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In an editorial, it noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the neighboring country issued a series of advisories to airlines urging caution when flying over Central America and parts of South America due to the risks of “possible military activities and GPS interference.”

According to the agency, the warnings concern parts of Mexico, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador, areas of Central America, and portions of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) explained that the advisories are only for airlines and pilots from the United States and do not affect civil aviation in Mexico, adding that “it does not constitute a prohibition, but rather a precautionary measure.”

“Despite the reassurance conveyed by the SICT, it cannot be ignored that the final weeks before the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. armed forces were marked by the closure of airspace” imposed by Washington, the newspaper noted.

Although the FAA announcements cannot be compared to the blockade surrounding the Caribbean nation, it emphasized, “it is impossible to ignore that they occur at the same time that President Donald Trump insists on violating Mexican sovereignty” with alleged anti-drug trafficking operations.

In its opinion, it is also impossible to be naive about the issuance of the warnings two days after “a rude and interventionist statement.”

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Gathered at the monument to Simon Bolivar in the capital, organizations and solidarity groups expressed their rejection of the “gunboat” policy, characteristic of the Monroe Doctrine, which President Donald Trump is reviving in its aggressive version against the Americas, organizers expressed.

“We will also pay tribute to the 32 Cubans and the more than 80 Venezuelans who shed their blood on January 3 in defense of Venezuela and its president,” the statement specified.

This activity joins others that keep solidarity groups active within the framework of the 34th anniversary of the 1992 Peace Accords and in repudiation of US policy.

In this context, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) will commemorate the peace accords signed in Mexico.

The day before, at the Constitution Monument in the capital, FMLN groups commemorated the date, while also condemning Washington’s aggression against the Venezuelan people and demanding the return of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Meanwhile, FMLN Secretary General Manuel Flores paid tribute to the 32 Cuban heroes who died in Venezuela during a visit to the Cuban embassy in El Salvador, where he expressed his rejection of the aggression against the Venezuelan people and his solidarity with the Caribbean island.

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The post Salvadorans stand together with Bolivar in support of Venezuela first appeared on Prensa Latina.

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This editorial by Hugo Aboites originally appeared in the January 17, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

The aggression against Venezuela has created a very unfavorable balance of power for Mexico and the rest of Latin America. If, despite the heroic resistance of the Cuban and Venezuelan guards, U.S. forces were able to launch an armed attack on the capital, capture the President, and bring him before a U.S. court, then much more of that suddenly and menacingly becomes possible.

Increasingly, Mexico will face greater demands, and it will become increasingly difficult and problematic to counteract and resist them. Therefore, our country cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, such as when Latin American unity was rejected in the 1980s and Mexico negotiated its debt alone. Nor can it repeat the mistakes of the 1990s when it disregarded initiatives to connect with labor and educational forces in the three countries, along with their proposals and warnings. These shortcomings resulted in high costs for education, although, it must be said, despite their importance, they do not erase or change history.

After more than 200 US military incursions against Mexico (see García Cantú’s compilation), we Mexicans cannot forget, nor should we cease to be radical in our demand for respect. This is especially true given the profound shifts in global power dynamics and capitalism that are now critically affecting the United States. Even in the 1990s—under neoliberalism—Mexicans were considered “partners”; now, a new and challenging climate has shattered those illusions. What remains, however, deeply ingrained in education and universities, is the neoliberal transformation imposed upon them as part of the country’s adaptation to the new trilateral framework.

The previously existing project of a democratic, open, critical university oriented towards the broad knowledge needs of communities, organizations, regions and people, was replaced by the conception of the public university as a tuition-based, vertical and authoritarian institution, with restricted access, internally segmented and, using empty concepts such as quality and innovation, oriented towards the needs of businesses, governments and local and transnational elites.

Education requires strong institutional, community, and citizen participation to cultivate a citizenry with a deep understanding of the country’s history, capable of defending and resisting. Photo: Jay Watts, Havana University

Since this university proved unable to respond to the demands for more places, low-cost public institutions with zero participation and institutional democracy had to be created: technological universities, welfare universities and professional universities (such as Rosario Castellanos and the University of Health).

The result has been inconsequential: in terms of enrollment nor educational focus, universities and schools are not even close to meeting the educational needs of a country and region living under military threat. What is required is an education with strong institutional, community, and citizen participation; to train citizens in defense and resistance, equipping them with a deep understanding of the country’s history and the social objectives of their professions.

