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* Cuba reports on confrontation with foreign vessel in national waters
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* Cuba reports on confrontation with foreign vessel in national waters
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NewsTranscript
00:07The Cuban Ministry of Interior informed of a confrontation with a U.S. registered vessel
00:13resulting in four deaths and six injured after it violated national territorial waters.
00:22Drug trafficker Wilmer Chavarria-Bahre, also known as PIPO,
00:27accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa of ordering the murder of former presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
00:37Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakshi arrives in Switzerland for the third round of negotiations
00:42with the U.S. delegation in an effort to reach a new nuclear agreement amid escalating tensions.
00:53Hello and welcome to From the South. I'm Sofia Fernanda from the TeleZor studios in Havana, Cuba.
00:58We'll begin with the news. Stay with us.
01:13Venezuela's acting president, Alcias Rodríguez, 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, Burinas and Portuguesa.
01:27The call is specifically aimed at people who have never been vaccinated against the disease.
01:33The acting president highlighted the threatening of the public health system as a guarantee of a fundamental human right
01:39and mentioned the cooperation with the Pan American Health Organization for the arrival of necessary supplies and vaccines.
01:48Good afternoon, my commander-in-chief.
01:50From the Saturday morning, we are starting this plan in perfect cooperation with the people.
01:57Moreover, the acting president, Alcias Rodríguez announced a plan to unify the country's free public health care system.
02:07We have addressed the healthcare system in Venezuela as a way to guarantee a process that allows for the unification
02:14of the free public system
02:16to guarantee a fundamental human right for Venezuelans. We have also reviewed a complex set of diseases.
02:23We have also seen the support and cooperation throughout the Pan American Health Organization in vaccination processes in Venezuela,
02:32different diseases, how we can get the vaccine supplies that are needed for the health system in Venezuela to work
02:39to our country.
02:41In other news from Venezuela, Attorney General Larry Deboe and Ombudsman Tarek Williams-Sapp were sworn in by the National
02:49Assembly
02:50as the heads of their respective entities in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
02:54He urged Venezuelan lawyer Larry Deboe to swear to hold the constitution and laws of the republic and to protect
03:01the citizens.
03:02Deboe agreed to carry out his duties honestly and truthfully,
03:06complying with the Bolivarian constitution, the laws of the public ministry and other related statutes.
03:12For his part, William Sapp took a nose, recalling his time in the Constituent Assembly working with the popular
03:17and human rights movements to secure constitutional guarantees, as well as his work as Attorney General since 2016.
03:37I swear to comply with the constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the organic law of the
03:43public persecution office and other laws related to the exercise of the function of the public persecution office.
03:50I swear to work tirelessly to help consolidate a justice system that is worthy of our people.
03:57A justice system that leaves behind the stigmas and discrimination in his historical inheritance.
04:03A justice system that recognizes and makes clear the principles recognized in Article 26 of our constitution.
04:11I swear.
04:18In the name of the constitution to guarantee compliance with the third title we suffer to human rights duties
04:26and constitutional guarantees, we coordinate with the popular movement in this country and the national human
04:33rights movement. I swear to fulfill with dignity and honor the task of maintaining democratic coexistence and peace in the
04:43face of
04:43aggression never before seen in the recent history of our country. We have had to face foreign aggression,
04:52assassination attempts, maritime incursions, COP attempts and drone attacks.
04:59We move now to Cuba, where the Ministry of Interior informed on Wednesday on a confrontation with a
05:05foreign vessel that violated national territorial waters. In an official statement he has already shared.
05:11On the morning of February 25th of 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters.
05:18The vessel registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL 7726SH, approached up to
05:26one nautical mile northeast of El Pino Channel, in Calle Falcones, in the municipality of Cogradillo,
05:32Villaclara Province. When a surface unit of the Borugor troops of the Ministry of Interior, carrying five
05:39service members, approached the vessel for a notification, the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the
05:45Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel. In this context,
05:50the Cuban Ministry of Interior unveiled that, as a consequence of the confrontation at the time of
05:56this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured. The injured individuals
06:02were evacuated and received medical assistance. The official communique closed by ensuring that,
06:08in the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters,
06:13based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state,
06:18in safeguarding sovereignty and ensuring stability in the vision. And adds that, investigations by
06:24the competent authorities are continuing in order to fully clarify the facts.
06:35In this regard, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marcos Rubio, who was in St. Kitts and Nevis on
06:41Wednesday on a diplomatic trip to meet with officials from Caribbean nations, stated that the United
06:46States is investigating the incident. In addition, Rubio denied that U.S. government personnel were
06:51involved in the events, or that it was a government operation.
06:58As it stands now, the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, others are involved.
