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Leftist leader Jara seeks to counter far-right politician Kast.

On Tuesday night, progressive presidential candidate Jeannette Jara and far-right contender Jose Antonio Kast will participate in the final debate before Sunday’s runoff, which will determine who succeeds Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

RELATED:

Human Rights Defenders in Chile Warn of Social Danger if the Far Right Comes to Power

Although the Communist politician won the first round with 26.9% of the vote, it is the ultraconservative candidate who enters Sunday’s election in a stronger position.

According to the latest polls, Kast would secure more than 50% of the vote, boosted by support from those who cast ballots for former right-wing candidate Evelyn Matthei and far-right former candidate Johannes Kaiser.

The final stretch of the campaign has taken on a more confrontational tone than the earlier phase but has kept security and migration—Chileans’ top concerns—as the central issues, with controversial proposals such as Kast’s threat to expel the country’s 330,000 irregular migrants.

Former Labor Minister Jara, who leads an unprecedented coalition ranging from Christian Democrats to the Communist Party, has sought to win over undecided voters who do not want to support the far right but remain hesitant about her candidacy.

Ahora que José Kast salió a cuestionar porque le dicen el "Nazi", hay que recordar que gracias a una investigación de la Deutsche Welle supimos que su papá estaba inscrito en el partido nazi de Alemania…
y ahora viene la mejor parte…

Resulta que su mamá también era nazi… pic.twitter.com/COjy733LIu

— H (@hernan_sr) December 1, 2025

The text reads, “Now that Jose Kast has come out questioning why he’s called a ‘Nazi,’ it’s worth remembering that thanks to a Deutsche Welle investigation, we learned that his father was a member of the Nazi party in Germany. And now for the best part: it turns out his mother was also a Nazi. How did we find this out? A few days ago, we received some files that are part of an investigation conducted by ‘Department 50’ of the former Chilean Investigative Police (PDI), to dismantle a ring of Nazi spies operating in Chile. Upon verifying the photos in a public archive of the Chilean National Archives, on sheet 10, there’s a photo of a Nazi meeting here in Chile. In the background, there’s a woman with a mark made by the same investigation department that says ‘Mrs. Kast.’ Obviously, Kast’s team doesn’t want this photo to go viral, but you know what to do. I’m including the link to the Chilean National Archives so no one can claim it’s fake or AI-generated.”

A decisive group that could challenge Kast’s potential majority consists of voters who backed former candidate Franco Parisi, a right-wing populist who won 19% of the vote. However, his supporters decided in a contentious internal consultation to cast blank or null ballots in the runoff.

The electoral campaign ends Dec. 11, and large closing rallies are scheduled this week in Santiago for the main candidates. More than 15.6 million voters are called to participate in a presidential election with mandatory voting.

The president elected on Sunday will take office on March 11, 2026, and will face a legislature in which decisions could be driven by an alliance of right-wing, far-right and right-populist forces.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Chile: Human Rights Defenders condemned the proposal by far-right presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast to release prisoners convicted for crimes against humanity. pic.twitter.com/HYQUSYR2k5

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 8, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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This article by Luis Hernández Navarro originally appeared in the December 9, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Since 2002, the date of the 47-hour coup against Hugo Chávez, Washington has unsuccessfully sponsored and supported regime change in Venezuela time and again. In the name of human rights, freedom, and democracy, economic sanctions, color revolutions, oil strikes, recognition of illegitimate leaders, theft of foreign currency and infrastructure, assassination attempts, media offensives, military uprisings, and threats of ground invasion have been instigated or combined without interruption.

Many of these attacks, aimed at seizing the largest oil reserves on the planet, are acts of international piracy. They have caused immense damage to the country and enormous suffering to its people. They have resulted in billions of dollars in lost oil revenue. Countless Venezuelans have been forced to migrate to other nations to survive. Meanwhile, a segment of the old, corrupt oligarchy lives the high life in their mansions in Miami and Madrid.

But despite the lethality of the punishments and the harshness of the siege, the Bolivarian Revolution continues. Certainly, some Chavista political leaders have betrayed the cause. A few military and intelligence officers have gone over to the enemy ranks. Intellectuals have succumbed to the siren song of metropolitan power. But, against all odds, the majority of the population draws a line in the sand against gunboat democracy; they remain loyal to a project that allowed them to recover their dignity and advance in popular power.

For 27 years, Bolivarianism has won almost every election. Desperate in the face of this setback, the empire has tried other formulas for regime change. In December 2007, Enrique Krauze laid his cards on the table. “If Hugo Chávez has thought of turning Venezuela into a Cuba with oil, the Venezuelans who oppose him have discovered the antidote. It is the student movement,” he wrote. So the far right latched onto this movement and tested an insurrectionary scheme. However, the reactionary forces clashed with a reality that wasn’t in their playbooks. So they left to make their fortunes abroad.

All imperial attempts at regime change have run up against what, until now, seems insurmountable: the unity of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). There is not a single indicator showing any internal divisions. Part of the key to this unity is the development of a new military doctrine known as the Comprehensive Defense of the Nation. This doctrine seeks to confront the US military threat based on a set of actions designed to deter a technologically and numerically superior enemy.

This strategy has three central elements: strengthening military power, deepening the civil-military union (between the people and the soldiers), and bolstering popular participation in national defense tasks. Previously, the armed forces were fragmented into divisions and brigades. Commander Chávez organized the country into regions, and each region has a military structure with all its components: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, militias, and the people.

If someone attacks a region, that region has the capacity to defend itself. It doesn’t need to move units from elsewhere. On February 23, 2019, under the pretext of bringing in humanitarian aid from Colombia, the Contras and Washington attempted to establish a beachhead in Táchira that would give the illegitimate Juan Guaidó control of a strip of Venezuelan territory to establish a “seat of government.” For 17 hours, fierce clashes erupted between Chavistas and Venezuelan paramilitaries and guarimberos, who operated mostly from the Colombian side. The skirmish ended with the opposition’s defeat.

