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As on Monday, and for the third time since December, the museum, which borders the Seine River, a heritage site, had to announce that it would not open and offer automatic refunds to the thousands of people who were unable to see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Coronation of Napoleon, and other masterpieces.

The Louvre workers met early and decided to continue the strike, which cites a lack of staff, resources, and means to perform their duties, in the face of a workload “that keeps growing and increasingly brutal human resources management.”

The strike began on December 15, led by several unions, including the two most powerful in the country: the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT) and the General Confederation of Labor (CGT).

The Louvre has been in the spotlight in France and around the world since October 19, when the spectacular theft of eight jewels belonging to Empresses Eugénie, Marie Louise of Austria, Marie Amélie, and Hortense took place—a treasure valued at 88 million euros.

Although the four alleged thieves were captured, the priceless loot remains unrecovered.

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The platform Miraflores Al Momento (@ALMomento_M) denounced on its profile that it was a “new version, same sources, and zero evidence.”

It stated that “they have already demonstrated that this is not about the false narrative regarding Venezuela and drug trafficking, but about maintaining the threat against Interim President @delcyrodriguezv.”

The @AP post exclusively reported that it obtained “documents showing that Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez has been on the radar of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for years.”

Venezolana de Television indicated that the article from the US news agency links the interim president to drug trafficking, a narrative that was used against President Nicolas Maduro, who has been held in the United States since January 3rd along with First Lady Cilia Flores.

The state-run television network indicated that these actions have the main purpose of “destabilizing Rodríguez’s administration by repeating information schemes already used in the past against other high-ranking Venezuelan state officials”.

This false information, disseminated through X, is part of a larger wave of fake news targeting Venezuela’s political leadership, with the aim of creating instability, according to the source.

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This article by Elena Burns originally appeared in the January 15, 2026 edition of Revista Contralínea. The views expressed in this article are the authors’* own and do not necessarily reflect those ofMexico Solidarity Mediaor theMexico Solidarity Project.*

Last December 2025, in a brutally top-down process, the Executive and Legislative branches perpetuated the slightly modified Salinas-era National Water Law (LAN) and masked the constitutional violation with a hollow General Water Law (LGA). Therefore, we, the members of the National Coordinating Committee for Agua para Todos—communities, researchers, and citizens with 13 years dedicated to establishing a General Water Law focused on sustainability, equity, and participation—analyzed what happened.

After holding numerous forums and workshops, collecting 200,000 signatures with voter ID cards, working with five legislatures, and, in my case, serving at the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) with the instruction “water is for the people, not for special interests,” this experience of imposition and pretense, which occurred on January 3rd, left us with many questions: Why did they decide to reinforce water authoritarianism, leaving the hydrocracy in the only spaces for participation? Why the rush? Why did the President’s vision regarding water management change so radically? And how are we going to defend our water sovereignty in this new continental scenario?

To analyze what happened, we begin with the only real change in the approved legislative package: the establishment of the Water Reserve Fund, an instrument that will be managed by CONAGUA (the National Water Commission) to obtain allocated volumes for “reassignment.” It was announced that, by replacing transmissions with reallocations from the Fund, the State will substitute the market to end the commodification of water and guarantee the human right to this vital resource.

However, in order for the Fund to meet these objectives, the following questions must be addressed: where will the concessioned volumes come from; how will the over-concessioning, hoarding and dispossession inherited from LAN’s 33 years be dealt with; to whom will the obtained volumes be dedicated; and, how will these decisions be made?

Mexico’s new “National Strategy” for water aims to fulfill the human right to water and sanitation… in 60 years.

From Agua para Todas, after losing the fight to replace the Salinas-era law with a single General Water Law for integrated and participatory management, we prepared a document in the “says-should say” format proposing the essential minimum adjustments to the Executive’s package, paying close attention to the Fund. We decided to go for everything, but not to be left with nothing.

Despite the strict instructions from CONAGUA and the Speaker of the House to approve the Executive’s initiative immediately and without discussion, we obtained the support of the Water Resources Commission to organize 16 open parliaments, mainly in conjunction with the local Congresses.

Furthermore, along with other like-minded actors, we presented over 450 papers at the public hearings organized by the Commission and sent more than 121,300 letters to our federal legislators. However, just as the Director General of CONAGUA, Efraín Morales López, had ordered from the outset: “They won’t change a single thing,” and so it was; the rejection was absolute. Only the tractor drivers from the north managed to secure some clarifications to the original project.

To analyze the intention behind the “Water Reserve Fund,” we recall that the National Water Law was one of four laws (including the forestry, mining, and agricultural laws), along with the counter-reform to Article 27 of the Constitution, enacted in 1992 as a condition for signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The version of subordinate integration established by NAFTA required weakening the nation’s sovereignty over our lands and waters, a sovereignty established by the Mexican Revolution, in order to replace the State with the free market.

Now, under “Subordinate Integration 2.0,” the Mexican state is openly assuming the role it has always played under neoliberalism: facilitating access to natural resources for special interests. In this new version, not only do transnational corporations demand access, but the neighboring state has declared it will seize resources by force. Along the same lines, the Mexican state is committing to providing the water requested by the thirsty artificial intelligence data centers, mining operations, fracking projects, and nearshoring industrial parks , all of which seek to locate in areas already over-concessioned.

Union de Pueblos y Fraccionamientos contra el Basurero y en Defensa del Agua

The design and operation of the Water Reserve Fund was an essential point in our attempt to replace the concession market with the consensual and sustainable management of basins and aquifers, as well as the recognition of the rights of water-marginalized populations.

We proposed that, instead of the Fund, reserve funds be formed by basin or aquifer that obtain their water through the recovery of the volumes granted for industrial and service use, for which their holders have not paid rights, 3.5 billion cubic meters (m3) in 2023, 80 percent of the total for these uses1.

We also insisted that broadly representative regional councils register the volumes required to respect the water rights of community systems, Indigenous peoples, and agrarian communities, and that they agree on reductions in non-essential uses to eliminate over-extraction. We further proposed allowing public oversight of reserve funds; these proposals were flatly rejected.

Under the decree published on December 11, 2025, the Reserve Fund will obtain its water rights through the expiration of rights that have lapsed or have not been used for two consecutive years (Article 29.3). These mechanisms have historically been used to extinguish the rights of ejidos (communal landholdings) and other small agricultural users who have failed to request extensions more than six months in advance, or who, due to economic or climatic reasons, have been unable to demonstrate the use of their concessions for two years. The approved project reduces the window for requesting extensions from 4.5 years to 2.5 years; the original version allowed only six months.

Those of us who have spent decades striving to build good water governance find ourselves facing a water authority that is as distant, opaque, and arbitrary as ever, extremely vulnerable to pressure from special interests. But now, faced with threats from the north, more than ever we need the government to open up and coordinate with the people for the defense and proper management of water, the foundation of life in every corner of the country.

At the same time, the revocation of concessions for non-payment of fees (Article 29.4) remains discretionary, and revocations are exempt from being contributed to the Fund (Article 37.1). The Fund must prioritize concessions that contribute to the human right to water, food security, or national development (the first version did not specify priorities). An inter-ministerial committee headed by CONAGUA will review the reassignments. The structure and operation of the Fund will be determined by regulations drafted by CONAGUA itself, without the obligation to ensure public access.