07:03The majority of the information we still possess is what Cuban authorities are providing, both the public
07:07and the U.S. government. We have our embassy on the ground in Havana working this as we speak,
07:13asking for access to the people that were on those vessels, if they were American citizens or permanent
07:18residents, according to the Cuban regime, that the boat was registered in Florida. We're tracking that
07:25down. We will know shortly, and we will know quickly, many more facts about this incident than
07:31we know right now. The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those budget information
07:37provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently, and as we gather more information,
07:42then we'll be prepared to respond accordingly. I'm not going to speculate. I'm not going to
07:48opine on what I don't yet know, but we're going to find out exactly what happened here, and then
07:54we'll respond accordingly. Meanwhile, the Government of Canada announced that they will provide
07:59solidarity assistance to Cuba, aimed at strengthening food security for the most vulnerable sectors of the
08:04island. The Government of Canada is immediately providing nearly $6 million to
08:09threaten food and nutrition for the most vulnerable humans. It should be noted that this aid will be
08:15channeled through the World Food Programme and UNICEF. This measure is in addition to the assistance
08:21previously sent by Mexico, which dispatched more than 2,000 tons of supplies, and the support of Russia.
08:27Ottawa also assured that it is monitoring the situation in Cuba and remains in contact with
08:32its partners to respond to the challenging needs of the Caribbean country.
08:42And now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at
08:46Telesur English, where you will find news in different formats, news updates and more. We'll be right back. Stay with
08:51us soon.
09:04Welcome back to From the South. We continue with information from the United States,
09:08where President Trump's State of Union address was full of controversy, self-praise, and above all,
09:13division. Our correspondent in the United States, Henry Camelo, has more.
09:20Before Democratic and Republican members of Congress, President Donald Trump delivered his
09:26first State of the Union address of his second term. A speech that, in addition to addressing economy,
09:33immigration, and foreign policy issues, was remarked by racism and divisive insults, which,
09:40according to analysts, made it clear that President Trump cares least about unity for his country.
09:48Trump did exactly what we knew that he would do. He lied, as he always does. We live in an
09:54epic of post-truth and post-reality, and that's the ruling class that he represents and that he spoke for
10:02last night. No surprises whatsoever. On economy matters, President Trump assured that the United
10:08States is on the right track. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down
10:15to the lowest level in more than five years. And in the last three months of 2025, it was down
10:22to 1.7%.
10:29However, data from Federal Reserve shows that currently, inflation stands at 2.7%,
10:38something that is hardly cost for celebration among Americans. Do you think, from your own experience,
10:45going to a supermarket or shopping, that prices are going down? I think anybody who's buying anything
10:51right now knows that prices aren't going down, no matter how many times Trump says that they are,
10:56it doesn't make it real. Nobody's feeling like things are doing better right now.
10:59And the immigration issue heated up the atmosphere in Congress.
11:04You should be ashamed of yourself. That is why I'm also asking you to end deadly sanctuary cities
11:11that protect the criminals and enact serious penalties for public officials who block the removal of
11:19criminal aliens. In many cases, drug lords, murderers all over our country, they're blocking
11:25the removal of these people out of our country. And you should be ashamed of yourself.
11:35I think that he's putting all immigrants in one box. And all immigrants are not the same person,
11:43just like everybody that lives and comes from here isn't the same person. I think that he is
11:50not treating immigrants well. And he threatened it to attack Iran if it didn't abandon its nuclear
11:58program. My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain,
12:05I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far,
12:09to have a nuclear weapon. Can't let that happen.
12:15For analyst Danny Shaw, Trump's speech was more of the same. We heard the arrogance and we heard the
12:23lies of another wannabe world's emperor. And, you know, who would have thought who would have thought
12:32in the form of this arrogant billionaire whose wealth continues to rise. He he talked about his
12:38own economic interests and in hotels and websites. It was beyond nauseating. And to see all of these
12:45Republicans enabling him because we live in a society where it's save yourself.
12:50A crude reality for the most vulnerable ones, the immigrants. Pablo Daniel Jo and Kendrick Camelo,
12:59Telesur, New York.
13:05And we move now to Ecuador, where drug trafficker Wilmer Chavarria-Bajre, also known as PIPO,
13:11accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa of ordering the murder of former presidential candidate Fernando
13:16Villavicencio. The Ecuadorian drug traffickers denied the responsibility for Villavicencio's murder,
13:22which took place in northern Quito in August 2023. People arrested in Spain in November 2025
13:28made these statements during a court appearance in Zaragoza on Wednesday.
13:32The detainee also stated that a person close to the Minister of Interior, John Reinberg, had told him
13:37that the crime had been ordered by President Novoa out of fear that Villavicencio would win the elections.
13:42To date, only five of the perpetrators of the murder have been convicted,
13:47as most were killed in prison before they could testify.
13:57In other news from Ecuador, at least four people were killed in Durán,
14:01and two bomb attacks were carried out in Machala, reflecting an escalation of the crisis of violence
14:06facing the country. Another day of violence was recorded when an armed attack on a family gathering
14:12in the Durán district left at least four people dead. At the same time, two bomb attacks in the city
14:17of Machala affected the homes of two lawyers, with no reports of injured people. These events occurred
14:23while an international report ranked seven Ecuadorian cities, among the 50 most dangerous in the world.