Diosdado Cabello

There, amidst the events, at the military installation beside the Simón Bolívar Bridge, I spoke with Diosdado Cabello, then president of the National Constituent Assembly. Most of the FANB (National Bolivarian Armed Forces) chiefs were also present, whom he introduced to me as his friends and as longtime collaborators of Hugo Chávez. I asked him about the resolve of his troops. In good spirits, he explained: “President Maduro has visited every barracks. He shows up in the early morning.”

He arrives, runs with them, shares, does military exercises with them. We have total contact with them. We are like brothers. Many of us have been in this movement since we were children. We support each other and follow each other. We are a family. They will not break us…” Regarding the role of the militias, he told me: “For the friends of the State, they are a diamond. For the enemies of the State, they are the worst news.” A military intervention by a foreign country in Venezuela is very complicated, and not only because of the civil-military alliance.

Caracas has modernized its weaponry by acquiring it from Russia, China, and Iran, with whom it also maintains an alliance. Furthermore, it covers an area of ​​almost one million square kilometers. Its topography is highly diverse: the Andes mountain range, the Coastal Range, and the Guiana Shield, along with the extensive Orinoco River basin. It boasts 4,208 kilometers of coastline and dense rainforests. The poor neighborhoods of cities like Caracas are dangerous. It shares a 2,341-kilometer border with Colombia, a 2,199-kilometer border with Brazil, and a 789-kilometer border with Guyana.

No neighboring country desires armed conflict on its borders. Venezuela possesses the men, weapons, determination, and territory capable of sustaining a prolonged popular resistance, turning any attempt to occupy the country into a quagmire for whoever tries it. Regardless of what might happen on the day of the occupation, the true military challenge for an invading force lies in what to do in the days that follow. However, beyond what may happen in the future, in Venezuela, today is the time for peace.

Luis Hernández Navarro is the Opinion editor of La Jornada*, and the author of numerous books, including* Chiapas: La nueva lucha india and Self-Defense in Mexico: Indigenous Community Policing and the New Dirty Wars*.*

• 

  Analysis

  Venezuela, The Day After

  December 9, 2025

  Venezuela possesses the people, weapons, determination, and territory capable of sustaining a prolonged popular resistance, turning any attempt to occupy it into a quagmire for whoever tries.

• 

  Mañanera

  People’s Mañanera December 8

  December 8, 2025

  President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on the 4th Transformation anniversary, employment stats, new high schools, water law, US relationship, & 2026 World Cup.

• 

  Analysis | Interviews

  Tren Maya on the Tracks of History

  December 8, 2025December 8, 2025

  An interview with Étienne von Bertrab, author of the new book Más allá: una historia del Tren Maya.

The post Venezuela, The Day After appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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The meeting, intense and under constructive interaction, resulted in substantial progress on the chapters under negotiation, Goyal highlighted.

Both sides reiterated their firm commitment to the timely conclusion of the CEPA negotiations and acknowledged the strategic importance of further strengthening bilateral economic ties.

They also underscored that CEPA will play a fundamental role in boosting bilateral trade, deepening economic cooperation, improving market access, and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

India and Chile formally started these negotiations in May 2025, following the signing of the terms of reference during President Gabriel Boric’s visit to this nation in April.

CEPA aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in digital services, investment, critical minerals, as well as in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and other sectors.

jdt/iff/lam/lrd

The post India-Chile CEPA talks conclude first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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The minister stated, “The Russian Culture Ministry issues distribution certificates, and we expect in the coming years a growth in the film distribution market, as well as an increase in the number of films produced with state support.”

Lyubimova clarified that her ministry also decided to finance sequels to popular films with non-reimbursable funds, provided that they are released between June 1 and August 15.

The minister emphasized, “This measure will contribute to the creation of a uniform release schedule starting next year.”

She also underscored that the ministry supported more than 150 domestic films in the main competition in 2025.

Lyubimova stated, “Within the framework of the main competition, the production of 154 films, including 41 animated films, 50 fiction films, and 63 documentary films, was supported.”

jdt/iff/lam/gfa

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His pardons raise concerns about money and the erosion of U.S. norms.

On Monday, The Washington Post published an analysis showing that U.S. President Donald Trump has granted clemency to at least 10 people for drug-related offenses since Jan. 20, 2025.

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The decline in the legitimacy of U.S. presidential pardons began on his first day in office, when the Republican leader pardoned everyone convicted or awaiting sentencing for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including those charged with sedition.

These controversial pardons were followed by cases such as that of Joseph Shwartz, an American magnate convicted of fraud who reportedly paid nearly US$1 million to a lobbying group in hopes of securing clemency. The White House granted him a pardon but denied any ties to those interest groups.

In the president’s hands, the roughly 1,600 presidential pardons issued in 2025 have become a sort of thermometer of power and a “pay-for-clemency” practice that continues to add names to the list. Among the people pardoned by Trump are several well-known figures:

Unbelievable! Trump will pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, a real Honduran narco, while inventing a fake one in Venezuela. Then he tells Hondurans who to vote for, and threatens their economy if they don’t! Enough. Hands off Latin America. pic.twitter.com/Zmdtk99fp8

— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) November 29, 2025

Juan Orlando Hernandez. The most recent case is the full pardon of the former Honduran president, who had been sentenced to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges. Trump argued that his prosecution had been a “set-up” by former President Joe Biden’s administration. Critics accused Trump of hypocrisy for freeing someone convicted of drug trafficking while simultaneously increasing pressure in Latin America through actions targeting alleged drug boats.

Ross Ulbricht: The creator of the illegal online marketplace Silk Road was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 on charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy and computer fraud. Upon returning to the White House, the Republican president granted him a pardon.

Liz Oyer, a former pardons attorney under the Trump administration before he fired her, told The Washington Post that these two cases illustrate “the erosion of a system where money and political influence weigh more and more.” But the list includes individuals convicted of crimes beyond drug trafficking.

Henry Cuellar: The alleged political persecution by Biden was also the reason Trump cited last week for pardoning Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was accused in May 2024 of accepting US$600,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank. Cuellar, a Democratic member of Congress since 2005, openly criticized Biden’s immigration policy and aligned himself with positions now championed by Trump.