Other fights we lost in this big round include:

• The government refused to eliminate the chapter that “promotes and encourages” private participation in the financing, construction and operation of federal hydraulic infrastructure, as well as in the provision of the respective services, a chapter that has resulted in costly disasters such as the El Zapotillo dam, the El Realito aqueduct and the Atotonilco wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
• They refused to incorporate into the LGA the language of the Mexico City Constitution that prohibits the privatization of water and sanitation services, leaving the country vulnerable to the unfavorable and impossible-to-cancel arrangements that are being suffered in Puebla, Quintana Roo, Saltillo, the Port of Veracruz, among others.
• They refused to demand that national waters allocated for urban public use respect the human right to water, and that public resources prioritize the efficiency of hydraulic and sanitation systems to reduce dependence on water transfers.
• Instead of our proposal for a National Program of immediate actions, their “National Strategy” aims to fulfill the human right to water and sanitation in six 10-year periods.
• They rejected the proposal to build broadly representative Regional and Local Councils for the planned management of basins and aquifers to influence concession patterns, reaffirming instead the bodies controlled by large water concessionaires.
• They rejected our proposals to democratize and eliminate corruption in irrigation districts, which hold 33 percent of the total volume of water allocated, and which are being captured by dark forces.
• They refused to guarantee the water rights of community systems, agrarian communities, and Indigenous peoples.
• They refused to include provisions for community systems to have access to the urban public use rate (to which real estate companies have access) instead of having to pay the industrial rate, which costs 36 times more (Article 223, LFD).
• Instead of eliminating the “guarantee quotas” essential for speculation, they extended them to six years, unlike the current two; in addition, they recognize “reassignment” (read: authorized purchase and sale) as a right of the concessionaires.
• They rejected our proposals to replace “may” with “shall” in the LAN, to eliminate discretion and force CONAGUA to inspect, sanction and correct over-concession and fiscal impunity.
• They rejected our proposals that would mandate the use of cutting-edge technologies and citizen participation to eliminate corruption in the calculation of available resources, as well as inefficiency in inspections.
• They determined that the “human right to sanitation” only refers to the removal of excreta from wastewater.
• They eliminated the immediate closure of an industrial use when illegal discharges were documented during an inspection and refused to include water pollution in their new chapter classifying crimes against national waters.

Upon completing this regressive project, the legislators and the Executive branch effusively congratulated themselves on having achieved “a new legal framework for water.” For those of us who experienced the process firsthand, the celebration left us cold. In the open parliaments, we heard the testimonies of Indigenous and rural communities who continue to suffer from corruption and mistreatment at the hands of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA).

Elena Burns

We found it impossible to believe that “now they are going to bring order to the concessions,” when our repeated attempts to support CONAGUA with information gathered in the field and by satellite platforms have been rejected, and our requests for transparency regarding the announced progress have been denied.

Those of us who have spent decades striving to build good water governance find ourselves facing a “water authority” that is as distant, opaque, and arbitrary as ever, extremely vulnerable to pressure from special interests. But now, faced with threats from the north, more than ever we need the government to open up and coordinate with the people for the defense and proper management of water, the foundation of life in every corner of the country.

Elena Burns is a Member of the National Coordinating Committee for Water for All, Water for Life, and of the National Autonomous Water Comptroller’s Office; former Deputy Director of Water Administration at CONAGUA.

1. Burns, E. “¿El agua paga el agua?”, El Economista, 23/07/2024 ︎

• 

  Analysis

  Our Water, In Whose Hands?

  January 19, 2026

  A promising vision from President Sheinbaum for public water management rapidly disappeared. Yet again the Mexican state openly assumes the role it has always played under neoliberalism: facilitating access to natural resources for special interests.

• 

  News Briefs

  38 Billion Pesos Withdrawn from AFORE Accounts Due to Unemployment

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  The large number of Mexicans withdrawing from their pensions to survive unemployment indicates an urgent necessity to establish national unemployment insurance.

• 

  Analysis

  Plot of Complicity

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Mexico’s consumer protection agency has not sanctioned a real estate company since 2020 & the consequences in Puebla, where real estate fraud runs rampant, are obvious and dire.

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This position was announced in a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry following the signing of a ceasefire and full integration agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In the statement, Ankara expressed its hope that the agreement “will contribute urgently and effectively to boosting efforts aimed at achieving stability based on the unity and territorial integrity of Syria.”

The statement reaffirmed support for the Syrian government’s efforts in combating terrorism and rebuilding the country, within a “comprehensive and integrated practical approach based on the will of the people.”

Yesterday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara announced the signing of a ceasefire agreement and the full integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the government, following a Syrian army operation that recaptured large areas in the east and northeast of the country.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with al-Shara to discuss bilateral relations and recent developments in Syria.

Erdoğan reaffirmed that Türkiye’s support for the unity, territorial integrity, stability, and security of the Arab country will continue to grow, especially in the fight against terrorism, whose complete eradication he deemed essential for Syria and the region.

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According to the news portal G1, members of the Brazilian government affirm that the president will consider factors such as the council’s objectives, which countries will agree to be part of the group, what those nations think about the war, and whether the decisions made will have financial costs.

Last week, Brazilian media reported that Lula received an official invitation from the US president to join a new Peace Council focused on the Gaza Strip, adding that he had not yet accepted the proposal, which was still under evaluation.

According to G1, diplomats say many questions remain unanswered before the government makes a decision, and Brazil needs to consult with other relevant countries so that any decision can be implemented.

“Exchanging ideas with other relevant countries is the way to build a position on such an important issue,” the source said regarding Trump’s announcement about the Peace Council, which was met with criticism and skepticism by various analysts.

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She stated, “Attracting investment to our country is essential to provide certainty that the Mexico Plan is truly a far-reaching strategy that links growth, social well-being, and environmental protection with the Economic Development Hubs for Well-being.”

In remarks summarized in a press briefing from the Secretariat, Barcena also mentioned the importance of issues related to the circular economy, ocean protection, the promotion of renewable energy, and addressing climate change.

The annual meeting, which will conclude on Friday, will have some 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries and will be held under the theme “Spirit of Dialogue,” highlighting five global challenges, including cooperation in a contested world and the opening of new sources of growth.

Other key challenges include investment in people, responsible deployment of innovation, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries.

In this context, Barcena will attend the high-level panels and talks on the global economy, circular value chains, financing and energy security, as well as on the importance of dialogue and international cooperation to address environmental and social challenges.

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This article by Miguel Ángel Ensástigue originally appeared in the January 15, 2026 edition of El Sol de México.

AFOREs (retirement fund administrators) are private companies who manage pensions as individual accounts, extremely restrictive and profitable for finance capital: they were introduced in 1997 and based on the privatized pensions introduced in Chile by the fascist Pinochet. Recent figures reveal 51% of AFORE funds are used to buy Mexican state debt, which means that Mexican citizens are paying significant commissions for a private pension system where finance capital invests over half of their money in sovereign bonds. Many unions and workers organizations have called for the return of a public pension system, with the CNTE suggesting they would voluntarily move all of their pensions Mexico’s public bank and allow the funds to be used for social purposes and to build public infrastructure.

At the close of 2025, unemployment withdrawals from retirement savings accounts (AFOREs) broke records and climbed to 38 billion 882 million pesos , the highest level since 2005, the year up to which the National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) has records.

According to data from the regulator, around 1.94 million people requested this withdrawal from their retirement savings account, which represented an increase of 227,400 compared to 2024.

“This reflects that more people are turning to this type of support because they are losing their jobs ,” said Jacobo Rodríguez, economic analyst at ROGA Capital.

In an interview with El Sol de México, he explained that these withdrawals are also a reflection of how formal jobs are falling in the country.

The latest data from the IMSS shows that in December 2025 alone, 320,692 jobs were lost, representing a decrease of 1.4 percent compared to November.

