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Argentina’s Government managed in the early hours of this Thursday to give half sanction of Deputies to the Budget 2026, which would be the first Budget of the Milei Government, since during the last two years it resorted to extensions of the plan of expenses and revenues of 2023.

President Javier Milei’s administration secured parliamentary approval for its first 2026 national budget on Wednesday, a contentious adjustment package passed after years of governing by discretionary decree.

The budget, which critics argue deepens cuts to social programs and relies on economically dubious forecasts, passed the Chamber of Deputies with 132 votes in favor, 97 against, and 19 abstentions, but needs the approval of the National Senate.

RELATED: Milei Signs and Sends His Regressive Labor Reform to Congress

Este es un presupuesto de ajuste que deja afuera a la mayoria de la población y beneficia solo a unos pocos empresarios y al Fondo Montenario Internacional.

Se desprograman obras de infraestructura estratégicas como la del Canal Magdalena, que facilita nuestro transporte,… pic.twitter.com/VNXuFZQFHx

— Jorge Taiana (@JorgeTaiana) December 18, 2025

Text reads: “This is an adjustment budget that leaves out the majority of the population and benefits only a few entrepreneurs and the International Monetary Fund…”

The 2026 Budget

The budget incorporates significant structural modifications. These include:

• The elimination of the automatic indexation for family allowances and the Universal Child Allowance, effectively freezing these benefits despite ongoing inflation.
• The removal, via Article 30, of key national development pillars:
  • Abandoning the legal target of spending 6% of GDP on education. Scrapping the progressive investment goal to reach 1% of GDP for science and technology.Defunding the National Fund for Technical Schools.
  • Dismantling FONDEF, which guaranteed a minimum investment of 0.8% of current revenues for defense.

“You don’t have to camouflage yourselves anymore to harm people with disabilities, the university community, and technical schools,” deputy German Martinez commented.

A Victory Forged by Political Bargain

The government’s victory was engineered by a relentless lobbying effort from Interior Minister Guillermo Menem and Deputy Diego Santilli, who negotiated with governors until the final hours.  The far-right administration distributed over 66.5 billion argentinean pesos (approximately $66.5 million) in National Treasury Contributions (ATNs).

The government also pledged to the city of Buenos Aires that it will transfer the co-participation funds established in the agreement before the Supreme Court.

Likewise, a reform of the Glacier Protection Law was submitted to Congress. This initiative enables provinces to advance mining projects on strategic water reserves. If approved, Catamarca, Mendoza, and San Juan would be among the primary beneficiaries for conducting business with U.S. multinational corporations.

The Center for Argentine Political Economy (CEPA, in Spanish) stated its macroeconomic projections are “severely out of sync” with reality, citing projected 5% growth and 10.1% annual inflation as unrealistic.

Furthermore, it does not allocate funds to restore retirees’ decimated purchasing power, reactivate paralyzed public works, or stimulate economic activity. “The libertarian budget that achieved half-sanction… consolidates an austerity framework,” the CEPA’s analysis concluded.

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Despite Argentina’s political realignment toward the United States under President Javier Milei, China continues to consolidate its economic presence in the country, expanding investments in strategic sectors and maintaining its position as a long-term partner.

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According to U.S.-based outlet Bloomberg Línea, Chinese companies have continued to strengthen their footprint in Argentina even as Buenos Aires signals closer ties with Washington and former U.S. President Donald Trump. The developments highlight the persistence of bilateral economic relations despite shifting geopolitical rhetoric.

Chinese investment remains active in sectors considered central to Argentina’s development, including energy, infrastructure and mining. Chinese firms are involved in major projects such as hydroelectric dams, solar power plants, lithium mining and telecommunications, reinforcing Beijing’s role in Argentina’s productive and technological landscape.

Patricio Giusto @patriciogiusto, executive director of the Sino-Argentine Observatory, said Xi's remarks reaffirm China's role as "a staunch defender of an open economy and multilateralism to address global problems and resolve disputes, opposing unilateral impositions and…

— Xi's Moments (@XisMoments) November 3, 2025

From Beijing’s perspective, relations with Argentina are framed within a comprehensive strategic partnership aimed at mutual benefit and sustainable development. China has emphasized the use of yuan-denominated financing and technological cooperation as mechanisms to support Argentina’s economic sovereignty, offering alternatives to reliance on the U.S. dollar and to external financial pressures. Chinese authorities underline that their foreign policy is based on respect for national self-determination and cooperation oriented toward shared growth.

Within Argentina’s domestic political sphere, the Justicialist Party has rejected U.S. interference in Latin America and the Caribbean and has called for the defense of regional sovereignty, adding an internal political dimension to the broader international context.

While Washington seeks to reaffirm its influence across the region, Beijing maintains that its engagement in Argentina is guided by pragmatic and peaceful cooperation, without political conditions. Chinese officials argue that joint projects demonstrate that bilateral relations can advance beyond ideological differences, grounded instead in concrete economic interests and the need to diversify sources of investment.

The expansion of Chinese companies in Argentina reflects Beijing’s ability to sustain its broader economic strategy in Latin America, positioning itself as a reliable partner amid intensifying global geopolitical tensions.

Argentina continues to maintain close relations with the United States, but China has been a strategic partner in trade and investment since 1972. As global competition between major powers deepens, Buenos Aires navigates a delicate economic and diplomatic balance between both actors.

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Caracas, December 15, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan Armed Forces reiterated their commitment to defend the Caribbean nation’s airspace amid an escalating US military buildup and provocations.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino issued a statement Sunday to mark the 47th anniversary of the Venezuelan Integral Airspace Defense Command (CODAI), hailing the system’s “effective and immediate” response capabilities against “imperialist threats.”

“With its modern radars, missile systems and surface-to-air artillery, CODAI has become the vanguard of the country’s defense,” Padrino wrote on social media. The defense minister went on to highlight CODAI’s “technological independence.”

Padrino’s comments occurred amid a large-scale US military buildup in the Caribbean in a self-declared anti-narcotics mission. The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to launch strikes against purported drug targets inside Venezuelan territory.

After moving their largest US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region in November, US forces have likewise ramped up warplane deployments to bases in Puerto Rico. According to reports, the US Navy moved six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets to the island’s Roosevelt Roads naval station.

Designed by Boeing, the EA-18G Growlers have advanced capabilities to disrupt and deceive enemy military electronic systems, including air defenses.

Open-access flight tracking websites have shown EA-18G Growlers operating in the Caribbean in recent days.  On Tuesday, F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets flew for 40 minutes close to the Gulf of Venezuela in the country’s west. Analysts argued that the warplanes could have been mapping air defense systems spotted in the region days before.

On Friday night, social media users watching flight trackers reported that a Growler, codenamed GRIZZLY2, and a Super Hornet, codenamed RHINO61, were flying over Venezuela’s Los Roques archipelago and continental mainland, respectively. However, the false positions were a consequence of trackers such as Flight Radar 24 extrapolating an aircraft’s position for a limited time after losing signal on the basis of the last measured position and speed.

The Venezuelan government and armed forces have consistently denounced the US military maneuvers, accusing Washington of attempting to fabricate a false flag incident to justify an open conflict.

The US’ increased military activity has also affected commercial aviation. On Sunday, JetBlue denounced that an airplane on a Curaçao-New York had to halt its ascent due to the presence of a US Air Force refueling tanker in its path. Curaçao is 40 miles away from Venezuela’s coast.

US authorities have also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) urging extra caution to planes flying in Venezuela’s Flight Information Region (FIR). For his part, Trump wrote on social media that Venezuela’s airspace should be “considered closed.”

International airlines flying to and from Caracas have suspended their services. Venezuelan companies continue to offer connections to regional destinations including Panama City, Bogotá and Santo Domingo.

