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28/07/2025 FTS 12.30
*Colombia: Court to issue final verdict on Uribe's trial
*Thailand and Cambodia agree to unconditional ceasefire
*Colombia: Court to issue final verdict on Uribe's trial
*Thailand and Cambodia agree to unconditional ceasefire
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Venezuela, the National Electoral Council announced results following the municipal election in which the Great Patriotic Poll won in 23 of the 24 of the capitals of the country.
00:20The Justice System in Colombia continues with the reading of the verdict on former President Alvaro Rivas' case.
00:34Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Thai and Cambodian leaders sealed an immediate and unconditional ceasefire deal which would be enforced at midnight on Monday.
00:48Hello, welcome from the South. I'm Luis Alberto Matos from De JesĂşs Studios in Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
00:58In Venezuela, vote counting has finished and the National Electoral Council announces results following the municipal election. The Great Patriotic Poll obtained 285 mayoral seats in the country while the opposition forces won 50.
01:24In this sense, the Great Patriotic Poll won in 23 of the 24 of the capitals, such as strategic capitals in the states of Aragua, Carabobo, Guarico, Miranda and Zulia.
01:33Meanwhile, opposition forces won in Chacao and Baruta municipalities.
01:37On Sunday, Venezuelans participated in two different elections, one to choose 335 majors and over 2,400 local councillors. In the other, the youth decided on more than 5,000 projects in their first popular consultation.
01:52This electoral process represented the 33rd election held in the country since Commander Hugo Chavez took office.
02:04In this context, Cuban President Miguel DĂaz-Canel congratulated the Venezuelan people on Sunday's electoral process.
02:10Through a post on his ex-account, the head of state sent warm congratulations to the government and people of Venezuela,
02:18protagonists of another historic election day. Its results give continuity to the Bolivarian and Chavista revolution and strengthen its civil military union with our support to our brother president, Nicolas Maduro.
02:31Also, Venezuelans this Monday, July 28th, are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the victory of President Nicolas Maduro in last year's presidential elections
02:46and also of the Venezuelan people's victory over the far-right destabilization attempts that took place following the results of that presidential election last year.
02:55Let's now go with our guest to go deeper in what it means this first year of triumph against those disabilization attempts with Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Lawyer, Dan Kovalex.
03:07Welcome, Dan, to From the South.
03:09Thank you for having me.
03:11It's our pleasure, Dan. So, as we were saying, it's been a year since that historic date, last year's July 28th.
03:17What is your analysis of what has happened during these past 12 months in regards to U.S. policies and the way action has been taken against Venezuela,
03:26taking into account all these far-right sectors as has been denounced by Venezuelan government, the authorities?
03:33Yes, well, the sanctions by the United States continue, and Trump has made it clear that he wants to try to isolate Venezuela even more
03:45and to tighten sanctions against that country, which have already killed tens of thousands of people,
03:52by starving Venezuela of medicines and food that people need.
03:59Though I think the government has done a good job to try to counter those sanctions and to find a way to get people's needs met.
04:09But still, it's a very difficult situation, but they've weathered it.
04:13And as you say, Nicolas Maduro was reelected last year, and his party just won very big in the municipal elections.
04:24So I think it's fair to say that they have weathered this attack by the United States so far.
04:32As you were saying, the work that has been done by the government authorities recently,
04:37the government reported 17 continuous trimesters of economic growth as they continue to implement this model, the 70s,
04:44and the promotion of the engines of the engines to promote the economy in the country.
04:50Something that, according to the electoral result, because we have seen other two elections following that presidential elections for the governors
04:57and the one yesterday for the municipals of an overwhelming increase of the support for the very own government.
05:03What is your take on your opinion on these strategies?
05:08Yeah, well, they seem to be working.
05:09Again, I think the municipal elections, the success that Maduro's party had in the election shows that people feel that their needs are being met,
05:19that the economy is improving.
05:21And that's, you know, something they should be applauded for, because at one point, I think in 2000, around 2017 or so,
05:33Trump's increased sanctions then brought Venezuela's revenue down to almost zero.
05:39And so they had to really rebuild almost from scratch.
05:42And they've done that.
05:43And the fact that the people are still with the government shows they feel the government is fighting for them.