It also involves a strong connection between research and dissemination of local, regional, and national liberation movements. Because from these movements arises the political, cultural, and social force capable of sustaining, for centuries, the struggles for sovereignty, independence, and the creation of centers of power in Latin American nations and around the world—centers that serve as a counterweight to hegemonic powers. This requires democratic processes, free access to education, and replacing the current costly and conservative neoliberal bureaucracy by creating or strengthening forms of governance that include greater and more decisive student and academic participation.

What is required is an education with strong institutional, community, and citizen participation; to train citizens in defense and resistance, equipping them with a deep understanding of the country’s history and the social objectives of their professions.

This is urgent because the right-wing regime that dominates institutions has created a blindness to the country’s reality and a glaring institutional inequality. For example, the UAM’s top officials and academics earn up to 190,000 pesos per month (Gómez Mena, C., La Jornada, 11/01/2026), while the majority of administrative and academic staff (assistants, associates, teaching assistants, temporary workers) may earn less than 10,000 pesos per month.

By officially and comfortably creating and perpetuating this inequality—without criticizing it, much less eliminating it—the university contributes to justifying national inequality. Only the union (SITUAM) disagrees, and with its wage demands and call for a strike on February 1st, it supports the implicit demand for an equitable distribution of available resources. This would ensure that those who currently earn the most are not left in poverty, while also providing stability and better incomes for everyone else, allowing for the hiring of more professors, the admission of more students, and, therefore, what is most needed in this new era: a stronger and more active community, aware of its country and its now perilous circumstances. Thus, within the university, Donald Trump will have lost his most important battle.

• 

  News Briefs

  University & Intervention

  January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

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

• 

  Analysis

  A Dangerous Year: Mexico Avoids Tariffs, but Trump Opens More & More Fronts

  January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

  The vast majority of exports from Mexico are from US corporations, while aluminum, steel, and tomatoes, which have Mexican national ownership, face significant tariffs.

• 

  Analysis

  A Tale of Two Marches: Reflections on a Saturday Spent on Reforma and 16 de Septiembre

  January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

  The calls for solidarity made that Saturday and at almost every political gathering would imply that this openness, this “passionate determination to reach all” is characteristic of and key to the movement’s survival and success.

The post University & Intervention appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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This article by Blanca Juárez originally appeared in the January 17, 2026 edition of Sin Embargo.

Mexico City. Mexico has managed to withstand tariff pressures better than any other country, but at the same time faces pressures on issues such as security. Industrial integration and, to a lesser extent, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) have provided some protection. However, automotive exports are already declining, and, pressured by the Trump administration , Mexico imposed tariffs on China and other Asian countries.

From the first day of his second term, January 20, 2025, Trump instructed officials to analyze potential tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China. On February 1, the White House officially announced an additional 25 percent tariff on all imports from our country due to the “extraordinary threat posed by illegal immigrants and drugs, including deadly fentanyl .” From then on, he went after everyone.

Neither the surrender of dozens of drug kingpins, the dismantling of drug labs, nor the 50 percent reduction in fentanyl trafficking has been enough for the United States. A few days ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded “concrete and verifiable results” from Mexico in the fight against drug cartels. At other times, Rubio has praised Mexico’s cooperation on security issues.

“Several economists have pointed out that Mexico has been treated well by the United States,” but “Mexico has subordinated itself to the guidelines of the United States government, which has asked it to curb imports from China and buy more from the United States.”

In terms of migration flows , U.S. authorities themselves have reported “progress.” The December report , the most recent from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), reports 30,375 encounters with migrants . This represents a 92 percent decrease compared to the Joe Biden administration.

“Several economists have pointed out that Mexico has been treated well by the United States,” said Arturo Huerta, a professor and researcher at the Faculty of Economics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), in an interview. But “Mexico has subordinated itself to the guidelines of the United States government, which has asked it to curb imports from China and buy more from the United States,” he added.

In December 2026, Congress approved a reform submitted by President Claudia Sheinbaum imposing tariffs of 5 to 50 percent on products from Asian countries, including China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, and Thailand. The President denied that the reform targeted China, explaining that the tariffs would apply to countries with which Mexico does not have trade agreements.

Following the approval of the changes to the General Import and Export Tax Law, China expressed its disagreement. The Ministry of Commerce stated that its country “has always opposed any form of unilateral tariff increases and hopes that Mexico will correct such unilateral and protectionist practices as soon as possible.”

Arturo Huerta questions the “fair treatment” of Mexico, noting that “in the automotive industry, exports of cars that do not comply with the rules of origin established within the free trade agreement have fallen.” On January 12, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reported that, in 2025, Mexico produced 34.8 percent fewer heavy vehicles than in 2024, and exports of such vehicles fell by 28.6 percent.