ALBA alliance condemns US threats

Amidst the ongoing US military threats and buildup, the Nicolás Maduro government has received diplomatic backing from its main allies. Last week, the Venezuelan leader held phone calls with his Russian, Iranian and Brazilian counterparts to discuss bilateral relations and the threats to peace in the region.

On Sunday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP) held a virtual summit and issued a statement condemning the Trump administration’s declared intentions to enforce the Monroe Doctrine in the hemisphere.

The regional body likewise condemned recent US hostile actions, including the seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude last week. The US Treasury Department followed by imposing new sanctions, blacklisting shipping companies allegedly involved in transporting Venezuelan oil.

Venezuela’s state oil company denounced a cyberattack targeting its operational capabilities but stated that its effects had been minimized. According to Bloomberg, the reported attack caused loading delays in Venezuela’s main oil terminal.

The White House has justified its military buildup and coercive measures escalation with “narcoterrorism” charges against Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials. However, US agencies have not provided court-tested evidence to back the claims, while reports from specialized agencies have shown Venezuela to play a marginal role in global drug trafficking.

International leaders and foreign policy analysts have stated that Washington’s ultimate goal is regime change to seize control of Venezuela’s natural resources.

Edited by Cira Pascual Marquina in Caracas.

The post Venezuelan Armed Forces Vow to Defend Airspace as US Increases Warplane Deployment appeared first on Venezuelanalysis.

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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has publicly defended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, portraying him as a resilient political leader and dismissing speculation about any plans for Maduro to leave Venezuela under pressure from the United States.

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In an interview with the US outlet Newsmax, published on Monday, Lukashenko said Maduro has never been an adversary of Belarus and rejected rumors suggesting the Venezuelan president could relocate to Belarus. “Maduro never has been our enemy or adversary. Never,” Lukashenko said. “If he wanted to come to Belarus, our doors would always be open to him. But honestly, we have never talked about that.”

Lukashenko stressed that Maduro would not abandon his responsibilities, describing him as a determined leader comparable to the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. “Maduro is not the kind of man who would leave everything and run away,” he said. “He is a strong person, like Hugo Chávez. He is a strong, decent and sensible man, someone you can talk to and reach agreements with.”

Belarus' Lukashenko says Venezuelan President Maduro is welcome to move to Belarus https://t.co/7QSYahkYJF https://t.co/7QSYahkYJF

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 16, 2025

Addressing reports about a possible resignation or relocation, the Belarusian president said such scenarios had never been discussed directly with Maduro. “We have never discussed this topic with Maduro,” Lukashenko stated. “To be honest, we have talked more about Venezuela with the Americans than with Maduro about his resignation or any actions related to it. He is a heroic man.”

Lukashenko also argued that tensions involving the United States could be resolved through peaceful means and said he expects to discuss the issue with US President Donald Trump in the future. “I would tell him many interesting things. A war would lead to nothing,” he said. He warned that a military confrontation with Venezuela would amount to “a second Vietnam” and questioned whether such a conflict would be in Washington’s interest. According to Lukashenko, any attack would only strengthen domestic support for Maduro.

In the same interview, Lukashenko rejected US claims of a sharp increase in drug trafficking originating from Venezuela and criticized Washington’s refusal to recognize Venezuelan elections. He said the elections “were held for Venezuelans, not for Americans,” while also questioning the legitimacy of the US electoral process, referring to allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

His comments come amid an expanded US military presence in the Caribbean in recent weeks, described as the largest deployment in the region in decades and officially justified as part of anti-narcotics operations. Since September, US forces have destroyed more than twenty vessels allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific, killing more than 87 crew members in what Venezuelan authorities have described as extrajudicial actions.

Caracas has characterized US military movements near its coastline as an armed aggression aimed at imposing regime change and seizing the country’s strategic resources.

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Eight people have been killed in US boat strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean as Washington intensifies pressure on Venezuela.

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The Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) confirmed on Tuesday the investigation of new audio recordings that suggest a conspiracy to sabotage the recent electoral process and possibly facilitate a coup against President Xiomara Castro.

RELATED:

Honduras Post-Election Crisis Escalates Amid Recount Demands, Police Repression and Presidential Coup Warning

The revelation, contained in an official statement released by the Attorney General’s Office, comes just hours after the president alerted the country about a “coup plot” orchestrated by her predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), who was pardoned by US President Donald Trump from his 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking. According to Castro, JOH plans to return to Honduras to illegally proclaim a new president, without waiting for the official vote-by-vote recount of the electoral records.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, through its Specialized Unit Against Electoral Crimes (UECDE), reported that it received several audio recordings linked to a criminal complaint related to the electoral process. Although it did not explicitly identify the former president in its transcripts, the contents suggest instructions to prevent a transparent vote count, which could invalidate the official results and open the door to a constitutional dispute.

One of the recordings, according to the published transcript, contains phrases such as: “In Honduras, this is already understood, no matter what anyone says, this is a done deal. […] Accept the count minus the vote-by-vote recount, because mathematically that has never been allowed.” Another recording mentions the need to “completely restructure the National Party” and refers to an alleged alliance between key political figures, including David Matamoros Batson, former secretary general of the Liberal Party.

Comunicado: pic.twitter.com/SK5BSn8uHV

— Ministerio Público (@MP_Honduras) December 16, 2025

Previously, the Attorney General’s Office also referenced a conversation in which Nasry Asfura, the National Party candidate and presumed winner of the November 30 elections, is mentioned as a central figure in a possible scenario of political “unification” that would require a “qualified majority” in Congress. This comes in a context where the National Electoral Council (CNE) has not yet completed the scrutiny of the ballots challenged by various parties.

Attorney General Johel Zelaya reiterated his commitment to transparency: “The truth doesn’t need embellishment; it stands on its own, and lies have short legs. The Public Prosecutor’s Office will never lend itself to planting fabricated audio recordings.” His statement seeks to legitimize the investigation in the face of growing polarization and public distrust.

In #Honduras, the #LIBRE party takes to the streets in protest, rejecting the electoral #coup perpetrated in the presidential elections on November 30. pic.twitter.com/DRudWS8hoz

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 15, 2025

Meanwhile, President Castro has called for peaceful demonstrations in Tegucigalpa, requesting the people’s support to defend the constitutional order. In a direct message to the public, he asserted that “an attack aimed at breaking the constitutional and democratic order through a coup is underway,” and openly accused the United States of interference, citing the pardon of JOH as part of an international political plan.

The situation has intensified with the declaration by the Chief of the Joint Staff, Roosvelt Hernández, who affirmed that the Armed Forces remain loyal to the Constitution and to President Castro. “There will be no coup here… Come rain, shine, or storm, the Armed Forces will guarantee the stability of the country,” he stated, promising to punish any member of the military involved in destabilizing activities.

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Venezuela condemns a decision by the European Council to renew sanctions against the country until 2027, describing the measures as “futile.”

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This article by Gloria López originally appeared in the December 13, 2025 edition of El Sol de México.

The Mexico City Congress approved the creation of the crime of violence between partners, including dating relationships, differentiating it from family violence, with the aim of protecting and guaranteeing a life free of violence for women.

With this modification, both types of violence will be investigated ex officio, explained Deputy Cecilia Vadillo Obregón, during the presentation of the ruling that also seeks to reform the crimes of abuse and sexual harassment and digital harassment against women in Mexico City.

This Saturday in an extraordinary session, legislators approved the package of reforms sent by the head of government, Clara Brugada Molina, which reforms articles 176, 177 and 178 of the Penal Code regarding sexual abuse, as well as reforms to the Civic Culture Law of Mexico City, regarding gender and access to a life free of violence for women.

Vadillo Obregón, president of the Gender Equality Commission, explained that one of the central changes is the creation of the crime of domestic violence between partners, differentiating it from violence exercised between other family ties such as brothers, uncles or relatives.

