- 4 months ago
19/09/2025
FTS 8.30
*Defense Forum in China reject U.S. Caribbean deployment
*UN Secretary-General pushes for Palestinian State recognition
FTS 8.30
*Defense Forum in China reject U.S. Caribbean deployment
*UN Secretary-General pushes for Palestinian State recognition
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NewsTranscript
00:00The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, called on all Venezuelan people to offer their absolute support to the Bolivarian National Armed Forces during his review of the military community brigades.
00:22The Sixth China-Latin America High-Level Defense Forum was held in Beijing, with growing condemnation of the United States' aggressive operations in the Caribbean.
00:40And UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed the need for recognition of the Palestinian state.
00:52Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belén de los Santos. I'm from the Telesor Studios in Havana, Cuba. We begin with the news. Stay with us.
00:59We begin with the information the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, led on Thursday the review of the work of the Military Communal Brigades for Education and Health Brick-O-Miles.
01:23In this context, he called on all Venezuelan people to offer their absolute support to the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,
01:31which are deployed in defense of the sovereignty and security of the Venezuelan Caribbean in the face of the recent U.S. threats.
01:41The Bolivarian President highlighted the military drills carried out in the country's territorial waters as a way to reaffirm the nation's legitimate right to protect its territory.
01:52He also denounced the false narratives promoted by the U.S. government and warned that there is an imperialist plan to bring about a change of government in Venezuela.
02:03And we stay in Venezuela because supermarket shelves are filled with products made in the country,
02:25a reality that the imperial media does not show and that is reflected not only in the figures,
02:31but also in the feelings of its inhabitants.
02:34Andrea Romero tells us more.
02:36In recent years, the Venezuelan economy has undergone a significant transformation,
02:45with the Bolivar regaining ground as the main currency and the supply of domestic products,
02:49which translates into confidence and growing independence.
02:52On supermarket shelves, 90% of products are domestically produced, which deserves applause.
03:0395% of transactions today are in Bolivars.
03:21Our national currency, and as of yesterday, according to the latest information,
03:2930 supermarkets have opened throughout the country in 2025,
03:36with a goal of 40 stores for this year, compared to 61 in 2024.
03:43According to analyst Raymond Martinez, this is the result of macroeconomic policies focused on
03:51strengthening the use of the local currency, rather than foreign currencies.
03:57We are building confidence in the Bolivar again through monetary policies,
04:02aimed at reducing consumption and trade related to currency issues,
04:06and by promoting technical advice through banking services.
04:09Everything related to digital commerce, making room for everything related to promoting
04:14the use of the current currency, which is the Bolivar.
04:20Congressman RamĂłn Lobo details how this steady growth in Venezuelan production
04:23has been sustained despite external threats.
04:31Hell, since the third quarter of 2021,
04:34the productive apparatus has been growing at a gross rate.
04:41Let us remember that this has been motivated by the sanctions scheme that was established in Venezuela
04:46in response to a systematic and psychological campaign
04:51whose primary objective is to intimidate and sow anxiety among the Venezuelan people.
04:59This also has a clear and definite objective,
05:03which is to immobilize the productive apparatus.
05:09They seek to paralyze economic agents by creating negative expectations of uncertainty and insecurity.
05:17Economic stability has a direct impact on citizens
05:19by giving them greater access to a wider range of products in supermarkets.
05:23There are Venezuelan products.
05:27We have flour, rice, pasta, grains, butter.
05:30I think there is a lot of variety.
05:32Venezuela moves toward greater economic independence and sovereignty.
05:36We continue now with other topics.
05:44In Colombia, President Gustavo Pedro
05:46officially handed over 18,000 hectares of land
05:50to approximately 5,000 farmers from the Magdalena-Medio region.
05:55The land transfer ceremony took place at the Ventura-Castillo Coliseum
05:59in the Western Department of Caldas.