The tariffs on China will “impact the national economy,” increasing costs, because auto parts manufactured in Mexico for import and for the domestic market have Chinese components, explained Arturo Huerta.

How It All Began

Call after call, President Claudia Sheinbaum has managed to curb Donald Trump’s tariff pushes. The first additional tariff against Mexico was imposed on February 1st and was 25 percent on all imports. But the President managed to pause its implementation for a month after speaking with her counterpart on February 3rd.

Both governments agreed to establish a working group on trade and security. Mexico pledged to reinforce its northern border and deploy 10,000 National Guard troops. The United States, for its part, agreed to work together to prevent arms trafficking into Mexican territory.

Rafael Caro Quintero

During that period, the Mexican government extradited an unprecedented 29 Mexican drug lords to the United States. Among them was Rafael Caro Quintero, founder of the Guadalajara Cartel and accused of murdering Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena.

Despite this, the 25 percent tariff went into effect on March 4, violating the USMCA. Claudia Sheinbaum announced that she might impose tariffs and non-tariff measures. But she continued negotiating and, at the same time, called for a large rally in Mexico City’s Zócalo on Sunday the 9th, where she would announce her strategy.

On March 6, Sheinbaum and Trump spoke by phone again, and the President secured a postponement until April 2. On Sunday, before a packed Zócalo, she told the assembled citizens: “We are not extremists, but we are very clear that there are non-negotiable principles. We cannot relinquish our sovereignty, nor can our people be harmed by decisions made by foreign governments or hegemonies. In that case, we will always act immediately.”

And then came April 2nd, dubbed “Liberation Day” by Donald Trump. Another chaotic date for global stock markets, which plummeted after the announcement of reciprocal tariffs against almost the entire world, including Europe and the Heard and McDonald Islands, inhabited only by seals and penguins.

Mexico was exempt from those tariffs due to the USMCA. However, it did apply tariffs of 25 percent to goods not covered by that treaty, as well as 25 percent to steel, aluminum, and vehicles.

On July 31, after a phone call, the President secured another extension, this time of 90 days, for the implementation of 25 percent tariffs on all imports. “The USMCA is being safeguarded,” the President said at the time.

In August, Mexico extradited 26 more drug kingpins to the United States, including Servando Gómez Martínez, alias “La Tuta,” leader of La Familia Michoacana, whom Mexican authorities identified as one of the country’s most bloodthirsty drug lords. However, that same month, Trump again increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent.

In November, before the deadline agreed upon in July, the two leaders spoke again. In a very brief call, as Sheinbaum reported, they agreed to continue reviewing the 54 non-tariff barriers that the United States is challenging Mexico’s position on. These are regulations that, according to the Trump administration, are abusive and harm American products.

“These same tariffs violate the agreements reached in the World Trade Organization” and the USMCA, notes economist Arturo Huerta.

Both in the USMCA renegotiation and in the tariff negotiations, the United States will try to reduce its trade deficit with Mexico, the expert points out. “It has already reduced its deficit with China by importing more from Mexico and other countries. But they are about to further boost their industry and will continue to pressure Mexico to buy more from them and sell less, which will affect the national economy.”

Mexico’s Economy Minister, Marcelo Ebrard.

Mexico, The Winner?

In the United States, the prevailing view across various sectors is that Mexico is the big winner from Trump’s tariff policy. At the end of December, after consulting several analysts, The Wall Street Journal reported that, because the tariffs imposed on Mexico are lower than those imposed on most other countries, and given the desire to limit purchases from China, imports from Mexico are covering a portion of the demand.

But let’s look at some of the results of the tariff strategy in figures.

According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 2024, China’s merchandise exports accounted for 14 percent of total global merchandise exports. This figure excludes the sale of services. In contrast, US exports represented 10 percent of all global sales.

These figures hardly paint a picture of an empire. But Donald Trump uses them in his rhetoric to incite hatred among American citizens against China, Mexico, or any other country. He has done so since his first term, but in this second term, he has escalated his measures. On April 2, “Liberation Day,” when announcing tariffs on almost the entire world, he said that his country has been violated and plundered by other nations.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2020—the last year of Trump’s first term—the trade deficit with China was over $307.966 billion. With a more aggressive tariff policy, by the end of 2025—the first year of Trump’s second term—the deficit was $175.412 billion. A reduction of nearly 43 percent between 2020 and 2025.

United States trade balance with China and Mexico.

The opposite occurred with Mexico during that same period; the deficit grew by 49%. According to statistics from our northern neighbor, in 2020 the trade deficit with our country was $110.964 billion, and by 2025 it had reached $164.815 billion. However, if we compare the 2024 deficit (which reached more than $171.491 billion) with the 2025 deficit, we see a 4 percent reduction.

