FTS 02:30 11-2: Cuba adopts new budgetary measures amid U.S. blockade escalation

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11/2/2026 FTS 02.30 *Venezuela: Acting Pres. reaffirms govt.'s commitment to local sectors. * Colombia: Pres. Gustavo Petro denounces assassination plot against him.  TeleSUR   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

00:00In Cuba, authorities implement new budgetary measures in response to the U.S. energy blockade

00:11on the island. The acting president of Venezuela, del Ciro Ríos, shared the first council for the

00:19sectoral vice presidents of 2026. During the Council of Ministers' meeting in the city of

00:27Monteira in Colombia, President Gustavo Petro denounced the existence of a new plan to assassinate him.

00:41Hello, welcome to From the South. I'm Sophie Fernandez from the Telesur Studios in Havana, Cuba.

00:45We begin with the news. Stay with us.

00:57In Cuba, authorities implement new budgetary measures in response to the latest escalation

01:05of the U.S. blockade on the island. The government, led by Miguel Diaz-Canel, modified the state budget

01:10to guarantee the safety of the people amidst the economic deterioration driven by the White House.

01:16The measure is intended to prioritize support for free social and health programs. In addition,

01:22the budget optimization focuses on ensuring communications and national production,

01:26as well as the management of sustainable resources.

01:35Amidst the current threats and restrictions imposed by the United States, the Cuban aviation sector

01:41reiterates its commitment to air connectivity and the development of the nation. On Monday,

01:46the country's air navigation company, SA, issued a statement announcing the continuity of these

01:51operational services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, despite the total U.S. blockade on fuel

01:58imports against Cuba. The statement adds that the company continues to work to ensure the safety,

02:04fluidity and order of the airspace, supporting airline operations and ensuring that aviation in Cuba

02:10maintains its characteristic levels of reliability. In this context, international airlines such as Air Europe,

02:16and Iberia have announced that they will make technical stops at destinations near the island to refuel

02:22and guarantee routes to the Cuban capital.

02:25DELSEcing

02:43Moving on to Venezuela on Tuesday, acting president, Alexis Rodriguez shared the first consul of sectoral vice presidents of 2026.

02:52The meeting took place at the 8th Raíces Comune in Los Mercedores District of Caracas.

02:58Those in attendance including the Mayor of Caracas, Carmen Meléndez,

03:01and the Head of Caracas Government, Nahum Fernández, and other officials.

03:06The Council enabled the government to engage in dialogue with community representatives

03:10with the aim of ensuring the high-level decisions allied with popular demands.

03:15In this context, the Acting President reaffirmed the National Executive's commitment to participatory democracy

03:20and the implementation of public policies that respond to local needs.

03:50All instances from the territory, from the smallest space in the territory to the national level,

04:02articulated that is the model of participatory democracy,

04:08of protagonistic democracy, where the people direct the actions of the government,

04:12and where the national government directly responds to the will of our sovereign.

04:15who is the sovereign in Venezuela, the Venezuelan people.

04:21Therefore, this model, which is little known and is not well known precisely because of the media companies,

04:26which have no interest in the world knowing about this model, is what sustains Venezuela,

04:31in the face of the worst aggressions,

04:33in the face of the worst economic blockade,

04:36it is what has sustained Venezuela, which is working together, united,

04:39in all instances, where communities,

04:43where the people can participate,

04:46where communities organize themselves,

04:48where neighbors organize and coordinate themselves.

04:50On Tuesday, Venezuela's acting President Delcio Rodriguez held a meeting at the Miraflores Palace

04:59with the Executive President of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean,

05:04CFA, Sergio Díaz Granados,

05:07with the main objective of reviewing and updating their joint agenda.

05:11The meeting focused on discussing sustainable development projects

05:14and strengthening the country's social and economic infrastructure.

05:18In this regard, Delcio Rodriguez and the CAF Executive President

05:22evaluated mechanisms to expedite programs

05:25that directly impact the improvement of public services

05:28and the quality of life of citizens.

05:31The meeting reaffirmed the Venezuelan government's commitment

05:33to maintaining open channels of communication

05:35with multilateral credit organizations,

05:39prioritizing a path of stronger growth to the face of global challenges.

05:44Also on Tuesday, the Venezuelan government held a ceremony

05:51to the adjustment of peace quadrants in the state of Trujillo,

05:55providing the entity with key tools for safeguarding peace and social stability.

06:00The Vice President for Policy, Citizen Security and Peace, Diosdado Cabello,

06:04led the provision for 55 patrol units equipped for the mountainous areas of the state.