06:02This action represents a significant step towards agrarian reform in the country,
06:07a commitment that Petro considers crucial to democratizing land ownership
06:11and combating rural inequality.
06:14The president emphasized that in the context of historical violence
06:18related to land tenure,
06:19it is urgent to guarantee a productive and peaceful future for Colombian farmers.
06:37And meanwhile, in Ecuador, on Thursday night,
06:40President Daniel Novoa decreed a curfew after the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities
06:45called for protest against the increase in diesel prices.
06:49The call for action has the support of trade unions and professional associations
06:54throughout the country as well as other groups.
06:58And the presidential decree, which further restricts fundamental rights,
07:02limits mobility from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time in seven provinces.
07:07The measure suspends freedom of assembly and restricts movement for 60 days.
07:13It also authorizes the armed forces and the national police
07:16to prevent and disrupt gatherings in public spaces
07:20where threats to security are identified.
07:37And Argentinian officials have seized assets worth approximately $1.34 million
07:47from the late two of the late football legend Diego Maradona's sister,
07:53his former attorney Matias Morla, and three other individuals.
07:56The court alleges fraudulent management of Maradona's brand and assets,
08:02claiming Morla's business was a front,
08:05while Maradona's retained control until his death in the year 2020.
08:11The sisters involved are Rita and Claudia,
08:14who, along with a notary, faced prosecution as accomplices in this case.
08:19The legal fight over Maradona's estate began when two of his daughters,
08:25Dalma and Janina, first accused Morla and others in 2021.
08:30Maradona's children assert that the player's brand and subsidiaries
08:34should have been transferred to them after his passing.
08:38And now we have a short break coming up.
08:47But first, remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English,
08:50where you will find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
08:54We'll be right back. Stay with us.
09:08Welcome back to From the South.
09:16We continue with more information.
09:18On Friday, the 6th China-Latin America High-Level Defense Forum
09:22was held in Beijing with growing condemnation
09:25of the United States' aggressive operations in the Caribbean.
09:29The meeting took place in the framework of the Jiangxiang Forum
09:32with the participation of defense and military officials from China
09:36and 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
09:40who pledged deeper cooperation on security matters.
09:44The event is relevant in light of the tensions generated
09:47by the nuclear-capable warfare contingent
09:50that the United States has deployed in the region.
09:53Beijing has called on Washington to stop forcing Latin American countries
09:58to choose sides and demands respect for the sovereignty
10:02and independence of each nation.
10:06And meanwhile, on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum
10:14and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to join forces
10:18to defend the trade agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada,
10:22also known as the USMCA, from threats and uncertainty coming from the White House.
10:30Although the governments of Canada and Mexico acknowledge that the protectionism
10:34that the United States is attempting to impose on the world
10:38foreshadows complex negotiations, they are committed to the treaty in 2026.
10:44Both the President and the Prime Minister are engaged to an alliance
10:49to cooperate on the future and consolidation of the treaty.
10:53And in this regard, Sheinbaum and Carney emphasized that North America
10:57is a very important region in the global economy
11:01and will seek to ensure that the alliance benefits their countries
11:05for which they have designed a common strategy.
11:09And we go now to Panama's soaring debt, a record budget,
11:19and warnings from international rating agencies are creating a perfect economic storm
11:24that is hitting Panamanians directly in the pocketbook.
11:28Our colleague Reka Chandiramani tells us more.
11:32The country's high level of debt has been setting off alarms for years,
11:38but with one aggravating factor, the trend has reversed.
11:41It is no longer debt for public works, but to pay current expenses.
11:45Next year, the Panamanian government will allocate a record $3.661 billion
11:50just to pay off a debt that has grown by 152% in the last five years.
11:54An unprecedented increase in public debt has tripled the debt service,
12:06that is what we pay in interest, substantially reducing the resources available
12:10to the three branches of government and autonomous institutions,
12:13including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
12:17And that financial strangulation of the state means less money for essential services.