Unemployment Withdrawls Increased 26.5% in 2025

Annual variation

Unemployment withdrawals are a right that all workers with a retirement savings account (Afore) have. However, making use of this right has immediate consequences, such as a decrease in the number of weeks of contributions or in the balance saved for retirement. To mitigate these impacts, people have the option of making voluntary contributions to their retirement savings account (Afore) that can range from 50 pesos to 100 pesos.

In this regard, José Miguel Hernández Durán, a lawyer specializing in labor law and managing partner of Laboral Pyme, warned that imposing administrative obstacles or discouraging the use of this right can worsen people’s economic vulnerability. He pointed out that, beyond unemployment, high job turnover also pushes workers to resort to these resources, since during transition periods they stop receiving income.

In that context, he added that there are campaigns that “demonize” retirement or make the process more difficult, ultimately affecting the worker directly by limiting a tool designed to cover basic needs.

The data from Consar shows that Afore Coppel led withdrawals during December with 914 million pesos, followed by Afore Azteca with 677 million, and XXI Banorte with 590.1 million pesos.

In the middle of last year, Consar warned that the misuse of this mechanism has been encouraged by private firms that, through misleading advertising, offer management services to temporarily inflate the worker’s salary before the IMSS and thus allow withdrawals greater than those that actually correspond.

According to estimates from the agency, 68.8 percent of unemployment benefits are withdrawn due to fees charged by these agencies, which operate between eight and ten thousand pesos per transaction. In addition to representing a significant expense for workers, the agency stated that this practice reduces their contribution history, lowers their future pension amount, and can even jeopardize their access to this benefit.

The Mexican Association of Retirement Fund Administrators (AMAFORE) stated that the increase in the amount of unemployment withdrawals is not something that worries them because it does not reflect the current situation of the labor market in the country.

Mari Nieves Lanzagorta, Vice President of Liaison at AMAFORE, highlighted that despite the increase in the amount, the number of withdrawals has remained constant in the last five years, even considering the spike observed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

**Who Owns the AFORES?**There are 10 AFORES, that as of 2025 manage more than 7.18 trillion pesos (401 Billion USD). The AFORES system, modeled on Chilean fascist dictator Pinochet’s privatization of pensions, have been criticized by international pension industry observers for lacking sufficient oversight. The Mexican government has cited the complexity of the system as a reason not to de-privatize it, which begs the question, if the pensions are too complex to return to the public, how can they be meaningfully overseen and regulated?

AFORES accounts are mandatory for every worker: they cannot withdraw from the system or manage the fund themselves or collectively with their union, such as with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which manages over $188 billion USD).

1. AFORE Coppel – Coppel Group
2. AFORE Azteca – Grupo Salinas, owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, an ultra-right wing billionaire who is fighting in the courts to not pay the 35.450 billion pesos ($1.8 billion USD) in taxes he owes to the Mexican government.
3. Citibanamex Afore – Citigroup —in the process of being sold (USA)
4. Afore XXI-Banorte – Banorte
5. SURA – SURA Group (Colombia)
6. Profuturo – BAL Group (owners of the high-end department store El Palacio de Hierro)
7. Principal – Principal Financial Group (USA)
8. Invercap – Private investment fund
9. PensionISSSTE – The only public pension, limited to state workers
10. Inbursa – owned by Carlos Slim, one of the richest businessmen in the world, who advocates ending the public pension system and abolishing the retirement age in Mexico.

• 

  News Briefs

  38 Billion Pesos Withdrawn from AFORE Accounts Due to Unemployment

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  The large number of Mexicans withdrawing from their pensions to survive unemployment indicates an urgent necessity to establish national unemployment insurance.

• 

  Analysis

  Plot of Complicity

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Mexico’s consumer protection agency has not sanctioned a real estate company since 2020 & the consequences in Puebla, where real estate fraud runs rampant, are obvious and dire.

• 

  Analysis

  Trump’s Pressure on Mexico & The Drugs Pretext

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Agencies like the CIA are ready to “accompany” Mexican operations, but does Trump really want to combat drug trafficking, or is his intention to manage & manipulate Mexico?

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This editorial by originally appeared in the January 19, 2026 edition of La Jornada de Oriente, the Puebla edition of Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper. The views expressed in this article are the authors’* own and do not necessarily reflect those ofMexico Solidarity Mediaor theMexico Solidarity Project.*

A problem has arisen in the Puebla real estate market that can no longer be explained as a series of isolated incidents, but rather as a sustained pattern of abuse met with inaction by the authorities. Industry associations readily acknowledge this: in urban areas, an average of five real estate frauds are committed every day. However, the institutional response remains minimal, fragmented, and, in practice, ineffective.

The Federal Consumer Protection Agency reports a mere 47 formal complaints for the past year, of which only 10 were substantiated. This figure is difficult to reconcile with the magnitude of the problem described by the victims themselves: breached contracts, homes not delivered despite verifiable payments, deposits not returned, construction halted without explanation, and unilateral cancellations without refunds. The discrepancy between social experience and official records is not accidental; it speaks to a system that discourages reporting and normalizes the suffering of those affected.

Those who go to the Public Prosecutor’s Office describe lengthy, confusing, and fruitless processes. The real estate companies’ systematic refusal to honor their agreements is met with prosecutors who move slowly or transfer the conflict to civil court without offering any real mechanisms for redress. In this bureaucratic labyrinth, time always works in favor of the fraudster.

There is no inter-institutional strategy to detect fraud patterns, warn consumers, or freeze operations of repeat offenders. Each case is handled—when it is handled at all—as if it were an isolated incident, without acknowledging that the damage is collective and systemic.

Even more serious is the official acknowledgment of inaction. In response to information requests, Profeco [Mexico’s consumer protection agency – editor] has admitted that it has not sanctioned any real estate company since 2020. Meanwhile, companies like Inmobiliaria Liguria, Promotora Sadasi, Ruba Desarrollos, Tertius, Ideas Aedificationem, and others accumulate files for fraudulent practices without any effective consequences. Having multiple open complaints doesn’t seem to be any impediment to continuing to operate.

The problem isn’t just the lack of punishment, but the absence of a preventative public policy. There is no inter-institutional strategy to detect fraud patterns, warn consumers, or freeze operations of repeat offenders. Each case is handled—when it is handled at all—as if it were an isolated incident, without acknowledging that the damage is collective and systemic.

Housing is not a minor asset: it represents assets, security, and a life project. As long as the State maintains only symbolic oversight and nonexistent sanctions, the message is clear: fraud is cheap. And in this vacuum, scams will continue to multiply, with total impunity, in plain sight.

• 

  News Briefs

  38 Billion Pesos Withdrawn from AFORE Accounts Due to Unemployment

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  The large number of Mexicans withdrawing from their pensions to survive unemployment indicates an urgent necessity to establish national unemployment insurance.

• 

  Analysis

  Plot of Complicity

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Mexico’s consumer protection agency has not sanctioned a real estate company since 2020 & the consequences in Puebla, where real estate fraud runs rampant, are obvious and dire.

• 

  Analysis

  Trump’s Pressure on Mexico & The Drugs Pretext

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Agencies like the CIA are ready to “accompany” Mexican operations, but does Trump really want to combat drug trafficking, or is his intention to manage & manipulate Mexico?

The post Plot of Complicity appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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The figures were shared on the agency’s social media account, which attributes these results to the effective implementation of the Territorial Control Plan and the state of emergency, which is scheduled to be extended for the 47th time in the coming days.

Meanwhile, local media outlets highlight that El Salvador is the Central American country with the fewest homicides in 2025.

A report from Diario El Salvador indicated that the PNC recorded only 82 deaths due to violence between January 1 and December 31, 2025, while Guatemala reported 3,022, Honduras 2,330, Costa Rica 856, and Panama 588 murders.