How much money has Trump been pocketing in exchange for pardons? pic.twitter.com/T3Uz5elh2G

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 5, 2025

George Santos: In October, Trump commuted the sentence of former Republican congressman George Santos of New York, who had been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for fraud and aggravated identity theft tied to his misuse of campaign funds for personal benefit.

Trump described Santos as someone who is often “a little rogue” but said there are many rogues in the country and that they should not necessarily have to serve seven years in prison. Santos is known for his controversial comments on corruption and immigration and has accumulated various complaints over the course of his career.

David Gentile: The CEO of a private equity firm, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud, had just entered prison when he too received White House clemency. The former owner of GPB Capital Holdings was convicted of defrauding more than 10,000 investors of roughly US$1.6 billion.

Changpeng Zhao: On Oct. 23, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of the cryptocurrency platform Binance, who had been convicted of money laundering. The case drew particular attention because, since Trump’s return to the White House, Binance has become an important supporter of the cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial, founded by Trump’s family.

The anti-war movement and calls for peace get louder in the United States. Plus, a dance battle between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/GTkfHTW7l6

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 8, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.

Jose Antonio Kast, of the far-right Partido Republicano (Republican Party), and Jeannette Jara, representing the left and social democratic parties plus the Christian Democrats (DC), will face off this Tuesday in a program organized by the National Television Association (ANATEL).

Jara comes to the meeting with the endorsement of having won in the first round, but Kast is considered the favorite in the polls, as the far right and extreme right support his candidacy.

“I believe this is an election that is still undecided, even though all the polls clearly show that Kast would win,” political analyst Victor Osorio told Prensa Latina.

Osorio remembers that Chileans have the option of choosing in Sunday’s elections between two different paths for the country’s development.

Jeannette Jara advocates for building a State that protects society, guarantees social rights, and advances wealth redistribution.

Jose Antonio Kast has a neoliberal proposal where the State loses its protective role and greater guarantees are given to private investment, and experience has shown that this formula produces social inequalities.

jdt/iff/lam/car

The post Chile: Presidential candidates face off crucial debate first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Regarding the meeting, to which delegations from more than 12 countries are attending, Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio highlighted how the initiative stems from a history that has united the region’s citizens for centuries.

Villavicencio affirmed, “The peoples of the Western Caribbean maintain a deeply rooted social and cultural relationship. This shared heritage represents great potential for the socioeconomic, educational, and environmental development.”

The minister also emphasized that the Colombian Government is working to strengthen these historical ties and strengthen the State’s presence in the archipelago of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina.

She noted, “Aware of the strategic importance of this region, we have boosted and supported the Western Caribbean Peoples’ Summit as a forum to advance integration and cooperation.”

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that the meeting is envisioned as a space to develop regional cooperation, promote sustainable development initiatives, and reaffirm the historical role of the peoples of the Western Caribbean.

jdt/iff/ga/ifs

The post Colombia: Second Summit of Western Caribbean’s Peoples begins first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Amid the diplomatic crisis with Tokyo, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s rejection of recent statements made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan and noted growing concern over attempts to reinterpret history.

The spokesperson affirmed that Japanese militarism invaded China and other Asian countries with extreme violence.

Guo said war crimes cannot be erased, and any attempt to bear provocations from the Japanese right wing revives the danger of militarism.

The statements come amid diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo that have affected bilateral relations and exchanges across all sectors.

jdt/iff/ft/idm

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro convened the three-day meeting on October 31 during the closing session of the Greater Caribbean Parliamentary Meeting held in this capital with representatives from 14 countries, and brought together international delegates from all five continents.

Social leaders, intellectuals, artists, jurists, academicians, parliamentarians, journalists, women, youth, political parties, workers, indigenous peoples, and other movements arrived in Caracas to reaffirm the global commitment to a fair peace that respects the peoples’ sovereignty.

Also to boost an international movement that defends truth, justice, and respect for international law; and strengthens continental unity and solidarity among Latin America, the Caribbean, and the peoples of the world, in dialogue with the Global South and its integration platforms.

Additionally, to consolidate this capital as the political, moral, and spiritual epicenter of the struggles of the world’s peoples and movements for peace with sovereignty and proclaim the “Caracas Manifesto for Peace, Sovereignty, and Truth of the Peoples.”

The document, to which Prensa Latina had access to, stated that the meeting will have nine central issues related to Bolivarian Peace, international law, sovereignty, and security for the peoples, and the dispute between Bolivarianism and Monroeism.

jdt/iff/lam/jcd

The post Venezuela opens People’s Assembly for peace and sovereignty first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Reporters Without Borders warns of escalating repression in Ecuador and El Salvador.

On Tuesday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual report, highlighting that 18 out of 67 journalists killed in the past year died in Latin America and the Caribbean. The figure represents 26% of all media professionals killed worldwide.

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Report: 44 Palestinian Journalists Killed in Displacement Camps in Gaza

The RSF report also indicated that 79% of the 67 professionals killed globally in the past 12 months — 64 men and three women — were victims of war or organized crime. The total is one more than last year but far below the 142 recorded in 2012, the highest number in two decades.

With nine journalists killed, Mexico ranks as the second-most dangerous country in the world for the profession, behind Gaza (29) and ahead of Ukraine (3). The list of Mexican journalists killed includes Calletano de Jesus Guerrero, Kristian Martinez, Raul Villarreal, Jose Gonzalez, Angel Sevilla, Melvin Garcia, Ronald Paz Pedro, Miguel Beltran and Salomon Ordoñez.

Ecuador (Patricio Aguilar and Darwin Baque), Haiti (Jimmy Jean and Markenzy Nathoux), Peru (Gaston Medina and Raul Celis), Colombia (Oscar Gomez), Guatemala (Ismael Gonzalez) and Honduras (Javier Hercules) complete the list of LATAM countries where journalists were killed in the line of duty.

