FTS 04:30 13:02: Venezuela ratifies readiness for energy partnership with the U.S.

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00:10Venezuela's acting president Alcea Rodriguez emphasized the country's

00:13readiness for a long-term energy partnership with the United States.

00:21Argentina's Chamber of Deputies approved a new juvenile penal regime backed by

00:26President Javier Millet's government that lowers the age of criminal

00:30responsibility from 16 to 14 sets a maximum 15 year prison sentence for serious crimes.

00:41Mexican President Clyde de Chambon offered to mediate between the United States government

00:45and Cuba amid the difficulties facing the island due to the blockade imposed by Donald Trump.

00:55Hello, welcome to From the South. I'm Sophie Fernandes from the Telesur Studios in Havana, Cuba.

01:00We'll begin with the news. Stay with us.

01:14Venezuela's acting president Alcea Rodriguez visited the joint company Petroindependencia

01:18in the Orinoco oil belt, together with the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright.

01:24After a meeting with the U.S. official, the acting president highlighted the intention

01:28to promote a strategic cooperative relationship between the United States and Venezuela,

01:32aimed at generating greater prosperity and stability for both nations.

01:37According to the acting president, this joint agenda will be based on respect for

01:42Venezuela's sovereignty and self-determination. In this scenario,

01:45Chelsea Rodriguez referred to the revitalization of the hydrocarbon sector to maintain continuous

01:50operations in the issuance of strategic licenses that allow Venezuelan companies to acquire supplies

01:57and mobilize funds.

02:08And on Thursday, the Venezuelan parliament discussed the Amnesty Bill for Democratic Coexistence,

02:13in accordance with the provisions of the Venezuelan legislature.

02:17The parliamentary agenda addressed the debate on the motion on the second day,

02:21in order to draft the legal text that incorporates the analysis of the deputies

02:25and the popular consultation that has been carried out in the country in recent days.

02:30In this regard, the legislative group approved six articles of the draft,

02:34on call for national unity, tolerance, respect and reconciliation,

02:38focusing on the need for consensus and the integrity of the country.

02:42In this context, Congressman Jorge Agreaza emphasized the importance of the Amnesty Law

02:47in this historic moment for Venezuela.

02:57Venezuelan Deputy Jorge Agreaza provided details of the proposals received from the population

03:03through public consultations regarding the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence.

03:11We have 2700 written contributions in hand, but proposals continue to arrive.

03:17Contributions to the Amnesty Law continue to arrive. As I told you, assemblies were held throughout the

03:24country, in all 25 states. However, Magistrate Tania de Emilio also informed me a few minutes ago that the

03:32judges and justices of the peace were motivated by the meeting held by the full commission last Sunday,

03:39and that they carried out consultation processes on this law in 20 to 66 communes,

03:45with the participation of more than 25,000 residents.

03:53And on Thursday, Venezuelan youth took two streets of Caracas to commemorate the 212th anniversary of the

03:58Battle of La Victoria, to celebrate Youth Day. On the occasion of these commemorations, Venezuela's

04:04Acting President Delsi Rodriguez reaffirmed that the course of the agenda for the relations with

04:09the United States must be made of respect and cooperation, always within the framework of national

04:15sovereignty. In this context, Rodriguez praised the commitment of younger generations to national

04:20development, despite the difficulties. In addition, the Acting President announced a new

04:25financing and dialogue plan for the country's youth, comprising 400 productive projects in areas

04:31such as animal, husbandry and textile manufacturing, to promote first employment.

04:48I feel Diosdado, Venezuelan youth, very happy, very happy that the path with the United States

04:55is an agenda of respect, an agenda of cooperation within the framework of our sovereignty, and that

05:00the energy agenda that we have been pursuing for more than a century and a half can be put into

05:05practice within the framework of international laws and Venezuelan law.

05:13Meanwhile, the city of Caracas, Venezuela, hosts the International Forum, the Union of our America,

05:18with the participation of representatives from countries in the region and around the world.