The so-called “Little Thumb of the Americas” ended 2025 with a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people.

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On its official website, the UN quoted Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who asserted that Israeli attacks continue and the lives of Palestinians remain marked by displacement, trauma, uncertainty, and deprivation.

Cherevko also noted that the situation is exacerbated by severe winter storms causing landslides and deaths from hypothermia.

Since the ceasefire declaration, humanitarian workers have delivered more than 165,000 metric tons of aid to Gaza.

They have also repaired roads, rehabilitated hospitals, cleared debris, and reopened aid distribution points, she indicated.

However, this progress remains fragile and could be reversed overnight as airstrikes, bombings, and armed clashes continue, with civilian casualties reported daily.

Most of Gaza is in ruins, and the needs far exceed our efforts to meet them, he added.

He also explained that the impediments and restrictions imposed on organizations and the entry of supplies mean that only temporary and incomplete solutions can be achieved.

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The report, which covers from September 27 to December 26, 2025, will be presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Special Representative for Colombia, Miroslav Jenca, at the said UN body.

The previous report, released in October 2025, insisted on the need to ensure that the country maintains the progress made on its path toward a more peaceful and secure nation, and advocated for strengthening the State’s presence, especially in conflict-affected areas.

It also called for ensuring adequate security for the safe conduct of the upcoming elections as a fundamental step for Colombian democracy and, in particular, for consolidating the progress achieved in the Final Peace Agreement, to expand electoral participation in areas historically affected by the conflict.

It also recognized the issuance of the first restorative justice rulings by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) as a crucial moment in the implementation of the Agreement, through which all parties concerned committed to guaranteeing accountability for the most serious crimes committed over decades.

“The consolidation of this historical legacy will require vision from Colombian society as a whole, to ensure that the country avoids repeating the cycles of violence of the past,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed in the previous report.

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  Rivadeneira cited “training, organization, and political action” as the cornerstones of the upcoming term.

After overcoming obstacles that sought to prevent the event from taking place, nearly four thousand members gathered for the event, where the internal elections were held.

Outgoing RC president Luisa Gonzalez denounced the government for allegedly behind the legal impediments used to try to prevent the meeting.

  Following the internal vote, conducted via a digital application to increase participation, Rivadeneira was confirmed as the leader of RC and thanked her supporters.

  She also addressed the country’s security crisis, which ended 2025 as the most violent year in its history, and criticized the state of public health amid reports of shortages of medicines and supplies.

  She also called for a minute of silence for the crimes committed against citizens, national strike protesters, and members of the Citizen Revolution (RC) movement due to the “absence of the state,” including the case of Dario Vera, who was murdered while on his way to the convention.

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  The ceremony began with a minute of silence in honor of the 32 Italian revolutionary fighters who heroically fell in defense of Venezuela during the criminal US aggression against the Bolivarian nation on January 3.

   The event was presided over by Angelo Lombardo, Secretary General of the Italian Communist Party, along with its Deputy Secretary, Matteo di Cocco, and was attended by the designated Cuban Ambassador to Italy, Jorge Luis Cepero, as well as the Deputy Head of the Cuban diplomatic mission, Damian Delgado.

  In his opening remarks at the event, the Deputy Secretary General of the Communist Party referred to the initiative to dedicate the party’s new credentials to Fidel Castro’s centennial, as well as all the activities that the organization’s members will carry out this year.   Di Cocco emphasized that Cuba has withstood a U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade for over 60 years, along with constant threats, while remaining steadfast in building a more humane and just society, an alternative to capitalism.

  Iacovino also addressed Washington’s intensification of all its measures aimed at harming the Cuban people and attempting to destroy their revolutionary process, and stressed the importance of maintaining and strengthening solidarity with the island nation.

  A presentation was held for the new Italian edition of the book “A Revolution Can Only Be the Daughter of Culture and Ideas,” based on a speech by Fidel Castro, which demonstrates the enduring relevance and importance of his thought and work today.

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  A comprehensive academic program will take place (January 21 to 24) centered around debates, presentations, and tributes at UNEAC’s Havana headquarters.

  Among other offerings, prestigious panelists will highlight the contributions of jazz musicians Armando Romeu, Mario Bauza, Frank Emilio Flynn, and Jose Luis Cortes, conducted by Neris Gonzalez, manager general of Bis Music label.

  The program includes new recordings from Cuba’s EGREM music recording compay and Producciones Colibri, respectively.

  The “Jazz a lo Bis” collection will also be presented, bringing together Cuban performers in a tribute to the saxophone tradition.

  There will be a tribute to the Valdes family, with celebrations for the anniversaries of Chucho and Mayra Caridad Valdes, together with presentations of serial publications, a panel on the presence of jazz in the media.

The screening of the audiovisual work Las Adalias: The Blend of Five Voices, by Yasmani Castro, along with a workshop by the French-American musician Gino Sitson also stand out, along with a talk on this genre and visual arts.

jdt/rgh/vnl

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The statement of support took place during a large gathering in Telangana commemorating the 100th anniversary of the political organization.

Cuban Ambassador to India, Juan Marsan, and Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy, among other guests, attended the event, the head of the Cuban mission in this nation informed on X.

Marsan stated on social media, “Let’s commemorate, along with GS D. Raja and friendly countries, the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of India. We convey the greetings of the @PartidoPCC and express our gratitude for their support in the struggle against the US blockade and their solidarity with #Cuba.”

The diplomat specified that in a moving ceremony celebrating the 100 years of the CPI, its secretary general, in his opening remarks, conveyed solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela, Palestine, and all peoples struggling against imperialism.

The CPI was founded on December 26 with the goals of further contributing to the resurgence and advancement of the international communist movement, as well as the struggle for socialism and human emancipation.

Pallab Sengupta, Secretary of the CPI National Council, noted in an article commemorating the anniversary that the organization renews its commitment to international cooperation and solidarity.

jdt/iff/ro/lrd

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After many years of negotiations, the High Seas Treaty, protecting more than two-thirds of the ocean, almost 50 percent of the planet’s surface, came into effect on January 17, 2026, a special day in the international environmental law calendar, CITMA noted on its social media profiles.

It emphasized that President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez signed this historic Treaty in New York in September 2023, the year in which Cuba held the pro tempore presidency of the G77+China.

Cuba is among the first ten countries to sign the Agreement, showing its political commitment to protecting marine biodiversity beyond its jurisdiction and reaffirming the recognition that the oceans are the Heritage of Humanity, the text highlights.

The entry into force of the also known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) marks a turning point in global environmental governance.

The message explains that for the first time, a common regulation has been established to protect the most remote and least controlled ecosystems on the planet, where human impact grows year after year.

Two years after its adoption, the agreement already has 145 signatory states, and 81 countries are part of it.

jdt/iff/mem/alb

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Officials in Washington predicted for years the imminent end of the Cuban revolutionary government since its victory in 1959, which has not happened and will not happen, journalist Kamal Gaballa affirmed in an opinion article.

Gaballa noted that some commentators considered the strike on Caracas to be the final blow to the principles of international law, sovereignty of states, and non-interference in internal affairs, upon which the international order was founded after World War II.

The journalist stressed that with the aggression against the South American nation, the White House is also targeting Cuba, after remembering that for years the island has sent thousands of doctors to Venezuela, which, in turn, supplies oil to its neighbor.

He underscored that the administration of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) was certain that reducing the Cuban sugar quota would end the Revolution, while his successor, John F. Kennedy, believed that CIA covert operations and an economic blockade would suffice.

