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Peruvian Congress to Decide Whether to Extend Registration Period for Informal Miners
(www.telesurenglish.net)
Mining projects valued at more than US$63 billion are scheduled to start in 2026.
On Wednesday, the Standing Committee of the Peruvian Congress will decide whether to extend the registration period for informal miners in the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (REINFO).
RELATED:
Peruvian Congress Approves Extension of Mining Formalization Process
On Dec. 4, the Parliament’s plenary approved a one-year extension of REINFO, which modified the initial two-year proposal. However, Congressional regulations stipulate that any bill initially approved must undergo a second vote at least seven days later.
Previously, Prime Minister Ernesto Alvarez stated that two non-negotiable conditions were extending REINFO for only one year and preventing the return of 50,000 excluded miners, to avoid illegal mining.
Interim President Jose Jeri added that if the approved ruling did not align with the Executive’s position, it would be returned with observations, and the REINFO would expire on Dec. 31. However, the debate was included on the Committee’s agenda, which keeps its functions after the closing of the annual Legislature.
La minería de mineros ilegales peruanos no se detiene, ahora avanza sobre el proyecto Conga de Newmont en Cajamarca, Perú. Autoridades advierten contaminación con mercurio y pérdida de control en zonas donde la minería formal no se desarrolla.#MineríaIlegal #Oro #Newmont #Perú… pic.twitter.com/ZOhiIDVrk9
— Mine Academy (@mine_academy) December 15, 2025
The text reads, “Illegal mining by Peruvian miners continues and now advances on Newmont’s Conga project in Cajamarca, Peru. Authorities warn of mercury contamination and a loss of control in areas where formal mining is not practiced.”
Hundreds of informal miners mobilized in various locations across the country and demanded the approval of the law. In 2024, Parliament had already extended the REINFO for one year, but failed to reach a consensus on a new Law for Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining.
Last Thursday, Mining Vice Minister Carlos Talavera announced that a “decisive phase” will begin in 2026 with mining projects valued at more than US$63 billion. The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) anticipates 21 projects, all scheduled to begin in 2026.
Talavera added that global demand for critical minerals will double by 2040, requiring up to 80% more than current consumption. Copper production grew by only 3% in the last year; however, revenue exceeded US$5.8 million thanks to favorable international prices.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Peru: In Cajamarca, more than 500 workers of the Canadian mining operator Shauindo observed an indefinite strike to demand better wages. pic.twitter.com/h1j5JUmux9
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 5, 2025
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – IIMP
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This editorial by Arturo Huerta González originally appeared in the December 16, 2025 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’ and do not necessarily reflect those ofMexico Solidarity Media*, or theMexico Solidarity Project.*
Editor’s note: Under the current USMCA agreement’s Article 32.10, a potential free trade agreement between Mexico and a “non-market economy” like China or Vietnam (or potentially even India or Brazil: the US is able to determine what a “non-market economy” is) is subject to veto by the United States of America, who as the dominant economic power in the Mexican economy have a considerable interest in sabotaging Mexican development.
Enacting the anti-China tariffs would guarantee that Mexican domestic production remains at a disadvantage against US capital, which is heavily financed, as well as able to access special tax concessions from the Mexican government and financing Mexican SMEs cannot; particularly when it comes to acquiring industrial inputs and affordable Chinese manufacturing equipment, which is now almost solely produced by China. Rather than benefitting from anti-China tariffs, Mexican firms may be actively sabotaged in competition in a closed market with primarily EU and US competitors who can access and import Chinese manufacturing equipment into Mexico via subsidaries, or afford to pay steep import fees. In such an environment, Mexican investment will tend towards areas with a high rate of return, such as real estate speculation, currently hyper-gentrifying and socially cleansing neighbourhoods in cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara.
The Mexican government has stated that the tariffs imposed are not against China and other Asian countries, with which Mexico does not have a free trade agreement, but rather are aimed at strengthening domestic industry and the national economy. The truth is that this tariff policy serves the interests of the U.S. government , which wants Mexico to stop importing from China and instead buy from the U.S., thus reducing its trade deficit with Mexico. Furthermore, they want to diminish China’s presence in Mexico, which falls within the framework of the Monroe Doctrine of “America for the Americans.”
The Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard stated that “the tariffs Mexico applied to countries with which it does not have trade agreements have a single objective: to preserve the jobs of 300,000 people who are currently disadvantaged by imported products.” The problem is that the vast majority of domestic production is at a disadvantage compared to all imports, which is why these have grown more than exports. This has led to a decline in industry and a loss of self-sufficiency in the production of staple grains, which has reduced economic growth, increased unemployment and underemployment, widened the trade deficit, increased dependence on capital inflows, and made the economy more fragile.
The high tariffs favor US multinational corporations operating in Mexico that produce polluting cars.
The government states that the tariff reform vis-à-vis Asian countries “is about protecting sectors of our economy that are facing competition from very low prices.” This raises the question: why doesn’t the government also impose tariffs on cheap imports from countries with which it has free trade agreements, imports that harm domestic production , increase unemployment , and reduce formal employment? Why doesn’t the government accept the demands of domestic farmers to remove staple grains from the USMCA or impose tariffs on such imports to protect domestic production and employment and ensure food self-sufficiency ?
If the government truly wanted to strengthen the economy, it would have to impose tariffs on all imports, including those from countries with which it has free trade agreements. It’s important to remember that the national economy’s growth from the 1940s until 1981 was due to the prevalence of protectionist policies and the existence of economic policies that favored productive development.
The private sector stated that “the reforms to increase tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico does not have a trade agreement reflect an industrial policy consistent with the country’s needs .” However, it should be noted that tariffs alone will not lead to increased productive investment or progress in import substitution. Cheap credit, subsidies, and a competitive exchange rate are required, none of which exist in the country. Without import substitution, import tariffs will put pressure on national inflation and will not stimulate growth.
Mexico has evaded many tariffs other countries have imposed on them because its export industries are entirely dominated by US capital, so President Trump would be tariffing US corporations. Mexican domestic firms that do export to the US, such as in the areas of aluminum, steel and tomatoes, are subject to US tariffs.
The Mexican Automotive Industry Association, comprised mainly of multinational corporations , celebrated the tariffs imposed on Chinese car imports, given their growing presence in the national market due to their lower cost and the fact that they are electric and environmentally friendly. The high tariffs favor US multinational corporations operating in Mexico that produce polluting cars. Furthermore, the Mexican government has not imposed any conditions on these tariffs that would require these companies to lower their prices and increase the production of non-polluting vehicles, thereby increasing national added value.
For its part, the National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry also celebrated the establishment of tariffs on China and acknowledged that Mexican steel exports to the United States have fallen 50 percent since the “unfair implementation of the tariffs that the US has established,” but did not advocate for tariffs to be established on imports from the US.
While the Mexican government imposes tariffs on China in response to US pressure, it ignores the demands of domestic farmers to remove staple grains from the USMCA trade agreement, and relevant authorities even refuse to engage in dialogue with them. A meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at the Ministry of the Interior, with representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Agriculture. However, the meeting was moved at the last minute to the Ministry of Agriculture. Farmers from many states arrived, but only 25 were allowed into the meeting. The rest were denied entry to the building, and after protests, they were finally allowed into the lobby, where they were prevented from crossing a barrier. No officials from the Ministry of Finance or Economy attended the meeting; only an Undersecretary of Agriculture and lower-level officials from the Ministries of the Interior and Agriculture were present. The farmers protested the government’s failure to take seriously the dialogue it had offered to end the highway blockades. At the end of the meeting, the farmers handed over a document with their demands and indicated that if their requests were not resolved during the week of December 15-19 , they would take to the roads again.
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Tariffs & Industrial Sabotage
December 16, 2025December 16, 2025
The government’s stated reasoning for anti-China tariffs rings hollow when considering the flood of cheap US imports destroying the Mexican countryside and production dominated by US corporations exploiting Mexican labour.
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Salvador Zarco: The Train & A Life
December 16, 2025December 16, 2025
The locomotive mechanic, trade unionist and communist helped found the Railroad Workers Museum after fighting the neoliberal privatization of Mexico’s railways.
