- 1 year ago
22/08/2025
FTS 8.30
*U.S. judge order closure of Alligator Alcatraz migrant prison
*UN declares state of famine in Gaza
FTS 8.30
*U.S. judge order closure of Alligator Alcatraz migrant prison
*UN declares state of famine in Gaza
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro led on Thursday an official ceremony for the integration of the Bolivarian National Militia into the Basic Unit of Territorial Government or Peace Quadrants.
00:22A judge in the United States ordered the closure of the Alligator Alcatraz Migrant Detention Center in Florida due to environmental damage.
00:39And the United Nations officially declared a state of famine in Gaza.
00:43Hello and welcome to From the South. My name is Belinda Santos. I'm from the Telesur Studios in Havana, Cuba. We'll begin with the news.
00:55We'll begin with the information. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro led on Thursday an official ceremony for the integration of the Bolivarian National Militia into the Basic Unit of Territorial Government or Peace Quadrants.
01:19According to the Venezuelan President, the communal defense plan will be implemented with the articulation of community brigades, security forces and popular organizations to guarantee territorial protection and immediate response to any threat.
01:35Maduro also pointed out that the Bolivarian National Militia was created with a strategic vision to guarantee peace, sovereignty and the unity in the country and highlighted the resistance of the Venezuelan people in the face of the U.S. aggressions.
01:50But we are today observing. What we are observing, and you know this better than anyone, is something that we have built along the years of revolution.
02:05The people has built up its own power. Social, political, economic and military power. Today, there are no differences between the powerful, professional and revolutionary Bolivarian armed forces and the people in arms.
02:30And an all-but-TCP vessel sailed from Venezuela to Cuba with the purpose of deepening trade cooperation among the member countries of this regional mechanism. More details in our following report by our colleague Leonardo Urieta.
02:49More than 6,000 tons of food left the port of La Guayara in the center of the country. For the city of La Habana, with the departure of the Manuel Gull ship from Alba-TCP, the authorities assure that integration is the key to guarantee the economic independence of the region.
03:07This ship belongs to Alba, and if it belongs to Alba, it belongs to all of us, so it is a contribution to become a tool for the development and progress of the peoples of Alba.
03:21The Great Bolivarian Alliance, because this act, is very significant because it is the result of a great team effort.
03:33Because that is what we seek, fair trade and shared prosperity for our peoples is a reliable expression of the will of commanders Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, when they founded the Alba on December 14, 2004.
03:53It is the first maritime route of the Bolivarian Alliance for the peoples of our Americas, and the People's Trade Treaty, which will facilitate exports and commercial exchange among the peoples of the region.
04:15Let us hope that today is simply the first step of what will be great leaps forward in the economic growth of the region.
04:23In the unity of our countries, in the unity of the bonds of brotherhood, that we know constitute each of the countries that are present in Alba.
04:33And that we know that we want to continue growing in trade, Venezuela within its strategy, of its international positioning, to show the world what its exportable offer is, and to show the world the quality of its production.
04:43The objective of the regional entity is to achieve sustainable trade in solidarity over time.
04:58This ship will be a symbol, it is a symbol, it is a symbol of hope, it is the symbol of that complementation of integration and unity among all to achieve well-being and common happiness.
05:08The Alba TCP declares that the union of the peoples will defeat Washington's threats to peace in the region.
05:21Because what we are seeing here, the ship of the Alba on its maiden voyage, which will allow maritime crossings and intra-Alba trade,
05:28is taking place at a time of permanent and constant threats in situations where peace in the entire region is at risk and seriously threatened.
05:40The authorities extended their appeal to the private sector to continue to become involved in the organization's commercial activities.
05:55Now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember you can join us on TikTok at House of English,
06:00where you will find news in different formats, news updates, and much more.
06:04We'll be right back, stay with us.
06:10Welcome back to From the South.
06:26We continue with more information.
06:29On Thursday, a judge in the United States ordered the closure of the Alligator Alcatraz Migrant Detention Center due to environmental damage.
06:36Magistrate Kathleen Williams has decided that the facility built in the southern state of Florida must be closed within 60 days
06:44and consequently prohibits further confinement.
06:48The prison installed by President Trump's administration in the Everglades,
06:52an area of wetlands and marshes that acts as a natural kidney and filter in store water for millions of people,
07:00will, according to experts, cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem.
07:04The court ruling assures that it complies with the basic requirements of the legislation
07:10to care for the restoration, conservation, and preservation of the Everglades.
07:19We go now to Colombia.
07:21A car bomb exploded near a military aviation school in Cali,
07:26killing at least five people and injuring more than 30.
07:29The blast, which damaged nearby buildings and homes, caused civilian casualties and prompted authorities to evacuate surrounding areas as well.
07:39A reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
07:44The attack has been condemned as a terrorist act and has intensified concerns about Colombia's security situation.
07:52In a separate attack in Antioquia, at least 12 police officers died when a police helicopter engaged in coca leaf eradication operations
08:01was struck by a drone and crashed.
08:04The incidents have prompted a strong government response with plans to increase security measures
08:10and hold the perpetrators accountable.
08:12And in the sense, Antioquia's governor Andres Rendon gave statements on what he called the first attack of this kind.
08:29This is the first drone attack we have heard of in Antioquia.
08:38Emboldened criminals, rich, sporting brand new uniforms and state-of-the-art weaponry.
08:43I am very concerned that the delay in recovering the bodies and safeguarding the wounded
08:56is yet another manifestation of the national government's abandonment of the security forces or lack of determination.