Then, “everyone was announcing that the tariffs would generate a strong inflationary process in the United States. But importers have largely absorbed the cost of the tariffs, and exporters have also assumed a certain percentage of the tariffs to continue exporting to the United States,” says Arturo Huerta.

Inflation closed 2025 at 2.7 percent. That is, prices increased by that average amount. But the cost of food rose by 3 percent and housing costs by almost 4 percent. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve’s forecast, or rather, its desired outcome, was for inflation to end the year at 2 percent.

Merchants in Mexico announced a price increase for tomatoes due to Trump’s tariffs. Photo: Cuartoscuro.

“Now, the problem is that unemployment has increased,” the researcher adds. In 2025, “an average of 49,000 jobs were created per month. And in the last year of Joe Biden’s presidency, 2024, 168,000 jobs were created monthly. That is, three times fewer jobs are being created under the Trump administration.” Fewer jobs and higher prices. But the U.S. government calls that an “affordability crisis.”

Arturo Huerta believes it will be difficult for importers to continue absorbing the tariffs, so they will ultimately pass the cost on to consumers. Furthermore, he warns: “If economic activity in the United States does not pick up as expected, stagnation and inflation will set in.” In other words, stagflation: high inflation, low GDP growth, and high unemployment.

Blanca Juárez is a journalist and UNAM graduate who covers political, labor, social and cultural issues from a feminist perspective.

• 

  Analysis

  A Dangerous Year: Mexico Avoids Tariffs, but Trump Opens More & More Fronts

  January 17, 2026January 17, 2026

  The vast majority of exports from Mexico are from US corporations, while aluminum, steel, and tomatoes, which have Mexican national ownership, face significant tariffs.

• 

  Analysis

  A Tale of Two Marches: Reflections on a Saturday Spent on Reforma and 16 de Septiembre

  January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

  The calls for solidarity made that Saturday and at almost every political gathering would imply that this openness, this “passionate determination to reach all” is characteristic of and key to the movement’s survival and success.

• 

  Mañanera

  People’s Mañanera January 16

  January 16, 2026

  President Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, with comments on Edomex security strategy, Mexico-US cooperation, and electoral reform.

The post A Dangerous Year: Mexico Avoids Tariffs, but Trump Opens More & More Fronts appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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In a new development in the controversy, the Executive Branch decided not to authorize the payment corresponding to the third milestone in the construction of the vessels, after the shipowner failed to provide proof of the availability of the Caterpillar engines for the first vessel.

The continuation of payments to Cardama is one of the points of contention surrounding the dispute between the Uruguayan State and the Vigo-based shipyard.

Although the deadline for confirming the availability of the engines is set for February 15, the manufacturer was required to provide proof of their readiness for installation before January 14.

Cardama apologized to the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) for Caterpillar’s breach of contract, but the Executive Branch indicates that the irregularities continue to mount.

Portal Maritimo reported that the MDN maintains that Cardama didn’t even pay “any down payment” for the manufacture of the patrol boat engines from the American company.

A prosecutorial investigation is underway at the request of the Uruguayan government for alleged fraud related to the guarantee presented by Cardama after the signing of the agreement, which was carried out by the previous administration of President Luis Lacalle Pou.

jdt/jav/oda/ool

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The Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s ruling ordering Karapetyan, imprisoned since last June for criticizing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, to be transferred to house arrest.

“The Anti-Corruption Court hearing lasted 14 hours. Karapetyan was placed under house arrest, combined with bail and a travel ban,” the lawyer said.

He added that the court also lifted the ban imposed on the businessman on December 30, prohibiting him from speaking or making public appeals.

Karapetyan, owner of the Tashir business group, was arrested on June 18 for defending the Armenian Apostolic Church amid verbal attacks against it by the Armenian prime minister.

He is now accused of “publicly calling for the overthrow of the government,” an accusation his defense team has dismissed as ridiculous.

In mid-July, authorities filed another charge against Karapetyan, this time for “money laundering.” His defense team called the charges against the businessman and philanthropist “fabricated” and “illegal.”

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He described Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which claims vast economic zones, as “unacceptable” and stated that Greece now has stronger legal and diplomatic arguments, backed by European Union standards.

The measure follows the extension of Greek territorial waters from 6 to 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea in 2021, marking a policy of gradual assertion of its sovereign rights.

Local analysts point out that the announcement, made despite Turkey considering such an expansion a casus belli, raises tensions in a long-standing dispute involving territorial waters, airspace, and the continental shelf.

