FTS 02:30 18-12: Humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza amid Israel's attacks and winter storms

teleSUR English

* Venezuela rejects U.S. military threats * Brazilian Congress passes bill to reduce former pres. Jair Bolsonaro's jail sentence  These and more stories now!  🌐Join teleSUR's community and be part of a space where your ideas matter.  https://chat.whatsapp.com/KLABTE41aSj3ioYabXQQ6K 🗣 Don't be left behind, join teleSUR's Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va98Z437Noa2tjytCt1N Web💬 https://www.telesurenglish.net/ X🧶 https://twitter.com/telesurenglish Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/telesurenglish/?hl=es Facebook 📱 https://www.facebook.com/teleSUREnglishOfficial YouTube ⏯ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuTmpLY35O3csvhyA6vrkg TikTok👌🏼 https://www.tiktok.com/@telesurenglish?_t=8hMLCY0a6z7&_r=1

Transcript

00:00Venezuela strongly rejects the U.S. government's threat to impose a naval

00:14blockade on the nation, bowing to defend its rights to free trade,

00:18navigability, free development, sovereignty and national independence.

00:22Brazilian Congress passed a bill on Wednesday that could reduce the jail penalties for those

00:31involved in the 2020 coup d'etat, including former President Jair Bolsonaro who currently

00:37is facing 27 years in prison. In the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian crisis worsens amid

00:46continuous Israeli aggressions and harsh winter conditions.

00:54Hello, welcome to From the South. I'm Sofia Fernandes from the Telesur Studios in Havana,

00:59Cuba. We'll begin with the news. Stay with us!

01:14Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ratified Venezuela's sovereignty over its oil and rejected

01:19the claims of the United States, emphasizing that the Venezuelan state will not subordinate

01:23its territory or its wealth to colonial governments.

01:27During the commemorative ceremony for the 195th anniversary of the death of the Libertadores

01:32Simon Bolivar, her estate Nicolás Maduro assured that Venezuela will continue to trade its oil

01:37and natural resources, in strict compliance with the Constitution and the decree of the

01:42Libertadores Simon Bolivar, emphasizing that the country's resources belong exclusively to

01:47the Venezuelan people. In turn, he asserted that the majority of the U.S. people disagree

01:53with the aggression and threats that U.S. imperialism continues to level against Venezuela and the

01:58Caribbean. In the sense, the President reiterated his full confidence in the people's commitment

02:03to enforce, in perfect civil-military police union, their historical rise over the walls and

02:09national territory.

02:10There are things that call for reflection how precisely, at the 200 years of the birth of Bolivar,

02:27it is fulfilling the prophecy of great Pablo Neruda who said, Bolivar awakens each year and

02:38every 100 years, when the people awakens on our people, our beautiful great people awoke for never to go

02:49to sleep again and to stay in vigil, permanent and constant, in permanent fight. It is fabulous and magic,

03:02the history of our Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a history that is unique that will never be able to be

03:12turned off or silenced or manipulated or tinted. It is wonderful the history of our Venezuela.

03:23Always rebellious

03:24The Venezuelan government sent a letter to the President of the United Nations Security Council to

03:38go for an urgent meeting of the Security Council in light of recent U.S. threats. The Venezuelan Foreign

03:44Minister opened the letter with, I'm writing to you in your capacity as President of the United Nations

03:50Security Council to denounce a serious attack on the peace, security and stability of the Bolivarian

03:55Republic of Venezuela, as well as the Latin America and Caribbean region as a whole.

04:01It continues. In the history of Venezuela, never before has a head of state and or government of a

04:07foreign power come up with the deranged idea that Venezuelan national territory, including its oil field

04:13and other assets, belongs to them. The solution is compounded by the ultimate in them. If Venezuela

04:19does not surrender to their will, our nation will be attacked by their military sources.

04:25The Foreign Minister added that,

04:27Gunbot diplomacy to extort people's belongs to an era that humanity has already overcome.

04:33If the Security Council ignores this crime of aggression, which is evident to the world,

04:38it would be accepting the destruction of the entire collective security system of the United Nations,

04:44which has caused people so much to build over the last 80 years.

04:54Meanwhile, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, ALBA-TCP,

04:59categorically rejects the U.S. declaration of its decision to totally and completely block oil tankers

05:05to Venezuela and its intention to steal its natural resources. In a statement, ALBA denounced before

05:11the peoples of the world the serious, reckless and supremacist threat made on December 16, 2025,

05:18by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

05:23This declaration, which announces a total blockade and the forced appropriation of Venezuelan resources,

05:29constitutes an act of international aggression that grossly and flagrantly violates the

05:34shortage of the United Nations international law and the most basic principles of coexistence among states.