Gaballa stressed that the legacy of Simon Bolivar and Jose Marti remains inspiring and a symbol passed down from generation to generation for its values of freedom, independence, the fight against colonialism, and the dream of unity in Latin America.

jdt/iff/ro/rob

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Noboa, who had been on vacation since January 1 and returned two days earlier than scheduled, signed an executive decree designating the delegation that will accompany him on this trip abroad.

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld; Economy and Finance Minister Sariha Moya; Environment and Energy Minister Ines Manzano; Production, Foreign Trade, and Investment Minister Luis Alberto Jaramillo; Irene Velez, Secretary General of Communication; and Jose Julio Neira, Secretary General of Public Integrity.

An official report stated that the president is attending the Davos Forum as a speaker and will present Ecuador’s security policy.

Noboa’s presentation will take place while the South American country is suffering an unprecedented security crisis, despite the measures taken by his administration against organized crime, such as the declaration of a domestic armed conflict, militarization, and successive decrees of states of emergency.

Regarding Noboa’s visit to Belgium, the Foreign Ministry informed that it aims “at deepening political dialogue, cooperation, and bilateral relations, as well as with the institutions of the European Union (EU).”

jdt/iff/ro/avr

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This article by Miguel Ángel Velázquez originally appeared in the January 19, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper. The views expressed in this article are the authors’* own and do not necessarily reflect those ofMexico Solidarity Mediaor theMexico Solidarity Project.*

Last week, we were talking with you about the Trump administration’s intentions toward our country, and we warned that an invasion seemed like a very distant possibility, but not impossible, because anything can happen in the mind of Agent Orange. But what is on the table for discussion, we can now confirm, is the intervention of one of that country’s agencies in our national territory under the pretext of the fight against drugs.

Days later, at the end of last week, The New York Times informed us that pressure on Mexico to allow agents into our territory has increased and the threats are becoming more forceful every day.

According to the newspaper, which confirms our suspicions, agencies like the CIA are ready to “accompany” national operations with their personnel, but does Trump really want to combat drug trafficking, or is his intention to manage and even manipulate certain aspects of national life? The latter seems to be his intention.

Under both Calderón and Peña Nieto, DEA agents ran drug trafficking operations with impunity, without notifying Mexican authorities and always politicizing the illicit activities they orchestrated. Meanwhile, drugs flowed freely and with impunity over Mexico.

DEA agents, CIA spies, hawkish diplomats, a whole network that intends to work on Mexico so that the country’s political affairs are shaped from Washington, where the discrediting – undermining work of that same network – of those who govern and those who make laws is of such magnitude that only the word of the gringo agencies can give meaning to daily life.

An example of how attempts were made to discredit the country’s political work occurred in the first decade of this century, when Andrés Manuel López Obrador was accused—the DEA opened a case on the matter—of having financed his campaign with drug money. They were never able to produce any evidence to support this claim.

During the Calderón and Peña administrations, DEA agents increased their presence in the country – from 54 to 70, and the supposed “administrative technicians” also grew in size, from 32 to 41 –; in total, a large group that had the help of those in our country who collaborate with them regardless of the betrayal.

Regaining control not only of drug trafficking but also of the most significant events in the country’s political life is surely part of the plan Trump seeks to impose in Mexico, and to that end he pressures, threatens and blackmails, something that is understood in the Zócalo.

The biggest problem is that –as it is known throughout the world– the current President of the United States is capable of pressing the button at any moment, unless from within, from the streets, cities and towns of that country, we insist the monster that can press the button is stopped.

For now, a coalition of unions and community organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul have called for a general strike on Friday the 23rd, a movement they have dubbed “a day of truth and freedom” in which, they affirm, “we will not go to work, school, or shop; we will block everything.” The movement could become the resistance many are hoping for. Let’s hope it’s the beginning of the end.

• 

  Analysis

  Trump’s Pressure on Mexico & The Drugs Pretext

  January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

  Agencies like the CIA are ready to “accompany” Mexican operations, but does Trump really want to combat drug trafficking, or is his intention to manage & manipulate Mexico?

• 

  News Briefs

  Clicks

  January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

  Our weekly roundup of stories in the English and Spanish language press including a world without the USMCA or the death of Mexican agriculture, Indigenous rights, and the lingering threat of US military aggression against Mexico.

• 

  News Briefs

  University & Intervention

  January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

  Our country cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, such as when Latin American unity was rejected or when it disregarded Cuban and Venezuela initiatives to connect with labor and educational forces, along with their proposals and warnings.

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Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The Venezuelan government on Sunday denied reports circulating on social media regarding an alleged award presented by acting President Delcy Rodríguez to CIA Director John Ratcliffe last Thursday.

Through an X post by “Miraflores’ official rapid response,” a recently created government account, officials characterized the reports as “malicious information.” Analysts noted that such claims seek to undermine the responsibility assumed by Rodríguez on January 5, following the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by US military forces.

“We categorically deny the malicious information circulating on social media about an alleged awarding of honors to foreign intelligence agencies,” the post reads.

Desmentimos categóricamente la información malintencionada que circula en redes sociales sobre una supuesta condecoración con honores a agencias de inteligencia extranjeras. pic.twitter.com/nR4cumsYCr

— Miraflores Al Momento (@AlMomento_M) January 18, 2026

Since her appointment as acting president, Rodríguez has reiterated that Venezuela remains open to maintaining channels of dialogue with the US based on respect and adherence to Venezuela’s constitution.

The meeting took place within the framework of the strategy to rescue the presidential couple and preserve peace in the nation. The acting president had already warned that some tactical actions might raise doubts, but she asked for confidence in the civic-military high command. She explained that the Chavista leadership is facing an adversary that “does not operate within the bounds of human rationality.”

Unofficial reports on the CIA visit
Venezuelan authorities have not made official comments on Ratcliffe’s visit despite numerous international reports confirming the meeting. According to experts, a photo circulating on social media to support the “fake news” of an award is a clear artificial intelligence manipulation of an original photo released by mainstream media, evidently by US officials.

Reports on Ratcliffe’s visit to Caracas claim the Thursday meeting lasted two hours. He reportedly traveled “at President Trump’s direction” to deliver a message that the United States expects an improved working relationship with Venezuela, according to La Tabla.

The Venezuelan outlet additionally reported that the meeting solidifies a key political decision by the Trump administration: to back Delcy Rodríguez, a high-ranking historical Chavista leader, instead of far-right opposition politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado. Regarding Machado’s leadership, the US ruler has noted on several occasions that she lacks internal support in Venezuela, despite US claims since the 2024 presidential elections that her surrogate candidate, Edmundo González, won the contest by a landslide.

Machado met with Trump on Friday and presented him with her Nobel Prize medal in a desperate attempt to receive the “blessing” of the US ruler to lead an improbable transition in Venezuela. However, the White House stated clearly after the meeting that she does not have the internal support required to lead Venezuela.

Diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’
In addition to the meeting between Rodríguez and the CIA director, a separate proposal has sparked internal controversy. During a meeting Friday at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas involving legal experts working for the release of the presidential couple, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of the kidnapped president, hinted at the possibility of resuming diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the Zionist entity, “Israel.”

While Deputy Maduro Guerra is not part of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela’s Political Bureau and holds relatively low influence over Chavista leadership decisions, the mere proposal of such an idea has raised a heated internal debate among Chavistas.

Renowned Venezuelan pro-Palestinian activist Hindu Anderi wrote on social media: “I will never agree to ‘resume’ relations with the so-called state of ‘Israel,’ a Zionist colonial, racist, supremacist, fascist, and genocidal regime. Much less at this moment in humanity. On this, with great affection I say, we will never agree! @nicmaduroguerra.”

