FTS 12:30 05-05: Panama holds general elections on Sunday May 5th
05/05/2023
FTS 12.30
*Israeli genocidal war in Gaza reaches 212 days
*Organization of Islamic Cooperation holds 15th Summit
FTS 12.30
*Israeli genocidal war in Gaza reaches 212 days
*Organization of Islamic Cooperation holds 15th Summit
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Panama, citizens go to the polls on Sunday's general election, so over 3 million Panamanians
00:16are eligible to cast their votes.
00:19In Palestine, Israel continues targeting civilian structures in Gaza, marking the 212th day
00:25of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on the enclave.
00:31And Gambia hosts the 15th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, calling for an end
00:36to Israeli aggressions and crimes against the Palestinian people.
00:41Hello, welcome to From the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos from the Lesoos studios in Havana,
00:48Cuba.
00:49Let's begin with the news.
01:02On Sunday, the 2024 general elections start taking place in Panama.
01:063,004,083 Panamanians decide on May 5th the political future of that nation in the next
01:11five years.
01:12A polarized vote within the desire of social change, or the clientelism and transition
01:16of models of previous governments.
01:18Some 3,037 polling stations are enabled with 7,577 voting tables from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
01:25local time to elect 887 public officials in a complex democratic process where it is won
01:32by a simple majority and there will be no second round.
01:36In these elections, the new president and vice president of the country, 20 deputies
01:39to the Central American Parliament, and 71 deputies to the National Assembly will be
01:44elected.
01:50Let's go now deeper on Panama's general elections.
01:52We welcome Irina Ruiz, director of ACAMPADOC, International School and Documentary Film
01:57Festival of Panama.
01:58Welcome Irina to From the South.
02:00Welcome, everyone.
02:01Thank you.
02:02It's our pleasure.
02:03Irina, today is a key moment for Panama's political landscape.
02:08How are these elections unfolding so far and what is the mood of Panamanian voters as they
02:13head to the polls?
02:14Well, in fact, we are located in an agricultural and livestock area with a great potential
02:21for tourism and creative industries.
02:24These elections have been held with a wide participation of citizenship.
02:31Local candidates are promoting, as always, public education, preventing health.
02:38Water resources is one of the main concerns here in the area.
02:43For the candidates in this race, Irina, what are voters choosing from?
02:47What options do citizens have on the tables?
02:50What are the plans of the candidates?
02:52Well, most of the plans are, you know, based on preservation of natural resources, as I
02:59was mentioning.
03:00Water is very important because this is a dry region and there is no access for the
03:06communities to solve these problems.
03:10And many governments have been trying to mitigate what we are now calling the climate
03:18change action.
03:19But this area is having extended summers and most of the citizenship here and the central
03:28region of Panama are lacking of this support, the political and administrative support,
03:37because there are infrastructures.
03:38But the problem is that administrative support is bad.
03:43These elections come in a context of strong discontent following massive demonstrations
03:47last year against the mining concessions.
03:50Panama is also facing a weakened economy.
03:52What will be needed from whoever wins today moving forward for the nation?
03:57Well, in this central region, mining is a high and critical concern for the population
04:06because this is a Minera Cerro Quema corporation and as along the other kind of corporations
04:13that are extracting natural resources in Panama.
04:19Drinking water is the main concern for all the people, you know, health and special that
04:28many of the candidates that have been promoted are not talking about cultural plans, not
04:35educational plans at all.
04:37And this is a support for sustainability, for sustainable development.
04:41This is very important and probably the winner or the winners will have a great challenge
04:49on that.
04:51Thank you, Irina, for your time here in From the South.
04:55Thank you.
04:56My pleasure.
04:57We're going to continue providing updates on Panama's general elections in the coming
05:00news brief.
05:01But for now, we continue in Cuba.
05:03The executive secretary of the World Peace Council, Heracles Dastavidaridis, called for
05:07the shutdown of the illegal naval base that the United States has maintained in the province
05:11of Guantanamo for more than 120 years.
05:14The call was accompanied by the participants in the 8th International Seminar for Peace
05:19and the Abolition of Foreign Bases, sponsored by the Cuban Institution of Friendship with
05:23the Peoples and the World Council for Peace.
05:25The event was attended for more than 90 delegates, among them about 70 foreigners from some 25
05:31countries.
05:32The Guantanamo naval base constitutes an offence to the dignity and sovereignty of Cuba and
05:37contradicts the postulates of the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone
05:40of peace, approved in 2014 in Havana at the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American
05:45and Caribbean States.
05:54In Colombia, President Gustavo Pedro's government delivered Saturday 6,000 hectares of land
05:59to farmer families in 11 municipalities.
06:02The day framing the Agrarian Reform Plan included simultaneous events in different regions of
06:06the country.
06:07The activity was led by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jennifer Mojica, who
06:12emphasized that agrarian reform is to give the opportunity to the second or third generation
06:16of the 8 million displaced families who lost everything.
06:20The event was held in homage to Narciso Baleño, a farmer leader murdered in the town of Santa
06:25Rosa del Sur on April 21.