12:31It is resources that vanish from healthcare, classrooms, and public infrastructure.
12:36The 2026 budget is the highest in history, at $34.901 billion,
12:40a figure equivalent to six canal expansions,
12:43but at the same time it proposes the most severe cuts to social spending in years.
12:47In other words, the money, or chen chen, as the president calls it, is there, but not for Panamanians.
12:52But why does a growing economy not generate the resources to avoid this suffocation?
12:56The thing is that economic growth is fundamentally driven by the logistics sector,
13:08that is, the sector linked to the international market.
13:11This is not reflected in the domestic sector for several reasons.
13:15Firstly, because wages are artificially low.
13:18As they are artificially low, there is no demand.
13:21This economic model, with low domestic demand and dependent on a single sector, is extremely vulnerable,
13:37a condition aggravated by a historical dependency, the monopoly of the dollar since 1904.
13:43This makes the country hostage to external financing and the attraction of currency through investments,
13:48which in today's turbulent geopolitical context seems to impose more and more constraints than benefits.
13:54The Monroe Doctrine, throughout its history of more than 200 years, has simply not disappeared.
14:04It is the foundation, the pillar of us foreign policy, simply modified by certain names,
14:09and also from the perspective of each ruler. Why?
14:13Because when we look at the 19th century, we went from the big stick to dollar diplomacy.
14:22But it has not changed because dollar diplomacy, dollars instead of bullets,
14:26what it does is take greater advantage of the resources or raw materials of these underdeveloped countries,
14:31on the condition of applying trade measures to them, that is, I buy the raw material from you,
14:36and you buy the manufactured product from me.
14:43Having an economy that depends exclusively on foreign debt to function in something as basic,
14:49as paying the state payroll, is extremely worrying, and at, this moment, when we are in a state of high tension with the United States.
14:58The impact on citizens would be seen in the increase in the cost of credit.
15:05An increase in interest rates would leave thousands of families and businesses outside the financial system.
15:10And almost half of the panamanian population, two million people, have debts that, in this scenario,
15:15could become partially or totally unpayable, according to data from the Panamanian Credit Association.
15:20We go now to culture as in Venezuela from September 25th to October 4th.
15:47Caracas will host the third edition of the Turquille Film Festival.
15:51This event, organized by Circuito Gran Cine in collaboration with the Embassy of Turquille,
15:57will offer free screenings of six Turkish films.
16:01The program will include notable titles such as Honey, Winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin,
16:06and Yozgat Blues, a melancholic comedy.
16:09Also, dramas like The Line of Doubt, romantic comedy such as Oh Wow! in its second season,
16:16and My Father and My Son will be screened in communal spaces, addressing family themes within a political context.
16:24And at the same time, Buenos Aires celebrates the 25th edition of the German Film Festival at Cinepolis Recoleta,
16:37until September 24th, with a program that includes 16 films from restored classics to new releases.
16:44It is presented as a great celebration of German cinema, highlighting works such as the Buddenbrock,
16:51a silent classic that will be screened with live music.
16:55In addition, the latest creations by renowned directors such as Andreas Dressen and Christian Petzold,
17:01will be screened along with new talents emerging in German cinematography.
17:06The festival will also launch the Next Generation Short Tiger 2025 program, focused on highlighting the country's young talent.
17:23And in Asia, China sets the final details to celebrate the Shanghai International Light Festival 2025,
17:29which begins on September 19th.
17:32Previous to the start of this event, a jury selected three works as the winners of a contest,
17:39in which 20 artistic creations competed.
17:41The chosen place will be exhibited on the walls of the Jiang Yuli and Ji Kuman Historical Neighborhood,
17:48located in a Shanghai commercial complex.
17:51The artists highlighted in their creations the cultural knowledge of the country,
17:56and the iconic traditional architecture of the place,
18:00connecting identity and the exchange of civilizations.