Meanwhile, experts in international maritime law emphasize that, although the UN Convention allows for the extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, Greece applies this right only partially in the Aegean Sea due to geopolitical complexities.

The dispute shows strategic competition in the eastern Mediterranean for energy resources and influence, with both countries conducting military exercises in the area.

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According to a statement from the Army’s Operations Command, hundreds of SDF fighters have surrendered in recent hours, many of them with their weapons, representing one of the largest transfers of territorial control since the start of the operation.

So far, Syrian forces have secured control over 34 villages and towns in eastern Aleppo, the statement clarified.

This advance comes after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced their withdrawal from the area west of the Euphrates River.

However, the Syrian army reported that PKK militias remain deployed in several villages and towns west of the Euphrates, blocking the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and harassing its forces.

The army reiterated its intention to continue extending its control over the region and will respond to any attacks against its positions.

Furthermore, the Syrian army declared the area west of the Euphrates a closed military zone after an attack by PKK militias against its forces, which occurred while they were monitoring the implementation of the agreement stipulating the withdrawal of armed groups from the contact lines east of Aleppo.

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“Our attention is not focused on the United States, but on Russia,” the Danish military commander stated in an interview with the newspaper Politiken.

Andersen asserted that his command is concentrating on countering potential Russian activity in the region, although he admitted that no Moscow vessels have been detected near the island.

Meanwhile, the official Russian position has been to dismiss any claim to Danish territory, emphasizing the peaceful nature of its activities in the High North.

Local experts believe that these statements seek to reaffirm the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Arctic and justify a greater allied military deployment in the area, in a context of escalating geopolitical rhetoric.

The general’s statements contrast with the repeated comments by former US President Donald Trump regarding the purchase or defense of Greenland, which have generated diplomatic tensions.

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The document, a question-and-answer exchange with then-spokesperson Jamie Shea, defended the attacks by arguing that the electricity powered military systems.

“If President (Slobodan) Milosevic wants water and electricity for the population, he must accept NATO’s five conditions,” Shea stated in May 1999, according to the transcript.

Local analysts interpret the removal of the document as an attempt to rewrite the historical narrative, amid current criticism of Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and emphasize that bombing essential civilian infrastructure constitutes a violation of the Geneva Conventions, regardless of the conflict.

This action by the Atlantic alliance sets a controversial precedent regarding the use of attacks on critical infrastructure as a method of coercion during conflicts.

The military bloc began bombing Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999, under the pretext of alleged ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

VNATO’s attacks, carried out without UN authorization, left more than 2,500 dead in the former Yugoslavia, including 87 children, and caused an estimated $100 billion in infrastructure damage.

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This represents a 52 percent year-on-year increase and the highest figure since at least 1999, driven primarily by nitrogen and mixed fertilizers.

Polish economic analysts point out that this record growth shows the practical dependence and imperatives of the agricultural market, which persist despite the adverse geopolitical context.

They also highlight the paradox of a member of the European Union and a strong supporter of sanctions against Moscow simultaneously becoming one of the largest buyers of a strategic Russian product.

The data shows the complexities of economic decoupling, where productive sectors prioritize their operational needs in the face of inflationary pressures and food security concerns.

This substantial increase calls into question the effectiveness of unilateral trade restrictions and highlights the resilience of specialized trade channels for essential goods.

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The National Energy Administration noted that this is a historic record for a single nation worldwide.

The agency specified that this volume is equivalent to more than double the annual electricity consumption of the United States.

The entity exoressed that the figure also exceeds the combined consumption of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan.

China is the world’s largest electricity consumer and in recent years has promoted policies to balance the growth in demand with the development of clean energy and the improvement of energy efficiency.

China is the world leader in the generation and consumption of energy from renewable sources, as well as the main producer and exporter of solar panels, wind turbines, electrolyzers, heat pumps, batteries, and electric vehicles.

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In a statement, the entity criticized the initiative known as Route 45 because it will consolidate annexation plans for Palestinian lands north and east of Jerusalem.

This construction is being carried out in parallel with massive expansions of ring roads extending from the Hizma military checkpoint to the Ayoun al-Haramiya area, it warned.

The objective is to create a connected and transversal road network that serves the settlements and strengthens Israeli control over this area of ​​the West Bank, it emphasized.

Last week, the Palestinian Commission Against the Wall and Settlements condemned an Israeli announcement regarding the construction of 3,401 homes for Jews in the so-called E1 Corridor, a measure that effectively bisects the West Bank.

Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the institution, warned that the Israel Land Authority issued a major tender to erect apartment blocks in that area, despite the global condemnation of Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank.