14:38In other news, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum presented a proposal for electoral reform,
14:43which includes ten key points to strengthen the country's democratic life. The executive branch
14:48will send the proposal to Congress for this caution. The plan establishes a 500-member chamber of deputies,
14:55elected entirely by direct vote, cuts election spending by 25 percent, and grants electoral
15:01authorities a greater oversight of party finances. It expands voting rights for Mexicans abroad,
15:08limits campaigner time to 35 minutes per day, and regulates artificial intelligence and votes
15:13on social media. The reform also speeds up vote counting, expands referendums and recalls to local events,
15:22bans nepotism in public office, and prohibits consecutive re-election starting in 2030.
15:44Authorities in Colombia responded to an emergency in the municipality of San Juan de Urabá, in the
15:49Department of Antioquia, where a volcanic eruption forced the evacuation of several homes.
15:54Videos show a huge column of fire leading up the sky, visible from nearby towns, which increased
16:01concern among the community. The Antioquia Breast Management Administrative Department reported
16:06that there were no injuries or fatalities. However, the death of several animals was confirmed,
16:11and damage to the road was reported. At least four homes were evacuated. Firefighters controlled the
16:17flames to prevent a forest fire, and traffic was restricted due to cracks in the road.
16:28And we have a second short break coming up. Before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at
16:32Tell us about English. There, you'll be able to watch your top stories, special life coverage,
16:36and much more. Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the
16:40world's most recent events. Find a short break, don't go away.
17:04Welcome back to From the South. And we go to Switzerland, where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
17:09Sarakshi arrived on Wednesday for the third round of negotiations with the U.S. delegation
17:13in an effort to reach a new nuclear agreement. The Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Teheran
17:19and Washington are facing a historic opportunity to achieve an agreement that addresses mutual concerns
17:24and interests. The Iranian and U.S. delegations have held two rounds of their own direct talks,
17:30on February 6th in Oman and February 17th in Geneva. The objective is to finalize the details
17:36of a new agreement that will put an end to nuclear tensions. However, U.S. President Donald Trump
17:41insists that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, accusations that justify large U.S. military
17:48deployment in the Middle East. Meanwhile, on February 25th, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctions
18:03over 30 Iranian individuals, entities and vessels linked to oil and missile development amid nuclear
18:09negotiations and regional tensions. The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 16
18:16entities, 12 oil tankers and several individuals for alleged involvement in the illicit sale of Iranian
18:23oil and links to the production of ballistic missiles and advanced conventional weapons. Sanctions denied
18:29access to U.S. property and assets and prohibit transactions with designated individuals. However,
18:35the direct economic impact could be limited since many of those sanctions do not hold funds in U.S.
18:41financial institutions.
18:55At least 37 Western delegations called for a boycott of the Round Table on Ukraine, organized by Moscow at
19:02the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's headquarters. Russian permanent representative of
19:07the organization, Dmitry Polyansky, announced the fact after Russia organized a Round Table on the Ukrainian
19:13conflict in Vienna on Tuesday, to which all OBSC members states were invited. Western countries ignored the call.
19:21The Russian Federation thanked its allies, especially the missions of the Commonwealth of Independent States
19:26and Belarus, for attending the event. Russia has conducted a special military operation in Ukraine since February 2022.
20:00The Russian Federation
20:01Violence by Israeli settlers increases in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian families lost their homes and vehicles in a new
20:07arson
20:07attack south of Hebron. Israeli settlers set fire to five houses and several vehicles in the Palestinian village of
20:15Soucia in the occupied West Bank. The attackers threw tear gas into the houses, causing at least four residents to
20:22suffer from suffocation.
20:23This incident is the latest in an escalation of violence that, in January alone, saw more than 450 attacks by
20:30settlers in different areas of Palestinian territory.
20:32Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud al-Marit admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu's regime is carrying out ethnic cleansing to forcibly
20:41displeased the Palestinian population.
21:01The 32nd exhibition of Handmade Rocks is being held in Iran, highlighting the country's tradition of craftsmanship.
21:07This event, which will be held in Tehran, the capital of Iran, until February 27, brings together iconic designs from
21:15various regions, such as Kerman, Isfahan, Yorasan and Tabritz.
21:20The carpets on display are not only a cultural expression, but also a vital economic driver for many Iranian families,
21:27who wave from their homes.
21:29This exhibition is one of the most important in the world, because it facilitates meetings between buyers, weavers and traders
21:36in the sector.
21:45Meanwhile in Italy, the 76th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, one of the country's most prominent artistic events, began
21:53in the city of Sanremo in Liguria.
21:55The competition will run until February 28, with 34 singers taking part.
22:00It will be hosted by Carlo Conti, accompanied by famous Italian vocalist Laura Pausini.
22:05Each night, the festival will feature different co-hosts, including Turkish actor Can Yaman and model Irina Siak, among others.
22:15The winner of the festival will have the opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be
22:21held in May in Vienna.
22:34And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
22:37You can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telesureenglish.net, and join us on social
22:41media.
22:42We're on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok.
22:45For Tell Us Your English, I'm Sophie Fernandez.
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