- 3 hours ago
25/02/2026
FTS 22.30
*Bolivia’s Workers’ Central Union declares emergency against govt. policies.
*Ecuador: drug trafficker claims Pres. Noboa ordered killing of past presidential candidate Villavicencio.
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FTS 22.30
*Bolivia’s Workers’ Central Union declares emergency against govt. policies.
*Ecuador: drug trafficker claims Pres. Noboa ordered killing of past presidential candidate Villavicencio.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
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NewsTranscript
00:07Venezuela's acting president, Lelci Rodriguez, announced a special vaccination campaign against yellow fever in four states.
00:18The Bolivian Workers' Central Union activated an emergency protocol in protest against the policies adopted by the government of President
00:27Rodrigo Paz.
00:32And drug trafficker Wilmer Chavarria Barré, also known as PIPO, accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa of ordering the murder of
00:39former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
00:49Hello and welcome to From the South. I'm Alejandra Garcia from Telesur Studios in Caracas, Venezuela. We begin with the
00:56news. Stay with us.
01:10Venezuela's acting president, Lelci Rodriguez, announced a special vaccination campaign against yellow fever in four states.
01:19The national government activated a vaccination plan for 22 prioritized parishes in the states of Aragua, Lara, Barinas and Portuguesa.
01:29The call is specifically aimed at people who have never been vaccinated against this disease.
01:35The acting president highlighted the strengthening of the public health system as a guarantee of a fundamental human right and
01:44also mentioned the cooperation with the Pan American Health Organization for the arrival of necessary supplies and vaccines.
01:56And we stay in Venezuela's on Wednesday.
01:58After the acting president, Lelci Rodriguez also held a working meeting with senior representatives of the African Energy Chamber to
02:05strengthen cooperation ties in the oil and gas sector.
02:09The dialogue aims to integrate the African energy sector with Venezuelan experience in hydrocarbons, promoting technical and commercial exchange.
02:18The meeting was attended by the president of the African Energy Chamber, as well as executives from Nigerian companies and
02:26representatives from Egypt and Cameroon.
02:29This initiative is part of Venezuela's active participation in African forums, such as the one held in Cape Town in
02:37September 2025, where the Bolivarian nation reaffirmed its role as a key player in energy cooperation and in the search
02:45for joint solutions for the development of resources.
02:54And the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodriguez, reported that the parliament received communications from the attorney
03:01general, Tarek William Saab, and the ombudsman, Alfredo Ruiz, in which they announced the resignation from their positions.
03:09In response to this information, the president of the legislative branch, Jorge Rodriguez, announced that parliament must convene the committee
03:18for the evaluation of nominations for the appointment of new authorities.
03:23Both senior officials had been appointed by the National Assembly after a call for credentials was issued in October 2024.
03:32After announcing the communications, the National Assembly appointed Larry Daniel Davoe Marquez as acting attorney general, while Tarek William Saab
03:43was named acting ombudsman, both by a qualified majority.
03:53In this topic, as the National Assembly of Venezuela appointed lawyer Larry Davoe as acting attorney general, following the resignation
04:02of Tarek William Saab, let's share some information about this official.
04:06Larry Davoe Marquez is a Venezuelan lawyer with extensive experience in legal and diplomatic positions with the state, specializing in
04:15the field of human rights.
04:16His career includes serving as head of citizen services at the National Commission of Telecommunications between 2005 and 2007.
04:26In addition, he has served as advisor and alternate agent of the Venezuelan state before the Inter-American Court of
04:33Human Rights.
04:34In 2014, he was appointed executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council, and a year later, he assumed the
04:42position of legal counsel
04:43to devise presidency of the Bolivar Republic of Venezuela to devise presidency of the Bolivar Republic of Venezuela.
04:48The Boe Marquez also represented Venezuela in 2016 as part of the delegation that attended the universal periodic review of
04:56the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
05:05Also, as we were informing the National Assembly of Venezuela temporarily appointed Dr. Tarek William Saab as acting ombudsman following
05:14the resignation of Alfredo Ruiz Angulo.
05:17Tarek William Saab, let's recall, is a Venezuelan lawyer, politician and poet with an extensive career in the country's public
05:24administration.