Israel killed more journalists in 2025 than any other country, according to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) https://t.co/WA5MrbWcAW pic.twitter.com/OW6kDB6WRA

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 9, 2025

So far this year, 40 of the 135 journalists who remain missing worldwide are from Latin American and Caribbean countries. The nations with the highest numbers of missing journalists are Syria (37), Mexico (28) and Iraq (12).

RSF dedicates a special chapter to the repression and obstacles journalists have faced in many countries while reporting on demonstrations, often at the hands of security forces, citing Ecuador in particular.

Since Sept. 22, at least 55 journalists have been attacked by state forces in Ecuador while covering protests against the rise in diesel prices. The latest shooting seriously injured Edison Muenala, a journalist and producer for Apak TV.

Because of wars or repressive policies, more journalists are being forced into exile. This is the case in El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele is “crushing the press” with a “wave of repression” that has swept the country since May. Fifteen Salvadoran journalists in exile are currently receiving emergency assistance from RSF.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Honduras' former president Manuel Zelaya, and the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, gave a look at Maria Corina Machado’s trajectory. pic.twitter.com/zHZHbPjqxj

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 14, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: RSF – EFE

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.

RedH accuse the far-right activist of endorsing foreign intervention and regional destabilization.

On Tuesday, the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity (RedH) sent a letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee rejecting the awarding of the prize to Maria Corina Machado, a far-right activist known for her public statements in favor of U.S. military intervention against Venezuela.

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Norwegian Peace Movement Opposes 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Corina Machado

The letter was signed by dozens of intellectuals and artists from around the world, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina; former Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma; former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Delgado; political philosopher Miguel Angel Perez Pirela; Argentine sociologist Atilio Boron; and Argentine journalist and writer Stella Calloni.

The full text of RedH’s letter follows:

“For several months, the Caribbean Sea has become the stage for an excessive and brazen military buildup, including an aircraft carrier, warships, fighter jets, helicopters, long-range missiles, nuclear submarines and thousands of soldiers.

This poses a grave threat to international peace and security, as recognized by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the majority of the region’s governments, and multiple political and social organizations of our peoples.

The U.S. government has made public its intention to overthrow the legitimate government of Venezuela in order to seize the world’s largest oil reserves.

In the midst of this clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, we are confronted with the unpleasant news that your Committee has decided to award this year’s prize to the main promoter of war, of the invasion of her own country, and of the destabilization of Venezuela and the entire region: Maria Corina Machado.

Know, gentlemen, that the prize you will award in a solemn ceremony is already stained with blood. As these lines are written, more than 80 Latin Americans have been killed through summary executions under the pretext of the fight against drug trafficking, carried out under the orders of Donald Trump and promoted and applauded by your laureate.

You also know of the close political ties between Machado and Benjamin Netanyahu, her support for the genocide against the Palestinian people, and for the wars of aggression promoted by Israel. What kind of peace will you speak of at your ceremony?

Remember, gentlemen, that in 2014 the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States unanimously adopted the proclamation declaring the region a zone of peace. Today, the Nobel Peace Prize has become a sort of 21st century Trojan horse, under whose aura the same crimes committed against the peoples of Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria are being planned and sought.

We, lovers of peace, reject wars and will continue fighting for genuine and true peace — one that can only be understood as a right of the peoples, inseparable from their self-determination and the defense of their sovereignty.

Finally, after the grotesque ceremony you will hold on Dec. 10, you will no longer have any moral authority to speak of peace or justice — words you manipulate at will to satisfy the geopolitical ambitions of the United States. These words belong exclusively to the peoples who struggle for their sovereignty.”

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, Honduras' former president Manuel Zelaya, and the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, gave a look at Maria Corina Machado’s trajectory. pic.twitter.com/zHZHbPjqxj

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 14, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: RedH

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The U.S. demands over 200 million cubic meters of water before the end of the year.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the imposition of a 5% tariff on Mexico if it does not immediately release 246.6 million cubic meters of water agreed under the 1944 Water Treaty.

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Trump stated that Mexico has accumulated a debt of more than 986.4 million cubic meters over the past five years, which severely impacts crops and livestock in Texas. He urged the Mexican government to resolve the situation “immediately” to prevent further damage to the U.S. agricultural sector.

The warning came after a meeting at the White House with agricultural leaders from South Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, and Republican Senator Ted Cruz. They pressure Mexico to comply with the 1944 agreement that regulates the Colorado, Bravo, and Conchos rivers.

The Water Treaty stipulates that the U.S. must release 1.85 billion cubic meters of water annually from the Colorado River to Mexico, while Mexico must release 2.185 billion cubic meters from the Bravo River in five-year cycles, which guarantees water balance.

🚨WATER IS NOW A TRADE WEAPON.

The U.S. says Mexico must deliver 200,000 acre-feet of water by Dec 31
or face a 5% tariff on Jan 1.

Texas has already seen farms fail, mills close, and industries collapse because of the shortage.

But the real story?

This sets a global… pic.twitter.com/5wzYODkdL4

— wealthmoose (@wealthmoose) December 9, 2025

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins acknowledged that the agricultural sector is facing a crisis “worse than any experienced” by most farmers. Meanwhile, Trump announced at the White House a US$12 billion bailout for farmers, funded by the Department of Agriculture.

Trump insisted that Mexico is not responding and therefore authorized documentation to impose an additional 5% tariff if the water is not released. He demanded more than 200 million cubic meters of water before the end of the year.

In April, Rollins confirmed that Mexico agreed to increase water shipments to Texas to reduce the deficit in the 1944 Treaty, but later Mexico argued that it was facing severe drought conditions that limited its water resources.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | In Mexico, remittance income from the United States continues to decline, according to a report from the bank. These figures are partly the result of the immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump and the trade war. pic.twitter.com/NJ0qZ805Zz

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 5, 2025

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE – La Jornada

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A compromise has not yet been found on the issue of territories.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that national security advisors of Ukraine and European countries will jointly work on amendments to the latest version of a peace plan to end the Ukraine crisis.

