- 5 weeks ago
12/01/2026
FTS 20.30
*Mexico Pres. Sheinbaum reaffirms defense of national sovereignty.
*U.S. govt. reinforces police deployment in Minneapolis.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
FTS 20.30
*Mexico Pres. Sheinbaum reaffirms defense of national sovereignty.
*U.S. govt. reinforces police deployment in Minneapolis.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
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NewsTranscript
00:00Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez met Monday with the diplomatic
00:16representatives of the member countries of the European Union.
00:19At her regular morning press conference Mexican President Claudia Seymour referred to a telephone
00:28conversation she had with her U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.
00:34And Donald Trump's administration reinforces police deployment in Minneapolis following
00:39massive protest over the killing of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent.
00:46Hello and welcome to From the South, I'm Alejandra Garcia from Telesur Studios in Havana, Cuba.
00:51We begin with the news.
01:05Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez met Monday with the diplomatic representatives
01:10of the member countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland in Caracas.
01:16Rodriguez was accompanied by the Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iván Gil, who emphasized the
01:21importance of the meeting to strengthen the dialogue, understanding and cooperation
01:26among the nations and the respect for the international law. The Venezuelan top diplomat
01:31provided details and consequences of the U.S. aggression against his country and reiterated
01:36the Bolivarian government's position to defend peace, sovereignty and self-determination.
01:41The meeting was also attended by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez,
01:47and the Minister for the Interior, Justice and Peace, Diosdala Cabello.
01:59The acting president has sent a very clear message that, within the framework of respect and equality
02:05among states, we are willing to move forward with a new agenda, an intense work agenda for the well-being
02:11of both peoples, of all the peoples, of Europe and Venezuela. Education has also served us to enable
02:18the acting president RodrĂguez, the president of the National Assembly and the Minister of the Interior and Justice
02:27to take stock of the events that occurred on January 3, when, in violation of international law and sovereignty,
02:35and violating the principles of the United Nations Charter, our people were attacked, and our president
02:41Nicolas Maduro, the constitutional president, as well as the First Lady, were kidnapped.
02:48On the other hand, Gil assured that a new stage of international dialogue and cooperation was open
02:54for the benefit of the peoples. I believe that today marks the beginning of a very interesting stage of dialogue
03:04for building cooperation in all areas of life in our countries, which will surely benefit our peoples.
03:10We affirm the will of the Bolivarian government to work hand-in-hand under diplomatic principles
03:16with all the peoples of the world.
03:21Also Venezuela's acting president, Delsi RodrĂguez, called as well for national cohesion
03:28to confront the aggression perpetrated by the United States.
03:33The Bolivarian leader denounced that the country is facing a savage and criminal aggression
03:38by the United States following the attack perpetrated against Venezuelan territory.
03:44She also emphasized that the country is resisting an asymmetrical confrontation with a nuclear power,
03:51but remains determined and maintains its historical moral superiority.
03:56RodrĂguez also called for strengthening national unity with three objectives,
04:00preserving peace, rescuing President Maduro and first combatant Celia Flores and also conserving
04:07political power to defend the people. Acting President RodrĂguez affirmed that this battle
04:13core is the Bolivarian revolution.
04:23Also the acting president of Venezuela, Delsi RodrĂguez, informed the population on Monday
04:28the appointment of a new minister of the president's office. This way, RodrĂguez appointed Captain
04:34Juan Escalona as the new minister of the People's Power of the president's office. In this regard,
04:40RodrĂguez highlighted her trust that Escalona's loyalty, ability and commitment will carry forward
04:46the development of the government's plans together with the people.
04:50Likewise, Acting President Delsi RodrĂguez appointed AnĂbal Coronado as the new minister of popular power for
05:03eco-socialism, whom she said from now on will continue with the supreme objective of developing
05:09eco-socialism as a fundamental strategic line of our revolutionary process for the preservation of the environment.
05:16In this context, she thanked former minister Ricardo Molina for his commitment and commendable work
05:23at the head of this ministry.