05:25Saab began his political career as a member of the National Constitutional Assembly that drafted the 1999 Constitution and was
05:33later elected to Parliament in 2000.
05:36He then served as governor of Ansoategui State for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2012.
05:44Also in December 2014, he was appointed ombudsman by the National Assembly.
05:49And in August 2017, he was named Attorney General of the Republic, a position he has held to date.
06:01Also in Venezuela, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela security forces officials seized more than 2.8 tons of marijuana and
06:09multiple narcotics in the state of Zulia.
06:11In a thorough investigative operation, enforcement officials seized 107 buried bales containing remnants of the active cannabis plant with a
06:21total gross weight of 2,804 kilos and 6 grams distributed across approximately 5,729 packages.
06:31Thanks to an operation executed in perfect coordination between the public, military and police sectors, this represents a decisive blow
06:40to drug trafficking in the state.
06:42Furthermore, the Venezuelan government continues actions to coordinate intelligence and operational efforts that directly impact the eradication of illicit drug
06:51trafficking.
06:58We remain in Venezuela as the country rejected as well the statements made by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and
07:07Tobago, Kamla Persat-Vicesar, during the 50th meeting of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, which were contrary to the spirit of
07:15regional integration.
07:16In the official statement, the government highlighted that the position expressed by the Prime Minister is also contrary to the
07:23founding principles of CARICOM itself, established 53 years ago precisely on the territory of Trinidad and Tobago.
07:30Contrary to her stance during the opening of this meeting, regional leaders reaffirmed their commitment to good neighbourliness, cooperation and
07:38the values of unity that have guided this organisation throughout its history.
07:43The document adds that the Prime Minister's rhetorical fixation on Venezuela jeopardises bilateral relations and harms Trinidad and Tobago's own
07:53economic interests by obstructing the development of joint strategic projects for the mutual benefit of both states.
08:00To conclude, the government of Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of the Bolivarian diplomacy of peace and reiterated
08:07its willingness to deepen cooperation with Caribbean nations.
08:19And now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at TELASUR
08:24English where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
08:28We'll be right back. Stay with us.
08:41Welcome back to From the South and we go to Bolivia where the Workers' Central Union, COB, activated an emergency
08:49protocol in protest against the policies adopted by the government of President Rodrigo Paz.
08:53The Central Union declared that the government's policies are contrary to the interests of the working class and responsible for
09:02the decline in the quality of life of the Bolivian people.
09:05In this scenario, the COB also rejects the bill that seeks to punish the use of road blockades as a
09:13means of social protest with up to 12 years in prison, demanding the immediate and definitive withdrawal of this anti
09:21-blockade bill.
09:21It should be noted that the organization warned that it would take action if these decisions affecting sovereignty and labor
09:29rights were not revoked.
09:36And now we go to Cuba as the Ministry of Interior informed on Wednesday on a confrontation with a foreign
09:42vessel that violated national territorial waters.
09:45In an official statement, the authority shared, on the morning of February 25th of 2026, a violating speedboat was detected
09:54within Cuban territorial waters.
09:56The vessel registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL 7726SH, approached up to one nautical mile northeast of
10:07the El Pino Channel in Cayo Falcones in the municipality of Corralillo, Via Clara Province.
10:13When a service unit of the Border Guard troops of the Ministry of Interior, carrying five service members, approached the
10:20vessel for identification,
10:22the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of
10:29the Cuban vessel.
10:30In this context, the Cuban Ministry of Interior unveiled that as a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time
10:37of this report,
10:39four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured.
10:43The injured individuals were evacuated and received medical assistance.
10:47The official communique closes by assuring that in the face of the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect
10:54its territorial waters,
10:56based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and
11:03ensuring stability in the region,
11:05and adds that investigations by the competent authorities are continuing in order to fully clarify the facts.
11:20Also, the Presidency of the Republic of Cuba shared, as well, new details about this incident.
11:27Let's see.
11:28The neutralized speedboat was transporting 10 armed individuals who, according to preliminary statements from those detained, intended to carry out
11:40an infiltration for terrorist purposes.
11:43Also, assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices, which are monotov cocktails, for example.