This separation will allow for the generation of more accurate statistics on gender violence and the design of more effective public policies to combat it.

The reform also includes dating relationships and any sexual or emotional bond within this form of violence, closing a legal loophole that left many young women unprotected. This aims to guarantee justice for victims who were previously not recognized by law because there was no formal relationship.

She clarified that this modification does not leave mothers who are victims of violence unprotected, but rather obliges judges to review cohabitation, custody and guardianship agreements, and even to decree the loss of parental rights when necessary, prioritizing the best interests of children and preventing vicarious violence.

Furthermore, the ruling also establishes that the aggressors must attend re-education workshops, with the aim of transforming learned behaviors and rethinking gender stereotypes and masculinities that normalize violence.

Regarding sexual abuse and harassment, the legislator said that the reform establishes that these crimes will be prosecuted ex officio, which means that the Public Prosecutor’s Office must investigate from the moment it becomes aware of the facts, without the burden falling on the victims.

She highlighted the work of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who, after experiencing sexual harassment in the street, promoted a national plan against violence and sexual abuse, as well as that of the Head of Government, Clara Brugada, who presented this initiative to accompany the presidential reform and propose additional modifications that recognize the realities of violence that women face.

She emphasized that one of the most significant precedents is the incorporation of consent as a central element of the sexual act. The law recognizes that consent can be withdrawn at any time and makes it clear that silence does not equate to consent.

“It is specified here that consent can be withdrawn. That is, if you were flirting with someone and decided you didn’t anymore and made that clear, and this person continued to make advances, that is harassment,” she pointed out.

She emphasized that in this way, the idea that the responsibility falls on women for not saying “no” is eliminated, and it is established that certain behaviors should not be carried out under any circumstances.

Furthermore, it legally defines what constitutes a sexual act, closing loopholes that allowed for discretionary interpretations and impunity for perpetrators.

On the other hand, for the first time, a new type of digital sexual violence is being created, recognizing that assaults also occur in the virtual realm. Sending unsolicited sexual images, intimidating messages, or harassment on social media will be considered a crime, even when there is no physical contact.

With this modification, authorities will no longer be able to dismiss complaints under the argument that “nothing happened” because they are digital events.

She stressed that fear, intimidation, and transgression are real, and that all physical or digital spaces must be safe for women.

The reform acknowledges that women’s lives have changed, but that violence persists and evolves. Therefore, the ruling seeks to bring to light historically silenced forms of violence and adapt the Penal Code to current realities.

“A vote in favor of this reform is a vote for our friends, sisters, mothers, daughters and granddaughters,” she said during the session, reiterating the message that in Mexico City, if one is touched, everyone responds.

• 

  News Briefs

  Mexico City Congress Codifies Crime of Violence Between Partners, Including Dating Relationships

  December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

  The reform establishes that these crimes will be prosecuted ex officio and that aggressors must attend re-education workshops.

• 

  News Briefs

  Call for “Gen Z” March Fails Again

  December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

  The march was comprised, once more, primarily of adults aged 40 to 60 years old, a thin mixture of the superannuated & conspiracy-minded.

• 

  Analysis

  The Right That Doesn’t Exist

  December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

  The map of the Mexican right wing that some on the left claim doesn’t exist is vast.

The post Mexico City Congress Codifies Crime of Violence Between Partners, Including Dating Relationships appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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Last Friday, the Central Bank of Russia filed a lawsuit against Euroclear for causing losses to the Russian regulator by preventing it from accessing its funds and securities, as well as for the mechanisms the European Commission is considering for the direct or indirect use of its assets without consent.

The Bank is requesting compensation from the Moscow Arbitration Court for the damages incurred.

V According to the Bank, the amount claimed comprises its frozen funds, the value of its blocked securities, and lost revenue.

Following the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union (EU) and the G7 froze Russian assets worth €300 billion.

Approximately €200 billion of this is held within the EU, primarily in accounts at Euroclear, based in Belgium.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the freezing of these assets “theft” and pointed out that the EU is targeting not only the money of private investors but also Russia’s sovereign assets.

jdt/jav/mem/gfa

The post Russia’s claims against Euroclear exceed 225.7 billion first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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Kast got 58.16 percent of the vote, while Jara, the candidate representing the left-wing, progressive, and social democratic parties, reached 41.84 percent in Sunday’s elections, when nearly 100 percent of the polling stations had been counted.

Kast, who made security the central issue of his campaign, said in his first address to the nation that he will work to restore “peace and order” and reiterated his threats against undocumented immigrants.

He affirmed, “Do not ask us, irregular migrants, to spend resources on you.” “Anyone who breaks the law has to leave.”

Although the eight left-wing and center parties that supported Jara will have to conduct an in-depth study of the causes of this resounding defeat, several experts are trying to explain the rise of the far right in the country.

Kast, of the far-right Partido Republicano (Republican Party), had the support of the also extremist Partido Nacional Libertario (National Libertarian Party), close to President Javier Milei’s ideas, and the traditional right.

The president-elect will take office on March 11.

jdt/iff/ro/car

The post Chile shifts to far right first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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This article originally appeared in the December 16, 2025 edition of El Universal.

Editor’s note: I’m not normally in the habit of re-publishing something from El Universal*, a corporate, right wing newspaper which approaches this issue by suggesting tax credits for corporations, already operating in extremely favourable conditions with very low wages, as a solution to this issue; but the figures are important.*

This Christmas, almost 14 million Mexicans will be without their Christmas bonus, even though it is a right established since 1970 in the Federal Labor Law (LFT).

By surveying more than 150,000 homes distributed throughout the country, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) counted 40.8 million subordinate and paid workers between July and September of last year.

Of this amount, 33.6% or 13.7 million lacked a Christmas bonus, paid vacation, or profit sharing.

It is the highest figure in a year and, to put it in perspective, it is equivalent to the combined population of Mexico City, Querétaro and Morelos. The 13.7 million without a Christmas bonus represent 22.3% of the Economically Active Population (EAP).

Humberto Calzada , chief economist for Rankia Latin America, explained that most workers without benefits operate in the informal sector, and that is why employers evade this obligation.

From their point of view, working conditions and the scarcity of formal job creation force Mexicans to seek informal options in order to have a source of income .

“Faced with precarious employment, workers are willing to sacrifice social benefits in order to have a better salary,” he said in an interview with El Universal.

Households with lower labor income lack the capacity to save resources and are the first to spend their Christmas bonus; they are even forced to acquire loans, explained the professor of Economics at UNAM .

“It is very difficult for informal employment to end in Mexico, because many times an informal worker has a higher income than a professional who operates in the formal sector,” he noted.

In his opinion, reducing informality requires more productive public and private investment. “Tax incentives are urgently needed to encourage companies to invest and foster economic growth,” he commented.

State of Mexico Leads

The largest number of employees who will not receive a Christmas bonus work in the State of Mexico , with 2.2 million. Puebla and Veracruz follow, with one million each, according to the results of the National Survey of Occupation and Employment (ENOE) by the institute headed by Graciela Márquez.

Mexico City and Michoacán continue to be affected, both with 0.8 million employees without access to this benefit, whose payment deadline is December 20 and which is prohibited from being paid in kind.

Of the 13.7 million workers without access to a Christmas bonus, 5.3 million are between 15 and 29 years old, that is, they belong to the so-called Generation Z or Centennial, while 5.2 million are in the 30 to 49 age range, and the rest are over 50 years old.

Clemente Ruiz Durán, a researcher at the Postgraduate Program in Economics at UNAM, pointed out that most young people are employed on a temporary basis, so employers do not carry out the formalization process.

The Federal Labor Defense Attorney’s Office explains that workers have the right to receive a Christmas bonus equivalent to at least 15 days of salary.