05:23The meeting addresses the historical project of integration from its regions with the Venezuelan leaders,

05:28Francisco de Miranda and Simón Bolívar, and the Congress of Panama, to contemporary challenges in the face of

05:34hegemonic doctrines. The gathering is divided into two sessions with four thematic blocks that combine keynotes,

05:41presentations by experts, and final presentations.

05:48The forum is organized by the Presidential Commission for the Bicentennial Commemoration and the Simón Bolívar

05:54Study Center, and welcomes prominent historians and international specialists who join Venezuelan

05:59researchers with extensive experience.

06:10And now, we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at Tellos

06:15English, where you will find news in the formats, news updates, and more. We'll be right back. Stay with us.

06:36Welcome back to From El South. On February 12th, Argentina's Chamber of Deputies gave general approval to

06:42the new juvenile penal regime, which includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility and

06:47imputability from 16 to 14 years old. The new juvenile penal regime lowers the age of imputability to 14

06:55years old and establishes a maximum prison sentence of up to 15 years for serious crimes. Alternative penalties

07:03are provided for crimes with sentences less than 10 years in prison. The initiative was strongly supported

07:08by Javier Millet's far-right-wing government, and passed with 149 votes in favor, 100 against, and no abstentions.

07:16The bill will now undergo an article-by-article review by the deputies before proceeding to the Senate

07:22the Senate for final consideration.

07:36In other news on Thursday, authorities announced that Brazil and India will sign a cooperation agreement

07:41regarding critical minerals and rare earths. In March, during a Brazilian President's Lula da Silva state visit to India.

07:48Susan Clevanc, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Asia and Pacific Director, explained the policy seeks to

07:55prioritize international cooperation, process minerals in Brazil, and avoid exclusivity agreements with those

08:01sought by the United States. Brazil has the world's second-largest rare earth reserves and aims to increase

08:09mineral exports and add value to domestic production by processing strategic minerals internally.

08:15Brazil and Lula will sign 11 agreements between March 18th and 21st, including tourist visa

08:22extensions and collaboration to build planes in India.

08:36And moving to the United States on Thursday, Latin civil rights groups denounced the Safe America Act,

08:42promoted by President Donald Trump for potentially excluding millions of voters.

08:47The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 10th, requiring voters to provide

08:53official documentation. The Voto Latino Association denounced this as the latest attempt by the Republicans to

08:59intimidate and deter voters of color from participating in the elections. The Association noted that nearly 146 million

09:07U.S. citizens do not have a valid passport, and that at least 21 million citizens, including those in rural

09:13and

09:13low-income communities, do not have immediate access to their birth and naturalization documents.

09:36Through Decree 0150 of February 11th, 2026, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared a state of economic, social and ecological emergency

09:46in eight departments, with an

09:48initial validity of 30 days. This measure is in response to the crisis caused by the massive

09:54and unprecedented rainfall in Colombia's Caribbean and Pacific coastal regions. This phenomenon occurred due

10:00to the unusual movement of a cold front towards the Colombian Caribbean. This rare event generated rainfall

10:07ranging from 130 percent to over 180 percent of the historical monthly average in just a few days.

10:14This pattern, combined with strong winds, abnormal swells, storm surges and flash floods, triggered multiple emergencies in the affected regions.

10:34Meanwhile in Portugal, the storm that has been hitting the country for two weeks has caused the partial collapse of

10:40a bridge in the highway connecting the two countries,

10:42main cities, main cities, Lisbon and Porto. The collapse of the dike associated with the structure forced the total closure

10:49of traffic, aggravating the infrastructure crisis after the passes of successive cyclones.

10:54To stop erosion and destabilize the terrain, emergency teams deployed 15 trucks with rocks and aggregates to protect the remaining

11:02road from force of floods.

11:03In this sense, the interior minister, Maria Lucia Morales resigned due to the criticism of the handling of the emergency.

11:11Likewise, the executive will appear before parliament to account for their capacity to prevent and respond to the climate event.

