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This article by María del Pilar Martínez originally appeared in the February 10, 2026 edition of El Economista.

With the 17th General Congress of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) approaching, two new figures have emerged in the leadership race. Fernando Salgado Delgado, Deputy General Secretary of the National Committee, and Alfonso Sánchez, General Secretary of the CTM Federation in Mexico City, have joined the race for General Secretary.

Alfonso Sánchez was emphatic in requesting that the transition be carried out through a clear process and with strict adherence to the statutes governing the confederation’s internal affairs. For Sánchez, this unprecedented moment represents an opportunity to relaunch the CTM and position it strongly on the national and international stage, taking advantage of the new labor justice model and the challenges posed by global trade.

For his part, Fernando Salgado Delgado focused his speech on the importance of institutional cohesion. The Deputy Secretary General acknowledged the value of Aceves del Olmo’s decision as a step that prioritizes the union’s stability. Salgado advocated for an orderly renewal process, where unity is the guiding principle for defending the rights and aspirations of the working class. His vision includes providing union representation for informal workers and placing particular emphasis on training in the face of advancing industrial automation.

A key point of agreement between the two candidates is their willingness to engage in dialogue. Neither Salgado nor Sánchez rules out the possibility of joining a single national unity ticket, as initially proposed by Tereso Medina, who was the first to put himself forward for this leadership change. This strategy aims to avoid internal divisions and present a united front to the government and the business sector.

Sánchez mentioned that, while he has a legitimate aspiration to lead the CTM, the primary objective should be the greater well-being of the workers and the building of strategic alliances, even with the Presidency of the Republic, to ensure that the country’s development is not based on cheap labor.

With the upcoming February 24th congress, the CTM is preparing to chart its course for the 21st century. Candidates agree that current challenges, such as reducing the workweek to 40 hours, regulating artificial intelligence in the workplace, and renegotiating the USMCA, demand leadership capable of evolving.

The post Mexico’s Largest Trade Union Federation Adds 2 to Leadership Race appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.


From Mexico Solidarity Media via This RSS Feed.

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By Samidoun – Feb 9 , 2026

“Samidoun… the Voice of the Prisoners and Their Arm in the Diaspora” is the title of an article written by comrade Mohammed Khatib three years ago in Al-Akhbar newspaper.

Mohammed is the son of the displaced village of al-Mallahah, occupied in 1948, and the son of Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. Today, he is imprisoned in a Greek jail on the island of Crete. In this article, he sheds light on the importance of the role played by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and its role in supporting Palestinian prisoners and their causes.

We republish this article today because of its direct relevance to Mohammed’s own case of detention, and because it represents a living testimony to the experience of imprisonment and the ongoing struggle for freedom, and in order to reinvigorate the role of our people in the camps and across the diaspora.


Samidoun: The Voice of the Prisoners and Their Arm in the Diaspora

Mohammed Khatib
Friday, 17 February 2023

Two years ago, specifically in February 2021, the so-called Zionist entity’s minister of war, Benny Gantz, placed the Samidoun Network on the so-called “terrorist list.” So who is this network, and why has it received such attention?

The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, known simply as “Samidoun,” was founded in 2011 in Canada. Over time, it has become one of the most important international–Palestinian organizations confronting the Zionist movement outside occupied Palestine. Its first officially founding activity was in solidarity with Sheikh Khader Adnan, who at the time was waging an open hunger strike.

Today, Samidoun includes in its ranks hundreds of international supporters from approximately 20 countries, as well as dozens of Palestinian and Arab youth who have found themselves new refugees in several European capitals, extending to North and South America, as a result of wars, displacement, and siege in their countries—especially over the past ten years.

Organizing Identity
Samidoun presents a revolutionary model in organizational, militant, and popular work in the diaspora. This experience is distinguished by the nature and identity of the network and by the diversity of its Palestinian, Arab, and international cadres. Over years of work, a deeply rooted conviction has crystallized: that the struggle for the freedom of Palestinian, Arab, and international prisoners, and for the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea, means a radical transformation in the region and the world—one that goes beyond Palestine’s geographic boundaries and serves the interests of all peoples and liberation movements, especially those confronting fascism, racism, and capitalism in the heart of the major imperial centers, such as the United States and Canada, as well as the old/new colonial powers in Europe.

Based on this conviction, it is natural that Samidoun supports solidarity campaigns with political prisoners in the prisons of the United States, Greece, Turkey, the Philippines, and elsewhere. It is also natural that it adopts a supportive position toward political prisoners in Arab prisons, including the ongoing campaign in support of political detainees in the prisons of the Palestinian Authority, and in confronting the security coordination apparatuses with the Zionist entity in the occupied West Bank, in addition to confronting all forms of repression and corruption.

To promote the prisoners’ cause, Samidoun launched an educational campaign in five foreign languages, presenting the history of prisoners detained in Zionist prisons prior to the 1993 Oslo Accords. It is also currently preparing to launch an international campaign demanding the release of the bodies of martyrs withheld by the occupation, and opposing the so-called “numbered graves,” in which the occupation has held hundreds of martyrs since the launch of the Palestinian revolution to this day. The logic of this campaign is rooted in duty toward the families of the “martyr-prisoners,” and in the pursuit of unity of the people, the cause, and the rights, and in building bridges of struggle and return between exile and homeland.

Zionist Attacks… Organizing Continues
Zionist campaigns against Samidoun never cease, through constant incitement and attempts to criminalize it under various pretexts, including linking it to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, by association with what are called “organizations designated on terrorist lists.”

Over the past ten years, Samidoun’s cadres have been subjected to all forms of repression and restriction, including direct threats, deportation and expulsion, and even threats with weapons, beatings, and arrest. In a country like Germany, for example, the network faces an ongoing and systematic Zionist and fascist campaign of repression, in addition to multiple forms of state terror.

Yet all attempts at repression and intimidation have failed to affect the development and trajectory of the work. On the contrary, Samidoun’s membership continues to expand, with increasing numbers of Palestinian and Arab youth joining it in more than one country, and these youth now lead activities across different arenas. This stems from a belief that continuous confrontation with the Zionist enemy and its allies is, in fact, one of the most important sources of strength and the accumulation of impact and action.

For example, Samidoun works to organize the global week of solidarity with the prisoner and national leader Ahmad Sa’adat, Secretary-General of the Popular Front, who was abducted by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces on 15 January 2002 and imprisoned with his comrades in Jericho Prison for four years, before occupation forces re-abducted him on 15 March 2006. The Collectif Palestine Vaincra, one of the most important organizations affiliated with Samidoun, also organizes solidarity campaigns with the Lebanese Arab prisoner Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, imprisoned in French prisons since 1984. Part of the struggle to free Abdallah has involved transmitting his thought and positions to wide popular spaces after his case had been marginalized for decades.

Based on this militant and political vision, Samidoun supports the struggles of political prisoners around the world by forging direct relationships between the Palestinian prisoners’ national movement and revolutionary movements worldwide, within a vision whose essence lies in the strategic importance of the prisoners’ movement and the position it represents as one of the most important bases of daily confrontation and resistance—and as the trusted national leadership of the Palestinian people. Accordingly, Samidoun views the prisoners’ movement as the first line of defense for our people, and as a national reference with an effective and influential role in Palestinian political decision-making and in shaping the strategy of return and liberation.

Ben-Gvir Claims 100 Doctors Volunteered To Execute Palestinian Prisoners Despite Ethics Ban

Resistance and the Masses
Samidoun aligns itself with the armed Palestinian and Lebanese resistance, and considers the liberation of prisoners a fundamental task achieved through resistance action. At the same time, it recognizes the particular importance of the popular, media, political, and cultural role in amplifying the prisoners’ voices and defending their rights internationally. It also sees this responsibility as one that must remain firmly on the agenda of the Palestinian people in the diaspora, and on the programs of supporters of Palestine, liberation forces, and international boycott movements.

As part of what Samidoun does to realize this vision, it publishes on its website, in ten languages, near-daily reports on the occupation’s crimes against women prisoners and prisoners, and calls on its supporters and all those it reaches to write letters to the prisoners and address messages to them.

Samidoun bases the formulation of its positions and work strategy on the militant vision articulated by the prisoners themselves, conveyed daily from inside Zionist prisons. It also follows articles, studies, books, and various directives issued by the leadership of the prisoners’ movement, translating and disseminating them among its members and supporters.

Samidoun also expresses—without deviation—its principled position toward the Zionist entity: that it is a racist settler-colonial entity that must be removed by force from all of occupied Palestine, from the river to the sea. It likewise affirms that the right of return for Palestinian refugees is the core of the Palestinian people’s cause, just as the prisoners’ issue is the cause of freedom in its comprehensive sense. Accordingly, the goal is the liberation of the land and the human being.