05:41The communique also states, the peoples and governments of ALBA express our full and

05:45unrestricted solidarity with President Nicolás Maduro, the Bolivarian government and the Venezuelan

05:51people, and we warn that any aggression against Venezuela is an aggression against all of our America.

05:57We call on the peoples of the world and social movements to reject a discriminational threat

06:02and defend the right of peoples to decide their own destiny. We reaffirm that our America is not a

06:08colony or the backyard of any empire. Venezuela is not alone, free peoples will defend peace,

06:14sovereignty and dignity against any attempt at domination.

06:17In other news, Trinidad and Tobago's authorization for US military aircrafts to use two of the island's

06:30airports has sparked public concern in the Caribbean nation, in the context of the US military presence

06:36in the region and its threats against Venezuela. Our correspondent Christian Hoyt in Barbeiros brings

06:42us closer to the issues.

06:46The military and Tobago People's Party leader Farley Augustine is responding to renewed public concern

06:52after Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that US military aircrafts have been authorized to use both

06:59Crown Point and PRCo airports for what the government describes as logistical activity, while national officials

07:06have framed the arrangement as a routine cooperation, the development has reignited questions in Tobago

07:13about consultation, public communication and how the island is being positioned as regional tensions remain

07:20in focus. Mr. Augustine says the issue has stirred fresh anxiety on the ground and he insists Tobago's stance

07:28is guided by restraint and neutrality.

07:30And so I want to reiterate, not just my position, but the position of Tobago as I speak to them on the street.

07:41We're not part of any war. Two, our people are not fighting any war. Three, no war is being fought

07:50from Tobago. So they're not looking to shoot on nobody from Tobago soil or Tobago waters. Four, that we're not

07:58picking any team in any race. Americans pick Trump, that is American Trump business. If Venezuelans want

08:05to pick Maduro, that is Venezuela and Maduro business. I know come January 12, Tobago will pick

08:10Farley Chavez, Augustine and the TPP and that is our business because Tobago is we and we are going to

08:16continue to mind our business. Mr. Augustine argues that fear-driven narratives are outpacing the facts

08:23and he says Tobago is not a launch point for conflict. And I want to show you how the fear

08:30mongering does not make sense. The United States have a ship with more capabilities, more technological

08:38capabilities than the polar Tobago combined. As a matter of fact, the U.S. with that ship, they don't

08:45even need to come into the Tobago waters. They could just stay in international waters and do whatever they

08:50want to do against whoever they want to do. They don't need us to do that. And so even last night

08:56when I remember the media asked me, do you think Tobago will be affected if there is war? And I said,

09:02but think about it. The whole Eastern Caribbean, the Southern Caribbean, all of us will be affected.

09:08It's not like it's a Tobago alone thing. All of us will be affected.

09:12As scrutiny continues, residents and stakeholders are calling for clearer,

09:17steadier communication, particularly on how national security decisions intersect with Tobago's safety,

09:24economy and public confidence during an election season. Crystal Hoyt, Telusur, Richtown, Barbados.

09:33And now we have a short break coming up. But first remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telusur English,

09:38where you will find news in different formats, news updates and more. We'll be right back. Stay with us.

09:47Welcome back to From the South. On Wednesday, the Brazilian Senate's Constitution and Justice Committee

10:14approved a bill that could reduce the penalties of those involved in the 2022 coup, including former

10:22President Jair Bolsonaro. The bill which had been approved last week in the Chamber of Deputies

10:27passed with 48 votes in favor and 25 against. The measure seeks to reduce the affected prison time

10:33for those persecuted for crimes against the Democratic rule of law, including former President Jair Bolsonaro

10:39and other coup plotters who tried to override the will of the people. The regulation could reduce

10:45Bolsonaro's penalty, who is currently facing 27 years in prison, to as little as two and a half years.

10:52For his part, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has the power to veto the bill,

10:58but in the event that he does, the bill could be taken to Congress once again.

11:09In other news in Honduras, the Libre Party colony's workers to take to the streets to defend the will

11:14of the people expressed at the ballot box in the face of allegations of fraud. The leadership of the

11:20ruling Libre Party, an event held at the presidential palace and attended by senior party officials,

11:25demanded the opening of more than 19,000 ballot boxes for a vote-by-vote recount. In this context,

11:33President Xiomara Castro, together with the General Coordinator of the Libre Party, Manuel Zelaya,

11:38denounced electoral fraud due to the interference of the United States and called on their supporters

11:44to mobilize peacefully throughout the country.