18:04Shanghai International Light Festival 2025 will conclude on October 18th.
18:09The artistic teams and creators devoted great effort to crafting a holistic visual experience within the flat space.
18:22Their works reflect a deep understanding of China and Shanghai's iconic Shikyumin architecture,
18:27while also showcasing the mutual learning and exchange of civilizations.
18:31Now we have a short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Tell Us Your English,
18:40there you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more.
18:45Follow the page and activate notifications to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
18:50Final short break, don't go away.
18:52Welcome back to From the South.
19:15To continue with more information, referring to United States Thursday's veto against the UN Security Council's ruling to create a resolution for a ceasefire agreement between Palestine and Israel.
19:27UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed the need for recognition of the Palestinian state.
19:34I believe that there will be a clear, clear demonstration that the overwhelming majority of the countries in the world recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,
19:46recognize that there must be a Palestinian state and recognize it in the meeting we'll have on Monday,
19:56and at the same time send a very clear message that the carnage that is happening in Gaza has to end,
20:05that we need a ceasefire immediately, with the release of all hostages immediately too,
20:10and with effective humanitarian aid in Gaza that is suffering the highest level of death and destruction that I've seen since I'm Secretary General.
20:22And in this sense, the Chinese envoy to the United Nations, Fu Kong, sharply criticized the United States for vetoing the Security Council resolution,
20:32calling for an immediate Gaza ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian aid access.
20:37Fu expressed deep disappointment, insisting that military means cannot bring lasting peace,
20:43and warning that the ongoing conflict only increases suffering and civilian casualties.
20:49The Chinese envoy urged Israel to halt its military operation immediately,
20:54and called on all influential parties, including the U.S., to adopt an impartial approach and take concrete actions to end the fighting.
21:03Fu also reaffirmed China's support for the two-state solution as the only viable path to end the Palestinian crisis,
21:11and declared China's readiness to work with the international community to resolve the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
21:18Meanwhile, hundreds of UN staff rallied outside the organization's European headquarters in Geneva on September 18th,
21:33to honor the more than 370 colleagues that were killed in Gaza since October of 2023,
21:39most of whom were serving with the UNRWA.
21:42The demonstration included the laying of white roses at a memorial, a moment of silence,
21:48and calls for the protection of humanitarian workers and respect for international law,
21:53with organizers emphasizing that the event was not political, but a tribute to fallen staff.
22:00The protest drew sharp criticism from the U.S. and Israeli officials,
22:05who argued it breached UN impartiality and called for disciplinary actions against the staff involved.
22:12UN management had recently reminded employees to avoid organizing activities that could be seen as political,
22:18reflecting heightened tensions and concerns over neutrality amid unprecedented losses among humanitarian personnel in Gaza.
22:28And the conference's local action for global challenges and emerging economies kicked off on September 18th at the United Nations headquarters.
22:42The event focuses on engaging citizens and youth, promoting digital innovation,
22:47and localizing the sustainable development goals amid growing climate crisis and global uncertainties.
22:54It brings together diverse stakeholders to explore creative solutions and governance innovations,
23:00emphasizing the systemic role of digital public infrastructure as a foundation for local multi-stakeholder action addressing global challenges.
23:11Speakers highlighted how DPI can enhance trust, transparency, and community empowerment in climate action,
23:20showcasing examples like Brazil's rural environmental registry that supports sustainable land use.
23:27This is not just a database. It's a tool for climate action, for transparency, and for empowering communities to be part of this solution.
23:41Now imagine scaling this approach globally. With the right digital foundations, we can unlock finance for local climate initiatives,
23:51share real-time environmental data across borders, and engage citizens, especially the youth, in building the low-carbon climate resilient future we all need.
24:06And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
24:09You can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telesureenglish.net.
24:13Also join us on social media. We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok as well.
24:18For Telesure English, my name is Belen de los Santos. Thank you for watching.
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