* Coordinator of the Samidoun Network in Europe

(Samidoun)


From Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond via This RSS Feed.

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By Francisco Dominguez – Feb 7, 2026

Continuous US threats against Cuba and Venezuela are a grave threat to democracy throughout the region

Donald Trump’s order that the US military attack Venezuela on January 3 2026 led to heavy bombardment of four cities (Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira and Maracay), focusing on military and civilian targets, leading to the violent kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both of whom were taken prisoner and flown to New York City.

The US government’s narrative to justify this blatant violation of international law evolved from bogus charges about the Venezuelan government being responsible for “drug-trafficking” and “narco-terrorism,” attempting to obscure the real objective: taking possession of Venezuela’s oil — the world’s largest reserves — by military force.

After the US military assault on Venezuela, Trump claimed that Venezuela had taken “our oil away from us” and had stolen “our assets.” In the same vein, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a leading right-wing ideologue in the US administration, said that since the US “created the oil industry in Venezuela,” its nationalisation in 1976 “was the largest recorded theft of American wealth and property.”

The US war fleet deployed in the Caribbean (Operation Southern Spear) had nothing to do with fighting “drug trafficking” or “narco-terrorism” but everything to do with violent “regime change” to control Venezuela’s oil.

In fact, Trump announced he was putting Venezuela under temporary US control: “We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” and that major US companies would move into Venezuela.

The US war fleet – the largest in 30 years – is still deployed off the coast of Venezuela and, at a US Senate hearing, Marco Rubio repeated Trump’s threat: force could even be used to ensure “maximum co-operation – from the interim president – if other methods fail.”

In short, the Venezuelan interim government has a US gun pointed at its head.

Then the Department of Justice (DoJ’s) false contention that Venezuela was run by the non-existent drug Cartel de los Soles, allegedly headed by President Maduro and the Bolivarian government, was dropped.

The designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organisation was in November 2025. On January 6 2026 (three days after the kidnapping of Venezuela’s head of state), the US DoJ referred to it as “patronage system,” thus admitting it isn’t real.

Between September 2025 and January 2026, Operation Southern Spear involved the blowing to smithereens of 29 small boats and the extrajudicial killing of well over 100 alleged drug-traffickers and narco-terrorists.

Yet US authorities squarely refuse to provide any information about the individuals executed or present any evidence. After President Maduro’s kidnapping, US strikes against small boats have altogether stopped.

Paradoxically, US pundits, politicians and retired generals have pointed to DEA’s (the Drug Enforcement Administration) and UNODC’s (the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) repeated reports that over 85 per cent of the cocaine produced in Colombia reaches the US trough the Pacific, that a tiny proportion (5–7 per cent) tries – not always successfully – to use Venezuela as a transit route and that Venezuela’s contribution to fentanyl trafficking is zero.

Trump’s pardon for former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernandez who was serving 45 years in prison for having shipped 400 tonnes of cocaine into the US, confirmed that the US military attack on Venezuela was definitely not about drug-trafficking.

Interestingly, Trump dismissed extreme right-wing politician Maria Corina Machado out of hand as a replacement of President Maduro because she “is not respected,” ie she does not enjoy support in Venezuela (even less after her abject servility to Trump led her to give the US president her Nobel Peace Prize medal).

This means the Bolivarian state is shaken but intact.

No sooner had Trump and Rubio accepted the limitations of what they could impose on Venezuela, and, grudgingly, recognised the interim president’s authority, Washington launched a smear campaign against Delcy Rodriguez, saying she was “compromising on the heritage of President Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez.”

A UK daily went as far as to report of secret meetings held by Rodriguez to hand over President Maduro. The corporate media seek to portray her as a “Trump asset” falsely claiming her appointment as interim president had been the “result of prolonged negotiations.” The obvious aim is sowing divisions in the Chavista movement.

Rodriguez’s appointment as interim president by the Supreme Court has the full support of the National Assembly, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the armed forces. This has ensured constitutional continuity and secured political normality.

Her very first statement (January 4 2026) as interim president was to demand the immediate release of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores firmly stating: “The only president of Venezuela is President Nicolas Maduro.”

She also implemented a Maduro executive decree placing the country in state of upheaval and activated the National Defence Council.

On the same day, a special extraordinary summit of Celac (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) took place prompted by the US attack on Venezuela at which Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto demanded Celac request the immediate withdrawal of all US military forces in the Caribbean with Cuba demanding “due respect for Venezuelan territorial integrity and independence and the immediate release of the Venezuelan leader and his wife.”

The following day Venezuela demanded an urgent meeting of the UN security council at which the US attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its president were deemed unjustifiable crimes, and the immediate release of Nicolas Maduro and his wife was demanded.

Cuba Warns Airlines It Has Less Than 24 Hours of Fuel

In response to Trump’s contention that the US was running Venezuela, interim Rodriguez retorted: “The government of Venezuela rules in our country and no-one else; there is no external agent that governs Venezuela.” On January 7 2026 at a mass march of women to demand the president’s safe return, Interior Minister and PSUV general secretary Diosdado Cabello spoke pointed out that US military actions had generated deep anti-imperialist sentiment in the country.

The mainstream media have also focused on the updating of Venezuela’s existing law ruling over the nation’s oil industry — the Hydrocarbons Law — which is deliberately misrepresented as US-forced privatisation.

The law was unanimously approved by the National Assembly and strongly supported by the labour movement and is, in fact, a reform of the existing Anti-Blockade Law and very similar to Cuba’s Law of Investments — both having the same aim: to attract direct foreign investment to their blockaded and sanctioned economies given their inability to generate sufficient resources domestically.

In line with Rodriguez’s policy, Foreign Minister Gil Pinto condemned the forced sale of Venezuela-owned oil company Citgo operating in the US as one of the most outrageous acts of “theft, criminality, and judicial piracy in modern history.”

Encouraged by the attack on Venezuela, Trump will impose tariffs on imports from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba and has deployed two warships to the north of Cuba. This is gunboat diplomacy on steroids.

Naturally, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel slammed the aggression: “We will face this new onslaught with firmness, equanimity, and the certainty that reason is absolutely on our side.”

Gil Pinto also condemned it as a flagrant violation of international law, an attack on national sovereignty and said that free trade should not be subject to coercion. He added: “To consider Cuba a threat to the national security of the United States of America is absurd and poses a serious threat to its very existence as a nation.”

Both statements typify the independent governments leading sovereign nations.

US gunboat diplomacy is seriously jeopardising Venezuela’s, Cuba’s and Latin America’s sovereignty. The struggle against the Monroe Doctrine continues.

For the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the US war fleet illegally deployed in the Caribbean!
No War on Venezuela! No War on Cuba! No War on Latin America!
For the immediate and unconditional release of President Maduro and Cilia Flores!

(Morning Star)


From Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond via This RSS Feed.

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The president of the Venezuelan Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (AVAVIT), Vicky Herrera, announced that between February and March, at least six airlines will resume their flights to Caracas: Plus Ultra, TAP, Turkish Airlines, Latam, Avianca, and GOL. Wingo already resumed its Bogotá–Caracas route on January 16 and plans to reactivate flights from from Medellín on March 1.

Latam Airlines Colombia announced this Monday that it will resume its flights between Bogotá and Caracas starting on February 23, with four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The company plans to increase the service to a daily flight starting April 1, subject to approval by the aeronautical authorities of both countries.

The CEO of Latam Airlines Colombia, Erika Zarante, stated that the company has a “clear and sustained interest in continuing to grow in Venezuela”: “As a leading airline group in the region, we have the responsibility and the capacity to contribute through robust and sustainable air connectivity,” she said.

With the resumption of this route, travelers to and from Caracas will be able to connect, via Bogotá, with 23 domestic destinations and more than 140 international routes operated by the group in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.

Avianca will restart its daily operation on February 12, while Air Europa will resume flights between Madrid and Caracas on February 17, followed by Láser on the 18th. Plus Ultra will restart on March 3 with two weekly frequencies and will expand its flights at the end of the month. Iberia, for its part, maintains expectations of resuming operations in April provided the necessary guarantees are in place.

Turkish Airlines announced that it will reactivate its Istanbul–Caracas route starting on March 3, 2026.

This decision marks the return of one of the most strategic air connections for the country, once again linking Venezuela with the main hub between Europe and Asia.

The airline has designed an itinerary that ensures efficiency and passenger comfort, initially operating with three weekly flights.

Venezuela and US Agree To Reopen Commercial Airspace (+Cybersecurity Center)

(Últimas Noticias)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/CB/SL


From Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond via This RSS Feed.

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Venezuela broke a record by producing 125,325 tons of processed meats in 2025. The acting president called for respect for agreed prices to prevent speculation.