Workers who have not completed one year of service, regardless of whether they are working or not on the date of settlement of the Christmas bonus, must receive the proportional part of it, according to the time worked, whatever it may be.

The Christmas bonus payment is due to workers, whether they are base-level, trust-based, permanent, unionized, for a specific project or time, seasonal, for an indefinite period subject to probation or subject to initial training, among others who are governed by the LFT.

• 

  Labor | News Briefs

  Christmas Without a Bonus for 13.7 Million Workers

  December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

  Mexico’s Scrooge-like employers evade their legal obligation because most employees are informal workers.

• 

  Analysis | Labor

  A Bosses’ Trap?

  December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

  Mexico’s much-touted 40 hour workweek reform does not bring about a real reduction in the working day; on the contrary, it will become a more effective tool of exploitation and is an initiative designed for the benefit of employers and against the dignity of workers.

• 

  Mañanera

  People’s Mañanera December 16

  December 16, 2025

  President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on pharmaceuticals supply, social housing lottery, CDMX Congress fiasco, Ultra-right victory in Chile and H3N2 alert.

The post Christmas Without a Bonus for 13.7 Million Workers appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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In a series of interviews published Tuesday by Vanity Fair magazine, Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s current chief of staff, offers a critical, though not confrontational, portrait of the former president and key figures in his political circle.

RELATED: Donald Trump Taps Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff

The statements are part of a piece compiled from ten interviews with journalist Chris Whipple, in which Wiles breaks her usual low profile to address sensitive issues concerning the Trump administration and his inner circle.

The chief of staff describes Trump as having “the personality of an alcoholic,” despite not drinking alcohol herself. “Some clinical psychologist who knows a million times more than I do will probably disagree with what I’m about to say. But functional alcoholics, or alcoholics in general, have personalities that are exacerbated when they drink.

And in that sense, I’m somewhat of an expert on strong personalities (…) Trump has the personality of an alcoholic (…) and acts with the conviction that there is nothing he can’t do. Nothing, absolutely nothing,” she stated.

Although she doesn’t position herself as a counterweight to the former president, Wiles acknowledges errors in his administration’s management, such as the deportations of immigrants without adequate due process.

Wiles, now Trump’s chief of staff, breaks her silence with candid views on the former president, his allies, and the controversies shaping their legacy. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images).

She also reveals that she advocated against pardoning the most violent assailants of the Capitol on January 6, but her position was ignored.

Her role, she explains, has been to facilitate Trump’s will, even when she unsuccessfully tried to get him to stop using his office to “settle scores” with his enemies.

“We reached an informal agreement for him to move on from his obsessions after three months in the White House, but it didn’t work,” she recounts. “It’s not that Trump is constantly thinking about revenge, but when the opportunity arises, he takes it.”

Susie Wiles, “The Ice Maiden”

That’s how Donald Trump introduced her during his election night speech in Palm Beach, Florida, referring to her as “The Ice Maiden” and noting that “she likes to stay a little bit in the background.”

In a statement, he highlighted Wiles’s crucial role in his 2024 election victory, calling her “tough, smart, innovative, and universally admired and respected.” He also expressed that it will be “a well-deserved honor to have Susie as the first female Chief of Staff in American history.”

Descriptive Adjectives Broaden Her Scope

The advisor, highly respected in Republican circles, especially in Florida, also speaks harshly of Vice President J.D. Vance, whom he calls a political opportunist.

Wiles recalls that Vance was a fierce critic of Trump before becoming his defender by running for Senate. He also describes him as “a conspiracy theorist for a decade,” in a negative context linked to the Epstein case.

In that context, he criticizes Trump for having insisted on linking Bill Clinton to visits to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island without evidence, calling the claim erroneous or false.

🚨🚨 BREAKING: Susie Wiles TRASHES President Trump, top individuals within his administration and MAGA in a new interview with radical left Vanity Fair. She compared Trump to an alcoholic, said that she urged him NOT to pardon the January 6th political prisoners, called JD Vance… pic.twitter.com/JKLifNAkWa

— Joshua Hall (@JoshHall2024) December 16, 2025

The target of his harshest criticism is Elon Musk, whom he calls “a completely lone actor” and compares to “a kind of hyperactive Nosferatu.” Wiles points out that Musk, at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dismantled agencies and fired thousands of employees without any criteria or coordination with the White House.

“The challenge with Elon is keeping up with him. He is an avowed ketamine user. And he sleeps in a sleeping bag in the Executive Office Building during the day,” he says.

Furthermore, she suggests that at certain times Musk may have been consuming microdoses of psychoactive substances, which would explain some of his most controversial tweets.

Regarding the handling of the Epstein case, Wiles directly blames Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump’s former personal lawyer.

“I think she completely failed to appreciate that this was precisely the group that cared about this issue,” she comments, referring to the MAGA movement’s base.

“First, she handed them folders full of irrelevant information. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no such client list, and it certainly wasn’t on her desk,” she criticizes.

This content was created with AI support.

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A recent NBC News Decision Desk survey, powered by SurveyMonkey (a global leader in online surveys and questionnaires), reveals that most Americans plan to cut back on holiday spending this year due to persistent concerns about the economic situation. The results, published on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, indicate a climate of financial caution among consumers in the lead-up to the holidays.

According to the poll, 55 percent of respondents said they intend to spend less on gifts compared to last year. In contrast, only 9 percent plan to increase their spending, while the remaining 36 percent intend to maintain the same level of expenditure. This trend underscores the magnitude of the economic impact on households in the United States.

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US Reduces Work Permit Validity to 18 Months for Hundreds of Thousands of Migrants

The research also revealed significant demographic divisions in spending plans. The intention to cut budgets is significantly higher among lower-income households, where two-thirds of those earning less than $50,000 annually reported plans to reduce their spending.

Furthermore, 62 percent of women plan to cut their expenses, a figure higher than the 48 percent of men. Politically, more than 60 percent of Democrats and independents plan to spend less, compared to 41 percent of Republicans.

Beyond gifts, the economic impact extends to general holiday spending. Forty-three percent of Americans report having had to reduce their outlays in various areas due to financial concerns.

When asked about the most pressing economic problem they face, 44 percent of respondents cited inflation and the rising cost of living, a figure that significantly surpassed any other concern mentioned.

This complex economic context is reflected in a widespread perception that the country is headed down the wrong path, an opinion shared by 64 percent of those surveyed. While opinions on personal finance vary, the economy has consistently emerged as a top topic in this series of surveys throughout 2025, highlighting its centrality to the agenda and daily lives of Americans.

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Entitled “Reaffirming Reconciliation for Future Generations,” the presidential statement noted that the ceremony seeks to deepen the commitment to unity, healing, and nation-building, the Department informed.

Ramaphosa emphasized in his keynote address the importance of transforming spaces that once represented conflict into platforms for honest dialogue, justice, and a shared national identity.

As the Ministry of Sport, Arts, and Culture recalls, that location was the site of the Battle of the Blood River (Ncome) in 1838, lending the commemoration significant symbolism.

The confrontation, which took place 187 years ago between Zulu forces and Voortrekkers (settlers of Dutch origin), generated conflicting narratives in the country for over a century.

Since 1995, the democratic government has redefined the date as a day of unity and collective reflection.

jdt/iff/lam/mv

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According to the Polsat news agency, Bosak questioned Nawrocki’s assertion about “the loss of the element of cooperation” between the two nations. “I disagree with those words, because to lose something, you must first possess it,” the legislator noted.

According to Bosak, there was never a true partnership between Poland and Ukraine, and instead of cooperation, there was fierce rivalry.

Political analysts in Warsaw agree that tensions have grown since the new head of State criticized the lack of gratitude for Polish support after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, and the bilateral relationship has been affected by historical and economic disputes.

Nawrocki, speaking to the news portal Wirtualna Polska stressed that “relations cannot be considered cooperative while Kyiv ignores key issues for Poland,” such as the rights of Poles in Ukrainian territory.

Although Poland has been one of Ukraine’s closest European allies since 2022, differences have surfaced with the change of government in Warsaw.

The first official meeting between Nawrocki and Volodymyr Zelensky will take place on December 19 in the Polish capital.

jdt/arm/mem/ehl/amp

The post Poland denies alliance with Ukraine first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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According to preliminary information released by W Radio, the device was detonated on the road as the police motorcycle passed by, killing Sub-Lieutenants Jorge Leandro Gomez Ochoa, 36, and Rober Stiven Melo Londoño, 33.

The officers were taken to medical centers after the attack but did not survive, the news outlet reported.

The report added that authorities are conducting the necessary investigations to determine who is responsible for the incident, which occurred in the early hours of this morning near the María Isabel Urrutia Coliseum, in the southern part of the capital of Valle del Cauca.

jdt/arm/mem/ifs

The post Colombia: Explosive attack kills police officers in Cali first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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“President Xiomara Castro has requested the firm support of the Honduran people and the Libre Party (Liberty and Refoundation, the ruling party) in the face of intelligence reports indicating real threats of a possible coup d’état that seeks to destabilize the constitutional order,” Zelaya stated.

On his Twitter account, the former president, who was overthrown in 2009 by a military coup in collusion with the right-wing National and Liberal parties, indicated that these warnings necessitate maintaining democratic vigilance and peaceful citizen mobilization in defense of the institutions.

The Libre party leader also announced that next Thursday, Castro, in her capacity as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, will transfer command to the new Chief of the Joint Staff.

“This institutional act reaffirms the civilian, democratic, and constitutional leadership of the government and dismantles the coup attempts that aim for chaos and division,” emphasized the former president and husband of the first female president in Honduran history.

The general coordinator of the progressive group defended what he described as the president’s proven democratic commitment and her absolute respect for the principle of alternation in the presidency.

He demanded that coup-plotting political sectors and de facto powers refrain from interrupting or sabotaging her constitutional mandate, which, he emphasized, ends on January 27, 2026.

jdt/jha/edu

The post Honduras: Former President Zelaya confirms reports of possible coup first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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The death toll will continue to rise due to dozens of people still missing.

On Tuesday, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) spokesman of the Kwilu province, David Obama, announced that authorities recovered 10 new bodies from the shipwreck on the Kwango River, which brings the total to 38 dead.

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The vessel was headed to Bandundu city with more than 700 sacks of corn, cassava, and charcoal. It had no official voyage registration, although it is estimated to have been carrying approximately 100 people.

The accident occurred on Sunday night near the village of Bolo, in the Bagata territory of Kwilu province. Initially, 28 bodies were recovered, but as rescue efforts continued, the total rose to 38 dead.

The death toll will continue to rise due to dozens of people still missing. The DRC government announced the closure of 240 illegal ports on rivers and lakes, used for transportation in a country with limited infrastructure and extensive rainforest.

#Burundi 🇧🇮 “Africa is under constant pressure from multiple global interests. To seize the continent’s vast resources, powerful nations fuel conflict and instability. They wage a shadow war invisible, yet ever-present, hidden behind diplomacy and false narratives. In this… pic.twitter.com/VenLvVbthJ

— Nadia MUGUNGA (@Nadia_MUGUNGA1) December 12, 2025

In April, a shipwreck on the Congo River left 148 dead after the vessel caught fire, and on September 11, 128 people died after a boat caught fire and sank in the west of the country. These incidents highlight the precarious state of transportation.

The vessels are often precarious, overloaded, and lack adequate signaling, which increases the risk of fatal accidents on the Congolese waterways.

Among the victims were several teachers traveling to Bandundu to collect their salaries. The cause of the accident remains unknown, while rescue teams continue working to recover missing bodies.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Africa: In the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 100 people died after the collapse of an artisanal copper mine in the town of Mulondo. Artisan miners' associations confirmed the death toll of 100 and reported dozens missing. pic.twitter.com/ZD0z8CP3pe

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) November 20, 2025

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE – La Jornada

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President Sheinbaum is also monitoring Xiomara Castro’s complaints about a possible coup in Honduras.

On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum made it clear that she does not agree with Maria Corina Machado, the far-right politician who is calling for foreign military intervention in Venezuela.

RELATED:

President Maduro Rejects Corina Machado’s Accusations Against the Venezuelan People

Sheinbaum said she cannot support political destabilization actions in any form because they run counter to the Mexican Constitution, which promotes self-determination of peoples and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

The Mexican president also clarified that while someone may seek international support to facilitate dialogue-based solutions to political disputes in a country, interventionism and foreign interference are not part of the historical stance of the Mexican state.

Sheinbaum also rejected a spurious comparison between Honduran President Xiomara Castro and far-right politician Machado, given that these two figures cannot be equated on the assumption that both are rejecting presidential elections in their respective countries.

“It is different. One of them is calling for foreign intervention. We, by conviction and by constitutional mandate, are against interventionism and interference,” Sheinbaum reiterated, emphasizing that she supports each people deciding its own destiny.

Previously, Sheinbaum had avoided speaking about Machado after she received the Nobel Peace Prize. When asked about that international recognition, Sheinbaum reiterated her position and Mexico’s willingness to continue defending the self-determination of peoples.

“The last time I said ‘no comment,’ and I continue to say ‘no comment’… Mexico will always defend the self-determination of peoples, noninvasion, noninterference and the decision of peoples to have the governments they decide to have,” Sheinbaum said conclusively.

Machado represents the smiling face of Washington’s regime-change machine, the polished spokesperson for sanctions, privatization, and foreign intervention dressed up as democracy. https://t.co/3ZYBcEOaUR pic.twitter.com/HymSNl6Qrm

— tim anderson (@timand2037) October 10, 2025

Regarding the Honduran political situation, the Mexican president said her administration is monitoring the complaints made by President Castro about a possible coup in her country. Sheinbaum also confirmed that her Foreign Relations Secretary is maintaining diplomatic communication on the issue.

These remarks come after Castro publicly denounced the existence of maneuvers aimed at destabilizing her administration following the Nov. 30 presidential elections, in which interference by U.S. President Donald Trump evidently favored one of the right-wing candidates.

On Monday, Castro said intelligence reports had determined that former President Juan Orlando Hernandez — a convicted drug trafficker sentenced to prison by a U.S. court but pardoned by Trump — was planning to return to Honduras to proclaim the winning candidate of the 2025 presidential elections.

“An aggression is underway aimed at breaking the constitutional and democratic order through a coup against my government,” the Honduran leader said, at a time when there is still no final official declaration of the election results.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Nobel Peace Prize winner, Adolf Perez Esquivel, questioned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, an extremist who calls for a military invasion of her own. pic.twitter.com/GS3P7KANNd

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 15, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – La Jornada

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Tracking the Evolution of Consensus from the 1947 Partition to the Crisis of Gaza Governance in 2025.

Key United Nations resolutions on Palestine trace a clear, dramatic line: from the initial partition of a homeland and the sacred right of return for refugees, to the legal condemnation of a systematic occupation and its settlements, and finally, to intense struggles over Gaza’s immediate future and the final fate of Palestinian statehood.

RELATED:
ICC rejects Israel’s appeal to halt investigation into crimes in Palestine

Read together, these resolutions reveal a persistent, overwhelming international consensus on Palestinian self-determination, yet they simultaneously expose the profound limits of a UN system often held hostage by geopolitical power dynamics and vetoes.

For activists, journalists, and citizens committed to justice, understanding this powerful legal and diplomatic archive is crucial for tracking the fulfillment of the Two-State Solution principle.

🇺🇳 General Assembly adopted draft resolution “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” by a vote of 164 in favour to 8 against (Argentina, Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United States) with 9 abstentions. pic.twitter.com/FQcceYgF11

— UN Palestinian Rights Committee (@UNISPAL) December 16, 2025

The Foundational and Legal Framework

The foundational resolutions are not mere historical footnotes; they are the bedrock documents that established the core principles for resolving the conflict, focusing on partition, the human right of return, and the “land for peace” formula.

Our starting point is UNGA Resolution 181 (II), adopted on November 29, 1947. This is the fateful resolution that proposed the partition of British-mandate Palestine into two independent states—one Arab and one Jewish—while designating Jerusalem as an international corpus separatum.

Though the plan’s implementation was tragically cut short by the 1948 war and the displacement of the Nakba, Resolution 181 became the formal basis of the two-state solution narrative that, despite decades of colonization, still anchors diplomatic efforts today.

Just a year later, UNGA Resolution 194 (III) (December 11, 1948), addressed the humanitarian catastrophe: the plight of Palestinian refugees. This text enshrined the fundamental human right of Palestinian refugees—the families who were expelled or fled their homes during the 1948 war—to return to their homes and/or receive compensation.

This demand, known universally as the “Right of Return,” is far from symbolic; it is a central, non-negotiable point for the Palestinian people and remains the official mandate of UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees).

The 1967 Six-Day War shattered the post-1948 reality and generated the core legal formula for the peace process: UNSC Resolution 242 (November 22, 1967). Considered the most important Security Council resolution, 242 established the guiding principle of “land for peace.”

Its twin demands are clear: 1) The withdrawal of Israel from the territories occupied in the 1967 conflict, and 2) The cessation of all claims of belligerency and the recognition of the sovereignty and security of every state in the region.

Building upon this framework, UNSC Resolution 338 (October 22, 1973), adopted during the Yom Kippur War, reaffirmed 242 and ordered the parties to immediately begin negotiations to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

“It’s a colonial approach”, says Karen Attiah, former Washington Post global opinions editor, on Trump’s so-called “peace” plan for Gaza.

🎧 Tune into the radio show: https://t.co/g30KZaBod4 pic.twitter.com/pBxLY4WS3P

— CODEPINK (@codepink) December 14, 2025

Condemnation of Occupation and Settlements

As the occupation deepened, the UN produced a second, crucial cluster of resolutions focused specifically on the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the systematic expansion of settlements, which the international community overwhelmingly views as the primary obstacle to peace.

1. UNSC Resolution 2334 (2016): The Anti-Settlement Consensus

This legally binding Security Council resolution delivered a sharp rebuke, reinforcing the international consensus against all settlement activities.

• Flagrant Violation: The resolution explicitly condemns Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. It emphatically reaffirms that the establishment of settlements lacks legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to the two-state solution.
• Transcendence: The resolution’s adoption was a watershed moment because the United States chose to abstain (rather than exercising its veto), allowing the legally binding resolution to pass and effectively validating the international legal consensus that settlements are illegal.

2. UNGA Resolution A/RES/ES-10/26 (2024): Setting a Deadline for Occupation

Adopted during an Emergency Special Session, this resolution is emblematic for setting a specific, urgent timeframe for ending the occupation, leveraging the findings of the world’s highest judicial body.

• Deadline on Occupation: Adopted by an overwhelming majority, the resolution demands that Israel end its illegal presence and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months.
• Reparations and ICJ Link: The text calls on Israel to cease all its illegal policies, including forced evictions, and demands reparations for the damage caused. Crucially, this resolution transforms the ICJ’s advisory opinion—which declared the Israeli occupation illegal—into a specific political deadline, raising the stakes considerably.

Recent Diplomatic and Geopolitical Milestones

These recent resolutions highlight the dramatic shifting diplomatic landscape, consolidating Palestine’s status and reflecting intense international pressure, especially regarding the governance of Gaza and the global demand for a ceasefire.

1. UNGA Resolution 67/19 (2012): Diplomatic Recognition and Statehood Status

• Historic Diplomatic Victory: Approved by 138 votes, this resolution was a major diplomatic breakthrough, elevating Palestine’s status at the UN from an “observer entity” to a “non-member observer State” (similar to the Vatican).
• Legal Personality: This consolidated Palestine’s international legal personality, enabling it to join international bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC), thereby strengthening its capacity to pursue accountability for war crimes.

2. UNGA Resolution A/RES/ES-10/27 (2025): The Global Call for a Ceasefire in Gaza

Adopted by a large majority, this resolution reflects the powerful global moral and political consensus in the face of a devastating humanitarian crisis.

• Immediate Demands: It demands an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners, reflecting overwhelming international frustration with the Security Council’s paralysis.
• Ending the Blockade: It strongly condemns the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and demands that Israel immediately end the humanitarian blockade of Gaza, imposed since March 2025, to guarantee the unrestricted entry of large-scale aid.
• Accountability: The text powerfully recalls the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ in the genocide case against Israel, directly linking immediate humanitarian demands to longer-term accountability.

3. UNSC Resolution 2803 (2025): The Trump Plan and Gaza’s Transitional Governance

This is one of the most recent and controversial resolutions, adopted with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions (China and Russia). It reveals the geopolitical struggle over the future shape of the region.

• New Governance Structure: It endorses the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” (widely known as the Trump Plan). This framework establishes a Peace Council as a transitional administration for Gaza and authorizes the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF).
• Geopolitical Disruption: This resolution is emblematic of a disruptive geopolitical approach, with critics arguing it is a way to circumvent the traditional peace process and impose a new, external governance structure—a move viewed by many in the Global South as a form of neo-trusteeship that subordinates Palestinian self-determination to external security interests.

🇵🇸 🇪🇹 “We affirm our historic position on the right of the Palestinian people for self determination. As Ethiopia has pronounced in its position during the adoption of the resolutions on the two states result solution, the international community should join hands to end the… pic.twitter.com/Mata1GsnZQ

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) September 25, 2025

The UN’s Role and the Path to Palestinian Self-Determination

The pattern of UN resolutions highlights an enduring international consensus: Palestinian self-determination and statehood are inalienable rights, and the occupation and settlements are illegal under international law.

In December 2025, the General Assembly adopted resolutions (A/RES/80/134 and A/RES/80/129) that once again forcefully demand Israel’s complete withdrawal and reaffirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, grounding this position in the ICJ’s ruling that declared the occupation illegal.

The broad, almost unanimous, voting majorities in the General Assembly underscore Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation on the world stage, often with only the United States and a handful of allies voting against.

While these resolutions are not always legally binding, they carry immense political and moral weight. They consolidate the legal case against the occupation and translate the ICJ’s findings into undeniable diplomatic pressure, insisting that lasting peace is inseparable from the realization of Palestinian rights.

This UN record is a strategic tool to expose the asymmetries of the international order and to insist that global consensus must finally translate into political will to end the occupation.

Sources: Al Jazeera – teleSUR – ONU – ACNUR – UNGA

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Belarus president insists on dialogue to address international issues.

In an interview with Newsmax, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko warned that a potential U.S. military aggression against Venezuela would turn into a “second Vietnam” for Washington.

RELATED:

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He is “absolutely convinced” that conflicts between Washington and Caracas can be resolved peacefully. The Belarusian president directly conveyed this message to the U.S. special envoy to Belarus, John Coale.

“I told him this would be a second Vietnam. A war will lead nowhere,” Lukashenko stated, arguing that military intervention would only cause the Venezuelan people to unite around their government, strengthening national resistance to foreign aggression.