06:29Let's now take a short break, but remember you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English,
06:35where you'll find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
06:41More stories coming up, stay with us.
06:59Welcome back.
07:21On Saturday, in the Colombian department of Vizcarralda, at least three people died, including
07:25a minor, after a landslide occurred in the middle of intense rains.
07:29In this way, the Army highlighted a team specializing in emergency accompanying the rescue of people
07:33in the city of Dosque Cabrera.
07:36In this sense, the report adds that so far four people have been rescued, including three
07:40children, while the neighborhood where the landslide occurred also has been evacuated
07:44as it is expected that the rains will continue.
07:47In this regard, authorities indicated that they are still working on the search efforts
07:52after the emergency that left two houses affected in the Estenada neighborhood.
08:01On Sunday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva travels to Rio Grande do Sul
08:05to accompany his government's work in humanitarian assistance to those affected by the heavy
08:10rains.
08:11President Lula reaffirmed that federal resources would not be lacking in Rio Grande do Sul,
08:16which faces, according to the authorities, the worst weather disaster in its history.
08:21On Saturday, Lula headed a virtual meeting with ministers where he discussed emergency
08:25solutions for the state and the creation of a crisis cabinet in Porto Alegre to fasten
08:30communication between the federal government and the affected municipalities.
08:39Brazilian authorities report that Porto Alegre remains under floodwater that has caused more
08:45than 50 deaths, 17 missing and forced nearly 70,000 people to leave their homes in southern
08:50Brazil.
08:51The Guaiba River, which flows through the city of 1.4 million people, reached a record
08:55level of 5.09 meters, surpassing the previous record of 4.76 meters set by the devastating
09:01floods of 1941.
09:02Over one million people were left without access to drinking water during the floods.
09:13In the United States, authorities in Harris County, Texas, say that more than 400 people
09:18have been rescued from homes, rooftops and roads since Saturday following heavy rains
09:22and floods.
09:23A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional
09:27rainfall Saturday night and the likelihood of major flooding.
09:32Authorities have not reported any death or injury so far as a result of the weather event.
09:37Harris County is the nation's third-largest county, which includes Houston and nearby
09:42areas.
09:48On Sunday, Israel continued targeting civilian structures in Gaza, marking the 212th day
10:10of the ongoing Israeli-Genozator war on the enclave.
10:13Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes on the al-Salam neighborhood east of Rafah,
10:16resulting in the killing and injury of several civilians.
10:19Fighter jets also struck the town of Zawada and targeted an agricultural land in a neighboring
10:23Ma'agassi refugee camp.
10:25The ongoing Israeli aggravation has resulted so far in 34,654 documented Palestinian fatalities,
10:31the majority of whom are children and women.
10:34In addition, 77,908 injuries have been registered, with thousands of victims still under the rubble.
10:45Israeli forces bombarded different points in the Gaza Strip while waiting for the resumption
10:50of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo.
10:51In a sense, Wafaa News Agency reported that residential buildings in Rafah, near al-Walaa,
10:57were targeted by the bombardment.
10:59It should be noted that the Israeli genocide continues as on Sunday, a delegation of Hamas
11:04continues its contacts with the Egyptian mediators to try to reach a ceasefire in the enclave
11:09and offer a prisoner exchange.
11:12In this context, Palestinian resistance sources said there would be no agreement with Israel
11:16without an explicit text on a permanent ceasefire.
11:24Netanyahu's government ordered to shut down the offices of the Qatari television channel
11:28Al Jazeera in Israel.
11:29The decision was unanimously approved by the Israeli cabinet with immediate effect and
11:34includes the cancellation of the press credentials of journalists working for the channel, as
11:38well as the confiscation of all the broadcast equipment, logistics and technical tools.
11:43The ruling was based on the grounds that the Qatari television network threatens national
11:46security, a accusation Al Jazeera rejected, calling it a dangerous and ridiculous lie
11:51that puts its journalists at risk.
11:54The cabinet vote came after the Israeli parliament passed a bill allowing the temporary closure
11:58of foreign broadcast stations.
12:05In Israel, thousands of citizens demonstrated in Tel Aviv to demand early elections and
12:09new agreements with Palestine to achieve the release of Israelis held in the Gaza Strip.
12:14Activists and relatives of those held by the Hamas group in Gaza protested against Benjamin
12:18Netanyahu's government and demanded his resignation.
12:21Police blocked streets to contain the demonstrations, as well as nearby highway exits to prevent
12:26protesters from blocking traffic.
12:29The protest was organized by Generation of Change, a movement founded after the Palestinian
12:34uprising last October 7th.
13:01In France, hundreds of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched Sunday in Paris demanding justice
13:05for the Palestinian people and an end to the genocidal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
13:10Participants gathered in the first district of Paris, calling for an immediate halt to
13:13the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
13:15Demonstrators also demanded the exclusion of Israeli athletes from participating in
13:19the upcoming Paris Olympic Games.