The acting president of the Republic, Delcy Rodríguez, reported this Monday that consumption in January 2026 grew by more than 32% compared to January 2025.

“This is the path we are seeking for our country. That Venezuela does not stop, that Venezuela moves forward, that Venezuela grows and grows with economic peace, with political peace, with social peace,” she said.

From the Río de Oro L’Prado Food Plant, located in the municipality of Baruta in Miranda state, the acting head of state reported that in 2025, Venezuela broke a production record in the processed meat sector.

In this regard, she detailed that Venezuela produced 125,325 tons of processed meats in 2025, “and I have no doubt that this plant (L’Prado Food Processing Plant) contributed its grain of sand to that growth.”

She emphasized that these achievements have increased thanks to the economic dialogue that exists within the National Council of Productive Economy, a meeting space where ideas are debated to strengthen the country’s economy.

She recalled that Venezuela recorded 19 quarters of sustained growth, achieving an 8% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025.

Respect for agreed pricesRodríguez highlighted that what was observed at the Río de Oro L’Prado Food Processing Plant constitutes an example for Venezuela to follow in 2026 by demonstrating the potential of national production.

Rodríguez indicated that the prices agreed upon with national industry must be respected, ensuring that there is no speculation that is harmful to the Venezuelan people.

“That there be no speculation against the people of Venezuela: this must be part of the agreements of the economic and social dialogue that the Program for Democratic Coexistence and Peace has put in place,” said Acting President Rodríguez. “It is dialogue to come together, but it is also to come together in the diversity of sectors—the economic sector, the political sector, the social sector—and to keep moving forward to guarantee the future of Venezuela, independence, and sovereignty.”

Rodríguez also noted, regarding the control of permits, that industry was listened to and conclusions were reached about the measures that needed to be adopted—policies for protection, sanitary control, and support for national industry.

“Record growth [was recorded] in the processed meat sector over the last 10 years, but it was also thanks to the economic dialogue that exists in the National Council of Economy, where we listened to the sector, [and] saw the problem—there was a lot of imported processed meat entering without permits, without any type of sanitary control—and immediate measures and protection policies and support for national industry were adopted, and here is the result.”

In this regard, Minister of National Industry and Commerce Luis Villegas highlighted that technical roundtables have been maintained for the meat sector with the aim of eliminating obstacles in procedures and thus protecting national industry.

“We are integrated—the Bolivarian National Armed Force, the Ministry of Food, the Seniat, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce—so that we do not allow the entry of all these processed meats that also do not meet the quality standards of the industry,” said Villegas.

Open-air marketsDuring the event, Minister of Food Carlos Leal Tellería reported that more than 23,000 tons of food are distributed weekly to the Venezuelan people through open-air markets.

He also said that the agrifood sector is growing and emphasized that Venezuela has food reserves for 116 days stored in warehouses and silos to ensure the country’s food security.

Leal Tellería highlighted that there is currently a strong harvest, which allows for permanent supply and the availability of all products with great variety on shelves—across all supermarkets, grocery stores, in private and public redistribution—which “is being strengthened with the Venezuelan Food Production and Distribution Company (Pdval) and mercales and open-air markets.”

The Venezuelan company Pdval was founded in 2017 by two young Venezuelan entrepreneurs. It has dedicated itself to the production and marketing of processed meats and meat products, offering high-quality products to the domestic market. Today, they market under their flagship brand L’Prado and have the entire productive value chain in place.

Juan Lenzo: ‘We Need To Integrate the Communal Economy To Face the Capitalist Maelstrom’

(Últimas Noticias)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/CB/SL


From Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond via This RSS Feed.

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By Alan MacLeod – Feb 7, 2026

6 Key findings of this investigation:

    • Right up until his arrest for child sex trafficking, Chomsky was advising Epstein on crisis management, sympathizing with the “horrible way you are being treated in the press and public.”
    • On multiple occasions, Chomsky expressed his desire to visit Little St. James Island, site of Epstein’s infamous sex crimes.
    • Chomsky flew on Epstein’s “Lolita Express” jet, stayed at his mansions in Manhattan and Paris, and regularly met him for dinner and other social occasions.
      Chomsky quietly met with a host of other highly questionable characters, including Steve Bannon, Woody Allen, and Ehud Barak.
    • Chomsky considered Epstein his “best friend,” and his closest advisor, and regularly exchanged gifts with the disgraced pedophile.
    • Chomsky’s relationship with his children broke apart, due in part to their protests over his attempts to name Epstein’s accountant and right-hand man to the board of the family’s trust fund.
    • Chomsky’s relationship with his children broke apart, due in part to their protests over his attempts to name Epstein’s accountant and right-hand man to the board of the family’s trust fund.

Newly released documents have shed light on the unlikely relationship between renowned leftist professor Noam Chomsky and disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Analyzing over 3800 emails and texts involving the academic, MintPress News has uncovered a deep, years-long friendship between the two, one where they became “best friends” and each other’s closest confidants. Chomsky flew on Epstein’s notorious “Lolita Express” jet, stayed at his apartments in Manhattan and Paris, and expressed his desire, on multiple occasions, to visit Little St. James Island, the location of many of Epstein’s worst sex crimes.

Years of exchanging gifts and dining together – events that frequently included other highly controversial characters, such as disgraced filmmaker Woody Allen, far-right political strategist Steve Bannon, and former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, turned the pair into the closest of friends. Chomsky became a key figure in Epstein’s attempts at crisis management, sharing his thoughts about strategies to quash and counter what he called “the onslaught of venomous attacks” against him. Meanwhile, Epstein became the star political philosopher’s trusted legal and financial advisor, a fact that would lead to a near collapse in the relationship between Noam and his children.

This is the story of the previously unknown relationship between the man who The New York Times called “the most important intellectual alive” and the world’s most infamous sexual predator.

Noam Chomsky: Jeffrey Epstein’s Crisis Manager
After 36 survivors – some as young as 14 – came forward, billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein was convicted in 2008 on charges related to child sex crimes. He was, however, given only an 18-month sentence, and served only 13 months in a minimum security prison that he was allowed to leave six days per week. The U.S. attorney who struck this lenient deal reportedly stated that he did so under duress, and was told to “back off,” as Epstein “belonged to intelligence.”

Key to Epstein’s crimes becoming known was the testimony of his victim, Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre alleged that Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell operated a worldwide sex trafficking operation, where women and girls were kidnapped and forced to have sex with the world’s rich and powerful. This allegedly included royals like Prince Andrew, politicians such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and academics, like Alan Dershowitz. Epstein reportedly made his fortune by keeping copious evidence of their sex crimes and extorting his clients. Previous Epstein Files releases have strongly indicated that Epstein, like Maxwell’s father and family, worked for Israeli intelligence.

The testimony from Giuffre and others sparked worldwide uproar, eventually forcing the U.S. government to act. In 2019, the FBI arrested Epstein, holding him in a high security Manhattan prison. Just weeks later, he was found dead in his cell, under highly suspicious circumstances.

Epstein was aware that the walls were closing in. Months before his arrest, he sent Chomsky a number of panicked emails, desperately asking for guidance on how to squash the widespread demands for his arrest.

On February 23, 2019, he wrote:

“Noam. I’d love your advice on how I handle my putrid press. Its is spiralling out of control. Do I have someone write an oped? Defend myself. Or try to ignore. Realizing that mobs are dangerous!”

“Can use some advice. The press is painting me as a monster. Congress, Senate being fed by plaintiffs. Lawyers only wanting money. I have no skill with the general public or media… Suggestions??” he asked another time.

Chomsky’s suggestion was generally to remain silent, hoping the situation would blow over. “Ive watched the horrible way you are being treated in the press and public. It’s painful to say, but I think the best way to proceed is to ignore it. I’ve had plenty of experience, though of course not on this scale,” he replied, adding that some of his close friends have also gone through the same thing.

“What the vultures dearly want,” he continued, “is a public response, which then provides a public opening for an onslaught of venomous attacks, many from just publicity seekers or cranks of all sorts.”

“Hard to say, but it’s the best advice I can think of,” he concluded, sympathizing with all the “torture and distress” the affair has caused. This is not a reference to the vast numbers of girls and women Epstein trafficked, abused, and raped, but to the mental anguish Epstein himself was going through, as his criminal network was being slowly and very publicly unraveled.

In his emails to Epstein, Chomsky denounced what he described as the “culture of gossip-mongers” destroying his stellar character. “These things have a half-life. The best reaction, I think, is to just stay above the furor, wait it out, go on with what matters.”

On December 29, 2018, Epstein asked his unofficial crisis manager for feedback on an op-ed article he wrote about himself in the third person, which he said he would send to The Washington Post and have published.