06:09In addition, as part of the technological modernization process of the security forces,

06:13Cabello reported on the allocation of 442 motorized units

06:17and 221 smartphone devices to maintain communication with the people.

06:22In this context, Cabello stated that the update is based on the safety

06:26and protection of families by their peace squadrons.

06:28Indeed, 55 patrol units are being delivered, cars and pickup trucks.

06:45In this case, for the state of Trujillo, which has stepped streets, rural areas and urban zones,

06:52but where most of the territory also has irregular terrain due to the land's formation.

07:01In addition, we are delivering 442 motorized units

07:09and 221 mobile communication devices.

07:17In other news, the Venezuelan government denies new fake news spread by the U.S. news agency Bloomberg

07:23regarding an alleged shipment of oil sent to Israel.

07:27Through his Telegram channel, Venezuela's Minister of Communication, Miguel Pérez Pirela,

07:32shared a screenshot of the website through his Telegram channel,

07:35where this news was published with a red fake stamp,

07:39thus denying the possibility that such a shipment had been made.

07:42The U.S. news agency had reported that the alleged shipment

07:45would be processed by the Basan Group Refinery,

07:49the main refining company in the same state of Israel.

07:53In this context, Venezuela continues to curb the spread of unsubstained news

07:57that seek to compromise the stability, sovereignty and peace of the South American nation.

08:05In Venezuela, the debates continue over the Amnesty Law,

08:12which will be submitted to a public consultation throughout the Bolivarian territory.

08:17The Amnesty Law is a fundamental effort to defend the Venezuelan peace and sovereignty.

08:21Our correspondent, Brian Mir, brings us more details on the matter from Caracas.

08:25On February 10th, a large crowd assembled on Bolivar Square in downtown Caracas

08:31to participate in the Anti-Imperialist Tribune,

08:35an event designed to inform the public about a new Amnesty Law,

08:39which is working its way through the National Assembly.

08:41The importance of the Amnesty Law is to reach an agreement among the Venezuelan people

08:50for non-aggression, for peace.

08:52For 39 days now, they have held our President Nicolas Maduro

08:56and our First Lady Celia Flores kidnapped.

08:59Therefore, we have reached a national consensus among all human beings who live here in Venezuela,

09:04the Venezuelans, that we should respectively work together to restore our sovereignty.

09:12The new law passed the first hurdle in Congress last week.

09:16According to the Constitution, it now has to pass through at least a month of public consultations

09:20in every municipality in the country.

09:23One key point of the law is that it doesn't provide amnesty

09:26to opposition supporters who murdered 96 people in anti-government riots in 2017 and 2024.

09:34Nor does it grant amnesty to politicians convicted of corruption

09:37or those who publicly clamored for a U.S. invasion or blockades.

09:44The amnesty law is of great importance for us Venezuelans

09:47since we must stand firm and establish guidelines

09:50so that people who have been politically persecuted can be freed as they should be.

09:53And on the other hand, people who have committed other types of crimes

09:57should continue to serve their sentences.

10:00The amnesty law is important because many people can't discern between different types of crimes

10:04and want everyone to be political prisoners.

10:09Supporters of the bill argue that, in light of the U.S.'s blatant disrespect for international norms,

10:15it's important to demonstrate that the Venezuelan government supports

10:18the international and national rule of law.

10:21Remember that we are fighting against an empire that is murderous,

10:28that is highly deceptive, that does not respect international law,

10:32and we must be very mindful of that.

10:34They bombed us on January 3rd, they kidnapped our president,

10:38and they do not respect any kind of law,

10:41and there is no international body that can force it to obey the law.

10:45If all goes according to plan,

10:49Venezuela's amnesty law is expected to be ratified in March.

10:55Brian Meir, Telesur, Caracas.

10:58And now we have a short break coming up,

11:00but first remember you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English,

11:03where you will find news in different formats, news updates, and more.

11:08Stay with us.

11:08Welcome from the South.

11:20And we go to Colombia.

11:22With, during the meeting of consuls of ministries in the city of Montería,

11:26President Gustavo Petro denounced the existence of a new plan to assassinate him.

11:31According to the head of state,

11:32intelligence and security agencies have detected preparations for the magnacite.

11:36This plot raised alerts in the presidential circle

11:40and generated deep concern in the country.

11:43In addition, the president denounced a second plot

11:45that would seek to disperse his image

11:47through a setup to link him to the use of psychoactive substances

11:51by placing them in one of the official vehicles at his disposal.