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When answering journalists’ questions on WhatsApp, Zelensky said he thinks the plan will be ready around Tuesday evening. “We will look at it again and send it to the United States of America,” he added.

The plan was reduced to 20 points, openly non-pro-Ukrainian points were removed from it, but a compromise has not yet been found on the issue of territories, Zelensky said.

Zelensky highlighted the importance of the plan’s provisions regarding funding for Ukraine’s reconstruction and security guarantees.

⚡️The U.S. is pressing Zelensky to quickly accept a peace plan that would require major territorial concessions to Russia, including the full Donbas region.

Kyiv believes the plan favors Moscow and says Washington is applying more pressure on Ukraine than on Putin.

The push… pic.twitter.com/xzfaO3TdlX

— The Global Monitor (@theglobal4u) December 9, 2025

“The strongest security guarantees we can get are from the United States. Of course, if they are … not empty promises, but legally binding — voted in the US Congress,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky met in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss diplomatic efforts and support for Ukraine.

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s secretary of National Security and Defense Council and top Ukrainian peace negotiator, presented Zelensky with the peace plan developed by the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations during their meetings in Miami.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Russia: The armed forces shot down more than 70 Ukrainian drones over the last week. pic.twitter.com/fj9c4M6lhZ

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 8, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Souce: Xinhua

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Honduras’s top prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for former president Hernández, who was freed from US federal prison last week after being pardoned by Trump.

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Doctors begin on Tuesday, December 9 their third strike of the year against the Health Statute.

Doctors across Spain are set to begin a four-day strike on Tuesday to protest the Health Ministry’s proposed a statute, which they say fails to address long-standing professional demands.

The Spanish Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM, in Spanish) called the strike through Friday, December 12.

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Medical professionals are pushing for a dedicated negotiation framework and their own statute to secure direct bargaining over working conditions, fair compensation, and recognition of specialized training and responsibilities.

Key demands include a maximum 35-hour workweek with voluntary and compensated overtime, flexible early retirement options without financial penalty, and stronger guarantees for rest and work-life balance.

Mejoras incluidas en el borrador del Estatuto Marco. pic.twitter.com/zeYCfi050K

— Ministerio de Sanidad (@sanidadgob) December 5, 2025

Healthcare Services Amid the Strike

Hospital minimum services will run at 50% of usual capacity for inpatient wards, hospital pharmacies, home hospitalization units, outpatient clinics, specialty centers, and blood transfusion centers.

Critical services—including dialysis, radiotherapy, ICUs, recovery units, transplant programs, day hospitals, priority surgeries, and oncology—will operate normally, while emergency services will function at reduced Sunday-level staffing.

Primary care emergency units will also maintain regular schedules.

Further Efforts

Other unions, including Satse and Intersindical Salut-IV, have unveiled a new series of demonstrations. A first rally is scheduled for December 16 outside the Health Ministry, targeting delays in implementing the 35-hour workweek and other reforms. The Medical Union plans ongoing biweekly gatherings.

The Health Ministry has urged restraint, warning that blocking the draft would squander a “historic opportunity” to modernize a law dormant for 20 years.

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The United Nations has submitted a request for an aid budget amounting to only half of what was expected for this year, conceding that donor contributions have plunged even as global humanitarian emergencies reach record levels.

UN leaders admit the scaled-back $23 billion appeal will exclude tens of millions of people in critical need. But with funding collapsing, they say they have no choice but to focus on those at immediate risk of death.

RELATED: Syrians See Israel as a Threat to Their Security

According to UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, the funding collapse is forcing the organization into extraordinarily painful decisions. He has emphasized that aid workers are stretched to the limit — under-resourced, exhausted, and facing growing threats in the field. Fletcher likened their situation to rushing toward disaster zones with barely the means to respond, expected not only to save lives but also to contain the crises themselves, all while lacking the tools and protection needed to do either safely.

The world spent $2.7 trillion on defence last year.

Just less than 1% of that could help people in crises across the world.

Let's choose solidarity over indifference. Million of lives depend on it.https://t.co/9gCQYLsvmN pic.twitter.com/E1gkqJOf3x

— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) December 9, 2025

Just a year ago, the UN sought $47 billion for 2025. That target was slashed as sweeping aid reductions by President Donald Trump — alongside cutbacks from major European donors like Germany — came into view.

By November, the UN had secured only $12 billion, the smallest haul in a decade and enough to cover little more than 25% of its needs.

What’s at Stake

Next year’s pared-down plan centers on 87 million people deemed at highest risk. Yet the UN counts roughly 250 million requiring urgent help, and hopes to assist 135 million if additional funding materializes, at a cost of $33 billion.

The largest single request — $4 billion — is directed at the occupied Palestinian territories, primarily Gaza, ravaged after more than two years of an Israeli genocidal campaign that has displaced millions and left them dependent on aid. Sudan and Syria follow as the next biggest emergencies.

Despite deep funding cuts and growing risks, humanitarians continue working tirelessly to support the most vulnerable.

Greater global solidarity is crucial to deliver life-saving aid to the millions hardest hit by crises. https://t.co/OxsLbn2Afd — via @UNOCHA pic.twitter.com/fB0ag1HgvM

— United Nations (@UN) December 8, 2025

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The U.S. is set to revoke the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, according to the draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, effectively ending the sanctions that obstructed reconstruction efforts under the Bashar al-Assad administration since 2020.

The provision — still pending House approval — would unwind secondary sanctions in phases, contingent on verified progress by Syria’s new leadership.

RELATED: Syrians See Israel as a Threat to Their Security

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed power after ousting al-Assad, would be required to meet a series of U.S.-monitored benchmarks before sanctions relief becomes permanent.

A Conditional Rollback of Sanctions

The U.S. president must certify within 90 days, and then every 180 days for four years, that Damascus is taking measurable action in key areas:

• Dismantling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other extremist groups
• Protecting minority rights
• Refraining from hostile actions against neighboring states
• Combating money laundering and terrorist financing
• Prosecuting crimes against humanity allegedly committed under Assad
• Eliminating drug production networks

If any two consecutive reports find insufficient progress, sanctions could snap back immediately.