13:22On Saturday, many cities and capitals worldwide, including Berlin, London, Dublin and Ottawa,
13:26saw massive protests in support of the Palestinian people, urging an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
13:31and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
13:39We have a Foundation Break coming up, but before we invite you to join our WhatsApp
13:42community for our English-speaking audience, you can scan the QR code on screen to join
13:46directly and share the link to reach more people, and get constant news coverage of
13:50Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the rest of the world.
13:53Stay connected and informed with TELESUR, Foundation Break, don't go away.
14:15Welcome back.
14:16Gambia hosts the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation calling for an end
14:20to Israeli aggression and crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
14:24The leaders of some 50 countries kicked off the organization's summit on Saturday in the
14:28Gambian capital, Banjul.
14:29The meeting was attended by a dozen heads of state and government, while other countries
14:34were represented by foreign ministers.
14:36Earlier envoys' three key documents will be presented during the event, which runs
14:41until Sunday, a draft Palestinian resolution and a draft Banjul declaration on the draft
14:48outcome document.
14:50During his opening speech, the organization's secretary-general, Hussein Rahim Taha, condemned
14:54the war crimes committed by Israel.
15:02This present Islamic summit is taking place against the backdrop of serious and unprecedented
15:07developments in the Palestinian cause, in particular the persistence of crimes, brutality
15:13and Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza
15:18Strip.
15:19In politics, the policies of colonial occupation, ethnic cleansing, the Judaization of the city
15:29of Al-Quds and the attacks on the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa, all of which constitute war crimes
15:34and crimes against humanity.
15:38For his part, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia condemned the failure of the United
15:41Nations Security Council to put an end to the genocide being committed by Israel in
15:45Gaza.
15:46The Palestinian question continues to be the central priority of the Organization of Islamic
15:52Cooperation.
15:53The OIC expresses the collective voice of Islam, in support of the Palestinian people,
15:58to bring them out of injustice, so that they regain all their legitimate rights, adopted
16:03by the international resolution and the Arab reference.
16:06It is regrettable to witness the failure of the Security Council of the international
16:09community to put an end to the Israeli aggressions, which are escalating in an unprecedented manner.
16:16Gambian President Adam Abaro expressed his solidarity with South Africa and his support
16:20for the attempt to bring the Israeli government to international justice for the atrocities
16:23committed in the Gaza Strip.
16:25This bold move illustrates the collective commitment of the international community
16:31to the principle of justice and human rights.
16:36It sends a powerful message that impunity for grave violations of international law,
16:43such as those committed against the Palestinian people, will not be tolerated.
16:48We stand in solidarity with South Africa and all those who advocate justice and accountability,
16:56and we pledge our support for their efforts to seek redress for the victims of atrocities
17:02committed by Israel.
17:07Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia attended Easter Mass in churches across the country.
17:11Dozens of faithful traveled on Good Friday to the Abun Teklal Mohamednath Church on the
17:16outskirts of the capital to take part in the celebrations.
17:19On Saturday, they gathered in churches in Addis Ababa, Adaba, to celebrate the resurrection
17:24of Jesus and the end of an almost two-month fast.
17:28During the 55 days leading up to Easter, Orthodox Christians in the African nation fast during
17:32a period known as Kudare or Abyesome, where they refrain from eating meat and dairy products.
17:39Ethiopia has the largest Orthodox population outside Europe.
17:47Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Easter Mass celebrated by the Orthodox
17:50Church.
17:51The head of state joined the Orthodox worshippers and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin at the Cathedral
17:56of Christ the Savior in Moscow on Saturday night.
17:59The service was led by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Petr Aksinov, who prayed
18:03for the protection of Russia's sacred frontiers.
18:06Most Western Christian churches observed Easter this year on March 31, while the Eastern
18:11Orthodox Churches followed the Older Julian calendar and celebrated on May 5.
18:21On Sunday in France, the authorities of the city of Marseille assured that their port
18:25is ready to receive the Olympic flame.
18:28In this sense, Benoît Payan, mayor of Marseille, assured that with the final cleaning operations,
18:33the port is set to welcome the legendary ship Balam.
18:36In this way, the old port, as it is called by the locals, is preparing to welcome the
18:40Olympic flame on May 8 in a celebration that will be the starting shot for the Games of
18:45Paris.
18:46The start of the Olympic Games, the kick-off of the Games, is in Marseille.
18:59It's May the 8th.
19:00We wanted to create something very popular, very fraternal, very united, which is in line
19:08with the Olympic spirit.
19:10It is a spirit of sharing, of values, of surpassing oneself.
19:15The organizers of the 2014 Paris Games have announced that the Games will be the most
19:20inclusive in history.
19:22In a sense, one of the torchbearers will be a member of the LGBTQ community.
19:26After knowing the decision, Ms. Martini expressed her feelings about the decision and made the
19:32choice.
19:33I'm going to do the torch relay on May 11 at precisely 12.21 in Digny-le-Bains.
19:42And so in theory, I'll be the first drag queen to carry the flame in the whole world, the
19:47whole universe.
19:48We have come to the end of this news brief.
19:50You can find these and many other stories on our website at Traducere-English.net.
19:54Also join us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
19:59For Traducere-English, I'm Luis Alberto Matos.
20:01Thank you for watching.