Another prominent Chavista influencer, Luigino Bracci, added: “With all due respect, I hope that Comrade Nicolás Maduro Guerra’s proposal to resume diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’ is not listened to. In many, many other things you can count on me completely, but not on that one. Absolutely in disagreement. @nicmaduroguerra.”

Replying to Anderi’s post, Bracci noted the ethical and human toll of the proposal: “I agree with you, Hindu, not only for ethical reasons, but because of the 70,000 men, women, and children who were murdered … because the genocide continues and they are being driven from their lands. Also think about what all the social movements around the world and the millions of people who have marched for Palestine will think of us, if we do that.”

Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Announces New Cabinet Changes

Analysts claim that while high-level communication with US officials is understood by the Chavista movement under current circumstances, the idea of resuming diplomatic relations with “Israel”—severed by President Hugo Chávez in 2009—represents a significant shift in the ethical scope of Chavismo.

Jesus Rodriguez-Espinoza, editor of Orinoco Tribune, expressed total agreement with Anderi and Bracci. He added that Maduro Guerra’s proposal is also counterproductive for the recently launched international campaign to bring the presidential couple back home, especially in the US, where the majority of those supporting Venezuela in recent days also oppose the “Israeli” genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Rodríguez-Espinoza also noted that the recent replacement of Freddy Ñáñez with Miguel Pérez Pirela as head of the Ministry for Communication and Information might be related to the acting president’s desire to address information shortcomings. He suggested these gaps may be a natural result of the extraordinary circumstances Venezuela has faced in recent days following the US military attack.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/JRE/JB

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By Max Blumenthal and Wyatt Reed – January 12, 2026

As deadly riots burn Iranian cities, Western media ignores the shocking wave of violence, turning instead to US government-funded NGOs for data. The one-sided portrayal has helped push Trump to the brink of authorizing renewed US attacks.

Western media has ignored a growing trove of video evidence showing terrorist tactics deployed across Iran by protesters described by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as “largely peaceful.” Recent videos published both by Iranian state media and anti-government forces reveal public lynchings of unarmed guards, the torching of mosques, arson attacks on municipal buildings, marketplaces and fire stations, and mobs of armed gunmen opening fire in the heart of Iranian cities.

Instead, Western media has focused almost exclusively on violence attributed to the Iranian government. In doing so, they have relied heavily on death counts compiled by Iranian diaspora groups funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the regime change arm of the US government, and whose boards of directors are filled with committed neoconservatives.

The NED has taken credit for advancing the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests which filled Iranian cities throughout 2023 – and which also featured gruesome acts of violence ignored by Western media and human rights NGOs. Today, the NED is far from alone among the intelligence-aligned actors seeking to fuel the chaos inside Iran.

The Israeli spying and assassination agency known as Mossad issued a message from its official Farsi language account on Twitter/X urging Iranians to escalate their regime change activities, pledging that it would be supporting them on the ground.

“Go out together into the streets. The time has come,” Mossad instructed Iranians. “We are with you. Not only from a distance and verbally. We are with you in the field.”

Toppling Tehran through terrorProtests began in Iran in early January 2026 when merchants took to the streets to demonstrate against rising inflation rates triggered by Western sanctions. Iran’s government responded sympathetically to the bazaar protests, providing them with police protection. However, these demonstrations quickly dissolved, as an amorphous mass of anti-government elements seized the moment to launch a violent insurrection encouraged by governments from Israel to the US – and by self-proclaimed “Crown Prince” Reza Pahlavi, who has branded government workers and state media outlets as “legitimate targets.”

On January 9, the city of Mashhad became the scene of some of the most intense riots, as anti-government forces torched fire stations, burning fire fighters alive, while setting buses alight, attacking city workers, vandalizing Metro stations and causing over $18 million in damage, according to local municipal authorities.

In Kermanshah, where anti-government rioters shot and killed 3 year-old Melina Asadi, groups of militants were filmed firing automatic weapons at police. In cities from Hamedan to Lorestan, rioters have filmed themselves beating unarmed security guards to death for attempting to impede their rampages.

Kermanshah was infested with armed militants and rioters when 3 year old Melina was killed

The Israel-controlled Trump administration brands unarmed American protesters as terrorists and supports terrorists in Iran https://t.co/ukqXvhhWPc pic.twitter.com/TpCnl6xmTA

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 11, 2026

Footage has emerged from the central Iranian city of rioters attacking a public bus and setting it aflame on January 10.

In Tehran, meanwhile, mobs of rioters have attacked the historic Abazar Mosque, burning its interior, while others conducted arson attacks and burned copies of the Quran inside the Grand Mosque of Sarableh and the Muhammad ibn Musa al-Kadhim shrine in Kuzestan.

The footage shows damage being inflicted on ABUZAR #mosque.
In recent days, claims had circulated that mosques were being used as bases for repression or as detention sites. However, the images indicate that the mosque was closed at the time, with no signs of unusual activity or… pic.twitter.com/XXX3OuCH8f

— Hussein bin Saeed Ahvazi (@SayyidHussein) January 11, 2026

Rioters have set fire to a large municipal building in the heart of the city of Karaj, while burning the marketplace to the ground in central Rasht. In Borujen, anti-government hooligans reportedly torched a historic library filled with ancient texts during a night of looting and destruction.

Rioters burned the marketplace in the Iranian city of Rasht to a crisp

Netanyahu, Trump and every leader of the collective West has endorsed this

Of course, they are a model of tolerance toward protesters in their own cities pic.twitter.com/fQ26XDSVnS

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 12, 2026

None of these incidents have elicited any reaction from Western media outlets or governments, even after the Iranian foreign ministry obliged ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy to view footage of the violence carried out by rioters firsthand.

According to the Iranian government, over 100 police and security officers have been killed during the unrest. However, a pair of Iranian NGOs based in Washington and funded by the US government has set the death toll on the government’s side at a much lower figure. These groups have become the go-to source for Western media on the protests.

Regime change lobbyists set the agendaIn assessing the death toll in Iran, outlets throughout the US and Europe have depended on two NGOs based in Washington and funded by the US government’s National Endowment for Democracy: the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran and Human Rights Activists in Iran.

A 2024 press release by the NED explicitly described the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran as “a partner of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).”

Elsewhere, a 2021 statement from Human Rights Activists in Iran states that the group “expanded its network and decided to start receiving financial aid from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a non-governmental and non-profit organization based in the United States” after it was accused by the Iran government of ties to the CIA in 2010.

The NED was created under the watch of the Reagan administration’s CIA director, William Casey, to enable the government to continue meddling abroad despite widespread distrust in US intelligence services. One of its founders, Allen Weinstein, famously admitted, “a lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.”

While failing to acknowledge the NGO’s funding from NED, The Washington Post and ABC News have cited the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center prominently in their coverage of Iranian protests. Seated on the Center’s board of directors is Francis Fukuyama, the ideologue who signed the Project for a New American Century’s founding letter – perhaps the most important manifesto of modern neoconservatism.

Figures from the suggestively-named “Human Rights Activists in Iran” have circulated even more widely, with the NGO’s recent estimated death toll of 544 people cited by dozens of US and Israeli mainstream outlets across the political spectrum, as well as by Dropsite. The “shadow CIA” intelligence firm Stratfor has also cited the NGO in an article entitled, “Protests in Iran Provide a Window for U.S. and/or Israeli Intervention.”