The Commission recently reported that Israeli security forces and settlers carried out 23,827 attacks against citizens and their property in the West Bank in 2025.

jdt/arm/jcm/rob

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In a statement, the entity criticized the initiative known as Route 45 because it will consolidate annexation plans for Palestinian lands north and east of Jerusalem.

This construction is being carried out in parallel with massive expansions of ring roads extending from the Hizma military checkpoint to the Ayoun al-Haramiya area, it warned.

The objective is to create a connected and transversal road network that serves the settlements and strengthens Israeli control over this area of ​​the West Bank, it emphasized.

Last week, the Palestinian Commission Against the Wall and Settlements condemned an Israeli announcement regarding the construction of 3,401 homes for Jews in the so-called E1 Corridor, a measure that effectively bisects the West Bank.

Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the institution, warned that the Israel Land Authority issued a major tender to erect apartment blocks in that area, despite the global condemnation of Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank.

The Commission recently reported that Israeli security forces and settlers carried out 23,827 attacks against citizens and their property in the West Bank in 2025.

jdt/arm/jcm/rob

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A year ago, on January 1, 2025, the Eurasian nation’s international reserves stood at $609.068 billion, the institution specified on Saturday.

International reserves are highly liquid assets held by the Russian central bank and government, including funds denominated in foreign currency, Special Drawing Rights, a reserve position in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and monetary gold.

Western countries imposed sanctions against the Bank of Russia after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine.

In addition to freezing Russia’s foreign exchange reserves, all transactions related to the management of the central bank’s reserves and assets were prohibited, as were transactions with any legal entity, organization, or body acting on behalf of or for the regulator.

jdt/jav/jcm/gfa

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The signing will take place at Jose Asuncion Flores Grand Theater of the Central Bank of Paraguay, where the Treaty of Asuncion, the founding document of Mercosur, was signed on March 26, 1991. The foreign ministers of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay will sign on behalf of the South American bloc.

The EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, will sign on behalf of the European Union.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will act as witnesses of honor.

The strategic partnership with the EU entails the integration of a market of 800 million people, with a combined gross domestic product equivalent to a quarter of global GDP.

According to Mercosur estimates, this trade flow has a potential of $100 billion.

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Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the recent massacres against the civilian population in the coastal enclave, devastated after two years of Israeli aggression.

The dangerous escalation coincided with the mediators’ announcement of the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government to govern Gaza and the entry into the second phase of the truce agreement, he emphasized.

Qassem asserted that the Israeli attacks confirm the continuation of its policy of sabotaging commitments and disrupting declared efforts to establish calm in the region.

These constant Israeli violations compel the mediators and guarantor countries to exert pressure on Netanyahu, he stated.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, from the truce’s implementation on October 10 of last year until January 15, the Israeli army killed 449 Palestinians and wounded 1,246 more in Gaza.

It detailed that the Israeli military committed 1,244 violations during those 95 days, specifying that these infractions included 402 incidents of direct shootings against civilians, 66 incursions by military vehicles into residential areas, and 581 attacks and bombings.

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Immigration controls recorded 359,086 entries and 394,558 exits.

Among the nationalities entering the country, Argentinians ranked first with a total of 163,367, followed by Uruguayans with 123,147, Brazilians with 27,026, Paraguayans with 6,402, and Americans with 5,530.

In 2025, tourism balance closed in positive territory for the second consecutive year.

Uruguay received 3,604,000 visitors, while 2,401,312 residents traveled abroad.

Argentina and Brazil were once again the top destinations for Uruguayans traveling abroad. jdt/jav/mem/ool

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According to a statement, rebels from the Congo River Alliance-March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) organized and carried out coordinated operations of systematic looting in the city and its surroundings, despite announcements of withdrawal.

“The South Kivu provincial government condemns these criminal acts in the strongest possible terms; it urges the international community, the United Nations, the African Union, the International Criminal Court, and human rights organizations to document these events and initiate legal proceedings without delay,” the statement said.

The statement added that silence, inaction, and complicity in the face of these crimes is a grave moral and legal responsibility, as such acts deliberately exacerbate the food crisis and increase the vulnerability of the population.

It noted that the vast majority depend on agriculture and livestock farming, but are being denied access to their fields and deprived of their herds, which amounts to a form of collective punishment.

The text asserted that the systematic destruction of livelihoods, widespread looting, economic exploitation, and deliberate food starvation are part of a planned criminal strategy, liable to be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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“We need to discuss with Russia the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and talk as with a neighbor,” the former high-ranking official of the Atlantic alliance declared.

Stoltenberg argued that resuming dialogue is also essential to address arms control, noting that the nuclear limitation architecture in place during the Cold War has disappeared.