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Cultural Promoters: Demand for Zaco’s Resignation at Railway Workers Museum is “Arbitrary”
December 16, 2025
The trade unionist was fired by Mexico City’s Ministry of Culture, who still have yet to recover sculptures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that were stolen by ultra-right wing mayor Alessandra de la Rojo Vega.
The post Tariffs & Industrial Sabotage appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.
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The Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations (UN), Samuel Moncada, stated this Thursday that his country will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence in all areas in order to ensure peace in the nation. He described as a grotesque offense, a violation of all civilizational norms, Donald Trump’s declarations that Venezuelan lands and oil belong to the U.S. and must be handed over immediately, because, if his orders are not obeyed, the most powerful navy in the world will impose a naval and air blockade.
RELATED:
U.S. Blockade of Venezuela Violates International Law: Gen. Gerasimov
Speaking at a UN session commemorating the International Day against Colonialism in All its Forms and Manifestations, Moncada demanded that the White House respect the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference, and self-determination of peoples.
“President Trump intends to turn back the clock of history and impose a colony on Venezuela. No legal instrument can stand against this monstrous declaration,” the diplomat stated, asserting that “colonialism is a crime of aggression” and that the Trump Administration is imposing “chaos and destruction on international relations.”
In Moncada’s words, “gunboat diplomacy has no place in the 21st century” and “colonialism must be defeated to protect all countries of the world.” He added that “the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as it hinders social, cultural, and economic development and undermines the ideal of peace for nations.”
#EnVivo | Samuel Moncada desde la ONU https://t.co/PR0XmfVqQq
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 18, 2025
He expressed solidarity with peoples living under foreign domination, such as Palestine and Puerto Rico. “We urge the powers to respect their inalienable rights,” he demanded.
He also denounced the fact that domination operates with new and pernicious methods, such as the abuse of its structural power in global trade, sanctions and unilateral measures, and the abusive appropriation of natural resources and access to technology.
He added that to dominate nations, hegemonic powers use media campaigns, financial pressure, and unilateral measures, all with the purpose of destabilizing sovereign states and seizing their resources.
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Argentina is entering 2026 amid mounting concern over environmental governance, as the national government advances a reform of the Glacier Protection Law while proposing a federal budget that significantly reduces funding for environmental protection and related public sectors.
RELATED:
China Advances Its Economic Presence in Argentina Despite Milei’s Alignment With Washington
The bill amending the Glacier Law is currently before the Senate and is expected to be debated this week in Congress through extraordinary committees. In parallel, the proposed 2026 national budget introduces deep cuts to environmental, education, health, science and cultural programs, measures whose impacts, according to specialists, would extend well beyond the coming year.
Once considered a landmark piece of legislation with international relevance, the Glacier Protection Law is now being revised under what the government describes as a need for “regulatory order.” Environmental organizations argue that this framing conceals a substantial weakening of water protections at a time of accelerating climate impacts.
¡Grave retroceso ambiental en Tierra del Fuego-Argentina !
Tras fuerte influencia del gobierno de Milei, ayer 16 de diciembre de 2025, la Legislatura provincial aprobó la modificación de la Ley 1355, que desde 2021 prohibía la salmonicultura industrial en mares y lagos para… pic.twitter.com/vGWm3QMYct
— ❗️Defendamos Patagonia❗️ (@DefendamsChiloe) December 16, 2025
The Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers and the Ecosocial Justice Action Collective warned that the reform represents a serious setback for water protection in a context of climate crisis, rapid glacier retreat and increasing water stress across the country. According to these organizations, the proposal removes the law’s current automatic protection of glaciers and replaces it with a discretionary system. Under this framework, a simple declaration by a provincial authority could exclude a glacier from legal protection, enabling extractive activities.
The draft legislation also eliminates the explicit ban on mining in periglacial environments and removes national minimum environmental standards, which currently guarantee a baseline level of protection across Argentina. Environmental advocates stress that, instead of strengthening safeguards for water resources in response to climate change, the government is weakening the only regulation that clearly limits the expansion of large-scale mining at river headwaters.