With the precise number of casualties from the protests still difficult to ascertain, a motley crew of online influencers has filled the information void with overblown, dubiously sourced claims. These propagandists include the noted Jewish supremacist Trump confidant Laura Loomer, who crowed that “the death count of Iranian protesters killed by the Islamic regimes’ forces is now over 6,000!,” citing a supposed “source in the Intel community.”

The digital casino Polymarket also inflated the death toll, claiming without sourcing that “over 10,000” people had been killed by “Iranian Forces [using] Automatic Rifles on Protesters,” and falsely stating that Iran had “lost nearly all control” of three of its five largest cities.

In recent months, Polymarket has become notorious for allowing insiders to abuse advanced knowledge of political developments – such as the recent US military assault on Caracas and their abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro – to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars. The self-described “world’s largest prediction market” was established with a major investment from AI warlord Peter Thiel, and now features Donald Trump Jr. as an advisor.

Polymarket spreads neocon disinformation to manufacture consent for bombing Iran

It is also paying influencers all across this site to popularize its brand

The “world’s largest prediction market” relies on psychological warfare to manipulate betting markets https://t.co/wPfOtneENR

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 12, 2026

By spreading clearly inflated death tolls, regime change activists and Trump cronies are apparently goading the notoriously gullible president into launching another military assault on Tehran.

In a January 7 assessment of the protests, Stratfor described the chaos in Iran’s streets as an enticing opportunity for war, writing, “While unlikely to collapse the regime, the ongoing unrest could open the door for Israel or the United States to conduct covert or overt activities aimed at further destabilizing the Iranian government, either indirectly by encouraging the protests or directly via military action against Iranian leaders.”

However, the CIA contractor acknowledged that “renewed military strikes on Iran would also likely put an end to the current protest movement by leading instead to a wider display of Iranian nationalism and unity, a pattern observed after U.S. and Israeli strikes in 2025.”

‘Locked and loaded’
Iran’s latest round of anti-government protests has predictably received hearty endorsements from a host of Western leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump announced. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Days later, Trump threatened Iran again: “You better not start shooting [protesters] – because we’ll start shooting too.” Then, on January 12, Trump decreed that any country caught trading with Iran would face a 25% tariff on goods exchanged with the US.

Now, Trump is reportedly mulling an attack, considering options ranging from cyber-warfare to airstrikes. However, the pace of the anti-government protests appears to have slowed, with relative calm returning to major cities.

As the dust clears, millions of Iranian citizens are pouring into the streets of cities from Tehran to Mashhad to express their indignation at the riots, to denounce the foreign elements that helped spur the regime change rampage, and to proclaim their support for the government. But in newsrooms across the West, giving voice to these masses of Iranian demonstrators seems forbidden.

(The Grayzone)

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CARACAS, Venezuela — It was 1:58 a.m. on Jan. 3 when a thunderous roar made the windows of my apartment in downtown Caracas shake. Are the New Year’s celebrations still going on? Is a storm coming or is it an earthquake, I wondered. Despite multiple threats from the United States against Venezuela, I couldn’t believe that bombing was possible; not like this, not now. As people say in Venezuela, “It’s one thing to call on the devil, and another to see him actually arrive.” As the missiles began to fall one after another, my phone was inundated with the same message: “They are bombing us.”

Residents in the southwest of the city witnessed at least 11 helicopters entering Fort Tiuna, Caracas’ most important military complex, which is surrounded by dozens of civilian buildings jointly known as Tiuna City. Andrea Pérez, a resident of the area, heard the roar of the helicopters, followed by high-pitched whistles that ended in a massive explosion. The glare lit up her apartment, and the dense air tightened in her young son’s chest.

“We ran down eight floors, using our phone flashlights and we bumped into all our neighbors. Some were half-naked, running for their lives. Some of us got into our cars, but the traffic was so bad it took nearly 20 minutes just to get out of there,” she tells Truthdig.

People in the residential complex of Tiuna City around Fort Tiuna in Caracas were forced to evacuate as bombs fell on Jan. 3. (Jessica Dos Santos Jardim)

Within minutes, the highway filled with people trying to flee on foot from whatever was happening. “There was no light. You could hear indescribable, terrifying noises. You didn’t know where they were coming from. We had no idea what was happening outside, but we had to get out. I carried my dog, which weighs almost 30 kilos and just had surgery,” Oleno León, another resident, says.

Later, we learned that a U.S. cyberattack had crippled a large part of Caracas’ power supply. This helped enable 150 stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, bombers, assault helicopters, drones and intelligence satellites to penetrate the skies of at least four Venezuelan states.

Negotiation and betrayal: Does it matter?

Hours later, we knew there had been an incursion, but we weren’t certain if the objective — to abduct President Nicolás Maduro — had been achieved. However, later in the morning, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez established a phone link with the state television channel and confirmed the situation by asking the U.S. for “proof of life” for the president and his wife, Cilia Flores.

People hunkered down. The streets turned into deserts. A harsh quietness descended that was only broken the next day by desperate lines at supermarkets, pharmacies and shops selling drinking water. What followed is now well known: multiple and contradictory statements from various U.S. government officials, images of Maduro and Flores arriving at the Drug Enforcement Administration office and later the courthouse in Manhattan, and Rodríguez being sworn in as acting president in the National Assembly.

However, as the days passed, people had questions: What happened to the Russian air defense systems or the Chinese radar for detecting air attacks — including the 5,000 Igla-S missiles that Maduro himself claimed to have in October 2025? Why were there no air-to-air battles? Did everything fail? Would this amount to treason? Or, if it was a negotiation, was the now-kidnapped president involved or not?

The picture became somewhat clearer when the United States government explained how its high-level technology managed to dismantle Venezuelan defenses, as well as the role played for months by several undercover CIA agents in Caracas. Rodríguez stated that “no one surrendered” and that “there was combat here.” The lives of at least 100 people “were taken in a vile, unequal, unilateral, illegal and illegitimate attack,” she said.

Maduro’s son, National Assembly member Nicolás Maduro Guerra, also stated that the U.S. neutralized the radar used for detection. “We were left blind; they attacked us with an aircraft that emits an electromagnetic wave that affects all defense systems,” he said. “It was impossible to get a plane off the ground, and most likely, if we had taken off, they would have shot it down. The technology they used was impressive. I believe this was a rehearsal for something bigger, and humanity should know about it.”

However, days earlier, Maduro Guerra had also hinted at the possibility of treason within the government. In statements to Truthdig, historian and Caracas-based commentator Álvaro Suzzarini notes that in catastrophes of this scale, the responses and actions of those under attack will inevitably range from betrayal and compromise to acts of heroism. However, he says, beyond the sensationalism and debates in the media and public generated by that dynamic, history will eventually reveal what role the key figures ultimately played.

Central University of Venezuela social psychology and criminology professor Andrés Antillano tells Truthdig that speculation doesn’t help while the situation is still so volatile. “The fact is that there is a negotiation with Trump; whether it happened before or after the military intervention and Maduro’s kidnapping is a matter of speculation, and perhaps it is not the most relevant issue right now,” Antillano says. “What matters more is understanding what comes after this brutal and ruthless intervention, which also served to intimidate the entire continent.”

Venezuelans worry about US role and economy

“I worry about losing power again or running out of water. Luckily, I have some food at home, but I also fear not being able to find what I need. I am also worried about safety, about the emptiness that takes over the streets at night and what that could lead to,” says Ariadna García, a young writer. She, like other Venezuelans I spoke with, isn’t sure what the role and reach of the U.S. in Venezuela will ultimately be.

Rodríguez has stated that the country “was attacked by a nuclear power but is not at war,” that “no external agent governs it,” and that it is entering “a new political moment” — one that has already included meetings with opposition lawmakers and the release of political prisoners.