11:46And by calling, convoking you, it is precisely for us to be able to manifest ourselves in a peaceful way,

12:07in the way that we are used to, in a peaceful way, because the democracy is defended standing,

12:20not in silence.

12:26In this scenario, President Xiomara Castro described the elections as an electoral coup,

12:31and demanded that they be annulled, considering them the most fraudulent in the country's history.

12:39We all know what happened on Sunday the 30th, on Sunday the 30th.

12:48Those who dictated the order from there with their allies here,

12:54they gave a brutal hit, electoral coup, because they want to disappear the party and the political force,

13:13and Zelaya and Melissa, and they want to disappear the cause, the essence of this party.

13:24They want to disappear.

13:27To them, we say,

13:29today,

13:3217 days after the elections,

13:36that we are standing and fighting, and that we won't rest

13:45in our just demands

13:48for what and you know it and you have also repeated all of these days to

13:57and all the elections

14:01the elections

14:06the most cheated elections of the history of Honduras

14:13we have a second short break coming up before we invite you to visit our facebook page at

14:21delusure english there you'll be able to watch your top stories special life coverage and much

14:25more follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the world's most

14:30recent events final short break but we'll be right back with the boy from the south don't go away

14:43welcome back on wednesday the university of buenos aires warns of a 30 percent cut in the budget for

14:52its university hospitals in 2026 as outlined in the draft budget of president javier mille's

14:58administration the measure derived from the parliamentary ruling has caused concern with

15:04the institution due to its impact on public health and university education the university of buenos

15:10aires noted that this will impact talk hospitals which shall serve over 700 000 patients a year

15:17the institution stressed its projection of the government's initiative to repeal the university

15:22financing law and denounce the declining wages of its workers whose portions of power has been half in two

15:30years

15:32in other news on wednesday the ecuadorian government activated the emergency operations committee coe

15:45to monitor the ah3 and two flu and the circulation of other respiratory viruses in the country

15:53the ministry of public health reported that the coe held a meeting wednesday to analyze the current

15:58epidemiological situation and plan actions the meeting was shared by minister of environment

16:05and energy ines manzano and attended by several members of the executive including vice president of

16:12the republic maria jose pinto who oversees health the vice president reported that more than 250 000

16:19people have already been vaccinated against the flu in the country including 100 000 children under the

16:24age of six belonging to the priority group

16:49the dust toll rises in the gaza strip amid continuous israeli aggressions and harsh winter

16:54conditions than exacerbate the humanitarian crisis according to the ministry of health one

17:00palestine was killed and 11 were injured in the latest israeli aggression while many monitors remain

17:06trapped beneath the rubble or stranded in the streets as rescue crews struggle to work

17:12for more the tragic winter has left 12 people dead to 11 of them from collapsed structures and one of

17:19freezing for its part the gaza civil defense warned that severe winter weather has sharply worsened the

17:26humanitarian crisis in the gaza strip triggering building collapses mass flooding and further civilian

17:32deaths so far israel has been committed 394 ceasefire violations since the october 2025 ceasefire agreement

17:49so two indian officials recently made remarks about pollution which has increased frustration among

18:03residents who claim that policy makers are unwilling to acknowledge the severity of indians air quality

18:10crisis environmental minister bubender jadaf told parliament that new delhi had seen 200 good air quality

18:19days however pollution experts and opposition leaders said he overlooked the worst months

18:25environmentalist data experts claim that india's air quality measurement standards are more lenient

18:31than those of countries such as the united states causing moderate reading to often mass dangerous pollution

18:38levels india's government air quality standards are also less straining that world health organization guidelines

18:49in other news russia and iran announced a joint initiative to create a world global group against

19:00unilateral sanctions which they consider illegal and a violation of international law the proposal was

19:07presented by foreign minister segir lavrov and avas arashkishi during a press conference in moscow as part of their

19:14commitment to strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation lavrov stated that moscow and teheran agreed on

19:21the need to create an international group against sanctions and stress that these measures have a negative

19:26political and economic impact on the countries affected the russian minister also highlighted the active

19:32cooperation between the two countries on strategic projects and expressed russia's willingness to join

19:37mediation efforts if iran requested

19:48like this we have come to the end of this tunes brief you can find this and many other stories on

19:52our website at tell us to english.net and join us on social media we're on facebook x instagram

19:58telegram and tiktok for tell us your english i'm sophie fernandez thank you for watching

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended