- 3 hours ago
30/01/2026
FTS 10.30
*Venezuela: National Assembly approves on 2nd discussion partial reform to hydrocarbon law
*U.S. social organizations call for national shutdown over immigration policies
FTS 10.30
*Venezuela: National Assembly approves on 2nd discussion partial reform to hydrocarbon law
*U.S. social organizations call for national shutdown over immigration policies
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NewsTranscript
00:00Cuba denounced the intensification of the United States blockade announced by Trump,
00:15condemning it seeks to suffocate the island under the rhetoric of protecting U.S. national security, allegedly.
00:22Cuba denounced the intensification of the United States and Venezuela's National Assembly approved on second discussion Thursday
00:35the partial reform to the hydrocarbons organic law.
00:39And U.S. social organizations called for a national shutdown this Friday
00:52in rejection of the Trump administration's anti-immigrant policies.
01:02Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belinda Los Santos.
01:06I'm from the Tercer Studios in Havana, Cuba.
01:08We'll begin with the news.
01:22On Thursday, the White House declared a national emergency due to the alleged threat posed by Cuba to the U.S.
01:30and the rest of the region, supposedly.
01:33This is yet another attempt to hide the U.S. true intentions of unilaterally suffocating the island under the rhetoric of national security.
01:42U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order which provides a pretext for intensifying the criminal economic blocate against the Caribbean island.
01:51The unilateral measure authorizes Washington to impose additional tariffs on imports from any nation that directly or indirectly supplies oil to Cuba.
02:01The order allows the secretaries of state and commerce to implement the tariff system and related measures, including issuing rules and guidelines.
02:10And we go now to the reactions because in this context, the president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, denounced the measure taken by U.S.
02:24President Donald Trump to intensify the blocate against the island.
02:28And through his social media accounts, Diaz-Canel stated, under a false pretext and without any arguments sold by those who engage in politics and enrich themselves at the expense of our people's suffering,
02:41President Trump is attempting to suffocate the Cuban economy by imposing tariffs on countries that sovereignly trade oil with Cuba.
02:50He goes on to ask, didn't the secretary of state and his hurricanes say that the blocate didn't exist?
02:58Where are those who bore us with their false stories that it is simply an embargo on bilateral trade?
03:05The president concluded this new measure demonstrate the fascist, criminal and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interest of the U.S. people for purely personal gain.
03:20For his part, Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, also denounced the new escalation by the United States against the country.
03:32Through his official account on the social network X, Rodriguez stated that they condemned in the strongest terms the new escalation by the U.S. against Cuba.
03:43He says now it proposes to impose a total blockade on fuel supplies to our country.
03:48To justify this, it relies on a long list of lies that seeks to portray Cuba as a threat that it is not.
03:56Every day, new evidence emerges that the U.S. government is the only threat to peace, security and stability in the region and the only malign influence in our Americas.
04:07It tries to subject the nation and peoples of our America to its dictates, strip them of their resources, mutilate their sovereignty and deprive them of their independence.
04:17The U.S. also resorts to blackmail and coercion to try to get other countries to join its universally condemned policy of blockade against Cuba,
04:29threatening those that refuse with the imposition of arbitrary and abusive tariffs in violation of all free trade rules.
04:37We denounce this brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people who have been subjected to the longest and cruelest economic blockade ever imposed against an entire nation for more than 65 years
04:49and who are now promised to be subjected to extreme living conditions.
04:59More in this scenario of the intensified blockade.
05:03The Cuban intellectual and president of the Casa de las Americas, Abel Prieto, denounced the unilateral measure announced by the U.S. president through his social accounts.
05:12He emphasized that the counter-revolution is euphoric about Trump's executive order.
05:18They believe or want to believe that this marks the beginning of the end for the Cuban revolution.
05:23Once again, they are underestimating our people, our party and our government.
05:27In this edition, the Cuban intellectual also stated that we are also convinced that many decent people around the world, including in the U.S. itself,
05:37will support the small and brave David in his resistance against the lying and cowardly Goliath,
05:43who is sick with pride and greed through all means at their disposal.
05:49We will win.
05:50He finished.
05:55More reactions on this.
05:57The Young Communist League of Cuba also condemned the recent U.S. actions as another measure to economically suffocate the Caribbean nation.
06:05Through an official statement, the organization stated that the degree declaring a national emergency due to the alleged threat that Cuba poses to his country
06:14and the rest of the region is completely unfounded and a blatant lie.
06:19Moreover, the Cuban youth denounced the action.
06:21Again, flagrantly violates the norms, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law,
06:29assuring that Cuba is not a threat to the United States or any other country
06:33and has the right to develop its economic and trade relations without conditions of any kind.