11:50Also, bulletproof bests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms were seized.
11:55All participants are Cuban nationals residing in the United States.
12:00Most of them have a known history of criminal and violent activity.
12:05And also, Cuban authorities informed that investigations are on their way.
12:16In this regard, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio,
12:21who was in St Kitts and Neves on Wednesday on a diplomatic trip to meet with officials from the Caribbean
12:27nations,
12:27stated, and let's see, that the United States is investigating the incident.
12:33In addition, Rubio denied that U.S. government personnel were involved in the events or that it was a government
12:40operation.
12:41Now we move on to other topics.
12:44Brazil, Supreme Court sentence, brothers, Domingos, and also, let's go back now to the story that we were informing just
12:54a few moments ago,
12:55that Marco Rubio was referring and remarking the events that happened, the tragic events that happened today, the incident with
13:03the speedboat.
13:04Let's listen.
13:08We immediately began to look into it.
13:11As it stands now, the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, others are involved.
13:16The majority of the information we still possess is what Cuban authorities are providing, both the public and the U
13:21.S. government.
13:22We have our embassy on the ground in Havana working this as we speak, asking for access to the people
13:28that were on those vessels,
13:29if they were American citizens or permanent residents, according to the Cuban regime that the boat was registered in Florida.
13:37We're tracking that down.
13:39We will know shortly and we will know quickly many more facts about this incident than we know right now.
13:44The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans.
13:51We will verify that independently and we'll, as we gather more information, then we'll be prepared to respond accordingly.
13:58I'm not going to speculate.
14:00I'm not going to, I'm not going to opine on what I don't yet know.
14:03But we're going to find out exactly what happened here and then we'll respond accordingly.
14:08Okay.
14:10Any questions?
14:11Have you been in touch with anyone in Cuba?
14:13What's your...
14:14Well, the authorities...
14:17After this information, we now go to Brazil where the Supreme Court sentenced brothers Domingos and Francisco Chiquinho Brasal
14:25to 76 years and three months in prison for ordering the murder of 38-year-old left-wing city consular
14:34Mariel Franco in 2018.
14:36The Brasal injustice said it was a political crime in which misogyny and racism also played a role.
14:43The Brasal brothers were convicted of the double murder of the consular and her driver as well as for belonging
14:50to an armed criminal organization.
14:52Both are veteran politicians with long careers in Rio marked by suspicions surrounding their dangerous connections.
14:59Mariel Franco was an activist who grew up in a favela and became an outspoken critic of Rio's powerful militia
15:06groups.
15:07The announcement of the final sentence is still pending.
15:16And now we go to Mexico where President Claudia Sheinbaum presented a proposal for electoral reform which includes ten key
15:23points to strengthen the country's democratic life.
15:26The executive branch will send the proposal to Congress for discussion.
15:29The first point involves the integration of the Congress of the Union.
15:33The Chamber of Deputies will have 500 members all elected by direct vote with 300 elected by electoral district and
15:42200 by proportional representation.
15:45The second point of the reform proposes a 25% reduction in election expenditure with a decrease in resources for
15:53the National Electoral Institute, political parties and electoral courts.
15:57The third point refers to greater oversight and establishes that the Electoral National Institute will have access to the financial
16:05operations of parties and candidates.
16:08The fourth point addresses foreign voting and suggests removing obstacles so that citizens living outside the country can not only
16:16vote but also elect a direct representative to defend their specific interests.
16:20The fifth point calls as well for a reduction in radio and television air time during election periods to 35
16:28minutes per day.
16:30The sixth point regulates the use of artificial intelligence and boosts that influence social media during election.
16:37The seventh proposal seeks to initiate district counting at the end of election day in order to move directly to
16:45preliminary official results generated from the districts.
16:48The eighth point of the reform relates to participatory democracy with referendums, popular consultations and mandate recalls being expanded to
16:59state and municipalities.
17:00On the other hand, the ninth point reaffirms the non-practice of nepotism by prohibiting the inheritance of public office
17:08by immediate family members.
17:09In addition, the tenth point proposes that consecutive re-election to elected office will be prohibited from 2030 onwards.
17:25And now we move on to the topics.