05:31The United Socialist Party of Venezuela also urged the Venezuelan people to move forward in the development
05:36of the country together with Acting President Delsi RodrĂguez in the face of the kidnapping of
05:41Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro. The Party's Secretary-General de Estado Cabello asked the
05:47Venezuelan people to focus on peace and reiterated that the government is doing what it must to ensure
05:53the return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Celia Flores. Cabello emphasized that the Bolivarian
05:59government continues to operate under the guidelines left by the Constitutional Head of State before he was
06:06kidnapped. In this sense, Cabello urged Venezuelans to continue the Bolivarian revolution and express
06:12the support of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela for the decisions of Acting President Delsi RodrĂguez.
06:23In addition, Cabello asserted that despite the country's progress, the indignation of the Venezuelan
06:28people over the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and Congresswoman Celia Flores is unbearable.
06:34In addition, the indignation that these people are feeling, all Venezuelans are feeling due to the
06:40kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and the killing of an amount of Venezuelans that is more than 100
06:49Venezuelans that were killed, it is a rage that is difficult to say. It is difficult to overcome,
07:00but we are doing what we have to do.
07:06And now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok
07:10at Telesur English where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
07:15Welcome back to From the South. In Venezuela, the Ministry of the People's Power for the Penitentiary
07:34Service announced 116 new releases of people accused of disrupting the constitutional order
07:41and threatening the stability of the nation thanks to the coordination between the institutions that
07:45make up the South American country's justice system. The Ministry emphasized these actions
07:51followed the comprehensive review of cases voluntarily initiated by Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro
07:58Moros. This process has continued under the direction of Acting President Del Cielo,
08:04Ina RodrĂguez GĂłmez, within the framework of a policy geared toward justice, dialogue and the preservation
08:10of peace. This review procedure will be maintained on a permanent and continuous basis, always in strict
08:17compliance with the legal system in force. Finally, the statement highlights the Venezuelan state
08:23thus reaffirms its institutional strength and commitment to delivering justice in the exercise of
08:29sovereignty with measures that contribute to consolidating peace for the entire Venezuelan people.
08:39Also on Monday, Venezuela began the second half of the 2025-2026 school year with complete normality
08:47despite the recent US military attack against the country. The Ministry of Education informed that
08:52children and young people across the country are returning to classrooms after the December holiday period,
08:59according to authorities, the country's educational institutions are in optimal condition thanks to a
09:05rehabilitation and preventive maintenance that plan promoted by President Nicolás Maduro. In addition,
09:12all educational institutions are guaranteed the school feeding program which provides breakfast,
09:18lunch and snacks to students as part of the Bolivarian government's social protection policies.
09:23And in this context, Venezuelan acting President Delci Rodriguez attended the start of the second school
09:35term of 2026 after the recent US attack against the country. From a newly inaugurated school in La Guaira,
09:43Rodriguez highlighted the progress evidenced in several educational centers throughout the country,
09:49following renovations to their infrastructure in order to provide higher quality to the teaching
09:55process. In this regard, the President also referred to the school feeding program as an important
10:00factor in the growth of enrollment. Delci Rodriguez stated that education and food are two of the highest
10:06priority sectors for investment in Venezuela, guaranteeing daily care for 2 million children throughout the country.
10:14Well, today we have more than 6 million children in school and now we are going to hand over this
10:27completed new school with the Deputy Principal Norellis, with the President of the Federation of Secondary
10:33Education Students. A new school built by the Ministry of Education and we are delivering 11 more throughout the
10:41national territory, 1725 educational facilities that have been recovered.
10:52On the other hand, Rodriguez confirmed that despite the US economic blockade, the Venezuelan
10:57schools are providing food to over 2 million students daily.
11:03And the world should know that in this blockade of Venezuela, 2 million girls and boys receive food in
11:10their schools every day. These are numbers that should be known because the rest are lies that
11:16tries to justify. The intervention in Venezuela is completely unacceptable. We don't accept it. This is the
11:23real Venezuela and the truth about Venezuela.