⚡️⭕️ Trump : We lifted sanctions on Ahmad Al Sharaa (Syria's president, he's a tough guy) based on the request of Israel and Turkey pic.twitter.com/UR0s7cpKu1

— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) November 8, 2025

Diplomatic Overtures Already Underway

The legislative move follows a rapid series of diplomatic shifts over the past year. Washington began suspending sanctions in late 2025, using renewable 180-day waivers while negotiating with Syria’s transitional authorities. The process accelerated after a high-profile meeting between then-President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia last May, leading to an executive order that lifted comprehensive sanctions in June.

The U.S. later removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list and delisted al-Sharaa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Al-Sharaa, previously known by the pseudonym al-Jolani, served as the head of the al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria) until its reported dissolution and the subsequent formation of HTS.

Trump on Ahmed al-Sharaa:

He is a very strong leader, he comes from a very tough place and he is a tough guy.

I liked him, I get along with him.

We will do everything we can to make Syria successful. pic.twitter.com/MG8gRfH6e3

— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 10, 2025

Security Landscape Remains Volatile

According to U.N. reports, the transitional period has been marred by massacres in coastal areas and Sweida, widespread lawlessness, institutional collapse, and continued human rights abuses.

Violations include extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, and looting — with minority communities such as Alawites (which AL-Assad belonged to), Druze, Christians, and Bedouins particularly affected.

The U.N. warns that the integration of former armed factions into security forces, without adequate oversight, has fueled instability.

Repeated Israeli airstrikes have added to civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.

Since the fall of al-Assad, the Israeli government has been sending Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops into the demilitarized buffer zone of the Syrian Golan Heights, advancing its creeping annexation of the territory.

Addressing the @UN General Assembly in New York today, the UN #Syria Commission of Inquiry (@UNCoISyria) warned that renewed, brutal violence is jeopardizing the hard-won optimism that followed the fall of the former government last year. #UNGA80

👉 https://t.co/DkeYtPWoaW pic.twitter.com/ERXqzTci15

— UN Human Rights Council Investigative Bodies (@uninvhrc) October 30, 2025

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The Norwegian Peace Movement held a press conference in Oslo on Tuesday to voice its opposition to the decision to award the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, whom participants accused of advocating a military intervention in her own country.

Meanwhile, the press conference that Machado was scheduled to hold on Tuesday at the Nobel Institute in Oslo at 1:00 p.m. local time (12:00 GMT), on the eve of receiving the Peace Prize, has been postponed.

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Diosdado Cabello, secretary-general of Venezuela’s United Socialist Party (PSUV), criticized the award on Tuesday, calling it an “auction” handed out “to the highest bidder.” “Regarding Oslo, I don’t know. We have no involvement in that; we don’t participate in that auction,” he said.

#Cartoon | Norwegians to protest Nobel Peace Prize for Machado

The humanitarian organizations maintain that Corina Machado’s selection violates the original mandate of the prize’s creator, which stipulated that the award should go to people who promote disarmament, the peaceful… pic.twitter.com/soSdKFecgK

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 8, 2025

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Families and Human Rights groups in Ecuador marched through Guayaquil to demand justice for four children from Las Malvinas who were disappeared and killed by ecuadorian soldiers, turning grief into a collective call for truth, accountability, and an end to impunity.

On December 8, 2025, the streets of southern Guayaquil filled with grief and determination as families, Human Rights organizations, and Afro-descendant collectives marched to honor the memory of four children killed by members of the military forces, a case considered one of Ecuador’s most severe state crimes against children.

RELATED: Six People Killed in Armed Attack in One of the Most Violent Areas of Ecuador

The march, titled “For the Right to Memory”, marked the first anniversary of the disappearance and subsequent murder of Josue and Ismael Arroyo (14 and 15 years-old respectively), Nehemias Arboleda (15 years-old), and Steven Medina (11 years-old), all residents of the Las Malvinas ecuadorian neighborhood.

The symbolic procession began at the Casa Comunal de Las Malvinas and retraced the paths of the victims’ lives, stopping at their homes to hold readings, artistic performances, and community tributes. Participants carried banners with slogans such as “Neither forgiveness nor forgetfulness”, demanding justice, truth, and guarantees of non-repetition.

Inicia la romería en homenaje a los cuatro niños de Las Malvinas, asesinados hace un año.
Desde la memoria viva y la tradición andina, explican sus asistentes, este caminar colectivo no solo honra sus nombres y sus vidas arrebatadas, sino que siembra en la tierra y en la… pic.twitter.com/1513M1PzKA

— Elena Rodríguez Yánez (@ElenaDeQuito) December 8, 2025

Text reads: Begins the march in tribute to the four children of Las Malvinas, killed a year ago.
From living memory and the Andean tradition, explain their assistants, this collective walk not only honors their names and their lives taken away, but sows in the earth and in the conscience of the people a promise: that forgetfulness never has the last word.

Ronny Medina, Steven’s father, tearfully remembered his son as “a boy who loved football and studying.” He recounted the harrowing details of how the four adolescents were detained by a military patrol on 25 de Julio Avenue and subsequently transported to Taura. There, they were subjected to aggression, disappeared, and ultimately murdered. “I wish this were a dream,” Medina expressed, highlighting the initial discrimination they faced for being from a “low-income neighborhood.”

Similarly, Katy Bustos, the mother of Josue and Ismael, shared the poignant detail that her son Josue “dreamed of being a military man, of wearing the camouflage uniform of the Armed Forces.” She underscored the profound irony that “it was the uniformed men, whom he admired, who are the alleged perpetrators of his disappearance amidst a series of revelations of racist insults, beatings, and gunshots during their detention.” Bustos further shared the ongoing grief, explaining that her nine-year-old daughter cries every night, asking: “Mom, why did the military do all that to my brothers?”

The march culminated at La Coviem Park, which was symbolically renamed “The Four Children of Las Malvinas” as an act of reparation in the face of impunity, in a demand for justice and truth.