11:30A Madagascar declared a national disaster after cyclone Gigasi caused widespread devastation, leaving dozens of victims and severe damage to

11:39key infrastructure.

11:40The Council of Ministers decided on February 12 to address the storm's humanitarian, economic and social impacts, particularly in the

11:48eastern Atsinanana region and the city of Tuamacina.

11:53According to the National Disaster Arrest Management Office, the storm killed at least 31 people, affected over 250,000 individuals

12:01and displaced approximately 7,000 from their homes.

12:05In some areas of Tuamacina, up to 90% of structures reportedly suffered damage.

12:18We have a second short break coming up.

12:20Before, we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Tell Street English.

12:23There, you'll be able to watch your top stories, special life coverage and motion more.

12:27Follow our page and activate a notification button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.

12:32Final short break, but we'll be right back with more From the South. Don't go away.

12:47Welcome back to From the South.

12:49And we go to Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum offered to mediate between the United States Government and Cuba amid

12:55the difficulties facing the island due to the blockade imposed by Donald Trump.

12:58During her daily morning press conference, the Mexican President emphasized that Mexico can act as the state that opens a

13:05dialogue between Havana and Washington, based on sovereignty and respect.

13:10In this regard, Sheinbaum explained that the proposal had been formally presented to the U.S. Department of State and

13:16the Cuban Embassy in Mexico.

13:18The head of state affirmed the dialogue must be founded on the principle of self-determination of peoples and peace.

13:49New data has revealed that at least two thousand British nations served in the Israeli peace regime.

13:54defense forces during the genocide in Gaza. The data, obtained by the classified UK via

14:00a reformed information request, found that 1,686 British Israelis and 383 people with British,

14:10Israeli and another nationality were serving in the IDF as of March 2025. The figure is significantly

14:17higher than previous reports, which suggested that around 50 Britons have fought for Israel

14:23during the conflict. It is important to highlight that under the Section 4 of the Foreign Enleasment

14:28Act, it is an offense for British nations to take part in the military or naval service

14:33of a foreign state that is at war with a state at peace with the UK.

14:45In other news, Germany's top court on Thursday rejected a Palestinian men's constitutional

14:50complaint seeking to block German arms exports to Israel. The Federal Constitution Court acknowledged

14:57that the German constitution obliged the state to uphold international humanitarian law. However,

15:03it ruled that this obligation does not grant individuals specific enforceable rights that

15:08can be pursued before the courts. The case was brought by a Gaza resident who lost his wife

15:14and child in an Israeli military strike, seeking to prevent German manufacturers from delivering

15:19spare tank parts to Israel. In this decision, the Federal Constitutional Court said it would not

15:24admit the complaint for review, finding no grounds to overturn earlier rulings by lower courts.

15:41Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zaharova confirmed that Russia will not attend the first Peace

15:47Council meeting on February 19. During her press conference, the diplomat emphasized that Moscow has not

15:53yet determined its official position regarding the Council. This decision clearly diverges from the

15:59Washington-led initiative, whose founding charter was recently signed in Davos. Zaharova stressed that

16:05Russia is still working on formulating a coherent position on the organization. Thus far, the Slavic

16:11nation has not formally agreed to join the board. Discussion stems from the need to assess the

16:17organization's true objectives before establishing a presence in the US.

16:29In Spain, the housing crisis worsens. Houses have become a luxury for many families. While prices rise and

16:36funds buy entire buildings, some families survive in caravans and others are avoiding eviction.

16:42And complex in this new report by Sergio Rodrigo.

16:50In the shadow of this luxury building a trailer, it is the only alternative for many families like

16:54Carmen's. She has been living here for a year with her husband and two children after losing her home.

17:01In this small space, she has faced storms, heavy rains and weather alerts.

17:18She is not the only one. In this improvised camp, there are more and more travel trailers,

17:22like Ambers, who decided to set up in a modern home when she could not afford to rent.

