDIBLE) is among the reluctant. "I gave in to the government's blackmail," he said. "I wanted to wait, but the government had other plans for me." The government here is fed up with the unvaccinated. Austria plans to be the first country in Europe to require mandate, all eligible persons to be immunized, and the deadline is soon, February 1st.

Expert Peter Klimek says it's time for desperate measures.

(On camera): Will this vaccine mandates work?

PETER KLIMEK, ADVISER TO AUSTRIAN HEALTH MINISTRY: What we believe is that with this mandatory vaccination and if this is executed properly, then at least we should be able to avoid (INAUDIBLE) in the hospitals.

ABDELAZIS (voice-over): For now, Vienna's beloved Christmas markets must close. A nationwide lockdown could last up to 20 days.

[03:35:00]

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): And even when restrictions are lifted, rules will remain in place for the unvaccinated. The government's message? Holiday joy is for the immunized.

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ABDELAZIZ (on camera): Now, Rosemary, I know you've started by explaining some of the other demonstrations that occurred across multiple European cities over the weekend, at times some of them turning violent with injuries among the police and the protesters.

What we are really seeing here, Rosemary, is Europe's first test post vaccine and into the winter season. What experts tell us, this is the time when transmission rates go up, but at the same time, many of us were vaccinated a few months ago. That means immunity has waned.

Booster shots are being rolled out, but the medical community says, listen, vaccinations alone will not stave off these infection rates, you will need social restrictions, and that means, for many, Christmas is in question. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Absolutely. Salma Abdelaziz, many thanks for that report. We appreciate it.

Well, vaccine misinformation is taking a tragic toll in much of Eastern Europe. This map gives you a sense of the difference. The dark a country is shaded, the more people that are vaccinated. It is especially acute in Romania.

That country has among the lowest vaccination rates in Europe with just over 36 percent fully vaccinated and one of the highest mortality rates in the world, something sadly evident in the hospitals and the morgues across the country.

So, let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman back in here. He joins us from Bucharest, Romania, as we mentioned. So, Ben, we have been seeing a lot of this anti-vax sentiment across the globe, but it does appear particularly evident in Romania. One of the main reasons for resistance against getting vaccinated and certainly when there is proof and data out there, that this can stop you from getting sick or dying.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, the reasons are quite similar to those described by Salma in Austria, fake news, misinformation. Here, the other additional factor is, of course, there are many people who have more faith in religion than in science. And so, yes, the vaccination rates are the second lowest in Europe after Bulgaria.

Now, the government here recently was, for instance, considering imposing a green pass along the lines of what Italy now has in place, whereby if you are not vaccinated or have not been tested recently for -- tested negative recently for COVID, you cannot go to work.

When they were publicly considering this measure, the vaccination rates jumped up, but then they saw that there was opposition, and so they took a step back.

And now the numbers are, in fact, starting to go down here and the government is once again publicly considering easing restrictions, perhaps sensitive to some of the violent opposition we have seen elsewhere in Europe to new lockdowns. But, of course, that might please some segments of the population, but that leaves doctors and nurses bracing for a fifth wave of COVID before the fourth has even ended. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Very sobering. Ben Wedeman bringing us the latest there from Bucharest, appreciate it.

Still to come here on "CNN Newsroom," growing concerns from the U.S. and NATO about Russian troop movements near Ukraine. But the Kremlin says the west is merely whipping up hysteria. We will take a look.

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[03:40:00]

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CHURCH: Russia is accusing the west of whipping up hysteria over its troop movements near the Ukrainian border. A Ukrainian military official told the "Military Times" that Russia has more than 92,000 troops amassed around the borders and is preparing for an attack by February.

The Kremlin dismisses the accusations and complained about an increased NATO presence in the region. NATO and the U.S. have been raising alarms about the troop movements in recent weeks.

For more on this, we want to turn to Nic Robertson, who joins us live from London. Good to see you, Nic. So, the Kremlin calls it hysteria but these amassing Russian troops on Ukraine's border are causing some concern. What is going on? What is the endgame here?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: That's the problem, really. Estimating the endgame, it just isn't clear to western analysts at the moment. But the potential is really there. The buildup of troops and there was a buildup of troops on the border roughly at the same place earlier on this year, that is under sort of a lot of criticism from the west. President Putin pulled those troops back but he left a lot of heavy military equipment.

So, you have close to 100,000 troops there. They include Russia's military intelligence service, domestic intelligence service, special forces and, of course, much of the military hardware that was there in place already. Some of these troops are 3,000 miles from their normal base and this is not a normal time of year for the Russian military to perform military exercises.

There are strategic assets, if you will, for President Putin in Ukraine. The area of Crimea that he annexed from Ukraine back in 2014 has a strategic and important naval base for Russia. And it is estimated that President Putin perhaps wants to make that more secure by putting more territory in Ukraine under Russian control.

He is trying as well to influence NATO and not have NATO, as he sees it, encroach further into areas that he thinks are sort of Russia's historic domain. We heard that from Dmitry Peskov, his spokesperson, on the weekend speaking on Russian television, calling on NATO not to continue with its advance towards Russia's borders and its military and political intentions.

He has called for discussion we're having about this troop buildup right now. Another discussion along this line, he has called it, you know, a western buildup of hysteria, about this issue.

The reason that the concern is being raised is not because a border incursion could be imminent this week or next week. The estimation is that it could perhaps be as early as next year. But that NATO would have to organize itself and be prepared and be able to show President Putin that an incursion -- he would not be able to get away with an incursion, it would not give the results that he wants. So, that is all on the table, it seems, at the moment. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Nic Robertson following the story for us, appreciate it, many thanks.