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Concurrently, on December 8, the trial against the accused military personnel entered its final phase. The Attorney General’s Office has requested a sentence of 34 years and eight months in prison for the 17 military members, in addition to fines equivalent to 800 basic salaries, and comprehensive non-repetition measures.

This deeply moving case has profoundly impacted the nation, unfolding within the broader context of an internal armed conflict declared in January 2024 by President Daniel Noboa. This declaration significantly expanded the operational role of the Armed Forces in efforts against organized crime, a policy framework that critics argue facilitated such abuses.

The families of Josue, Ismael, Nehemias, and Steven continue to demand justice, transforming their grief into collective resistance, with a powerful message: that memory must prevail over silence, and that the pursuit of justice is essential to ensure such atrocities are never repeated.

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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican goods unless the country releases 200,000 acre-feet of water, which he says is owed under a decades-old treaty.

Posting on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of falling hundreds of thousands of acre-feet behind on its commitments outlined in the 1944 water-sharing pact, which regulates flows from the Colorado, Tijuana, and Rio Grande rivers.

RELATED: Mexico Plans Gradual Shift to 40-Hour Workweek by 2030

“As of now, Mexico is not responding, and it is very unfair to our US Farmers who deserve this much needed water,” Trump wrote.

The water shortfall, according to Trump, is affecting crops and livestock in Texas. Farmers in the state have long urged Washington to pressure Mexico into fulfilling the treaty’s terms. The 1944 agreement requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the US over a five-year cycle.

Politico reports that Trump’s post came after he met with farmers and lawmakers from agriculture-focused states.

“Mexico continues to violate our comprehensive Water Treaty, and this violation is seriously hurting our BEAUTIFUL TEXAS CROPS AND LIVESTOCK… Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW.” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/m4V1KEW0Lm

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 8, 2025

Mexico’s Stance

Mexican authorities admit they’re behind on required water deliveries, blaming an extended drought intensified by climate change for the setback. They’ve pledged to supply 420,000 acre-feet by October, though that still won’t meet the total obligation.

So far, the Mexican government has issued no public reply to Trump’s newest comments.

The U.S. currently imposes a 25% tariff on multiple Mexican imports — from steel and aluminum to cars and car parts.

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Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the purported discussions, which solely concern the Government of Venezuela, are fabricated attempts to involve Cuba in constructing false pretexts for U.S. aggression.

On December 8, 2025, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) dismissed as “absurd and false” recent press reports alleging secret contacts with U.S. officials to discuss Venezuela’s internal matters, reaffirming its unwavering support for the Bolivarian Revolution.

RELATED: Cubans Demonstrate in Support Of Venezuela and Against Trump’s War Threats

This response comes amid widespread international and internal U.S. rejection of threats of war against Venezuela, with bellicose sectors in the United States reportedly resorting to crude lies to undermine the unity of the Venezuelan Government and people against external aggression.

Furthermore, Cuba strongly rejects attempts to tarnish its unblemished record of fighting for peace in Latin America and the Caribbean and its consistent efforts against drug trafficking. U.S. specialized agencies are well aware of Cuba’s effectiveness in confronting drug trafficking, having directly benefited from cooperation until U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio unilaterally instructed to cut dialogue and collaboration on migration and law enforcement matters.

🇨🇺| Cuba desmiente falsedades sobre Venezuela en declaraciones de @JosefinaVidalF:

🗣️ Rechazamos las mentiras y agresiones de EE.UU.

✊Nuestro apoyo a la Revolución Bolivariana🇻🇪 es invariable.

🔗https://t.co/mPs91xrguZ… pic.twitter.com/OM59xEWtRk

— Cancillería de Cuba (@CubaMINREX) December 9, 2025

Text reads: Cuba denies falsehoods about Venezuela in statements by @JosefinaVidalF: We reject US lies and aggression. Our support for the Bolivarian Revolution is invariant.

In this sense, the statement affirmed that “any effort to leverage the current scenario against the Bolivarian Revolution to question the unwavering and firm support of the Cuban people and government in these dangerous circumstances for Latin America and the Caribbean will be futile.”

Cuba has criticized U.S. attacks in the Caribbean Sea and accuses it of seeking a violent overthrow of the Venezuelan Government amid the dramatic escalation of U.S. firepower in the Latin American region; reiterating its commitment to regional integration and solidarity, standing firm against any political interference.

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Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has rolled out an expansive five-year blueprint to channel 2.7 billion shekels (about $837 million USD) into enlarging and entrenching Israeli settlements throughout the occupied West Bank.

The initiative envisions the creation of 17 new settlement sites, the reinforcement of dozens more, and a sweeping upgrade of infrastructure in territories slated for deeper Israeli control.

RELATED: Israel escalates violence against the West Bank with at least 50 arbitrary arrests

The funding covers everything from water, sewage, and electricity networks to public buildings, including synagogues, schools, and community centers.

The proposal also includes “absorption warehouses” stocked with roughly 20 caravans intended for incoming settler families, a tactic designed to accelerate demographic entrenchment and facilitate future expansion.

The settlement package is only one layer of a broader strategy to tighten Zionist authority beyond the 1948 line.

The plan pairs new road networks with the relocation of military bases and administrative restructuring—steps that effectively advance annexation under another name.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that he's allocating 2.7 billion shekels for the establishment of 17 new settlements in the West Bank over the next five years.

This decision comes as part of the government’s plan to strengthen settlement infrastructure… pic.twitter.com/Y4Z714DTms

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 8, 2025

Zionist Pressure on Palestinian Communities

Alongside the settlement drive, Israeli authorities are tightening pressure on Palestinian communities in and around occupied East Jerusalem and the northern Jordan Valley. A mix of demolitions, land seizures, and movement restrictions has accelerated what Palestinian officials and rights groups describe as a systematic push toward de facto annexation.

Last week, demolition orders were delivered for more than ten residential and agricultural structures near the Arab al-Jahalin Bedouin community southeast of Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.

These notices fit into a mounting pattern: in November 2025 alone, officials recorded 27 demolitions and bulldozing operations—five of them carried out by residents under threat of steep fines, 21 executed by municipal crews, and one land plot razed entirely.