But for citizens like university professor María Mercedes Cobo, national and personal fears have emerged. “First of all, I fear this aggression could be repeated, but I’m also terrified that we may no longer be a country with self-determination, and instead a colonized territory. Every time Trump speaks as if he were the president of Venezuela, it scares me. But I also wonder what will happen to our economy,” she tells Truthdig.

In the first week of January, the official exchange rate for the U.S. dollar against the Venezuelan bolívar rose by almost 10% , while the gap between the official and parallel rates is around 100%. This devaluing of the bolívar — through which most workers receive their income — reduces purchasing power, which was already very low. As of the end of last year, the monthly minimum wage in Venezuela was less than one U.S. dollar, and most income was received as bonuses.

Since Jan. 3, “In a context of deep political uncertainty, the economy has stopped being a priority. The failure to address this gap is causing a contraction in people’s purchasing power due to the breakdown of the pricing system,” economist Asdrúbal Oliveros tells Truthdig. He says that until the Venezuelan oil market stabilizes, the exchange rate will not stabilize either.

Venezuelan experts on the future

In purely political terms, what could happen in the coming months? According to Suzzarini, predicting outcomes with limited data under conditions of high uncertainty is risky, but he believes the emerging and most plausible scenario is the current one. “The continuity of Chavismo in power under the figure of Delcy Rodríguez, with at least the current 2025-2031 presidential term being fulfilled,” he says.

In his view, Venezuela is experiencing a “transition without transition,” where the U.S. has removed the president, but the governing party is the same, a sign that Washington did not and does not fully understand the phenomenon of Chavismo — the ideology embraced by followers of the late President Hugo Chávez — as a political movement. “This is not the kind of government, as calculated in the United States, where decapitating Maduro’s leadership would cause everything else to collapse,” he says.

“There are multiple converging leaderships and a political maturity of 30 years,” he says, referring to the decades of Bolivarian revolution and related organizing and movements.

The historian also points out that the right-wing opposition, led by María Corina Machado, will likely remain “outside the equation and the mathematics of power” because it lacks the capacity or support to sustain it, especially in such a delicate moment. Meanwhile, he says, Russia and China could still shift the global political landscape, with repercussions for Venezuela.

Public transportation, trash collection and other basic services have now largely returned to normal in Caracas. (Jessica Dos Santos Jardim)

Trump is willing to receive Machado at the White House and she would like to award him her Nobel Peace Prize, but both know that the opposition leader could not run the country — especially not now. “She lacks the support and the respect,” Trump stated on Jan. 3.

However, the country is still essentially being held hostage by the U.S. and is under constant threat, Carlos Raúl Hernández, a political science professor at the Central University of Venezuela, explains. He says this makes acting President Rodríguez a sort of lifeline.

“Venezuela has a somewhat similar population and geographic size to Iraq [when it was bombed in 2003], so if the United States decided today to proceed with an invasion, it could … cause the deaths of 40,000 Venezuelans. It’s an extremely grave threat, one that must be avoided through agreements,” Hernández tells Truthdig.

To Hernández, Rodríguez is in a difficult position because, “theoretically or practically, the oil fleet linked to Venezuela has been seized, and of course that leaves no alternative but to negotiate. The tankers are in U.S. hands, so moving the oil requires U.S. approval. Another factor is China’s oil exploitation, which is also very important for the Venezuelan nation at this moment, as it represents 70% of exports. On the other hand, the United States is a key importer for China, and China is a major market for the United States.”

However, he believes that Rodríguez’s government could last a couple of years before new elections are held, “Until there is no longer a risk of confrontation, civil war or a process that destabilizes the world’s largest international oil reserve. Trump is interested in making sure this gigantic mine operates without setbacks, and that’s why he negotiates with the Chavista government — because it’s the only force with a real structure and control of the state apparatus.”

Hernández also thinks that if these agreements break down, new forms of invasion could follow. “But predicting it is difficult because everything that is taking place is unprecedented — astonishing in a civilized world like the one we thought we had.”

It would not be the first time a U.S. government chose to invade first and think later. But, at least for now, it seems that U.S. action will focus on coercing authorities through measures like those we experienced on Jan. 3.

Democratic U.S. senators, along with a small bloc of Republican senators, delivered a rebuke to Trump by voting in favor of advancing a resolution that would limit the future use of U.S. military force in Venezuela without congressional approval, but the resolution failed after two Republicans changed their votes and Vice President JD Vance voted to break a tie. Either way, Trump rarely respects U.S. legality, and he still has three years left in his term. Meanwhile, his next target could be Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland … or once again, Venezuela.

The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff.

Source: Truthdig

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The Minister of Youth, Darling Hernandez, highlighted the transformations achieved over the last 19 years by the Sandinista government, particularly the educational victories that place youth and families at the heart of the ongoing plan to combat poverty.

V “And what better way to do so than through this youth-to-youth festival, providing more study opportunities tailored to the tastes and interests of an evolved and changing youth, a youth that knows how to make revolution through the transformative power of education,” Hernández stated.

For her part, the Director General of the National Technological Institute (Inatec), Loyda Barreda, announced the offering of 79 technical programs and 1,165 training courses, also designed to complement the development of technical and technological skills and abilities.

The event offered more than 36,000 scholarship opportunities in various fields, including bachelor’s degrees, engineering degrees, postgraduate programs, courses, technical programs, and master’s degrees, made available by Inatec, the Technical Secretariat for University Support, the Nicaragua Diseña Creative School, and 15 private higher education institutions.

The fair was held in a festive, youthful, and family-oriented atmosphere, with young people as the main focus, and included tours of vocational guidance areas that facilitated direct access to the various academic options available.

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According to ProColombia, the government agency responsible for promoting tourism, investment, and non-mining and non-energy exports, 59 businesspeople, 11 regional entities, 14 accommodation establishments, and 34 tour operators will participate in the event.

The Colombian stand at Fitur, the source noted, is constructed with recyclable and lightweight materials such as structural cardboard, operates on renewable energy, integrates real-time measurement of its carbon footprint, including coffee consumption, and offers immersive spaces with a sustainable focus.

The South American country’s presence will extend beyond the fairgrounds, with a special activation in Madrid’s underground.

The four entrances to the Colombia station have been renamed “Colombia, The Land of Beauty,” featuring visual representations of its diverse tourist regions.

Additionally, the tunnels of Line 8 will display audiovisual exhibits visible from the train cars, and one of the exits at the Feria de Madrid station—a direct access point to the Fitur venue—will be adorned with the country’s branding, the source explained.

At the event, the South American nation will present a comprehensive offering encompassing sun and beach, culture, nature and adventure, LGBTQ+ tourism, romance, wellness, meetings, luxury, and community-based tourism.

Colombia’s six tourist regions: the Greater Caribbean, the Western Andes, the Eastern Andes, the Massif, the Pacific, and the Amazon-Orinoco region, are showcased there.

Furthermore, Fitur 2026 will be the stage to reinforce the country’s new commitment to diving tourism, as well as its vision of tourism for all, which promotes inclusion regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, origin, or disability, the organization emphasized.

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The singer will return Asuncion with a show that combines the hits that marked her career with the energy of her new musical productions, reported the Paraguayan newspaper Hoy.

The concert is part of an international tour that has already drawn more than 250,000 spectators in Argentina.

The local production is being handled by AM Producciones, which is committed to a large-scale show in which Tini will showcase her versatility, the result of multiple studio albums and collaborations with world-renowned artists.

With a constantly evolving style, the singer explores urban and Latin sounds without losing her personal touch, which has allowed her to remain on the charts and garner millions of streams on digital platforms, the publication added.

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