Budget policy reinforces these concerns. The proposal submitted by the presidency allocates 9.5 percent of total spending to debt payments, while funding linked to the right to a healthy environment falls by as much as 92.8 percent. The government of President Javier Milei also plans to maintain tax exemptions for mining and subsidies for the hydrocarbons sector.
The Foundation for Environment and Natural Resources criticized the approach, stating that “this limited perspective does not incorporate preventive or adaptive principles in line with the current climate crisis.” Ariel Slipak, research coordinator at the foundation, said that “it is essential for Congress to promote a broad, participatory and informed debate capable of correcting the setbacks posed by the current bill. Argentina needs a budget that strengthens public institutions, reduces inequalities and affirms a clear commitment to the fulfillment of human and environmental rights.”
📌Las noticias sobre el cuidado ambiental no son las mejores para este 2026 en #Argentina🇦🇷: el proyecto de Ley de Glaciares está en el Senado, mientras que el Presupuesto 2026 trae fuertes recortes ambientales que podrán sufrirse en años.
🔴Una reforma a una ley de avanzada… pic.twitter.com/rofKK0TaSM
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 17, 2025
According to the budget bill, environmental programs would receive 51.506 billion pesos in 2026, a real-term decrease of 33.8 percent compared to 2025 and 79.5 percent compared to 2023, the last year with an approved national budget. Funding for the National Fire Management Service would total 20.131 billion pesos, representing a real decrease of 69 percent compared to 2023 and 53.6 percent compared to 2025.
As Congress prepares to debate both the glacier reform and the budget, environmental organizations warn that the combined legislative and fiscal changes risk undermining water protection and climate resilience at a critical moment for Argentina.
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The French president backs age-verification system similar to controls on porn sites.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hopes to have a law in place by early 2026 to ban access to social media for children under 16.
RELATED:
Mexican Agency Presents Cybersecurity Plan
He cited Australia’s model, which has banned social media for those under 16 for about a week, and said France’s plan is to implement a verification system similar to the one in force since 2024 to prevent minors from accessing pornographic websites.
Macron said the drastic measure is justified because “the major platforms are not interested in cooperating” in controlling certain content that can incite or trigger mental health problems among young people.
“Before age 16, emotional life is not structured, the brain is not mature, and minors can be destabilized if they are exposed to social media content,” the French leader said, citing the risks of depression, cyberbullying, sedentary lifestyles and sleep problems.
Australia has banned social media for kids and teens under 16. They cannot set up new social media accounts and existing profiles are being deactivated including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
Good move ! Save the kids.
— Dr. Gatimu, Ph.D. (@Gatimu) December 10, 2025
Macron welcomed the EU’s decision to make it the responsibility of each member state to “establish” the age of majority for accessing social media.
In that context, Macron said he supports applying to social media the same controls France has used to regulate access to pornographic websites, which were being accessed by about 2 million minors each month, with an average age of 12.
France’s 2024 law regulating the internet established an age-verification system based on the issuance of a certificate of legal age under a “double anonymity” practice designed to protect users’ privacy. The system includes submitting a user’s national identity card or a photograph later analyzed by artificial intelligence to verify age.
#France | Emmanuel Macron’s deadline expires with no solution to the country's political crisis. pic.twitter.com/epcXv03DEy
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 8, 2025
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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President Maduro Rejects Corina Machado’s Accusations Against the Venezuelan People
(www.telesurenglish.net)
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, during the 99th broadcast of his program “Con Maduro Más,” condemned the statements made by far-right opposition leader María Corina Machado, who claimed that “60 percent of the Venezuelan population is involved in drug trafficking.”
Maduro strongly repudiated these accusations, calling them part of a fascist campaign seeking to justify the armed and bloody intervention of the United States in the country, which Machado has called for, demonstrating her hatred for the Bolivarian people.
RELATED:
Machado Incites Destabilization Against the Venezuelan State
The president emphasized that 89% of Venezuelans reject the fascist opposition leader Machado, according to data revealed by a national survey conducted by DataViva, and underscored that this rejection is also expressed in the more than 300 nighttime marches taking place throughout the country to reaffirm the nation’s sovereignty.