The fawning, saccharine piece presented Epstein as a near saint suffering outrageous slanders. As it read:

“The critics are wrong on the facts and the law. They also ignore a fact going to the heart of fundamental fairness: In the decade since paying his debt to society, Jeffrey Epstein has led a life characterized by responsible citizenship, numerous acts of generosity and good deeds.  Here are the true key facts: Jeffrey Epstein [is] a successful self-made businessman with no prior criminal history whatsoever.”

It also stated that he “was treated exactly the same (including his time served) as any other state-incarcerated individuals,” for his 2008 conviction, a bizarre claim, considering his lenient sentence and conditions of incarceration.

Despite the fact that this was clearly a sock puppet article (a practice whereby an individual claims to be another entity in order to boost credibility), Chomsky was deeply impressed. “It’s a powerful and convincing statement,” he replied, although he once again advised against drawing even more media attention to the matter:

“Few are willing to think through the arguments and factual details or to try to adjudicate conflicting claims. I’ve seen this happen over and over on other matters… Ugly and bitter as it is, I suspect the best course now is not to stir the pot by raising the issue publicly, opening the door to charges and accusations that can no doubt be answered in the court of logic and fairness — but that’s not the public domain, where innuendo and suspicion and accusation reign.”

Chomsky suggested that, unfortunately, Epstein would simply have to “develop a thick skin” to “fend off whatever ugliness breaks through now and then.” “The great work that you have been doing speaks for itself,” he concluded, without explaining what exactly he was referring to.

Although the emails clearly show the extent to which Epstein trusted Chomsky, his intellect, and his judgment, he did not fully take his advice, and pursued a number of active measures to muddy the waters and improve his public image. One of these was to attempt to produce a documentary film about himself, presenting him in a good light. Epstein went into his Rolodex of influential people, calling in favors to see who would appear on camera endorsing him.

If his texts are to be believed, Chomsky was one of his most enthusiastic backers. “Spoke to Chomsky, he’s all in” he messaged an undisclosed associate in December 2018.

Epstein had leaned on Chomsky’s support previously. In 2017, he asked the professor to write a few paragraphs on why he continued to value his friendship for an article in Forbes magazine, the gist of which, according to Epstein, would be “why people still want his advice after all of his personal travails.” It appears that the article was never published.

Chomsky is often described as an “intellectual rock star,” or an “American Socrates.” The father of modern linguistics, he is more well known for his political work and activism, which has seen him become an icon of the left. First coming to public attention for his opposition to the Vietnam War, he has written in excess of 150 books on politics, social science, and the media.

His first wife, Carol, with whom he had three children, died in 2008. In 2014, he subsequently married Valeria Wasserman, a Brazilian translator 35 years his junior. He suffered a debilitating stroke in 2023, leaving him unable to speak or meaningfully converse. Until his final public appearances, however, he continued to defend Epstein, even after the latter was found dead in his cell.

In 2020, when asked about Epstein’s sex crime convictions, Chomsky was adamant: “There is a principle of Western law, that once a person has served a sentence, he is are the same as everybody else. It seems to be forgotten. Why this obsession but not with more significant characters?” he said, also attempting to deflect, noting that far worse people than Epstein regularly donate to his university, M.I.T.

One of his last interviews was with The Wall Street Journal, who questioned him directly about his connections to the disgraced billionaire. Chomsky was unusually blunt. “That is none of your business. Or anyone’s,” he stated, adding, “I knew him and we met occasionally.”

However, as this investigation will show, that is a self-serving and misleading description of an extremely close relationship forged over many years.

Flying on the Lolita Express, Dreaming of Epstein’s Rape Island
For years, Jeffrey Epstein allowed Chomsky to periodically live a life of extreme luxury, plying him and his wife with gifts, and providing them access to his property, vehicles, and staff.

Emails show that, in May 2016, while he was in New York City for a lecture, Noam met up with Epstein and stayed at his residence. The location in question is very likely to be Epstein’s palatial, seven-floor 51,000 square feet (4,700m²) mansion. A former hospital turned into a single apartment, the property is filled with paintings of naked women and other highly sexualized art, and was where Epstein would traffic and rape his slaves, as well as hold wild sex parties for his powerful guests. Chomsky described it as “that lovely apartment where you once put us up,” indicating he stayed there on more than one occasion.

When federal agents raided the property in July 2019, they found a framed photo of Epstein with the Chomskys on a bedside table.

This was not the first time that Chomsky had tasted some of New York’s most luxurious residences, courtesy of Epstein. In 2015, the billionaire booked him into the $1400-per-night Manhattan Suite at the Mark Hotel on the Upper East Side.

And in order to travel in style, he flew aboard Epstein’s private jet, nicknamed the “Lolita Express” – a reference to the child sex crimes widely alleged to have regularly taken place aboard.

Many years ago, internet sleuths combing through the Facebook profile of Valdson Vieira Cotrin – Epstein’s Parisian butler – were shocked to find an image that appeared to show him arm-in-arm with Chomsky. The latest tranche of emails proves this photo to be accurate.

“Dear Jeffrey, We had a wonderful day. Valdson took good care of us. Drove us to the Louvre, went to pick us up, brought us to your wonderful apartment for a delicious meal. We just missed your company,” Valeria wrote, attaching a selfie for him to enjoy.

The property in question was Epstein’s 7,400-square-foot apartment at 22 Avenue Foch in Paris’ exclusive 16th arrondissement, just a stone’s throw away from the Arc de Triomphe.

Other emails show Epstein was offering his other properties to the Chomskys. “You should also feel free to use my Palm Beach house, for just you and [REDACTED]. You will be well looked after. It’s very warm. Anytime this or next month,” he wrote in February 2016. Noam was tempted. “Lovely offer. Don’t think we’re not thinking about it. Hard,” he replied.

Chomsky, however, had his eyes set on an entirely different property of Epstein’s: the one on Little St. James Island. On multiple occasions, he signalled his eagerness to visit what would come to be known as one of the most notorious houses on the planet.

Epstein’s 70-acre private island became world renowned after U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George alleged that dozens of girls, some as young as 12-years-old, were imprisoned and raped at the property. The compound, full of occult symbolism, was put up for sale in 2022 in order to pay for a host of lawsuits.

In February 2016, he offered to send the Lolita Express to Boston to pick up the Chomskys, and take them to Little St. James Island. “Can’t tell you how tempting the invitation is. Have to somehow work out the schedule,” Noam replied.

A few months later, Noam was still dreaming of visiting. “Valeria’s always keen on New York. I’m really fantasizing about the Caribbean island,” he told Epstein in July 2016.

Despite all this, there is no indication in the files that any of the Chomskys saw or partook in any sex crimes or illegal activities with Epstein.

Dining With “Dear Friends” and War Criminals

Jeffrey Epstein, needless to say, was a highly politically-connected man. From princes to presidents, the billionaire trafficker was a central figure among the global elite. One of his closest associates was Donald Trump. Previously disclosed files show Epstein describing himself as “Trump’s closest friend,” and claiming that it was he who introduced the president to his wife, Melania.

Trump’s unlikely electoral victory in 2016 sent shockwaves around the world. But through Epstein, Valeria Chomsky saw a way to directly influence U.S. governmental policy, asking her friend to suggest to the new president that her husband should become his policy advisor. “Once you asked me who I would like to see talking to Noam. Here is a guy!” she said, just days after Trump’s November 2016 victory. “Can you arrange it? He could make good use of Noam’s advices,” she added, also stating that she should also be appointed a political analyst in the White House.

While she may have been joking about her own appointment, the idea that Epstein could arrange something like that for her husband was not far-fetched. Epstein, by this time, had already set Noam up with meetings with influential world leaders. In the summer of 2015, he organized a dinner with former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, a man Chomsky had strongly denounced in print. “I hope [REDACTED] and you enjoyed yesterday as much as the Barak’s and I” Epstein wrote to Noam that September.

At the same time as the Barak meeting, Chomsky planned a trip to Israel, a move that would likely have angered many in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement. In October of that year, however, he cancelled the visit. Not because of Israel’s crimes against Palestine, but because Valeria tore a muscle and had to concentrate on recovering.

In 2018, Epstein invited the Chomskys to a small, private dinner party with Barak and Trump strategist Steve Bannon. For many leftists, the idea of sharing a room with an Israeli prime minister, the world’s most notorious pedophile, and an oft-described “fascist” white supremacist thinker would sound like a nightmare.

Chomsky, however, described his regret at missing out on the opportunity due to work commitments, emailing Bannon directly. “My wife Valeria and I were quite disappointed to have missed you the other night, and hope that we can arrange something else before too long. Lots to talk about,” he wrote.

Months later, they personally invited Bannon to his Arizona home. “Jeffrey is a very dear friend, and we look forward to meeting you. Would it be possible for you to come 4pm tomorrow?” Valeria wrote.