11:29And in other informations, at her regular morning press conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinman referred
11:34to a telephone conversation she had with her US counterpart Donald Trump. The head of state mentioned the
11:40work of the joint Mexican US Commission aimed at implementing actions against drugs and organized crime
11:45groups on both sides of the border. In this regard, Sheinman highlighted the decrease in fentanyl seizures in
11:52the United States, as well as the decrease in homicide rates in Mexico. In addition, Claudia Sheinman stated that during the conversation with the US President,
12:02the Mexican government made clear its position regarding the defense of its national sovereignty.
12:15After the statements made by President Donald Trump, I asked Juan RamĂłn de la Fuente to reach
12:20out to Secretary Rubio. They spoke yesterday.
12:23And I also made the decision to contact President Trump in a call. We were given the call on Friday
12:37for this morning, and we talked about the joint work we have done on security issues.
12:42There are very important results from this collaborative effort. For example,
12:54the flow of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States has been reduced by 50 percent.
13:05How is that measured? By the seizures of fentanyl they make on the other side of the border.
13:11So CBP, which is a US agency, publishes how much fentanyl is seized at the border,
13:17and this has been reduced by 50 percent in one year.
13:23The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinman, also reaffirmed that the country supports
13:28constitutional principles in the face of the US aggression against Venezuela.
13:31On January 22nd and 23rd, there will be a new meeting of this commission that was created jointly.
13:41Now, it will take place in the United States, and we will continue working together with the
13:46principles we have always established, seeking collaboration to reduce our part of illegal drug
13:56trafficking. From their side, the reduction of arms trafficking, and also working to decrease
14:03insecurity in Mexico. That was the conversation.
14:09Additionally, we discussed the issue of Venezuela. I made it very clear to them that we have a
14:15constitution, and that the constitutional principles were very clear, and that was where the conversation
14:21ended.
14:22And that was the conversation.
14:25Now we go to Honduras, where the National Congress submitted a decree to the National
14:29Electoral Council for the implementation of a full count by the voting boards.
14:34Through its social media accounts, the Honduran legislature stated,
14:38By means of Official Letter No. 2, 2026 CN, the National Congress forwarded the
14:45referred decree to the President of the National Electoral Council,
14:49Citizen Ana Paula Hall-Garcia, for the appropriate processing in accordance with the law,
14:55respectfully requesting the counting of votes ordered in the decree duly published in the
15:01Official Gazette. In this regard, the text states,
15:04The National Congress reiterates its firm and ongoing commitment to unrestricted respect for
15:09the constitution of the Republic, the legality and transparency of the democratic process,
15:15emphasizing that the decisions adopted by the legislative plenary duly approved and published
15:21in the Official Gazette are mandatory for all state institutions to follow, to guarantee respect for
15:27the will of the people and to strengthen the rule of law in Honduras.
15:35On the island of Tobago as well, part of Trinidad and Tobago, more than 52,000 citizens
15:41are participating in the 2026 regional elections. On Monday, citizens turn out to participate in the
15:47election that will determine the seats to be filled in the Tobago House of Assembly on the second
15:53largest island in the Caribbean country. The contest is between candidates from the Government-aligned
15:59People's Party of Tobago and opposition candidates from the National People's Movement who hope to
16:05achieve a legislative majority. Regarding the process, the Elections and Boundaries Commission has
16:10ensured guarantees for the exercise of the votes amid questions about the management of Prime Minister
16:16Kamla Bersad on energy policies and authorizing the presence of foreign military personnel in the
16:22territory.
16:28And now we have a second showbreak coming up. Before we invite you to visit our Facebook page
16:33at Telesur English that you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverage and much more.
16:39Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
16:45Fana Sowerbreak will be right back.
16:57Welcome back to From the South and we go right away to the United States where Donald Trump's
17:01administration reinforces police deployment in Minneapolis following massive protests
17:07over the killing of US citizen René Goode by an ICE agent. National Security Secretary Kristi Noem
17:13stated that 2,000 federal agents will join the operations in Minneapolis which aim to contain
17:20the social protest. In this regard, she threatened that anyone who tries to obstruct the work of the
17:25security forces will face serious consequences from the authorities. In addition, the US official
17:32justified the killing of René Goode arguing that it was an act of self-defense as the citizen
17:38allegedly attacked a nice agent during a raid against migrants.