06:39In its closing remarks, the organization stressed that among young Cubans there will never be a hint of defeated or surrender
06:48and vowed to defend our homeland, whatever the costs.
06:53And this recent announcement has sparked international condemnation as well.
07:04In this context, the Chinese government reaffirmed his support for Cuba,
07:10expressing its strong rejection to foreign actions that threaten the Caribbean island.
07:16Meanwhile, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador, Guillaume Long, also condemned the measure.
07:39In his ex-account, Long stressed Cuba is not an unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States.
07:45This total suffocation of the Cuban people through the imposition of a blockade on the sale of fuel
07:51is not only cruel and imperial, but also, according to international law, an act of war.
07:57Blockades are only legal in cases of self-defense.
08:01They are always illegal when they seek to collectively punish the civilian population.
08:06In such cases, they may constitute a war crime and even a crime against humanity.
08:10All states must unequivocally reject this new crime of aggression and act to counter its effects.
08:17For her part, Spanish member of parliament, Irene Montero, also took to her socials to denounce the U.S.
08:30is besieging Cuba with a total oil embargo, adding to the criminal blockade of food, medicine,
08:36and all kinds of products that have been in place for 65 years.
08:40This is pure state terrorism aimed at taking over Cuba as well.
08:45What are we waiting for to stop them if they are already destroying everything?
08:55Now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember you can join us on TikTok at Tell Us Your English
08:59where you will find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
09:03We'll be right back. Stay with us.
09:04We continue in from the south.
09:26Venezuela's National Assembly approved on second discussion on Thursday
09:30the partial reform to the hydrocarbon organic law.
09:33The reform was sponsored by the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez,
09:38during its regular session in accordance with the provisions of Article 104
09:43of the internal rules and debates of the legislative body.
09:47Rodriguez emphasized that the reform aims to change the country's economy
09:52and bring about major transformations for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
09:57He also pointed out that the legislature will focus on creating eight major codes aimed at simplifying the legal system
10:05with the central objective of strengthening democratic effectiveness
10:09and accompanying the Venezuelan people in their path towards the country's development.
10:14Precisely in this context, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Thursday welcomed Venezuelans
10:26who joined the great march of the working class in support of the organic law on hydrocarbons
10:32In this context, Delcy Rodriguez emphasized that this law will turn Venezuela's oil reserves into happiness for the people.
10:44For his part, National Assembly president, Jorge Rodriguez, welcomed the unanimous approval of the new law
10:51by deputies after consultations and hard work by legislators.
11:01In this scenario, Venezuela's acting president announced that the country will make its first natural gas export in its history.
11:09In the next few hours, you will see a video that will make us feel very proud, and it will be our first export for the first gas molecule in the history of Venezuela.
11:25The ship is already in Venezuela, and we will see it depart in the next few hours, and I will share that video with our people.
11:32You know that we have created two sovereign funds so that all benefits generated by this reform
11:39There are 35 articles that will be reformed, ratifying the frameworks of energy sovereignty
11:47that we are changing business management parameters
11:51But that the resources derived from this energy development go to the two sovereign funds
12:02And one of the topics of the day
12:07U.S. social organizations called for a national shutdown to begin this Friday
12:11to demonstrate the rejection of the Trump administration's anti-immigrant policies
12:16and to denounce the deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis and other cities
12:22Following deadly shootings and raids carried out by ICE
12:26organizers are urging citizens to stop working
12:29attending school and spending money to protest the agency crackdown surging across the country
12:36In this scenario, they are also calling on Congress to cut funding to the Department of Homeland Security
12:42which oversees ICE when it votes on the current funding package ahead of a possible federal government shutdown
12:49On Friday, student groups at the University of Minnesota will lead a walkout on campus
12:55joined by unions and immigrant rights organizations
12:59They are also planning additional ICE Out of Everywhere protests on Saturday
13:04at ICE detention centers and offices
13:07as well as at airports to target airlines that transport ICE detainees
13:12Precisely as we were saying, we go live at this moment to the United States
13:28These are live images from Minneapolis in Minnesota
13:31We were saying this in the context of the call to a national shutdown
13:37in order to protest the actions of the federal agents of the ICE agency against the migrant shutdown
13:45and also against the repression that is being held against the people of the United States
13:53images that we have been seeing also two people that were killed recently
13:59just in the last two weeks in Minnesota
14:03and the protests have not stopped
14:05People continue to go on the streets because they are defending the right to peace in their own territories
14:14In this case, it's Minnesota, but the entire country is in solidarity with Minneapolis at this moment
14:20Again, we are seeing live images from Minneapolis