17:28I see that there are many people here who cannot find an apartment, that they are not available,

17:34or that the last option for them to live here is too expensive.

17:39Caravans have become a refuge from the lack of housing in Spain. But now,

17:43many of their occupants face eviction. Camping is illegal in numerous municipalities.

17:50Improvised trailer camps such as this one continue to grow in the face of the housing crisis in Spain.

17:55While the authorities want to evict them from the city, evictions continue against the citizens.

18:01In this block, 23 families with rental contracts, some with long-standing rents,

18:07fear losing their homes. A new company has purchased the apartments and is threatening

18:11not to renew the contracts and to evict the residents.

18:16It is understood that the food service industry supposedly, and that implies that there is also

18:21precariousness because all of us in the service sectors know the working conditions that exist

18:26and are becoming increasingly common in neighborhoods that are not in the city center,

18:30but are expanding. They are the subject of a speculation because the owners of their apartments

18:35want to use them for tourist accommodation, which means that the local residents have to leave their homes.

18:43Housing is established as one of the main problems for Spaniards. Between 2019 and 2025,

18:47prices have increased by around 40 percent, a rise that exceeds the growth in the household

18:52disposable income by 10 percentage points.

18:56Sergio Rodrigo, Lucia Muñoz, TELESUR, Andalucía, España

19:17In South Korea, 21st century art finds a new canvas. The inspired resort complex in Incheon offers an

19:24experience where technology is not just a tool, but the protagonist of the work. Let's see.

19:31The city of Incheon consolidates itself as a reference for digital culture,

19:37thanks to the facilities of the INSPIRE resort. This space merges cutting edge visual technology

19:44with immersive art, turning its halls into a living gallery for the country's digital artists.

19:55Aurora Street, a corridor stretching more than 100 meters, is one of the technology galleries that

20:01offers visitors the chance to enjoy various thematic landscapes projected on a screen.

20:09Fireworks and natural scenes are part of the visual sequence that explores the creativity and versatility

20:14of technical resources to invoke fantastic scenarios.

20:19The way the sky changes and you know those bubbles that are coming around and plus at the entrance when

20:25you see the whole castle and the door opening, that's also a very beautiful experience to have and

20:30there are so many spots around where you can have good photographs for yourself and create memories.

20:36We also saw the one in the center out there that was also very beautiful for the kids,

20:40so quite an awesome experience here.

20:42The design of this space covers roofs and walls by high resolution led screens that allows tourists

20:49to immerse themselves in the exhibits.

20:57The complex currently presents the Aurora Express train journey, which takes guests on a fast-moving

21:04digital adventure through light, color and abstract landscapes that each can perceive as their own

21:09unique narrative.

21:13It was very beautiful and fascinating. I had never seen anything like this in my country. I had never seen

21:19it

21:20before, so it was great to see it.

21:24In addition to Aurora Street, the Inspire Resort has other spaces such as the Glass Palace,

21:30a recreation of a London building or the Rotonda, a suspended kinetic lamp that complements

21:36the architecture of the resort's main entrance. This immersive experience is available for visitors to experience daily.

21:48In Bolivia, farmers began celebrating the Andean Carnival, also known as Anata Andino.

21:54At least 100 communities from the 16 provinces of the Department of Oruro gathered in the center of the

21:58city of the same name to participate in the tradition. This regard Willy Tapia, leader of the single

22:05Federation of Farmers, emphasized that this gathering has been held for more than 30 years and brings the

22:10communities together to share their cultural identity with other farmers. He also pointed out that this

22:16festival is mainly focused on giving thanks to Mother Earth. In this sense, he mentioned that they

22:21plan to begin the process with UNESCO to have it declared a World Heritage Site.

22:35And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief. You can find this and many other

22:38stories

22:39on the website at www.telesureenglish.net and join us on social media. We're on Facebook, X, Instagram,

22:44Teleram, and TikTok. For Tell Us Read English, I'm Sophie Fernandez. Thank you for watching.

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