05:53Also, something that has been, especially since Donald Trump took office earlier this year, has been the situation with migration,
06:01with the large number of deportations, but not only this, but the treatment that migrants,
06:05Venezuelan migrants in particular have received, with over 250 of them being kidnapped to El Salvador to a high-security prison,
06:12which have now returned to their homeland.
06:15What has been the driving factor in those negotiations to bring those people back home?
06:22Well, I think that the Venezuelan government stands by these citizens and is fighting for them.
06:33And wants them back in Venezuela.
06:37It's obviously an incredible human rights violation that these Venezuelans were sent to a, basically, a concentration camp in El Salvador.
06:46And I think the message it's sending is that Venezuelans who think coming to the U.S. is somehow a step up from being in Venezuela,
06:55I think they're learning that isn't necessarily the case.
06:58That this country is not, certainly not at this moment, favorable to immigrants.
07:07And frankly, it's not even favorable to its own people.
07:10The infrastructure is falling apart.
07:12It's not an easy place to live in.
07:14And again, I think these deportations just underscore that.
07:17In terms of law, how can international institutions stay silent and turn to the planet when they see these gross violations of human rights laws,
07:28like in the case of the migrants, but also, for example, what is happening right now in Gaza?
07:32How can, possibly, someone try to defend this?
07:36Well, that's a very good question.
07:39I think these are things impossible to defend, particularly the genocide in Gaza.
07:45But what it shows is that the West, and many of us have said this for years, the West has double standards when it comes to human rights.
07:54It tends to exaggerate, if not fabricate, the human rights violations of its adversaries while ignoring or celebrating the human rights violations committed by themselves or their allies.
08:09And there's no better example than that, what we're seeing in Gaza, which is really an abominable act, probably the worst genocide we've seen since the Holocaust in World War II,
08:23which we have to remember was committed by the West then, by the Germans, right?
08:27And they're supporting the genocide now in Gaza.
08:31So the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.
08:35Taking into account what has happened, as you were saying, one of the worst genocides that we have seen in human history,
08:42there are many sectors, left-wing sectors, the Global South in general, that have been calling for a reform to the current global governance.
08:49How do you see this happening?
08:52Yes, that is true.
08:54I think the Hague group that convened in Bogota, Colombia, is a good example of this effort.
09:00I don't know how it's going to play out.
09:03I think the only way to reform the human rights structure and the international law structure is to reform how the United Nations functions,
09:14either to get rid of the Security Council altogether and allow the General Assembly to make decisions on matters of war and peace,
09:22to increase the number of permanent members on the Security Council,
09:29to water down the veto power by increasing the number of vetoes necessary to successfully prevent a resolution from being passed.
09:40Right now, obviously, one country, which tends to be the United States, is able to do that.
09:44There's talk about, you know, increasing that number to at least two or more.
09:51But those discussions have been had for a long time and really nothing's been done, so we'll see.
09:57It may be that a whole new structure has to be created outside the United Nations, which has existed since after World War II.
10:07Thank you very much, Dan Kovalex, for your time and your input here with us in From the South.
10:14Our pleasure.
10:15Let's now take our first break.
10:17Remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telesu English, where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
10:24We'll be right back. Stay with us.
10:47Welcome back.
11:00In Venezuela, the July 28th marks one year of President Nicolás Maduro's victory in the democratic elections as the country moves forward with the seven transformations.
11:09Our colleague Adriana Zibori tells us more.
11:12It has been a year since Venezuelan head of state Nicolás Maduro won the presidential elections.
11:20During that election campaign, his promises revolved around seven transformations that he considered and continues to consider necessary for the economic and social advancement of his country.
11:32In January of this year, he officially began his new term, and without delay, the first thing he did was to enact that government plan into law.
11:41So we then began a special journey, seeking to show what path he is following and how Venezuela is moving forward.
11:49Here is our first story with the key word stability.
11:52The heat of the Venezuelan capital subsides as you climb the Guarayra de Pano.
12:00It means big mountain, and it is the lung of Caracas.
12:04You can climb on foot, or a completely renovated cable car takes you to the top.