[03:45:00]

CHURCH: And still to come, a win for the socialists in Venezuela and Chile's presidential election is headed for a runoff. The latest on two big elections in Latin America. That's to come. Stay with us.

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CHURCH (on camera): Our top story this hour, officials in Wisconsin say five people are dead and more than 40 injured after a vehicle plowed into a crowd at a Christmas parade in the town of Waukesha. This is video of the aftermath showing people being treated at the scene.

Police say they have a person of interest in custody and there is no active threat to the community. It is no clear yet whether the incident was an act of terrorism. We will have much more on this story at the top of the hour.

Well, it's a big win for Venezuela's ruling socialist party and Chile is headed for a polarizing presidential runoff. We've got the latest results from both countries. Stefano Pozzebon will have the details from Caracas, but we begin with CNN's Rafael Romo on Chile's presidential race.

[03:49:56]

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Polls have shown it for weeks and now it is confirmed: Two candidates, polar opposites in a crowded field of seven, will advance to a runoff in Chile's presidential election.

Jose Antonio Kast, the candidate of the hard right, came out ahead in Sunday's election with about 28 percent of the vote but less than 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. In his government plan, the 55-year- old attorney speaks about liberty, order, the rule of law, private property, and a free-market economy.

He has been compared to leaders like former U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil's current president, Jair Bolsonaro. Kast has proposed building a three-meter ditch at strategic points of Chile's northern border to stop the flow of immigrants from countries like Bolivia.

Gabriel Boric left his former student leader, who is 35-years-old, came in second with about 25 percent of the vote. He supports abortion rights, champions of welfare state models, and leads a coalition that includes Chile's communist party.

The elections happened two years after massive protests and riots that left at least 30 dead and hundreds injured. Protesters were demanding better government programs and an end to inequality. As a result of the protests, a convention was called to rewrite the constitution, a process that is ongoing.

Kast and Boric will face off again on December 19, when the presidential election second will be held. The winner will replace current president, Sebastian Pinera, a conservative, whose four-year term ends in March.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: The United Socialist Party of Venezuela led by the country's leader Nicolas Maduro won 21 out of 24 federal entities, that is 23 states and the capital district of Caracas, in Sunday's local election, according to preliminary results by the country's electoral council.

But what really marked the day was a very low turnout for what was the first time that the Venezuelan opposition decided to take part in an election since 2018 with less than 45 percent of eligible voters actually turning out to cast their ballots.

In recent weeks, the European Union and other international organizations announced they would send electoral observers to Caracas to monitor the election and to increase electoral guarantees as a common way out of the deeply polarized crisis that is affecting Venezuela.

But shortly after the announcement by electoral council, Maduro himself took to television and even addressed to the nation to comment and celebrate the results, calling it a great victory for his socialist party and a stunning defeat for the opposition.

And while the day was largely peaceful throughout the nation, at least one person was killed in a shooting outside a polling station in the western state of Zulia (ph), according to reports by local authorities, even though the motive of the shooting is not fully understood.

And opposition leader denounced the presence of paramilitary (ph) organizations linked to Maduro and his government to scare away voters from the opposition to cast their ballots.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.

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CHURCH (on camera): Nearly a month after a military takeover in Sudan, the country's military chief has reinstated Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister after the two men reached a political agreement. This means Hamdok will once again lead the transitional government. And as part of the deal, political detainees jailed following last month's coup will be released. Protests broke out Sunday following news of that deal, which is being met with resistance by key opposition groups.

So, let's turn to CNN's David McKenzie, who has been following these developments for us and joins us live from Johannesburg. Good to see you, David. So, what more are you learning about this deal, reinstating the prime minister, and then, of course, these protests that followed?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I think that the key part of the deal hasn't really been ironed out or announced. Really, they are looking to restructure the terms of the deal between the civilian and military authorities in Sudan.

And you this pretty extraordinary moment when the prime minister, now reinstated, was released from house arrest and painting a deal with the generals that put him there in this late October coup and put him in house arrest and many of his cabinet in detention.

So, they will release these political prisoners. The details of this power sharing agreement have not been made public or haven't been agreed upon yet. And, as you say, almost instantaneous reaction on the streets of Khartoum and other parts of the county in opposition to this deal.

A different political formations and professional groups, who are instrumental in pushing out Omar al-Bashir in 2019, are saying this deal is a sham, in more words than that, saying that it just legitimized in many ways the coup which ousted the prime minister.

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MCKENZIE (on camera): The prime minister, for his part, said that he wanted to end the bloodshed in the country. Scores of people, according to the doctors' association, have been killed in protests by allegedly security forces. And just yesterday or on Sunday, a 16-year- old boy was killed in Khartoum, again, allegedly by the forces.

So, it is unclear whether there will be enough support for this arrangement between the prime minister and the military leaders that is supposed to keep the country going through to the democratic election scheduled for 2023. But the feeling on the street is really summed up by this protester.

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HEND MOHAMED, PROTESTER (through translator): We don't have anyone really to represent us. That is why I'm asking the Resistance Committee to speak up on our behalf because we don't have politicians otherwise. So, they must do the work of politicians to deliver our demands and tell the leadership what the people want, given the timeframe.

If something isn't achieved, we will be back on the streets. The civil disobedience will continue and nothing will keep us away from the streets. Not even death will stop us.

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MCKENZIE (on camera): The U.S. secretary of state has applauded this move and the international community had put a lot of pressure for some kind of deal. Whether it can hold probably depends on the protests. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Right. David McKenzie watching that story very closely, appreciate it.