17:28Drug trafficker Wilmer Chavarria Barré, also known as PIPO, accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa of ordering the murder of former
17:35presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
17:38The Ecuadorian drug trafficker denied responsibility for Villavicencio's murder, which took place in northern Quito in August 2023.
17:45People arrested in Spain in November 2025 made these statements during a court appearance in Zaragoza on Wednesday.
17:54The detainee also stated that a person close to the minister of the interior, John Reinberg, had told him that
18:01the crime had been ordered by President Novoa out of fear that Villavicencio would win the elections.
18:07To date, only five of the perpetrators of the murder have been convicted as most were killed in prison before
18:14they could testify.
18:21And we stay in Ecuador. At least four people were killed in Durán and two bomb attacks were carried out
18:27in Machala, reflecting an escalation of the crisis of violence facing the country.
18:33Another day of violence was recorded when an armed attack on a family gathering in the Durán district left at
18:40least four people dead.
18:41At the same time, two bomb attacks in the city of Machala affected the homes of two lawyers with no
18:48reports of injured people.
18:49These events occurred while an international report ranked seven Ecuadorian cities among the 50 most dangerous in the world.
19:02And now we have a second show break coming up. Before we want to invite you to visit our Facebook
19:07page at Telesur English.
19:08Don't go away, we'll be right back.
19:20Welcome back to From the South.
19:22In the United States, a knife attack in Pierce County, Washington DC left five people dead, including the attacker.
19:29The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when a 32-year-old man violated a restraining order and stabbed four people
19:36in the street before engaging on gunfire with police.
19:39Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the injured victims and confronted the aggressor who died after being shot.
19:46Local authorities have launched an investigation to determine the motives for the attack and the exact circumstances in which the
19:54confrontation occurred.
19:55Officials have not yet released the names of the victims or the suspect.
20:06In other topics, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Draghi arrived in Switzerland on Wednesday for the third round of negotiations with
20:14the U.S. delegation in an effort to reach a nuclear agreement.
20:17The Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Tehran and Washington are facing a historic opportunity to achieve an agreement that addresses
20:25mutual concerns and interest.
20:27The Iranian and U.S. delegations have held two rounds of indirect talks on February 6th in Oman and February
20:3417th in Geneva.
20:36The objective is to finalize the details of a new agreement that will put an end to nuclear tensions.
20:42However, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, accusations that justify a large U
20:50.S. military deployment in the Middle East.
20:57And the government of Zimbabwe banned the export of raw materials and lithium concentrates until further notice in order to
21:04boost the country's economy.
21:06On Wednesday, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Polite Kamamura, declared that the banning will take immediate effect,
21:14arguing that all the resources should be processed locally before being exported.
21:19The Minister emphasized the need of impulsing the industrial growth to create more opportunities of employment for the people.
21:28Kamamura also expressed that the measure is a central pillar of the national development strategy
21:33and that is aligned with the state-driven 2030 economic transformation agenda.
21:43Also, the Somali government strengthened its air defense with a new early warning system provided by Turkey.
21:50This is an advanced radar called ALP-100G designed to detect and track various threats in the airspace of the
21:59African country.
22:00It should be noted that the delivery of the equipment is part of a bilateral cooperation agreement that seeks to
22:06modernize the surveillance and defense capabilities of the Somali armed forces.
22:10Defense cooperation between the two countries is a key element in efforts to consolidate Somalia's sovereignty and protection capabilities,
22:18especially in light of the growing need to ensure the security of its airspace and counter potential threats.
22:30In this context, the United Nations-backed experts warn that the number of people in Somalia experiencing crisis levels of
22:38food insecurity has nearly doubled in the past year to 6.5 million.
22:42The warning was made by specialists from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative ,
22:49who also affirmed that an estimated 1.84 million children under 5 are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2026,
22:57including 483,000 severe cases that require urgent treatment.
23:03On the other hand, the United Nations World Food Programme warned it would have to stop humanitarian assistance in Somalia
23:10by April
23:11if it did not receive new funding.
23:14In January, the United States government suspended aid to Somalia following the destruction of a U.S.-funded World Food Programme
23:22warehoused in the capital, Mogadishu's Port.
23:31And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
23:34My name is Alejandra Garcia.
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