12:09At almost 3,000 meters, the climate changes. At this time of year, the fog envelops visitors.
12:15Venezuela is beautiful in any weather. We have it all. Beach, river, savanna, plain, El Junquito, La Colonia, wherever you want to go, it's there.
12:30The Guarayra de Pano is spectacular, beautiful. It has been completely remodeled, very nice.
12:37I had come here long before it was renovated. The beautiful can be seen from up here, super beautiful, and the country well, recovering, recovering.
12:45And it is in public spaces where it is most visible.
12:52For example, this square, which was recently restored, and is also close to the National Art Gallery.
13:00It is significant that next to this art gallery, there is this square, which is also conductive to enjoying the liberation of art from culture and from what we are as Venezuelans.
13:13Here, families from different parts of the city gathered, many from popular neighborhoods that were considered high-risk areas.
13:22I am from Petare, and before you couldn't walk around Petare. Now, the harmony in Petare is such that I can even meditate.
13:30Before, you couldn't take out your cell phone, and now I can walk around freely and enjoy the company, and enjoy the journey without worrying about the destination.
13:41Peaceful coexistence stands out in the streets.
13:45There is no longer as much political problems as we had months or years ago when we were killing each other. At least now we are sharing, living.
13:52Household consumption has increased. This is the predominant opinion.
13:58Despite the situation with the dollar and our economy, which is in another currency but is based on that, yes, the salaried worker sector, to which I belong, has noticed that everyone has seen a significant improvement in their purchasing power and the things they buy.
14:20The level of appliances, food, who have vehicles, the issue of fuel, and all those things, despite the limitations, is moving.
14:30The highest authority in the South American nation affirms that the trend is towards sustained growth after a network manipulating that parallel dollar was shut down in May.
14:41A new economic model is being built with our own efforts and resources. In the second quarter, the numbers are already consolidated with 6.65% growth in the real economy.
14:57It was a difficult second quarter because they tried to waste economic war on us again, but we are now more solid, we are now more robust.
15:07But how do experts explain stability?
15:12The government adopted a public policy on an important economic issue. There is economic dynamism, an agreement between the government, the private sector, and the community, and that has been a fundamental element for political stability.
15:26Of course, the economic and financial blockade affected the country's macroeconomy and the state's resource capability to develop its policy.
15:34However, I believe that appropriate measures have been taken in the context of domestic economic policy. And there is also an important international dynamic where the blockade has, admittedly, affected us. We have already had the strategic resilience to move forward.
15:55Nicolás Maduro has six years in office. The challenges that have been set for this period include modernizing the economy, threatening education, consolidating direct democracy, combating climate change, shaping international relations.
16:13And one point that stands out is the promise to continue defending Venezuela migrants wherever they are. Would you like to know how, the details, and how far he has progressed?
16:24Follow us on our multi-platform. We will be reporting on this throughout the week.
16:32The justice system in Colombia continues with the reading of the verdict on former President Alvaro Uribe's case.
16:37During the reading of the verdict, Judge Sandra Heredia affirms that the decision was reached after a process of guarantee, respectful principle of legitimate defense despite media pressure.
16:47Furthermore, Heredia declares that the interceptions ordered by the Supreme Court by mistake to the former president's telephone were legal and through which his conversations with his former lawyer, Dio Cadena, were heard.
16:58The parties were summoned after 67 hearings and witnesses were heard in trials held four times a week and lasted at least six months.
17:06Uribe is on trial for the crimes of witness tampering and procedural fraud in a criminal proceeding.
17:19And precisely a few hours before the trial of former President Alvaro Uribe, the magazine Semana published an article about the case Judge Sandra Liriana Heredia delving into her private life and alleged hydrological alliance.
17:33The article prompted strong rejection from various sectors of the population who deemed it a tactic of intimidation and direct threat to judicial independence.
17:43These actions have also been described as an unacceptable form of media pressure, leading journalists and collectives to raise their voices in condemnation of the article,
17:53arguing that it unnecessarily exposes the judge and her family.
17:57Now for our second and final show break coming up, before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Telesur English,
18:07you will be able to watch our top stories, special life coverage and much more.
18:11Follow our page and activate your vision button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
18:16Final show break, don't go away.