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The Venezuelan vessel Manuel Gual, dispatched by the Government of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America (ALBA-TCP, in Spanish), arrived Monday at Santiago de Cuba’s Guillermon Moncada port carrying heavy machinery and more than 7,110 tons of supplies for communities affected by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba.

The equipment will be operated by Venezuelan technicians who are already on the island assisting local authorities in restoring damaged roads and infrastructure.

RELATED: Cuba Express Gratitude to Venezuela for Support After Hurricane Melissa

The ship set sail on Friday night, December 5, from the port of La Guaira, Venezuela, transporting 76 containers of food, five backhoes, and materials for reconstruction efforts, ALBA-TCP Executive Secretary Rander Peña confirmed.

This latest shipment adds to more than 12,000 tons of aid delivered in recent weeks, including medicine, toys, windows, and construction materials for the rebuilding of homes.

“This new humanitarian shipment is meant to strengthen the restoration and recovery work underway on the island following the hurricane,” Peña said, emphasizing that assistance will continue “for as long as the brotherly people of Cuba need it.”

The aid is part of a broader solidarity effort launched by the Venezuelan government after learning of the extent of the storm’s damage. For weeks, Venezuelan technicians have been working alongside Cuban authorities to repair damaged infrastructure in Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguin, and Guantanamo.

Declarations from authorities

Misael Rodriguez Llanes, Secretary General of Cuba’s National Construction Workers Union (SNTC, in Spanish), said dozens of brigades have been working up to 15 hours a day “clearing debris, repairing damage, and rebuilding in multiple locations.”

Sergio Enrique Rodriguez Rojas, Director of Maintenance Policy and Project Execution at Venezuela’s Ministry of Public Works, stressed that “helping Cuba is a priority,” even “amid U.S. imperial threats and a tightened blockade.”

El buque "Manuel Gual", del ALBA-TCP, arribó al puerto Guillermón Moncada, en Santiago de Cuba, con un cargamento de ayuda solidaria, maquinaria e insumos, con el propósito de reforzar el trabajo de restauración y recuperación que se ejecuta en el oriente de #Cuba 🇨🇺 tras el paso… pic.twitter.com/0EmOt0AwD9

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 8, 2025

Bethsalie Contreras Trujillo, a young Venezuelan member of the internationalist brigade, called the gesture “reciprocal,” noting that “millions of Venezuelans have received healthcare, education, culture, and sports thanks to Cuban internationalists.”

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Cubans residing in the United States are facing a migration policy that instills persecution and fear, marked by arbitrary deportations and threats of bank account closures or freezes, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla denounced.

According to various press reports, U.S. banks sent notifications to Cuban clients requiring them to comply with additional verification protocols, including updates to their immigration status.

RELATED: Trump’s First 9 Months: ICE Arrested 75,000 With No Criminal Record

The measures are widely seen as tied both to the six-decade U.S. blockade and to the Trump administration’s renewed hard line on immigration. Within the Cuban-U.S. community, the prospect of frozen accounts or restricted access to savings has sparked growing alarm.

Rodriguez Parrilla further rebuked segments of the Cuban diaspora that fuel irregular migration for political leverage, favors, and financial gain. Havana argues that Washington has weaponized migration, using it as a political pressure tool that directly harms Cuban nationals living in the United States.

Los cubanos que viven en #EEUU sufren la persecución y el miedo que infunde la actual política migratoria del gobierno de ese país.

No sólo enfrentan el riesgo de ser deportados de forma arbitraria. Ahora encaran la amenaza de perder o ver congeladas sus cuentas bancarias.

Los… pic.twitter.com/sYoBUY2We9

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) December 8, 2025

Trump’s Anti-Migrants Policies

Since Trump began his second term in January 2025, the administration has sharply slowed residency and naturalization cases while ramping up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportation orders targeting undocumented migrants.

Videos circulating on social media show ICE officers using force during operations, and civil rights groups report human rights abuses inside detention centers, including deaths.

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Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya requested on Monday the enforcement of an international arrest warrant against former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was recently pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump as part of an interventionist push against the country’s sovereignty.

In a post on X, Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya announced that he had instructed the Technical Criminal Investigation Agency (ATIC, in Spanish) and urged national and international security bodies—including INTERPOL—to locate Hernandez, who faces charges of money laundering and fraud in the Pandora II case.

RELATED: Honduras’ LIBRE Requests Elections Annulment in the Light of Evidence of Fraud

“We have been scarred by the tentacles of corruption and by criminal networks that have profoundly shaped the life of our country”, Zelaya wrote, reaffirming that his fight is “direct and unwavering.”

Hemos sido lacerados por los tentáculos de la corrupción y por las redes criminales que han marcado profundamente la vida de nuestro país. Es por ello que en el marco del Día Internacional Contra la Corrupción que se conmemora mañana 9 de diciembre, informo al pueblo hondureño… pic.twitter.com/8V4cpyrKq2

— Johel Antonio Zelaya Alvarez (@jaza_hn) December 8, 2025

Text reads: We have been torn by the tentacles of corruption and criminal networks that have deeply marked the life of our country. (…) I also inform the population that the first line of investigation has been completed…

Juan Orlando Hernandez’ Crimes

The charges against Hernandez stem from a multimillion-dollar corruption scheme that also implicated former lawmakers, business leaders, and private individuals in the diversion of state funds to finance the 2013 political campaign.

Hernandez was released on December 1 after receiving a pardon from U.S. President Trump, overturning a 45-year sentence handed down in 2024 for drug trafficking and weapons charges. A U.S. federal court in New York had accused him of facilitating the entry of more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.

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Trump also congratulated Hernandez on Truth Social, hinting at the pardon days earlier by praising him on his upcoming exoneration. Meanwhile, the U.S. president has leveled unsubstantiated accusations against Latin American leaders—especially in Venezuela and Colombia—claiming they are tied to drug trafficking, despite lacking evidence comparable to the case built against Hernandez.

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