Regarding Corina Machado’s hate campaign against Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro added: “They say she has a broken vertebra; what’s broken is her brain and soul (…). She hates Venezuela. She manipulates the four followers she has left. I, in general, don’t pay any attention to what she does, because she’s crazy, demented with hatred.”
US piracy doesn’t only affect Venezuela
The president also denounced the recent US intervention on a private vessel carrying a significant cargo of Venezuelan crude oil, which he described as an “act of piracy” that violates international law, and on which the international organizations questioned about these violations have not commented.
Maduro emphasized the seriousness of the accusation, warning that these actions not only threaten Venezuela, but also free trade and global international law, if powerful nations are allowed to commit acts of piracy without legal intervention.
The complaint extends to the need to know the whereabouts of the ship’s crew, which remain unknown, and on which the U.S. has not commented: “Five days have passed since the crew was kidnapped aboard the oil tanker, and their whereabouts are still unknown.”
“Where is the International Criminal Court? Where is Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, hiding? What are they doing about this act of piracy, where an armed group attacked a private ship carrying Venezuelan oil, and yet, five days later, the crew is still missing? Those who publicly claimed responsibility for this illegal act, what are they doing with the crew members?” the president emphasized.
Along the same lines, Maduro affirmed: “No one has a license to plunder, and Venezuela will be respected,” while thanking the people for their resounding response against “U.S. interference.” He also expressed his gratitude for the support shown by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the fight for freedom and dignity in Venezuela.
In this denunciation, the Venezuelan people have the support of a large part of the international community. “Friends of the UN Charter have publicly condemned the theft of our oil in the Caribbean Sea. We have the support of the world, including American public opinion, against this act of piracy,” the president affirmed.
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This article by Jim Cason and David Brooks originally appeared in the December 16, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.
Washington and New York. US President Donald Trump yesterday designated fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction” and revived a military decoration – originally created to recognize US service members who fought against Pancho Villa’s forces – to award it now to troops “defending” the border with Mexico from drug traffickers and immigrants.
In a ceremony and press conference at the White House, criticized as a strategy designed to distract public attention from the president’s plummeting approval ratings and his failure to deliver on his promise to lower consumer prices and make the cost of living more affordable, the commander-in-chief signed an executive order declaring the opioid fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction.”
He stated that “no bomb causes the damage this is doing: between 200,000 and 300,000 people die each year, as far as we know.” However, official figures on overdose deaths from the aforementioned drug, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are between 70,000 and 80,000 annually.
The executive order signed by Trump states that “the potential for fentanyl to be weaponized for large-scale, concentrated terror attacks by organized adversaries is a serious threat to the United States.” Although Mexico is not mentioned by name in the document, it does identify “two cartels that are predominantly responsible for the distribution of the substance in the United States.”
During the ceremony for the signing of the order, which was attended by the Chief of Staff, the Secretary of War, the Attorney General, the head of Northern Command, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the border czar, the president declared that “our entire southwest border on the Mexican side is under the physical control of the cartels, which are among the most violent entities.”
After claiming that his administration has succeeded in ending shipments of illicit drugs to the United States by sea, Trump repeated his threat to begin attacking drug traffickers “on land” in other countries (although in this context he did not mention Mexico by name).
“These are a direct military threat to the United States. They are trying to drug our country,” the president stated. “There is no doubt that our adversaries are trafficking fentanyl into our territory in part because they want to kill Americans.”
Anti-Mexico medal
Reviving Memories of the Centaur of the North
Next came the presentation of what is called the Mexican Border Defense Medal. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth explained: “We are reviving an old medal. Our men and women will be wearing the same medal that Americans wore 100 years ago, who were called upon to defend our country’s sovereignty.”
The Mexican Border Defense Medal is an exact replica of the original that was designated by Congress in 1918 for U.S. military troops who fought against Pancho Villa’s “paramilitary forces” during the Mexican Revolution in 1916 and 1917, the War Department proudly reported (with some details resulting from an investigation by La Jornada).