He also questioned the accuracy of U.S. reports on the alleged drug trafficking from Venezuela and rejected any implication of President Nicolas Maduro’s involvement in such activities. “You don’t have facts, and neither do I. I don’t think that’s the case,” he emphasized.

Lukashenko insisted that global problems such as drug trafficking, irregular migration, and transnational crime cannot be solved through force. He called for the establishment of international cooperation mechanisms based on dialogue and shared responsibility.

“You cannot defeat drugs with missiles. You have to think, not fight,” he said, pointing out that these are global phenomena requiring joint solutions.

The Belarusian leader also highlighted that he maintains open communication channels with Washington and expressed his willingness to address the Venezuelan issue directly with President Donald Trump.

Valentin Rybakov, Belarus’ permanent representative to the United Nations, said Lukashenko was “very frank” with the U.S. delegation and warned that a war against Venezuela would not benefit the American people, the Venezuelan people, or the international community.

These remarks come amid a growing U.S. military escalation in the Caribbean, where the Pentagon has significantly increased the deployment of naval, air, and ground forces under the command of U.S. Southern Command (SouthCom).

Since August, Washington has sent warships with thousands of troops to areas near Venezuela, claiming the operation is aimed at fighting drug trafficking—a narrative that Caracas sees as a pretext to justify hostile actions and prepare for intervention to seize the country’s oil.

On November 29, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Venezuela’s airspace and its surroundings should be considered “completely closed.” Days later, on December 12, he announced the imminent launch of ground operations against cartels in Latin America. In response, the Venezuelan government reiterated that it would fully exercise its sovereignty, supported by international law.

From Caracas, Venezuelan authorities have denounced that the U.S. military buildup and the involvement of neighboring countries in logistical operations are part of a broader encirclement and pressure plan aimed at imposing regime change and controlling the country’s strategic resources.

For the Bolivarian government, these actions constitute a covert aggression that threatens regional peace in Latin America, an area historically declared as a “Zone of Peace.”

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Nobel Peace Prize winner, Adolf Perez Esquivel, questioned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, an extremist who calls for a military invasion of her own. pic.twitter.com/GS3P7KANNd

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 15, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: RT – Newsmax

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Every day, President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a morning presidential press conference and Mexico Solidarity Media posts English language summaries, translated by Mexico Solidarity’s Pedro Gellert Frank. Previous press conference summaries are available here.

IMSS-Bienestar: progress in pharmaceutical supply

The director of the IMSS-Bienestar well-being program, Alejandro Svarch Pérez, reported that the Health Routes have enabled the delivery of more than 115 million units of medicines, with thousands of healthcare centers and hospitals now supplied. Pharmaceutical supply is guaranteed throughout 2025 and 2026. President Claudia Sheinbaum was emphatic, declaring that companies that failed to deliver medicines will not receive contracts in the future.

Housing for Well-Being: lotteries with social priorities

Sheinbaum explained that Conavi housing is aimed at those without access to the Infonavit or FOVISSSTE government housing agencies and that since demand exceeds supply, allocation will be carried out through public lotteries in different states.

The National Housing Commission (Conavi) reported that 444 families applied for 139 homes; 20% will be allocated for rental to young people, and 66 homes will be assigned directly to senior citizens or people with disabilities. From Puebla, the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) noted that the target of 390,973 homes has already been reached and that more than 6,400 additional homes will be delivered in 2026.

Fentanyl: addressing the causes, not just the substance

Sheinbaum reported that Donald Trump’s executive decree and the legislative moves promoted in the United States regarding fentanyl are being analyzed. She stressed that Mexico’s approach is different, that the anti-drug strategy must focus on the social and health causes that give rise to consumption. She warned that if the root causes are not addressed, addiction can shift to any other drug.

Violence in the Mexico City Congress: dialogue must prevail

Regarding the violent incidents that took place yesterday in the capital’s Congress, the President stated that violence is not the way and that dialogue must always be prioritized. She recalled that when Morena was in the opposition, legislative protests were carried out without aggression and with respect.

Latin America and the advance of the far right

Referring to the victory of José Antonio Kast in Chile, Sheinbaum recalled that the country experienced one of the most atrocious periods of repression during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, led by the extreme right, which is now once again present on the political scene.

Influenza H3N2 alert and health protocols

Minister of Health David Kershenobich urged the population to get vaccinated in light of the global alert over H3N2 influenza. He indicated that only one case has been detected in Mexico, although it is rapidly spreading in the United States and Europe. He also announced the implementation of 10 national protocols to standardize care for chronic and acute illnesses.

• 

  Mañanera

  People’s Mañanera December 16

  December 16, 2025

  President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on pharmaceuticals supply, social housing lottery, CDMX Congress fiasco, Ultra-right victory in Chile and H3N2 alert.

• 

  Analysis

  Tariffs & Industrial Sabotage

  December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

  The government’s stated reasoning for anti-China tariffs rings hollow when considering the flood of cheap US imports destroying the Mexican countryside and production dominated by US corporations exploiting Mexican labour.

• 

  Analysis

  Salvador Zarco: The Train & A Life

  December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

  The locomotive mechanic, trade unionist and communist helped found the Railroad Workers Museum after fighting the neoliberal privatization of Mexico’s railways.

The post People’s Mañanera December 16 appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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The Zionist state uses ‘renewable detention without charge’ to silence human rights defenders.

On Tuesday, the military court at Israel’s Ofer prison approved a six-month administrative detention order — without charges and renewable indefinitely — for prominent Palestinian activist Ayman Ghrayeb.

RELATED:

ICC rejects Israel’s appeal to halt investigation into crimes in Palestine

“The summary proceeding was conducted in secret and behind closed doors, denying Ghrayeb’s own lawyer access to any information about the accusations against him beyond a vague insinuation of incitement, and without disclosing any evidence to prove or refute the alleged charges,” according to a statement shared by Bilal, Ayman Ghrayeb’s brother.

The Palestinian activist has already served one month of the term while in custody. “We don’t know anything about Ayman right now,” Bilal said in a text message exchange, explaining that Israeli authorities have prevented his lawyer from visiting him in prison.

Ghrayeb is being held under administrative detention, a measure Israel applies to Palestinians detained in the West Bank, under which detainees can be held without trial, without formal charges and for an indefinite period in renewable six-month terms.

Today: activists protested in front of Ofer prison where many Palestinians are being held and tortured. The protestors demanded the release of activists Ayman Ghrayeb and all political prisoners. Ayman was kidnapped by the occupation forces and is being held in administrative… pic.twitter.com/NKIOhOTT5c

— Resistance Solidarity Network (@RSolidarityNet) December 14, 2025

As of late September, Israel was holding 3,474 Palestinians in prison under the “administrative detention” method, according to estimates by the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem.

Israeli occupation forces detained Ghrayeb on Nov. 17 in the village of Fasayil, in the Jordan Valley, east of the West Bank. He was in the village documenting violence by Israeli settlers in the area, an activity he regularly carries out in the Palestinian territory.

Human rights defenders said Israeli soldiers confiscated the phone and camera Ghrayeb uses to film settlers. One witness to the arrest said Ayman received a call from the Shin Bet before the detention, intimidating him over his activism.

Immediately after his arrest, Ghrayeb was held at the Israeli military base of Samra, in the Jordan Valley. Zionist soldiers kept him handcuffed, without access to food, and subjected him to beatings for three days. Initially, both the Israeli army and police denied that Ghrayeb was in their custody.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Middle East: Storm Byron battered the Gaza Strip, killing at least 14 people and injuring others as harsh winds and relentless rain struck buildings already weakened by Israeli bombardments and thousands of displaced families. pic.twitter.com/e3KGGCnPCW

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 16, 2025

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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This article by Luis Hernández Navarro originally appeared in the December 16, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

A railroad worker by choice, for Salvador Zarco Flores, “the train is poetry, it is life. It is history, it is everything.” A political prisoner of the 1968 student movement, upon his release from Lecumberri Prison in 1971, he attended a meeting at the UNAM Faculty of Philosophy, thanked his fellow prisoners for their solidarity in securing his freedom, and never returned to the classroom. Instead, he didn’t rest until he found work as a railroad worker.