11:56Since the beginning of his term,

11:57President Petro has repeatedly denounced the existence of conspiracies

12:00by armed groups and sectors of the opposition.

12:03Following the denunciation of a formal investigation

12:06by the National Prosecutor's Office

12:07is expected to begin in order to identify those responsible.

12:17Moving now to Argentina,

12:19people in the city of Rosario mobilized to reject the labor reform

12:22promoted by the neoliberal government of Javier Milei.

12:25The march was organized by the Argentine Workers' Central Union

12:29and was joined by social, trade, political and student organizations

12:35that marched from the historic Plaza 25 de Mayo to San Martín Square.

12:40The protesters maintained that the government initiative

12:42threatens labor and pensioners' rights,

12:45makes employment conditions more precarious

12:47and weakens unions' bargaining power,

12:50while granting greater benefits to big businesses.

12:53This mobilization is part of a national plan

12:55to fight the executive's economic adjustment policies.

12:59As the bill moves through Congress,

13:01unions assured that they will maintain their demands,

13:04affirming that the defense of labor rights is non-negotiable

13:07and announcing the possibility of a new general strike.

13:10An Argentinian police officer from Rosario and Santa Fe

13:21demanded improvements in wages and working conditions.

13:25On Monday night, police forces and prison service personnel

13:28barricaded themselves in front of the Rosario police headquarters

13:31to demand a pay price.

13:34In this scenario, clashes were reported with other police officers

13:37who evicted the protesters from the site.

13:40Police protests also spread to the city of Santa Fe,

13:43where several patrol cars were parked

13:45in front of the provincial government building,

13:47as well as other strategic locations throughout the province.

13:51Let's recall that these protests are taking place

13:53in the context of social rejection of the labor reform

13:56promoted by President Javier Millay

13:58amid widespread opposition from various sectors of the population.

14:07After the protests, the Minister of Justice and Security of Santa Fe,

14:19Pablo Cocos Ioni, confirmed that 20 police officers

14:22would be placed at the disposal of the Argentine justice system.

14:26The authorities stated that the protests by the security forces

14:29led to the announcement of a package of measures

14:32aimed at reconstructing the forces that carried out street duties.

14:36In other news in Ecuador, the mayor of Guayaquil, Aquiles Alvarez,

14:53was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday

14:55by local authorities on charge of the alleged money laundering

14:58and tax fraud.

15:00The arrest took place after a raid on his residence,

15:03as part of the operations related to the Goliada case

15:06by the prosecutor's office.

15:08According to Alvarez's team,

15:10they had not been formally notified of the charges that led to the arrest.

15:15Moreover, his lawyer informed the mayor is being held at the model barracks

15:19north of Guayaquil for subsequent transfer to Quito.

15:23Alvarez's arrest sparked a wave of reactions in the nation,

15:27including from several members of the Citizens Revolution Movement,

15:30where many claimed that this case of political persecution

15:33of the government of Daniel Novoa

15:35and expressed their support for Alvarez.

15:37In Ecuador, the carnival celebrations began with the arrival of Taita Carnaval,

16:01marking an opening with a strong traditional focus.

16:04Taita Carnaval is a mythical figure and a symbol of the abundance

16:08of who leads the carnival celebrations,

16:11representing good fortune, fertility, and the connection with the Pachamama.

16:15The emblematic character paraded alongside 50 delegations,

16:19paving the way for the traditional festival of flowers and fruits.

16:23Shopping centers, small businesses, and beaches

16:25also play an important role in the festivities,

16:28generating a considerable economic impact.

16:31This year, the national holiday will be celebrated from Saturday, February 14th

16:35to Tuesday, February 17th,

16:38four days during which the Ecuadorian people will experience the joy

16:41and excitement of their traditions and cultural identity.

16:44We have a second short break coming up.

16:53Before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Teleshoot English.

16:57There, you'll be able to watch your top stories, special life coverage, and much more.

17:01Follow our own page and activate the notification button

17:03to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.

17:06Final short break.

17:06Don't go away.

17:07Welcome back.

17:20In Spain, the second day of the railway strike supported by minority unions is underway,

17:25demanding greater safety and decent working conditions for both employees and the public.

17:31Union organizations remain in protest,

17:33considering the agreements reached with the Ministry of Transport insufficient.

17:37In this regard, they stated that until one state,

17:40minimum services and cancellations will continue during the three-day strike,

17:44affecting Galicia and Malaga.