18:27Welcome back.
18:39Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Thai and Cambodian leaders sealed an immediate and unconditional ceasefire deal which would be enforced at midnight on Monday.
18:48The talks were held in Malaysia, which is the current chair of the regional bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
18:54and were attended by officials from the U.S. and China.
18:57They came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that trade negotiations would be paused until the fighting stopped.
19:02Thailand and Cambodian faced the prospect of a 36% U.S. tariff from August 1st.
19:07Prime Minister Ibrahim noted that the fighting between the neighboring nations had been the worst in over a decade.
19:14In addition, the senior authority reported the dispute caused some 35 deaths and over 270,000 displaced.
19:21The United States and the European Union signed a new trade agreement that maintains 15% tariffs on European exports while eliminating the tax border on U.S. imports since European markets.
19:39The agreement was reached during a meeting in Scotland between Donald Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
19:46Among other points, the European bloc commits to acquiring $750 billion in U.S. energy products, including oil and liquefied natural gas, as well as a quantity of military equipment.
19:57German media outlet Weld said the agreement is disadvantageous for Europe, as for 24 years Washington applied tariffs of only around 2% to European products.
20:06Palestinian authorities reported 14 deaths from hunger in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.
20:07Palestinian authorities reported 14 deaths from hunger in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.
20:11The officials further highlighted that famine has now reached a death toll to one thousand people in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip.
20:34The officials further highlighted that famine has now reached a death toll to 147 and the majority of the fatal victims were minors.
20:44In this regard, the international community warned that hundreds of children are at life risk as Gazans have been facing starvation due to the Israeli siege that prevents the entry of humanitarian aid.
20:54In addition, they pointed out that 40% of pregnant women suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
21:00They further unfolded that babies were in the same health condition.
21:03Indeed, Al-Shifa hospital doctors announced Monday the death of a baby from a severe malnutrition and a shortage of breast milk,
21:10while 40,000 other babies could die because they are deprived of the infant formula.
21:16Meanwhile, the international community maintains its demands for an end to the aggression.
21:20In this regard, the United Nations has stated that Israel has eased some restrictions on Gaza by allowing 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter from Egypt.
21:37However, they warned that this amount was insufficient to prevent famine and a catastrophic health crisis.
21:43The Gaza media office has said that 600 trucks of aid per day and 250,000 cans of infant formula per month are needed instead.
22:02Meanwhile, the authorities in Gaza reported three airdrops of humanitarian aid according to the load of two trucks.
22:08These loads were parachuted by Jordanian and United Arab Emirates aircraft over northern Gaza.
22:13According to eyewitness accounts, most of the cargo fell in Israeli military areas that are off-limits to civilians.
22:19They argued that this was an insult to the dignity of the famine-streaking Palestinian population.
22:24Meanwhile, citizens risked their lives looting bags of flour from trucks arriving in northwest Gaza City.
22:31In Israel, 12 of the arrested freedom flotilla activists refused to sign deportation papers and remain in custody.
22:44The activists are being held in the Israeli Gibbon prison and were expected to appear in court on Monday.
22:49The 21 detainees, some of whom would be deported or have already left the country on Monday, were captured by Israeli authorities on the Handala Strip,
22:58which left Syracuse for Gaza on July 13.
23:01The Freedom Flotilla and the Adala Organization reported that they were arrested 40 nautical miles from the Strip outside Israeli territorial waters
23:09and that they were heading for the enclave with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade and delivering much-needed supplies.
23:16At least four people have died and eight more are missing following a landslide in Hebei, a northern Chinese province.
23:41This incident occurred in a village in Luanping County on Monday morning.
23:46Heavy rains in the area in recent days caused the landslide.
23:50Emergency and rescue teams are searching for the missing individuals.
23:53Meanwhile, 3,000 people were evacuated in the medium area.
23:57Authorities in Beijing also want residents to stay away from mountainous areas, underground areas, riverbanks and rivers at risk of flash flooding.
24:06Like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
24:15You can find this and many other stories on our website at TeleStoryEnglish and net.
24:21So join us on social media, Facebook, eggs, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
24:25But that is your English. I'm Luis Alberto Matos. Thank you for watching.