14:24where citizens and representatives, including Ilan Omar
14:28are protesting outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building
14:33the first stop for immigrants attained in the recent enforcement search
14:39and the site where dozens of bystanders and observers have been held after arrest
14:46We will continue to follow this closely throughout the day
14:51this national shutdown against ICE agents and their operations within the Trump administration
14:58this in the United States today, Friday
15:00And while this is going on live in the United States, another partial shutdown of the U.S. government is imminent this day
15:14following the decision by Democratic senators to oppose the budget packages
15:32that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the DHS
15:37This decision adds pressure on President Donald Trump
15:40who already faces opposition to his immigration policies
15:44and another government shutdown could further complicate the economy
15:48The final straw was the controversy surrounding the killing
15:52last Saturday of U.S. citizen Alex Priti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis
15:58Chuck Schumer
15:59Chuck Schumer, the Senate's Democratic Minority Leader
16:03confirmed that his caucus will not provide the 60 votes needed to pass the 6 appropriations bill
16:10unless the section on the DHS is removed
16:14On Thursday, also in other news, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated
16:26that the Security Council is the only body with power to make binding decisions on international peace and security for all member states
16:35His statements reinforce the principle of multilateral legitimacy over parallel conflict resolution mechanisms
16:42Guterres told reporters in New York that the UN and the Security Council are responsible for global peace and security
16:49only the Security Council can legally obligate all member states to implement peace and security resolutions
16:56The UN leader also said that only the Security Council can approve the use of force
17:02reinforcing the Council's central role in the international system
17:06despite acknowledging the need for structural changes
17:10We have a second short break coming up now
17:16But before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Tell Us of English
17:20There you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more
17:24Follow the page and activate notifications to stay up to date on the world's most recent events
17:29Final short break, don't go away
17:31Welcome back to From the South
17:52In Iraq, protests continue near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
17:56Denouncing President Donald Trump's threats
17:58The protests, which have been ongoing for two days, are in response to Trump's statement
18:04suggesting that he will withdraw all economic and military support
18:08if political leader Nudi al-Maliki returns to the position of Prime Minister
18:12The demonstrators gathered near the Green Zone
18:15chanted slogans against U.S. intervention in domestic affairs
18:18In this context, the participants emphasized that the election of their leaders is a decision
18:24belonging exclusively to the will of the people and Iraqi constitutional institutions
18:30And in other news in response to an attack on Nehemiah's Dioris-Hamanis International Airport
18:46New Jersey's defense and security forces the FDS neutralized at least 20 mercenaries
18:53and arrested 11 others on Thursday
18:55The Ministry of National Defense reported that the FDS recovered war material and motorcycles used by the attackers
19:03The attack occurred Wednesday night into Thursday when a group of mercenaries attacked Air Base 101 near the airport
19:12Although the attackers were repelled after 30 minutes, four soldiers were wounded and equipment was damaged
19:19including an ammunition depot that caught fire
19:22Most of those detained were seriously injured before fleeing
19:27The mercenaries fired on three civilian aircraft, including two belonging to Askay Airlines
19:33And early on Thursday morning at least 11 people including a school child died in a head-on collision between a truck and a minibus taxi on a highway just south of Durban this in South Africa
19:53Eight others sustained serious injuries and are receiving urgent medical care at nearby hospitals
19:59Witnesses say that the truck driver was turning when the accident happened
20:03According to local media, an initial inspection by law enforcement officers revealed that the truck had worn out tires
20:11Additionally, the taxi driver's license was expired several years ago and the vehicle is believed to have been overloaded
20:21The taxi driver was extracted from the wreckage and is in the hospital with critical injuries
20:27The truck driver also survived. Both are under police guard
20:31Moscow had the snowiest January since 2023 with 203 years of records confirmed by the Meteorological Observatory at the Lomontsov State University
20:59The exceptional snowfall transformed the routine of 13 million inhabitants who faced massive delays in commuter trains and prolonged traffic jams
21:08Mikhail Logoshenko, the observatory's director and geographic professor, explained that extensive cyclones and atmospheric fronts passing through the Moscow region caused the phenomenon
21:19He added that temperatures in the capital were 1.5 degrees Celsius below the January climate norm of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius
21:28which helped maintain the thick layer of snow without prolonged thaws
21:37We have come to the end of this news brief
21:38You can find this and many other stories on our website at tellusreenglish.net
21:42Also join us on social media
21:43We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok as well
21:47For Tell Us Re English, my name is Belen de los Santos
21:49Thank you for watching
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