Analysts believe that these statements show a growing trend of political realism in the European strategic debate, given the stalemate in the conflict, and agree that the lack of sustained communication channels with Moscow increases the risks of miscalculations and unintentional escalation.

The former NATO chief’s stance contrasts with the prevailing rhetoric of confrontation, underscoring the need for pragmatic diplomacy even between adversaries.

This call comes amid growing warnings about the urgent need to establish crisis management mechanisms and avoid open confrontation.

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“Our federal government must, at last, talk to Putin,” the German political leader stated.

Local experts believe this stance shows a significant segment of German public opinion, which is critical of the sanctions and in favor of a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

They emphasize that the call coincides with recent statements by other European leaders advocating for reopening communication channels with Moscow to stabilize the continent.

The German Chancellery, however, officially maintains its line of unconditional support for Kyiv and conditions any dialogue with the Kremlin on a cessation of hostilities.

The debate is intensifying against a backdrop of growing economic and social pressure within the European Union, stemming from the conflict and the restrictive measures imposed on Russia.

The AfD’s position, while controversial domestically, resonates with analyses that warn of the risks of an indefinite prolongation of the armed conflict.

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The decree stipulates that the Syrian state will protect cultural and linguistic diversity, guaranteeing Kurds the right to preserve their heritage and promote their mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty.

Among the decree’s main provisions is the official recognition of Kurdish as a national language, which will allow its teaching in public and private schools in areas with a significant Kurdish population.

Furthermore, laws stemming from the 1962 census in Hasakah province will be repealed, and Syrian citizenship will be granted to Kurds who were previously considered “unregistered.”

The decree also recognizes Nowruz, celebrated on March 21, as a national holiday, symbolizing brotherhood and the arrival of spring.

In a televised address, Al-Shara called on Syrian Kurds not to believe narratives that seek to sow discord and urged them to return to their homes to participate in the reconstruction and unification of the country.

This move comes amid tensions in northern Syria, where the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Arab Army continue to clash.

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Under the artistic direction of Helson Hernandez, the tenor’s performance will take place as part of the preparatory stage for the 41st Jazz Plaza Festival and will feature soprano Isabel Torres, baritone Carlos Manuel Gonzalez, and pianist Vilma Garriga.

The special presentation will include a Russian romance, arias from French and Italian operas, and works by prominent composers of French chanson, according to national media.

In addition, students and young singers will meet the renowned artist at the National Museum of Music next January 19, where he will give a masterclass

The program is supported by the National Center for Concert Music, the Cuban Ministry of Culture, the City Historian’s Office, CMBF Classical Music Radio of Cuba, and the Cuban Institute of Music.

Ismael Billy, known for his powerful voice and interpretive sensitivity, has performed Italian and French repertoire, including works such as Tosca, La Traviata, Turandot, Faust, and Werther, sharing the stage with international stars like Philippe Jaroussky and Benjamin Bernheim.

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The US invasion of Venezuela on January 3 and the subsequent abduction of President Maduro marked a significant shift in American foreign policy, reflecting a return to the interventionist tactics of the past.

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By William Serafino  –  Jan 15, 2026

Following the overwhelming and patently illegal US military aggression against Venezuela on January 3, which culminated in the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, National Assembly Deputy Cilia Flores, and left a catastrophic toll of 100 dead (so far), US President Donald Trump has been investing a great deal of narrative resources to claim that he is in charge of Venezuela.

Trump’s explicitly colonial language has also included the use of bullying as a tactic of provocation, as he recently proclaimed himself “interim president” of Venezuela in a post on Truth Social.

In parallel, his contrasting comments about Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, and far-right leader María Corina Machado complement the framing of his narrative. Regarding Rodríguez, he highlights her “cooperation” and how well they have been working together. Meanwhile, he continues to pour cold water on Machado, arguing that she lacks respect in her country.

Based on these two premises, Trump is constructing the artifice of what he seeks to sell as a US colonial regency or protectorate in Venezuela, grounded in his supposed “selection” of Rodríguez.

This approach cannot be sustained by facts. Despite cover-up efforts by the hegemonic media, its fragile seams are plain for all to see.

A calculation with a counterproductive outcome
Let us go back to the bitter early morning of January 3. Evaluating the US calculations dispassionately, it would be very naive to consider that the ultimate objective of the aggression was merely to abduct President Maduro. Similarly, it would be naive to think that removing a country’s top political authority from the game is not part of a broader strategic effort to dismantle and destabilize the state that the person governs.