Prison and work were his schools. Prison taught him many lessons about the good and bad of human nature. There, he says, we are all naked. He also discovered the “blessed value of manual labor.” The railroads and the working class allowed him to meet men who were generous beyond measure, to the point of saying “enough!” Dedicated men. Men who would give their lives for a cause. He found that proletarian solidarity is a matter of flesh and blood, not just ideas or books.

A great admirer of the Chinese Revolution and the Russian people, on his wedding night in Morelia, he went into a used bookstore and found O. Piatnitsky’s book, Breaking the Night: Memoirs and Revelations of a Bolshevik. He read it nonstop until dawn.

In 1967, while at university, he joined the Spartacus Communist League (LCE). He was first assigned to the oil workers’ branch and then reassigned to the railway workers’ branch. He was impressed by the union. The workers sheltered the activists, guided them so they wouldn’t get lost, and told them which path to take.

In the streets, during the 1968 protests, young people demanded the release of Demetrio Vallejo, leader of the 1958-59 workers’ uprising, who had been imprisoned for 11 years, four months, and one day. Vallejo, along with Ho Chi Minh and Emiliano Zapata, was a figure revered by the students. A detachment of railway workers, complete with banners, was present in Tlatelolco on October 2, 1968.

In prison, Jerónimo (that was his nom de guerre) began to study the history of the guild and fell in love with that brotherhood. “This is where I belong!” he told himself. In Lecumberri, he befriended the railroad worker Cayetano Horta, detained in Tlalnepantla, whom he called “my general.” He was in charge of cleaning the cellblock in exchange for financial assistance from the political prisoners.

Jerónimo began working for Ferronales on the tracks, first in Hidalgo and then in Veracruz. He, his wife at the time, and their two eldest children lived in a makeshift camp trailer, which included a bedroom, dining room, living room, bathroom, and kitchen. They cooked on makeshift wood-burning stoves. The track maintenance crews lived there, performing the heaviest and lowest-paid work outdoors. They were responsible for keeping the tracks in the best possible condition to ensure the safety of the trains. Their privacy was limited. Their private lives were almost entirely public.

He worked there for a year, until he joined the workshops, a key point for organizing the workers’ struggle. The workshop workers were the backbone of the union. When he and his family returned to the city, a man who was a natural leader of the crew told him: “I’m asking you to do something: send me a photo and some works by Mao Zedong.”

A locomotive mechanic and electrician, unyielding to the corrupt union bosses, he discreetly and naturally organized a reformist union movement from the ground up. He led Section 15 and the oversight committee, while also supporting the demands of local residents and promoting independent unionism in various factories, reading groups, and film clubs. Over time, Zarco and Demetrio Vallejo became close comrades in the Railroad Workers’ Union Movement.

In 1997, Salvador was laid off along with about a hundred other workers. An uneven resistance against the privatization of the railway system began. It was impossible to stop it. The sale of the industry stripped the country of strategic assets, placing them in the hands of foreigners and unscrupulous businessmen, and facilitated the destruction of the collective bargaining agreement, mass layoffs, the dismantling of the union, and the cancellation of services.

Faced with inevitable defeat, Salvador, along with a group of workers, focused on preserving the historical memory and culture of the railroad workers and the industrial heritage of the former state-owned company. Under his leadership, on May 1, 2006, the Railroad Workers Museum was inaugurated in the old La Villa station, near the Basilica of Guadalupe. They didn’t even have “a nail to display.” With the support of Teresa Márquez, the National Museum of Mexican Railroads loaned them a 601 locomotive and other pieces for their first exhibition about the many and varied trades of the railroad workers.

Gradually, the museum has built its own collection through donations, purchases, loans, and other arrangements. It has organized exceptional exhibitions such as From Nonoalco to Tlatelolco 1958-1968, dedicated to the railway workers’ struggle and the life of Demetrio Vallejo. Furthermore, the institution is a vibrant cultural center, an open space for other groups to carry out activities, such as the Teodoro Larrey Book Club.

The name of the book club has a long history. In 1900, in Puebla, a handful of railroad mechanics met in a room of a boarding house rented by Teodoro Larrey. There, the Mexican Mechanics Union was born, the first railway workers’ resistance organization. It sought to end the exploitation of Mexican workers. Salvador Zarco is a worthy heir to both Teodoro Larrey and Demetrio Vallejo. The formidable and effective work he has carried out in recent years at the helm of the museum and in the recovery of the historical and cultural heritage of the railroad workers deserves proper recognition.

• 

  Analysis

  Salvador Zarco: The Train & A Life

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  The locomotive mechanic, trade unionist and communist helped found the Railroad Workers Museum after fighting the neoliberal privatization of Mexico’s railways.

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  The trade unionist was fired by Mexico City’s Ministry of Culture, who still have yet to recover sculptures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that were stolen by ultra-right wing mayor Alessandra de la Rojo Vega.

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The post Salvador Zarco: The Train & A Life appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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In an urgent appeal to its members, the leadership of the Libre Party called for a peaceful mobilization this afternoon to the INFOP (National Institute for Professional Training) facilities. The objective is to demand that the National Electoral Council (CNE) immediately approve the challenge and conduct a full recount of the 19,167 tally sheets from the November 30 presidential election, thus supporting the request of dissident council member Jorge Aldana.

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The call to action, disseminated through social media by the party’s general coordinator, Manuel Zelaya, and other leaders, arises as a direct response to the majority decision of the CNE plenary to conduct a “special recount” on only 1,081 tally sheets (5.6% of the total). This measure, proposed by council members Ana Paola Hall and Cossette López, has been described by council member Marlon Ochoa as “insufficient” and “flawed,” given the documented irregularities in more than 17,000 tally sheets.

Libre’s calls for action come amid a climate of high post-election tension, where both its candidate, Rixi Moncada, and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party have denounced electoral fraud. The party rejects what it calls “shady maneuvers” and an “imposition,” demanding absolute transparency with one non-negotiable principle: “Open the ballot boxes. Recount every vote, tally sheet by tally sheet.”

With a peremptory deadline for the National Electoral Council (CNE) to declare an official winner by December 30, the pressure in the streets is adding to the institutional pressure. Libre presents the mobilization as a democratic exercise to defend, as it proclaims, the popular will against what it considers an impending “electoral coup.”

Opposition Liberal Party May Join the Protest

The protest could expand even further, given that Iroshka Elvir, wife of candidate Salvador Nasralla, has joined the call. Her call, made through her social media account, urges people to gather at the same place and time as the protest called by the Libre Party.

“We demand that the law and the will of the Honduran people be respected: vote by vote to ensure certainty in the election results,” stated Nasralla’s wife, who, according to the controversial Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission System (TREP), trailed the Trump-backed candidate, Nesry Asfura, by just over 40,000 votes.

Por la democracia de nuestro país:

Nos vemos hoy, 5:00 PM, portón de INFOP frente a Gasolinera Uno, bulevar Kennedy.

Exigimos que se respete la ley y la voluntad de los hondureños: voto por voto para tener certidumbre de los resultados electorales.

Nosotros tenemos los… pic.twitter.com/DZ5niNF5V4

— Iroshka Elvir Diputada (@IroshkaElvir) December 15, 2025

However, Roberto Contreras, president of the Liberal Party’s Central Executive Council, asserted that he did not call for the party’s members to take to the streets and asked Elvir to stop doing so, as she is not a spokesperson for the Liberal Party.

News in development….

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