Hegseth and other military officials proceeded to award the Mexican Border Defense Medal to 13 members of the armed forces selected as the first recipients of the honor. “They all represent some 2,000 people who have served in the border region so far. So, some 25,000 Americans qualify for this medal that we are announcing today,” he concluded.
But these decorated military personnel were more of a photographic backdrop for the commander-in-chief; after receiving their medals, Trump asked the service members to stand around the presidential desk for a photograph.
Cascade of Praise
As is customary, each of the speakers, from the Secretary of War on down, began their remarks by thanking their boss and praising his accomplishments. “It is always an honor for me to be in the Oval Office with the greatest president I have ever lived to be with,” declared Border Czar Tom Homan.
He also acknowledged the White House deputy chief of staff and principal architect of Washington’s anti-immigrant strategy. “Steve Miller is one of the most brilliant people I have met in my career.”
The President made the purpose of this ceremony clear. “People are forgetting now that the border has been secure for seven months. They don’t mention it anymore. Nobody talks about the border area,” he said in comments that were somewhere between self-praise and complaint.
“They talk about affordability,” and in response to this and against the available official evidence, he insisted that his government is succeeding in reducing prices and that, in any case, inflation and the costs that continue to rise are consequences of the previous president, Joe Biden, and his Democrats.
In a statement about the event, the White House said that on the border with Mexico the Trump administration “has restored order, deterred illegal entry, and protected American communities from the threats posed by uncontrolled immigration, transnational crime and fentanyl trafficking.”
But apparently they have not yet managed to capture Villa.
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Trump Classifies Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction
December 16, 2025
The US President also revived a military medal originally created to recognize US soldiers who fought against Pancho Villa’s forces, to be awarded to troops “defending” the border with Mexico.
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People’s Mañanera December 15
December 15, 2025December 15, 2025
President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on FDI, water law, childcare, public security, electoral reform, and federal attorney general.
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Mexico City Congress Codifies Crime of Violence Between Partners, Including Dating Relationships
December 15, 2025December 15, 2025
The reform establishes that these crimes will be prosecuted ex officio and that aggressors must attend re-education workshops.
The post Trump Classifies Fentanyl as Weapon of Mass Destruction appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.
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Australian police on Wednesday filed 59 criminal charges against a 24-year-old man accused of carrying out a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, including 15 counts of murder and one charge related to terrorism, as authorities advanced their investigation into the attack.
RELATED:
The suspect, identified as Naveed Akram, faces charges that include 15 counts of murder, attempted murder, committing a terrorist act, publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist symbol, and placing an explosive in or near a building, according to an official police statement. The shooting took place on Sunday and lasted approximately nine minutes.
Police said Akram, who had been in a coma since the incident, regained consciousness on Tuesday. No further details were provided regarding his medical condition.
Police charged alleged Bondi killer Naveed Akram with terrorism, 15 counts of murder and a litany of other crimes on Wednesday after Australia's worst mass shooting in decades.https://t.co/eqAP7xE9aW
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) December 17, 2025
Health authorities reported that 21 people remained hospitalized on Wednesday at medical facilities across Sydney. Five of those injured were listed as critical but in stable condition.
The attack resulted in 15 deaths, with victims ranging in age from 10 to 87 years old. Twelve of the victims have been officially identified so far, police said.
During the incident, Sajid Akram, 50, the father of the accused and identified by authorities as a second armed individual, was shot dead by police at the scene. He was described as being of Indian origin.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said there is currently no evidence indicating the involvement of additional suspects, while cautioning that the investigation remains ongoing and findings could change as inquiries continue.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the father and son acted independently but were influenced by ideology linked to the Islamic State group. Authorities said both traveled in November to southern Philippines, a region where Islamist cells operate.
In response to the attack, the Waverley municipal council in eastern Sydney announced the cancellation of all New Year’s Eve events scheduled to take place at the popular Bondi Beach.
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Venezuela Moves Towards Strengthening the Productive Economy and National Sovereignty
(www.telesurenglish.net)
This Monday, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, hosted his regular program, “With Maduro + No. 99,” where he emphasized that there are no media outlets or networks that reflect the sheer volume of government projects.
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Venezuelan Workers Convene Constituent Congress in Caracas
He also stated that if “anyone knows us Venezuelans, they should know us as tireless workers with unwavering faith in the victory of the Homeland.”
In this vein, the Venezuelan leader noted that he had a productive work agenda last week, achieving the following progress in strengthening the country’s economy and safeguarding its sovereignty:
Self-sufficiency
President Maduro reiterated that food sales at affordable prices continue throughout Venezuela, reaching 34,000 tons each time.
The President highlighted that, through the Sovereign Field Fairs, the Fish Fairs, the opening of markets with the new PDVAL voucher system, and other sales channels, the Venezuelan people are enjoying the purchase of fresh, domestically produced food at prices that are between 40 and 70% cheaper than in traditional markets.
He also emphasized that these special events, which will continue until the end of December 2025, allow consumers to find food in their own communities, as well as access high-quality products.
From Venezuela to the World
President Maduro insisted that it is necessary to “increase exports to higher levels, facilitating export mechanisms for more than 90 products that we are already exporting worldwide, because the world’s major markets—China, India, Russia, Iran, Turkey—are increasingly receiving our products, recognizing their high quality.” For the Venezuelan head of state, it is of great importance “to do everything with our own capabilities in Venezuela and never depend on anyone for anything.”
In his view, putting this methodology into practice results in: “total independence, happiness, tranquility, stability, and also great capacity. Living off our own efforts, our own capabilities.
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And in the economy, I have proposed that: 100% substitution of all imports,” he stated as a premise of the economic strategies employed by his government.
In this regard, the Head of State has emphasized that “we are the original Bolivarian revolutionaries who were born to conquer and not to be conquered, and we are conquering”; highlighting that the coat of arms and the National Flag are the symbols that represent who we are, our commitment and loyalty to the people of Venezuela.
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President Maduro Invokes Allende’s Memory in the Face of the Return of Nazism and Fascism in Chile
(www.telesurenglish.net)
President Nicolás Maduro addressed José Antonio Kast’s electoral victory in Chile, invoking the memory of Salvador Allende and the resilience of the Chilean people.
During the 99th episode of his program, “Con Maduro +,” the president asserted that the South American country “will resist and sooner rather than later will be reborn.”
RELATED:
Chile: Pinochetism returns to power
In this regard, he offered a reflective analysis of the recent elections in Chile, recalling Salvador Allende’s iconic phrase: “The true hope, betrayed, will return to the great avenues, defeating the Nazism and fascism that seeks to impose itself once again.”
Finally, the Venezuelan head of state recalled that “the day will come when our continent speaks with the voice of a united people,” quoting the Venezuelan artist Alí Primera.
Earlier, during a press conference of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello stated: “So they want to persecute our people? It strengthens our people. We will receive them here with open arms, as we have received more than 1,100,000 Venezuelans who have returned.”
His words are framed within the promotion of the Great Mission Return to the Homeland Program, a state policy aimed at facilitating the voluntary return of Venezuelans from abroad.
The statement is a response to José Antonio Kast’s anti-immigrant campaign. The president-elect warned that “when we tell an undocumented immigrant that they are breaking the law, that they have to leave our country, in case they want to re-enter at any point, we are serious.”
In this regard, Cabello considered that this stance is a directive from the United States. He also recalled that Venezuela has historically welcomed Chilean migrants, especially after the 1973 coup against President Salvador Allende. “Many who left Chile came to Venezuela, and we welcomed them warmly, as Venezuelans do. They made their lives here in Venezuela, integrated into the community, and worked. It was a different time, 1973,” he said.
Cabello blamed the current Chilean president, Gabriel Boric, for Kast’s victory, arguing that his government has been ineffective in failing to represent the popular base. “For all of this, we must thank the current president. He is responsible, then. When you try to govern half-heartedly, when you refuse to understand who elected you, when you don’t want to govern for the elites, these things happen,” he stated.
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Venezuela on December 16 issued two official communiqués rejecting what it described as a serious threat by U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of violating international law by claiming ownership over the country’s oil, land, and mineral wealth and proposing coercive measures against its trade and navigation.