17:46On Monday, the major unions agreed with the Ministry of Transport

17:49on a 50% increase in infrastructure maintenance,

17:54staff additions and safety measures,

17:56but without a specified timeline,

17:58which prompted rejection from the sector.

18:00We do not see an increase in safety in the agreement.

18:11We only see broad announcements of investment without a clear plan of the old airlines.

18:16Our experience in the rail world sector tells us that when timelines are too long,

18:21everything ends up being diluted.

18:23The investment in the high-speed rail line is going to end up in the IBEX companies.

18:30We don't have a single ADF worker there,

18:33and no one will be able to oversee that maintenance work is being carried out

18:39with even minimal control by specialized rail world professionals

18:43who can verify what is being done and that the money is being used properly.

18:49In other news,

18:50the Ukrainian armed forces continue to bombard the areas surrounding the nuclear power plant

18:55located in the Sepoherosia region.

18:58According to official information from the power plant,

19:01the Ukrainian attack on the Energozar industrial zone

19:04has damaged vital infrastructure in the adjacent city and the nuclear power plant,

19:09the largest facility of its kind in Europe.

19:12In this scenario,

19:13the main heating network pipeline was damaged,

19:16affecting the supply to housing and social services in Energozar.

19:20A story clarified that the situation has been brought under control

19:24and that there is no threat to regional safety.

19:39In Palestine,

19:52the Hamas resistance movement informed that Israeli military forces continue to intensify

19:56the violations of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

20:00In a statement released on Monday evening,

20:02Hamas spokesperson Hassem Kassem criticized Tel Aviv

20:06for undermining the efforts of mediators and sponsoring countries,

20:10seeking to maintain calm and stability in the Palestinian enclave.

20:13In this regard,

20:14Kassem stated that these violations deliberately target civilians and their homes

20:19under misleading justifications.

20:22In this context,

20:23he called on the mediators to adopt a firm stance

20:25and pressure the Israeli regime

20:27to hold its attacks

20:28and adhere to the ceasefire agreement.

20:30The Hamas spokesperson's remarks came as two Palestinians were wounded

20:41by Israeli army fire on Tuesday in the southeastern part of Gaza City,

20:46while six Palestinians were killed on Monday in Israeli air strikes

20:49targeting central and northern Gaza.

20:52According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health,

20:54the death toll since the start of Israeli attacks on Gaza in October 2023

20:58has risen to at least 72,032 people,

21:02mostly women and children,

21:04with 171,661 others wounded.

21:13In this context,

21:14Indonesia's army is considering sending up to 8,000 troops

21:18for a potential peacekeeping mission in Gaza.

21:21The move is part of a present

21:22Pra Bono Subianto's broader vision

21:25to raise Indonesia's profile in global security affairs.

21:29In this context,

21:29Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simgyung Tak

21:33stated that the plan remains under evaluation,

21:36with final troop numbers and deployment timelines

21:38contingent on photo coordination

21:40with the military command structure.

21:42A statement issued later Monday noted

21:44that the proposed mission

21:46would primarily involve

21:47engineering and medical units,

21:50indicating a focus on humanitarian assistance

21:52and reconstruction efforts

21:53rather than combat operations.

22:01Moving now to Iran,

22:03the people will celebrate

22:04the 47th anniversary

22:06of the victory of the Islamic Revolution

22:08in more than 1,400 cities nationwide.

22:11On the eve of the commemoration,

22:14Teheran's Asari Tower

22:15was lit up with the colors of the Iranian flag.

22:18At a press conference on Tuesday,

22:20the Deputy for Ceremonies and Provisional Fairs

22:22of the Islamic Propagation Coordination Council,

22:25Kamal Qodada Day,

22:27announced that 7,700 domestic and foreign journalists

22:30will cover the national demonstrations

22:32held every year on February 11th

22:35to mark the anniversary.

22:37Let's recall that Iran

22:38is facing interference

22:40from the United States and Israel,

22:42who are seeking to undermine

22:43the cohesion of the Iranian society

22:45by calling for riots

22:47and threatening military intervention.

22:49Amidst this scenario,

22:51Iranian authorities reaffirmed

22:52their commitment

22:53to the Islamic Revolution

22:54and the defense

22:55of the nation's sovereignty.

23:01And like this,

23:02we have come to the end of this news brief.

23:04You can find this

23:04and many other stories

23:05on our website

23:06at telesurenglish.net

23:07and join us on social media.

23:09We're on Facebook,

23:10Instagram,

23:11Telegram and TikTok.

23:12For Telesurenglish,

23:13I'm Sophie Fernandez.

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