17:46Also in the United States, thousands of nurses launched a massive strike at major hospitals in New
17:52York City. The action taken by healthcare professionals comes after negotiations for contract improvements
17:59over the weekend failed to achieve significant progress. Demands vary by hospital but the main issues
18:05include adequate staffing levels and greater safety in the workplace. According to the union organization,
18:12about 15,000 nurses are participating in this strike.
18:16and now let's talk about Palestine in the last
18:44Now let's talk about Palestine. In the last 24 hours, Israeli military forces killed seven
18:49civilians during a new wave of raids against the east of the Gaza Strip. Zionist occupation
18:54aircraft launched a violent airstrike against the coastal enclave. At the same time, ground
18:59troops opened fire in the town of Hanjunis, south of the Gaza Strip, while emergency teams
19:05mobilized in search of injured victims trapped under the rubble. For its part, the Ministry
19:11of Health confirmed that the death toll had risen to more than 71,410, and the number
19:18of injured to almost 171,320 since the start of the Zionist aggression.
19:32Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, dozens of families have left the Bedouin village of
19:37Ras Ain al-Aouja, denouncing systematic harassment by Israeli settlers. At least 26 families were
19:44displaced this week after reporting daily raids by settlers on their homes and properties.
19:51In this regard, residents describe an unbearable atmosphere of intimidation that has forced them
19:57to dismantle their structures in search of refuge in safer areas. While the Israeli army has not
20:03issued any comments, some families are resisting in the area despite growing pressure in the territory.
20:16And in other news, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragishi warned that Teheran would not tolerate
20:21terrorist violence against civilians and the armed forces in the context of the unrest
20:26caused by foreign groups. Abbas Aragishi explained that since Thursday, January 8th, terrorist elements and armed
20:32groups have been distributing firearms among the protesters with the intention of destabilizing
20:38the region. He also condemned the attempts by the United States and Israel to stir up the protesters
20:43and cause casualties among Iranian civilians and security personnel in order to generate confrontations
20:50in the country. Aragishi emphasized that the Iranian executive is not seeking war,
20:54but is prepared for it and will not tolerate foreign provocations in the nation.
21:05Mike Pompeo, former director of the US intelligence agency under the Trump administration,
21:12said on social media that he congratulated the Iranians in the streets
21:16and the Mossad agents moving alongside them. This is an explicit acknowledgement of an attempt by Mossad
21:24agents to direct the terrorist movement within Iran.
21:29Also on Sunday, Myanmar concluded the second stage of its first general elections held after five years
21:36of military rule. Voting took place in 100 municipalities, including critical regions,
21:42affected by the civil war and under strict security measures due to the armed conflict, which forced
21:49the process to be divided into three phases. In this context, vote counting has already begun
21:55in areas where it was possible to set up polling stations, although due to the conflict,
22:0065 of them will not be able to participate in the next round. As that it is reported that the third
22:06and final phase will take place on January 25th in a country seeking to configure a new political
22:13landscape amid a deep internal crisis. Also before the International Court of Justice, a United Nations
22:24Court will begin key hearings against Myanmar, a country accused of responsibility for the genocide of
22:30the Rohingya ethnic minority. The case, originally brought by Gambia in 2019, alleges that ethnic
22:37cleansing operations carried out by the Myanmar army in 2017 violated the 1948 genocide convention.
22:44The indictment focuses on the violent military campaign launched in Rakhine state, which resulted in
22:51allegations of mass killings, systematic rapes and the burning of thousands of homes. These actions force
22:58the displacement of more than 700,000 Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh.
23:09And after this information, we have come to the end of this news brief. Remember, you can find this
23:14and many other stories on our website at telesurenglish.net. Also, join us on social media. We are on
23:20Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok as well. For Telesur English, I'm Alejandra Garcia. Thank you for watching.
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