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According to the statements released by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Trump used social media to assert that Venezuela’s natural resources belonged to the United States and demanded their immediate transfer. The Venezuelan government said the U.S. president sought to impose an “irrational naval blockade” to seize resources that it considers part of its sovereign patrimony.
The communiqués state that such actions violate international law, free trade, and the right to free navigation. Venezuela reaffirmed its sovereignty over all natural resources and its rights to free navigation and trade in the Caribbean Sea and global maritime routes. It said the country would continue to act “in strict adherence to international law, the UN Charter” to exercise its freedom, jurisdiction, and sovereignty despite what it described as “warmongering threats.”
🇻🇪❌🇺🇸 Venezuela rejects Trump’s ‘grotesque threat,’ vows to go to the UN
In an official communiqué, Venezuela accused Trump of treating its “oil, land, and mineral wealth” as US property.
The statement added Venezuela will “never again be a colony of any empire or foreign… https://t.co/LPzc10D6eE pic.twitter.com/p5nxhB4kmh
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 17, 2025
Venezuela also announced that its ambassador to the United Nations would immediately denounce what it called a grave violation of international law. The government called on the people of the United States and the international community to reject the threat, arguing that it reflected an intention to appropriate Venezuelan resources through external pressure.
The communiqués quoted Trump directly as stating: “Until all the oil, land, and other assets that were stolen from us are returned to the United States.” Venezuelan authorities said this statement revealed an effort to appropriate the country’s oil, land, and minerals through what they described as “gigantic campaigns of lies and manipulation.”
#Venezuela slams #Trump's oil blockade as “irrational” and a blatant attempt to seize the nation’s wealth. #Caracas warns the move threatens to devastate the economy. https://t.co/ntbjCfh6yR
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 17, 2025
The government reiterated that Venezuela “will never again be a colony of any empire or foreign power” and said it would continue, together with its people, on a path of building prosperity while defending independence and sovereignty. It added that the Venezuelan people, united in popular, military, and police forces, would defend what it described as their historic rights while remaining committed to peace.
The statements concluded by affirming that the Venezuelan people remain firm in protecting their territory, wealth, and freedom, invoking Simón Bolívar’s words: “Fortunately, a handful of free men has been seen defeating powerful empires.”
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Mexico and the U.S. Sign New Agreement to Address Tijuana River Wastewater
(www.telesurenglish.net)
It includes plans to ensure the operation and maintenance of critical sites.
On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Mexico and the United States signed a new agreement to address the Tijuana River wastewater crisis through joint actions carried out by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
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The agreement was negotiated and signed in record time, surpassing the December 31 deadline, as stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Mexican Environment Secretary Alicia Barcena.
U.S. and Mexican sections of the IBWC carried out the signing and sought urgent and permanent solutions. Zeldin highlighted that the agreement is necessary to address the population growth of Tijuana and its surrounding areas.
The EPA explained that for decades, wastewater from Mexico “has affected Southern California,” which caused beach closures, foul odors, environmental degradation, economic losses, and illnesses in border communities.
Trump demands Mexico ‘take care of its water and sewage problem IMMEDIATELY,’ labeling it a ‘true threat’
In a somewhat ominous post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump accused Mexico of posing a cross-border sewage contamination issue hazardous to the United States, branding… pic.twitter.com/h7ggyXgZ8y— MaggieWise ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@maggiewise111) December 11, 2025
The plan includes infrastructure projects in Mexico, research programs, and planning to ensure the operation and maintenance of critical sites, aligned with international best practices in wastewater management.
Act 333 does not commit new U.S. taxpayer funds, but rather prioritizes the effective execution of projects previously agreed upon in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July by both nations.
The plan initiatives will be developed between 2026 and 2027, with an additional project in 2028, which seeks to reopen beaches, eliminate odors, and reverse the environmental degradation of the Tijuana River Valley.
At her morning press conference, Mexican President #ClaudiaSheinbaum calls for reflection on the unity of popular movements in #LatinAmerica and cites #Mexico as an example, since its movement is committed to the people, delivers results, and thus gains popular support. pic.twitter.com/gy25fAqtkU
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 15, 2025
teleSUR: JP
Source: La Jornada – EFE
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