Images of the famous leftist intellectual arm-in-arm and laughing with the driving force behind the alt-right and many of Trump’s most racist and punitive policies caused commotion when they were released as part of a previous Epstein Files disclosure.

Flying on the Lolita Express to Attend a “Pedophile Convention”
Chomsky, however, had long been mingling with controversial figures, thanks to his Epstein friendship.

In October 2015, the emails show, he flew from Boston to New York City with Epstein on his private jet in order to attend a soirée at Epstein’s notorious Manhattan town house with the disgraced film director Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn.

Allen’s proclivities, if anything, were even more well-known than Epstein’s. His long-term, high-profile relationship with actress ended spectacularly in 1992 after their adopted seven-year-old daughter, Dylan, alleged that he had, for some time, been molesting her.

At the same time as this, Allen had been having an affair with another of Farrow’s adopted children, 22-year-old Soon-Yi Previn. Just five years later, Allen married Previn.

Allen was a frequent guest at these Manhattan dinners, noting that Epstein was like “Dracula with young female vampires to serve him.” Epstein left even less to the imagination when discussing his time with Allen, describing their meetings as a “pedophile convention.”

Chomsky was unrepentant about his actions. When asked directly by The Wall Street Journal, he said, “If there was a flight, which I doubt, it would have been from Boston to New York, 30 minutes.” There is now pictorial evidence that Chomsky did indeed fly with the billionaire molester on his plane. On his association with Allen, he replied, “I’m unaware of the principle that requires that I inform you about an evening spent with a great artist.”

“Deep, Sincere, And Everlasting Friendship”
The overwhelming image that emerges from nearly 4000 newly released documents concerning the pair is a deep, years-long friendship between Noam Chomsky and Jeffrey Epstein. The two would exchange jokes, and talk money, politics, medical problems, and legal troubles. Epstein became Chomsky’s closest friend above all others.

“Dear Jeffrey, We count you as our best friend. I mean ‘the’ one. It is always great to see you,” Valeria Chomsky wrote in 2017.

The world-renowned linguist said as much, signing off one note to Epstein with the words: “Like real friendship, deep and sincere and everlasting from both of us, Noam and Valeria.”

The billionaire showered the Chomskys with gifts, such as a food hamper from Carnegie Deli, an iconic New York City Jewish eatery, and a cashmere sweater for Noam’s 87th birthday. On one occasion, Epstein organized a private car to take the couple to the airport.

The Chomskys reciprocated in kind. In 2016, Noam contributed to Epstein’s birthday book. A previous edition of Epstein’s birthday book contained lurid illustrations of him receiving massages from young girls, and a hand-drawn picture of a naked woman from Donald Trump, replete with language that many have taken to be allusions to sex with underage girls.

There is no indication what Chomsky contributed, nor that he ever saw the book, but Epstein was “thrilled and touched by it,” according to an email.

Epstein and the Chomskys met frequently, and, judging by their interactions, greatly enjoyed their time together. As Valeria wrote, “I am very enthusiastic about these meetings.” Another time, she made Epstein promise to “include her in the next photos,” according to an email from Epstein’s executive assistant, Lesley Groff. Prosecutors are currently weighing up charging Groff for her alleged role in Epstein’s sex crimes, which include scheduling massage appointments from women and girls. Groff has denied all wrongdoing.

A sign of how close the relationship became is that Epstein grew notably fond of Valeria’s cooking. One email from Noam notes that she prepared his “favorite dessert” (possibly a passion fruit mousse, judging by other emails discussing her culinary exploits) ahead of his February 2016 visit to their Massachusetts home.

Epstein and Noam shared their deepest feelings and emotions with each other, as well as lighter topics. Epstein sent messages with subject lines such as “thought you might find this amusing.”

In one exchange, the pair even made sexual jokes with each other. Epstein wrote that he thought of Noam and Valeria as if they were “Pluto and its moon.” Chomsky responded, “Who’s Pluto” in this situation, to which Epstein shared a picture of the Disney character of the same name with its ears sticking up. After Chomsky agreed that he did look like the dog, Epstein quipped that “At your age, if anything sticks up, be proud.” “Ouch,” Chomsky replied, to which Epstein said, “Good, it still has feelings as well,” referencing Chomsky’s penis.

By 2017, the in-person meetings between Epstein and the Chomskys reduced in frequency. Not because of the mounting wave of evidence about the New York oligarch’s misdeeds, but because the pair had moved west to take up a teaching position at the University of Arizona. “We will be here [Tucson] and you are very welcome as always. Noam misses talking to you,” Valeria told Epstein in November 2018, just months before his arrest.

Publicly a Leftist Intellectual, Privately an Anti-Feminist Sexual Predator Defender
Chomsky would often talk politics with Epstein, and, while outwardly consistently espousing far-left political positions, some of his private conversations sounded more like the words of conservative figures, such as Jordan Peterson or Ben Shapiro.

He was vociferously critical of #MeToo and the modern feminist movement, describing it as a “hysteria that has developed about abuse of women, which has reached the point that even questioning a charge is a crime worse than murder.”

He vehemently defended his friend Lawrence Krauss, a celebrity scientist with a host of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct charges against him, going back over a decade.

And despite complaining about being called a “neo-Nazi” by “cranks,” he compared feminists asking questions about Krauss to Hitler’s brownshirts and religious zealots. As he wrote:

“Cultures unfortunately can be swept by craziness. Nazism for example. Or the Great Awakening. We’re in one of those phases now. If there’s a charge, it’s true, in fact True. Any response is “mansplaining,” another power play, reinforcing the charge. You’ve seen I’m sure what happened to Lawrence. Full and complete response, amounts to zero. Isn’t even considered. It’s like trying to discuss rationally with religious fanatics.”

He also bitterly attacked Venezuela under socialist presidents, Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro. Chomsky had met Chavez in Venezuela, and publicly praised him, stating “I can see how a better world is being created and can speak to the person who has inspired it.”

With Epstein, though, Chomsky described Venezuela as “a major disaster” brought about by “corruption and incompetence.” He characterized the country as a “completely” top-down bureaucracy and not even “remotely like socialism.”

Trusting Epstein Over His Own Children
Over the years, Epstein became not only Chomsky’s dearest friend, but his closest and most trusted legal and financial advisor. This relationship even damaged the bond with his children, who expressed their alarm at what they called a “dramatic and unexplainable” increase in his spending since his 2014 marriage. “This unexpected outflow is placing your financial future at risk,” they warned.

They also strongly objected to their father’s insistence that Epstein’s personal accountant and close associate, Richard Kahn, be placed on the board of the family trust fund, set up to manage the wealth he had accrued over a life of academia and book publishing – wealth that many in the family had access to.

In July 2017, his three children wrote a joint letter in which they stated, “We beg you once again to meet with us and with the people who set up the Trust, the loan, etc., to clarify these issues,” going so far as to contact a professional mediator to help.

Richard Kahn worked closely with Epstein, managing his finances, investments, payments and other aspects of his life, including affairs at Little St. James Island. A 2021 lawsuit describes him as the “captain” of Epstein’s international sex crime ring, claiming that he, “directed, approved, enabled, and justified millions of dollars in payments that fueled the Epstein Enterprise’s sex trafficking, including payments to women who were forced to have sex with Epstein and/or recruited others to be victimized.” Kahn vehemently denies the charges.

In his later years, Chomsky became somewhat estranged from his children, siding with his wife and Epstein on matters, something that caused great distress to them. “On a personal level, we are heartbroken to feel that we are kept at such a distance from you in your new life,” one of his daughters wrote; “We were thrilled to learn that you had found a new partner, but we were grieved when we began to realize that this meant we are rarely able to see you.”

Chomsky bitterly condemned his children’s behavior, characterizing them as “three multimillionaires” who cared more about the money than his own quality of life. Valeria, meanwhile, compared them to Nazis. The saga took its toll on Noam, who described it as a “painful cloud that I never would have imagined would darken my late years.”

The reason any of this bitter and acrimonious split is known or relevant to the public is that Noam and Valeria Chomsky were forwarding all the messages detailing the affair to Epstein, who advised them at every step of the way. Epstein used his financial and legal contacts, and, at one point, sent Chomsky $270,000 – a sum that was likely simply relating to facilitating the academic move his own funds around.

Throughout the whole affair, the pair were deeply appreciative of Epstein’s expertise. “Once again, redundantly, can’t thank you enough for all of your help and concern,” Noam wrote. Valeria was even more effusive in her praise. “You are a hero, Jeffrey!!!” she said.

Epstein encouraged Noam to cut off his children entirely. One of his last messages suggests that he took his advice. “I wanted the release to acknowledge that they are aware that you’ve decided to leave your entire estate to Valeria,” he wrote.

Manufacturing Age of Consent
The immediate response to the newly-released tranche of Epstein Files from many of Chomsky’s millions of followers was one of disgust and disbelief. “I am heartsick,” wrote Indian intellectual Vijay Prashad, who penned two books with Chomsky. “There is no defense for this, in my view, no context that can explain this outrage… From my side, I am horrified and shocked.”

“Chomsky was a major influence on me and millions of others. He is a seminal figure on the global left. But his consorting with Epstein is unforgivable. A shameful coda to a life dedicated to exposing power and lies,” added British journalist, Matt Kennard.

Even before Epstein’s death in 2019, his relationship with Chomsky was already beginning to raise suspicions. Why was one of the world’s most famous leftist academics so insistent on risking his professional reputation and damaging his relationship with his children, all for Epstein? Chomsky is known as one of the world’s sharpest minds. Yet he dogmatically refused to see the obvious moral danger in associating so closely with a notorious pedophile.

Again, there is no indication in the files that Chomsky was involved in any illegal behavior with Epstein, let alone sex crimes. Nevertheless, his decision to involve Epstein so closely in his life is even more objectionable when compared with the actions of Norman Finkelstein, an academic, disciple, and associate of Chomsky’s. In 2015, when Harvard professor Robert Trivers put Finkelstein and Epstein in contact via email, he responded by calling Epstein a pedophile and told him that he should be put to death for his heinous sex crimes. As he wrote:

“My guess is, if Epstein put your daughter at age 15 in such a position, you wouldn’t publicly describe him as a “friend” and person of “integrity.” In fact, I would hope that you’d promptly throttle both Epstein and [his lawyer Alan] Dershowitz.”

The Chomsky/Epstein relationship is one of profound contradictions. The academic publicly presents himself as an anti-state anarchist, but in private, collaborates with the very embodiment of the so-called “deep state.” And while Chomsky has been one of Israel’s loudest critics, his close friend was an Israeli agent.

The revelations have seriously weakened Chomsky’s standing in public, and his dying years will no doubt be marred by a renewed questioning of both his moral character and his body of work.

Ultimately, then, with his financial clout and know, Epstein may have been able to save Chomsky some cash and provide him with a few days of luxury. But it has cost Chomsky something far more valuable: his reputation.

Watch our breakdown of the Chomsky-Epstein Files with Mnar Adley and Alan MacLeod

(MintPress News)


From Orinoco Tribune – News and opinion pieces about Venezuela and beyond via This RSS Feed.

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The energy blockade imposed by the United States continues to cause great damage to the people of Cuba.

The Cuban government has issued a critical alert to international airlines over the imminent depletion of aviation fuel reserves. This situation, confirmed by various sources to the EFE news agency, is the direct consequence of the total oil siege imposed by the United States.

As of this Monday, air operations on the island are left at the mercy of a pressure policy that seeks to definitively isolate the Cuban people from the rest of the world.

Affected companies, with key routes from Spain, Mexico, Panama, and the United States itself, have not yet detailed how they will overcome this logistical obstacle. The shortage threatens to disrupt flight frequencies and immediately alter the schedules of thousands of passengers.

The measure not only hits the state economy but also strips citizens of their right to mobility and connection with the outside world. The oil blockade constitutes yet another violation of human rights and international law by the United States’ imperialist regime.

Although the island has faced similar crises in the past, particularly during the Special Period following the fall of the USSR, the current severity marks a breaking point. On previous occasions, airlines managed to mitigate the impact through technical stopovers in neighboring countries to refuel. However, the extreme tightening of current sanctions complicates any logistical survival alternative for the Cuban aviation sector.

Trump’s presidential order: a war against subsistenceThe energy stranglehold was launched through a presidential order by US President Trump that uses trade as a weapon of war. By threatening tariffs on third countries that supply oil to Cuba, Washington has established a siege that goes beyond bilateral borders.

Under the unproven pretext of alleged national security concerns and an attempt to portray Cuba as a threat to the United States, a policy of collective punishment has been put in place that ignores the basic needs of the civilian population.

This escalation began at the start of the year with the interruption of Venezuelan supply of oil to Cuba. Since the election of Hugo Chávez in 1998, Venezuela has maintained a consistent supply of energy for Cuba. By closing this vital tap, the US regime has left Cuba in an extremely vulnerable positing, forcing it into negotiations under coercion. While the Cuban government remains open to dialogue, pressure from the White House is attempting to force a political surrender through hunger and lack of fuel.

Cuba’s dependence on imported crude oil is the Achilles’ heel that Washington has chosen to attack with mathematical coldness. Given that the country produces only one third of what it consumes, the cut in supplies from Venezuela, Mexico, and Russia creates great disorder in the daily life of Cubans. The impact extends far beyond airplanes: the lack of fuel translates into darkness spreading through all strata of Cuban society.

An emergency plan in the face of the people’s extreme vulnerabilityFaced with the impossibility of importing petroleum or derivatives, Havana has been forced to implement a subsistence plan bordering on the agonizing. Measures include the suspension of diesel sales and drastic cuts in sensitive sectors such as health and public administration.

The closure of hotel infrastructure and the reduction of hospital services highlight the human dimension of this criminal blockade.

Cuba is facing this onslaught at its moment of greatest economic fragility in recent decades. After six years of deep crisis, characterized by runaway inflation and shortages of basic goods, the population is exhausted. Prolonged power outages and medicine shortages were already part of daily life before the oil siege intensified.

The lack of aviation fuel is the latest link in a chain of measures designed to collapse Cuban resistance.

President Díaz-Canel: Cuba Will Respond With Self-Sufficiency Plan to Combat US Strangulation Attempt

(Últimas Noticias) by Randolph Borges

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/CB/SL


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“As I said yesterday, we consider it very unfair to impose tariffs on those who send oil to Cuba, and we will continue to help (the island) with various types of humanitarian aid,” the head of the Executive Branch reaffirmed from the National Palace.

“At this moment, we are taking all the necessary steps to be able to send oil again, which is very necessary for the people of Cuba, and to ensure that it does not affect the people of Mexico,” the president stated.

She mentioned, as on previous occasions, that most of the crude oil that this nation sent to Cuba was through a purchase contract, just as with any country in the world, and another portion was for humanitarian reasons.

According to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some 814 tons of humanitarian aid departed for Cuba from the port of Veracruz aboard the Navy’s logistics support ships Papaloapan and Isla Holbox.

Yesterday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel thanked Mexico for “the solidarity, the affection, the ever-warm embrace of Cuba.”

Various voices in Mexico, from members of parliament to social organizations and political parties such as the ruling Morena party and the Labor Party, have expressed their support for the Caribbean nation in the face of the United States’ energy blockade, which they have also described as cruel and anachronistic.

jdt/jha/las

The post Claudia Sheinbaum: Very unfair US measure against Cuba first appeared on Prensa Latina.


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Caracas, February 10, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said Venezuela has enjoyed a “very good understanding and relationship” with the Trump White House in the period since the January 3 US attacks.

In an interview with Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt aired on Monday, Rodríguez stated that Caracas and Washington have a “golden opportunity” to build a “win-win” relationship.

“Right now, we have opportunities for mutual respect, for cooperation, to build a win-win situation for both countries, for both peoples,” he said.

Rodríguez confirmed regular contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in dialogue “based on mutual respect.” He added that US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is expected in Venezuela in the coming days.

The two governments have fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement in recent weeks, with US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu arriving in Caracas and meeting Venezuelan leaders on February 2.

Rodríguez, the older brother of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, also defended recent legislation  pushed through by the executive and parliament, including an overhaul of Venezuela’s Hydrocarbon Law. On January 29, the National Assembly approved a pro-business reform that lowers taxes and royalties for private corporations while granting them expanded control over operations and sales.

“What we are doing is adapting laws so that it can promote investment especially from the USA,” Rodríguez told Schmitt. “We have an oil industry that needs developing, and if we [the US and Venezuela] can stay on the path of mutual respect and cooperation, we have a bright future ahead of us.”

The parliamentary leader emphasized that the Venezuelan government’s priority is to turn oil revenues into social welfare and promote education and healthcare in a “free market economy.”

The Trump administration’s January 3 military strikes also saw special operations forces kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Rodríguez made one mention of Maduro and Flores in the interview, responding when asked by Schmitt that both should be released “immediately” in accordance with international law.

The Venezuelan president and first lady pleaded not guilty to charges including drug trafficking conspiracy in their January 5 arraignment. The next hearing is scheduled for March 26.

Despite reiterated accusations of “narcoterrorism,” US officials have never provided evidence tying Maduro and high-ranking Venezuelan officials to drug trafficking activities, while specialized agency reports have found the South American nation to play a marginal role in the global narcotics trade.

In his interview with the pro-Trump news channel, National Assembly President Rodríguez additionally ruled out Venezuela holding elections in the near future.

“There will not be an election in this immediate period of time where the stabilization of the country has to be achieved,” he explained. “In Venezuela we have a very clear calendar for elections established in the Constitution.”

Maduro had begun his third six-year term in January 2025, while a new legislature took office on January 5, 2026, for a five-year period. Regional and municipal officials likewise started new four-year terms in the second half of 2025.

Rodríguez mentioned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statements that, according to the Trump administration, the priority is stability in Venezuela. Rubio has claimed that the White House has a three-phase plan of “stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition.”

The post Venezuelan Parliament Head Welcomes ‘Win-Win’ Relations with US, Dismisses Short-Term Elections appeared first on Venezuelanalysis.


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Canadian officials and business leaders have condemned Trump’s threat to postpone the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.


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Knight imbued his talent in Cuban film, radio, theater, and television, and is fondly remembered for his roles in the series “En silencio ha tenido que ser” and the films “El otro Cristobal” (1963), “Una mujer, un hombre, una ciudad” (1978), and “Lejos de Africa” ​​(1996), among others.

Audiences also enjoyed his recent appearances on screen as the host of a segment on the popular program “Entre tú y yo.”

Awarded with the National Television Prize, he founded the Tacya theater group and ventured into musical theater, where he wrote his first song, “Amor en Trinidad” (Love in Trinidad), a little-known facet of his career, according to an article published on Radio Rebelde website.

The article highlights his artistic tours in countries such as Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Venezuela, and Angola.

Since the news broke, several Cuban media outlets and personalities have expressed their sorrow at the passing of the artist, who leaves behind an immense body of work for his homeland and for new generations of performers.

With the passing of Alden Knight, the people of Cuba lose a complete artist, remembered for “his insightful gestures, his expressive smile, and the vital passion that always emanated from his voice.”

jdt/jha/amr

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The Islamic group affirmed in a statement that such a measure reveals the true face of Israel and deemed it a blatant challenge to international regulations and conventions.

It underscored that the threats of execution “represent an unprecedented escalation in the policy of slow killings practiced by the (Israeli) occupation against Palestinian prisoners.”

Hamas also accused the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using torture in its prisons systematically.

The group warned that our compatriots are subjected there daily to acts of abuse, medical neglect, and deliberate starvation, in a clear extension of the open war of extermination in the occupied territories.

Israel’s national television recently revealed plans to establish a special complex to conduct executions and the development of operational procedures on the matter.

abo/iff/lam/rob

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The telephone conversation took place amid growing fears of a potential attack by the United States, supported by its ally Israel, against Iran, whose leaders asserted they will respond with full force if an attack occurs.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated in a release that Araghchi praised Cairo’s role in promoting de-escalation and its commitment to moving toward a diplomatic settlement.

The diplomatic institution also briefed Abdelatty on the recent meeting with a US delegation in Oman to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue.

Although Tehran insists its program has peaceful aims, both the United States and Israel accuse the country of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

The Egyptian foreign minister reaffirmed his Government’s support for the ongoing negotiations and called for addressing concerns through diplomatic channels.

abo/iff/lam/rob

The post Egypt and Iran bet on dialogue to reduce regional tension first appeared on Prensa Latina.


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According to the Interior Ministry, the operation was carried out in coordination with the General Directorate of Intelligence, and the suspects were apprehended while attempting to deploy Grad rocket launchers with the aim of attacking residential areas of Damascus.

The operation took place in the Damascus-County Governorate and was executed according to a pre-designed security plan, which allowed for the seizure of the weapons before their use and the capture of all those involved, the source stated.

According to preliminary investigations, the detainees confessed to their participation in planning new terrorist attacks and admitted to maintaining external coordination with terrorist entities, whose plans were neutralized by the security services.

The Ministry indicated that all confiscated material was placed in safekeeping and that those arrested were handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Department for further investigation and appropriate legal action.

On February 1st, the Interior Ministry revealed details about those responsible for recent missile attacks against a neighborhood in the capital and the Mezzeh airbase, following the complete dismantling of a terrorist cell involved in those attacks.

abo/arm/mem/fm

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The source detailed that the soldiers, from various allied countries, suffered from boils and blisters to discoloration of their extremities and were repatriated for treatment.

Basically, they have to learn entirely new skills just to survive there, let alone to handle military contingencies, the newspaper stated, highlighting the troops’ inability to cope with the Arctic climate.

Local analysts believe the incident exposes deficiencies in NATO’s preparedness to operate in extreme environments, prioritizing geopolitical expansion over actual operational capability.

The Russian ambassador to Stockholm, Sergey Belyaev, previously stated that these exercises in the Nordic region simulate a conflict scenario with Russia.

According to observers, adverse weather conditions highlight the logistical and human challenges facing the coalition in its deployment to the Arctic.

abo/arm/mem/amp

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The former members of the collective cabinet, which concluded its term on Saturday, February 7, have a maximum of thirty days from that date to complete this legal formality, the agency added, as reported by the Gazzette Haiti newspaper.

The call from the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Caribbean nation includes executives, politicians, directors, and other members of the CPT (Provincial Tax Council) who had to leave their posts after the institution’s legal mandate ended in April 2024, following two years in power.

The entity, which defends respect for the law among state representatives, cited Articles 2, 6, 7, and 14 of the February 2008 law that regulates the declaration of assets for political figures, officials, and public employees after the end of their respective terms.

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian emphasized his country’s support for Havana in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security.

China firmly opposes the inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to development, he stated.

Lin Jian stressed that China will do everything possible, as always, to provide support and assistance to Cuba.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized last week China’s firm support for Cuba and China’s determination to stand with the island in defending its national sovereignty and security.

Wang Yi met here with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, special envoy of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) and the Cuban government.

“We attach great importance to and take very seriously the legitimate aspirations of our Cuban friends.

We stand united with Cuba to further consolidate and develop our friendly relations,” he noted.

Wang Yi praised the tenacious struggle and courage of the Cuban people in their challenge to hegemony, as well as the international respect earned by the island.

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China reitera firme apoyo a Cuba y rechazo a injerencias

Beijing, 10 feb (Prensa Latina) China reiteró hoy su firme respaldo a Cuba frente a interferencias externas y acciones que afecten el derecho a la subsistencia de su pueblo.

El portavoz de la Cancillería, Lin Jian, subrayó el apoyo de su país a La Habana en la salvaguardia de su soberanía y seguridad nacionales.

China se opone firmemente a las acciones inhumanas que privan al pueblo cubano de su derecho al desarrollo, expresó.

Lin Jian recalcó que China hará todo lo posible, como siempre, para brindar apoyo y asistencia a Cuba.

El canciller chino, Wang Yi, subrayó la semana pasada el firme apoyo a Cuba y la decisión del gigante asiático de mantenerse junto a la isla en la defensa de la salvaguarda de su soberanía y seguridad nacionales.

Wang Yi sostuvo un encuentro aquí con el canciller Bruno Rodríguez, enviado especial del Partido Comunista (PCC) y Gobierno cubano.

«Concedemos gran importancia y nos tomamos muy en serio las legítimas aspiraciones de nuestros amigos cubanos. Nos mantenemos unidos a Cuba para seguir consolidando y desarrollando nuestras relaciones de amistad», apuntó. Wang Yi exaltó la tenaz lucha y el valor del pueblo cubano en su desafío ante la hegemonía, así como el respeto internacional ganado por la isla.

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“We have said repeatedly that we should not get carried away by enthusiasm regarding what is happening: that US President Donald Trump ‘put the Europeans and the leader of Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky, in their place and demanded that they comply, is not a sign of a complete solution,” the Foreign Minister of Russia stated.

In an interview with the Russian channel NTV, on the occasion of Diplomat’s Day, Lavrov affirmed that “all of that is very good if we want to achieve peace in Ukraine, but we have not yet reached that point.”

Regarding this, the Russian Foreign Minister added that negotiations are ongoing, as evidenced by the second round held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, while warning that “there is still a long way to go.”

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After being decorated by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) this Tuesday at the Casa Árabe in Madrid, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stressed the need to implement irreversible measures to end the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.

Albares received the Star of Merit of the Order of the State of Palestine from Ambassador Husni Abdelwahed, which was awarded by PNA President Mahmoud Abbas.

“Spain will always stand with the Palestinian people, with their dignity and their right to live in peace and security, exactly the same right that the rest of the countries in the region and every human being have,” the Foreign Minister emphasized.

“Spain will always stand with the Palestinian people, with their dignity and their right to live in peace and security, exactly the same right that the rest of the countries in the region and every human being have,” the Foreign Minister remarked. In accepting the award, the diplomat said it serves to reinforce not only his personal commitment to Palestine, but also that of the majority of Spanish society to the just cause of peace and to the very idea of ​​humanity, which is being questioned today.

He recalled that in May 2014, Spain decided to recognize Palestine as a state, a step that many other countries have followed and which represents the true and only possible path to peaceful coexistence in the Middle East.

He also noted that, while some positive steps have been taken to end the suffering of the people of Gaza, they are still far from ending a cycle of infernal violence that deprives the citizens of the Strip of their most basic rights.

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This column by Carlos Fernández-Vega originally appeared in the February 10, 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.*

In his first year in office, then-President López Obrador announced that no new mining concessions would be granted, “because what was given (to local and foreign consortiums in the sector) was excessive, and if we analyze it, we will conclude that not even in a thousand generations would the 108 million hectares (equivalent to 54 percent of the national territory) that were handed out” by the PRI-PAN governments be fully exploited. That was in August 2019, and seven years later, Claudia Sheinbaum reaffirmed that no new concessions would be granted and that, in fact, more than 200 completely unproductive concessions would revert to the Mexican State.

The President explained that although the federal government made the respective request, the mining consortiums that held the mines among their assets “agreed (to return them) voluntarily” and, in case there was any doubt, she made it clear that “we will not change that policy; there are, now, groups that say that ‘we are going to enter an extractive process and we are handing over the natural resources’; none of that is true.”

It seems someone has finally grasped the significance of the message sent years ago by the national leader of the Mining Union, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia: “The granting of concessions to extract resources has been characterized by a particular phenomenon: complicity. In exchange for political and financial support, politicians betray the Constitution and grant favorable concessions to private companies and a select few individuals. In addition to signing unlimited permits to exploit natural resources, government officials grant tax exemptions, authorizations to dump toxic waste, and force the displacement of Indigenous communities. The companies have become monopolies that work to generate profits at any cost. Meanwhile, health and safety issues are completely ignored. All of this happens with the backing of politicians, who continue to grant more concessions to abusive companies.”

Indeed, if there is one thing that characterizes mining in Mexico, it is the concentration of concessions granted to private capital (Germán Larrea, the Bailleres family, Carlos Slim, Canadian consortiums and a few others), of the land (they are the neo-latifundistas) and of the hundreds of billions of dollars that this activity generates annually, without much benefit for the country.

President Sheinbaum’s announcement is all the more necessary given the cheerful assertion by Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard (head of the institution that grants these concessions) that “we signed an action plan with the United States, which involves mutual consultations and anticipates that within 60 days we will present different alternatives regarding critical minerals,” while also announcing that Mexico “will hold talks with other nations to sign an action plan on critical minerals similar to the one signed with the United States” (La Jornada, Braulio Carbajal). However, the president was very clear: “absolutely nothing has been signed,” a point that must be emphasized because the insatiable American predators have their eyes on the country’s mineral wealth.

To give an idea of ​​the sheer volume of mining concessions granted by the neoliberal regime, it’s worth noting that the area is equivalent to the combined territory of 11 Mexican states, 3.8 times the size of Central America, 2.8 times the size of Texas, or the combined area of ​​Spain and France. Felipe Calderón takes the gold medal with 36 million hectares; Ernesto Zedillo the silver with 35 million; and Vicente Fox the bronze with just over 27 million (Peña Nieto, 8 million; and Salinas de Gortari, 2.2 million).

The government must be very cautious, because the neoliberal regime handed out mining concessions to its predatory cronies like candy, so that more than half of the national territory ended up in their hands in one way or another. Given this situation, it’s worth remembering: large-scale mining accounts for 77 percent of national production; medium-sized mining, 7 percent; and small-scale mining, 16 percent. As of mid-2025, 22,247 concessions remained in effect, and nearly 451,000 hectares of land were recovered through the cancellation of 344 permits for non-compliance. Of the total concessions still in effect, 56 percent are concentrated in four states: Sonora, Durango, Chihuahua, and Zacatecas.

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The protest, which began last week and intensified on Monday in the provincial capital of Santa Fe and in Rosario, the main cities, as well as in other towns, and continued throughout Tuesday morning, was joined by prison guards and their families.

The Professional Police Association (Apropol) stated that among the demands for economic improvements are “a real salary increase, with a starting salary no less than the total cost of living and clear, auditable payroll,” and the implementation of a Police Food Card for all personnel, regardless of their post or rank.

According to the new plan announced by the provincial Minister of Security, Pablo Cococcioni, the average inspector’s salary exceeds 2,250,000 pesos (US$1,530), a police director’s salary is 1,626,942 pesos (US$1,106), while a sub-officer, who represents the vast majority, earns 130,505 pesos (US$89) with bonuses.

At the end of 2025, the cost of the basic food basket reached 1,257,329 pesos (US$855) per month, the amount a typical family needs to avoid poverty. In January, that average rose again.

The police protest coincides with a massive demonstration by provincial unions against the national government’s labor reform, the second phase of a series of protests in Cordoba as part of a broader labor movement rejecting President Javier Milei’s proposal.

The officers and their patrol cars gathered in front of the Government House and Rosario Police Headquarters. There, the officers patrolling the city decided to join the demonstrations being held by their colleagues.

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“Our focus remains on combating any neocolonial practice, from unilateral coercive measures to military interventions.

In this context, we reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Venezuela and Cuba,” Lavrov stated in a video message commemorating Russian Diplomats’ Day.

The head of Russian diplomacy stressed that Moscow is convinced that only the Caribbean countries can choose their destiny.

Lavrov emphasized that his nation is interested in continuing the practice of honest international cooperation on equal terms, in accordance with the principles of mutual understanding, trust, and good-neighborly relations.

Russian Ambassador to Cuba, Viktor Koronelli, in turn, reiterated in statements to TASS that Moscow observes “with great concern the situation in the Latin American and Caribbean region.”

Koronelli emphasized that the increased pressure and escalation of aggressive rhetoric from Washington, especially against sister nation Cuba, undermine security and stability in this region of the world.

In response to these unfounded accusations, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that “this new measure shows the fascist, criminal, and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interests of the US people for purely personal gain.”

Faced with increasing pressure, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia maintains close contact with Cuba to explore “possible ways to resolve these problems, or at least mitigate them.”

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In a statement, Guterres warned that Tel Aviv is undermining the two-state solution and urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse the decisions made regarding Palestine, which violate international law and the UN Charter.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as the regime and associated infrastructure, lack legal validity and is a flagrant violation of international law, including relevant UN resolutions, he noted.

Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, are not only destabilizing, but, as the International Court of Justice has stated, illegal, according to the statement released by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Furthermore, Guterres advocated for making the necessary efforts to achieve lasting peace.

Recently, the Israeli security cabinet approved several measures, including lifting a ban on the sale of West Bank land to Jews, declassifying land registry records to facilitate land purchasing, and transferring planning authority for construction at religious sites and other sensitive locations in the city of Hebron to Tel Aviv authorities.

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Relations between the two countries in higher education and innovation are mutually beneficial and aligned with the 2030 Strategy presented by President Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, Kanhukamwe stated.

During the meeting on the Institute’s campus, Perez Mesa updated Kanhukamwe and other officials present on the effects of the US blockade and the recent executive order that seeks to tighten it by restricting fuel imports.

The ambassador also highlighted the historic ties between the African nation and the Caribbean island, established just two days after Zimbabwe’s independence and marked by 40 years of cooperation in 2026.

Kanhukamwe and Perez Mesa reviewed the status of ongoing projects with HIT, including their implementation phases, and identified other opportunities for collaboration.

The diplomat, accompanied by Minister Counselor Luis Enrique Gonzalez, toured areas of the higher education center related to bilateral projects.

Kanhukamwe, along with his management team, thanked the Cuban ambassador for her visit and reiterated their commitment to taking the necessary steps to strengthen existing agreements.

Perez Mesa praised the excellent state of relations between the two countries, as evidenced by the exchange of delegations in 2025, including the visit of Cuban Parliament President Esteban Lazo Hernandez to Harare, as well as a special envoy from the President of Zimbabwe, two ministers, and three deputy ministers to Havana.

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Lin noted that Beijing has repeatedly expressed its stance on the matter.

The spokesperson affirmed that a genuine dialogue requires mutual respect and adherence to previous agreements.

“Whoever proclaims dialogue while promoting hostile actions will not find willing interlocutors,” he underscored during the daily press briefing.

Lin indicated that Tokyo must retract Takaichi’s erroneous comments on the island and respect the four political documents that underpin the bilateral relations.

Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Bin, in turn, addressed Takaichi’s statements regarding including the Self-Defense Forces in the Constitution.

Jiang pointed out that Tokyo has used constitutional interpretations to overcome the “exclusive self-defense” principle.

The military spokesperson noted that Japan has legalized the right to collective self-defense and developed offensive weaponry under the security pretext.

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