The psychological, social, and political shock caused by the bombings in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities was the concrete measure of that aspiration, which was not formally declared as part of “Operation Absolute Resolve.” Most likely, the powers in Washington—intellectually colonized for years by recycled narratives about internal divisions within Chavismo—expected a rapid, house-of-cards collapse in Venezuela.

Following the projected collapse—first political and then institutional—the US would play at managing the chaos, following the model of the looting of Iraq after the 2003 military invasion. A weak and fragmented government, unable to control the territory and maintain the cohesion of the country, would create an optimal scenario for an occupation focused on seizing oil fields, while simultaneously arbitrating the internal conflict between military and political forces in favor of the most pro-US factions.

One could try to refute this approach by arguing that Venezuela is not Iraq, and that Trump, unlike Bush Jr.’s neoconservative approach, leans toward limited military operations to mitigate reputational and electoral costs.

Although this is partly true, it does not fill the explanatory gaps after the bombing.

Trump has not achieved any positive outcomes that are equivalent in impact and benefit to the risk of militarily attacking a South American country and kidnapping its head of state. US public opinion condemns his decision, he has not seen a significant boost in the polls, frictions within isolationist factions of the MAGA world have intensified, and the recent meeting with executives of major Western oil companies—at which he had hoped to secure a major domestic economic victory—concluded without any investment commitments.

Considering the projected returns after the aggression, the continuity of the Venezuelan government under Delcy Rodríguez does not fit within the triumphant position in which Trump had hoped to be nearly two weeks after the riskiest geopolitical move of his entire political career.

It is evident that the rise of Maduro’s vice president in extraordinary conditions was not part of the operation’s design, nor was it the product of supposed behind-the-scenes negotiations or an election, but rather an unforeseen consequence that Trump has had to ride out on the fly.

With Rodríguez at the helm of Venezuela, Trump faces the complex task of reconciling politically explosive variables: the electoral frenzy of the midterms, the risks stemming from a new escalation, and the time and resources he must invest in negotiations to secure political and economic gains on which to draw in the domestic elections.

In short, Trump’s supposed “choice” of Rodríguez does not seem to make sense if the outcome of that decision is facing the same obstacles he had faced with Maduro: securing a greater oil presence through negotiations with Marco Rubio’s enemies. The amount of risk taken for a “Pyrrhic victory,” as Argentinian historian Lautaro Rivara points out, is solid evidence that the current acting president of Venezuela was never part of Trump’s plans, nor was Machado.

Standing Tall: Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez Condemns US Aggression While Machado-Trump Meeting Ends in Fiasco

Dismantling Trump’s “we are in charge”
Despite Trump’s declarative insistence on his fictitious government in Venezuela, colonial mandates, protectorates, or tutelages are implemented through practical legal and institutional actions. It is precisely this condition that makes it unnecessary to constantly reaffirm that one is in charge of a country. In this logic, Trump’s reaffirmations do not bring him closer to his goal; they take him further away.

In the broad US imperial-colonial tradition, these forms of external control have been embodied in formulas such as the 1901 Platt Amendment for Cuba and the 1902 Philippine Organic Act applied to the Philippines. These two formalized US control over these island nations once the US war with the Spanish Empire concluded. These countries had been part of the Spanish Empire until the US military victory.

Nothing like these mechanisms is being applied to Venezuela, no matter how hard one tries to force historical logic by presenting the ongoing US energy and geopolitical blackmail against Venezuela as a sui generis variant of a US protectorate or tutelage.

Since national sovereignty is an indivisible concept, the implementation of intermediate protectorates is not possible. The current pressure exerted by Trump against Venezuela, amplified by a military aggression that has undoubtedly strengthened the United States’ advantages in imposing its will, is not automatically an unequivocal sign of tutelage.

Proof that there is no such thing as a Trump government in Venezuela recently came from ExxonMobil, whose CEO, Darren Woods, refused to invest in Venezuela during a meeting between Big Oil executives and the US president. Subsequently, Trump stated that he was considering excluding ExxonMobil from his energy strategy in Venezuela, acknowledging that he could not fulfilll the oil company’s request during the meeting: a structural change to Venezuela’s legal framework.

What would be the difficulty in achieving it if he is indeed governing Venezuela, and a protectorate has already been established?

Paraphrasing the Brazilian essayist Antônio Cândido, who stated that “literature is the daydreaming of civilizations,” the notion of a protectorate is the daydreaming of the US empire in Venezuela.

The declaration of intent in this regard is a dangerous sign that the neocons, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, salivating for an Iraq in the Caribbean, are not entirely satisfied with the current post-Maduro scenario and are plotting a new offensive, because the ultimate prize of the Bolivarian Republic’s collapse has once again slipped through their fingers.

(Diario Red)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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