09:02It is unclear which of the two is more serious.
09:11Furthermore, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, declared that he will not decree a state of internal commotion in the country
09:18after the terrorist attacks of the last hours.
09:21This is what he said at the exit from the security council held in the city of Cali,
09:26where one of the worst attacks of the last years took place this Thursday.
09:32The head of state assured that they will strengthen the mechanisms they already have
09:36and also left to install the permanent unified command post to attend the emergency.
09:42In reference to the terrorist attack that occurred at Cali Air Base,
09:45he informed that it was perpetrated by dissidents of the Jaime Martinez structure,
09:50which belongs to those of alias Ivan Mordisco,
09:54and reiterated that it was a retaliation for the defeat suffered on August 20th in the Micay Canyon.
10:09And former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe could face other investigations for crimes against humanity
10:15while he was governor of the Department of Antioquia in 1995 and 1997.
10:22From Bogotá, our colleague Hernán Tovaro with the report.
10:26In audios released after a statement in a hearing before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace,
10:33the brothers Francisco and Jaime Angulo Osorio,
10:36responsible for the murder of a human rights defender,
10:39are part of a compendium of testimonies that linked the former president to the massacres of El Oro
10:46and La Granja in the Department of Antioquia during the years 1995 and 1997 when he was governor.
11:01They authorized the operation and in history we have come to know that all the members of these organizations
11:07were mostly the paramilitary chiefs and commanders themselves.
11:15They were involved in human rights violations in everything that happened in Antioquia and in the country.
11:21It was the pilot at the national level, it was the rehearsal with which they acted,
11:25these organizations became apparently legal cooperatives during the day
11:28and were paramilitary cooperatives at night.
11:30Their statements are generated under the investigation being carried out in this department
11:43and the responsibility of civilian third parties in relation to crimes perpetrated by the security forces
11:48and agents of the state.
11:50The brothers have claimed to have been part of these organizations,
11:53intermediaries between the paramilitaries, the army and the governor's office,
11:58in a relationship of financing and delivery of information,
12:01testimonies that are added to other statements.
12:03Local residents and former paramilitaries in particular testified that a helicopter
12:17from the governor's office of Antioquia flew overhead during the massacre of the Hope.
12:23It is impossible to think that the governor of that time,
12:34who followed in detail all the movements of his officials,
12:38would not have had information about what was happening.
12:41A network of logistical and financial support that involved civilians,
12:54state actors, and adds more and new elements in relation to the masacres of El Oro,
12:59where 17 peasants were killed, and La Granja, where for people died,
13:03events that occurred in the municipality of Ishuano, Antioquia.
13:06In 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned Colombia for these events,
13:12and the Supreme Court declared them crimes against humanity that are not subject to statute of limitations.
13:21There are mechanisms in place the 1968 Convention on the Imprescriptibility of Crimes Against Humanity
13:29that the Colombian state ratified and then ratified in 2002.
13:32Rome Statute which in its Article 29 establishes that crimes against humanity are imprescriptible
13:39and that is part of our political constitution and is also in the Colombian Penal Code.
13:48The victims hope that these investigations will move forward
13:52and reveal the possible responsibility of the governor at the time, Alvaro Uribe Vélez,
13:57who is sentenced for other crimes to 12 years' imprisonment,
14:00which he provisionally evaded due to a tubular action in his favor.
14:04Hernán Dario, Tobar, Gaitán, Telesur, Bogotá, Colombia.
14:08And now we have a second short break coming up,
14:10but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Telesur English,
14:14there you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more.
14:19Follow our page and activate notifications to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
14:24Final short break, don't go away.
14:30Welcome back to From the South.
14:47We continue with more information.
14:49In Mexico, the Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal
14:51approved the validity of the election of magistrates
14:55to renew the Supreme Court of Justice of the nation on September 1st.
15:00This was the last attempt of the right-wing groups
15:03to avoid the renewal of the judiciary from its roots.
15:07Our correspondent Antonio Aranda presents the following report on the matter.
15:10The new ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice will have to demonstrate
15:17that the era of corruption in the judiciary is over, said President Claudia Schoenbaum.
15:22The era of corruption, privilege and nepotism in the judiciary is over, and the new court.
15:31The new judges, the new magistrates, who owe it to the people because the people elected them,
15:39must now demonstrate that the judiciary has changed fundamentally.
15:46The last effort of the right-wing to stop the reform of the judiciary was an annulment lawsuit
15:56over the case of the so-called accordions' guides to illustrate how the vote was to be cast.
16:03The argument of the magistrates in favor of the nullity project
16:11was that they illegally influenced the judicial election.
16:14There were mechanisms to influence the will of the citizens,
16:20affecting in a decisive manner the freedom of suffrage.
16:23The nullity of an election protects the freedom of suffrage,
16:26is the consequence of a requirement of the form of government adopted in the Constitution.
16:29For the majority of the full court of the electoral tribunal,
16:44the accordions are not legally sufficient proof of illegal facts
16:47that would correspond to the nullity of the election.
16:52That when it comes to annuling the will of the citizens,
16:56statistics are not enough.
16:57The bill before us today seeks to annul the election of ministers
17:00of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation
17:03by means of the simple accumulation of inferences.
17:09But if I bring this proof, I have to bring the data,
17:13where it was done, how much it cost, who did it, to whom it was given,
17:17why it is decisive to annul the election of more than 13 million people.
17:20The validity of the election of the ministers of the Supreme Court opens a period of expectations
17:29of change towards a more social model of justice considers this specialist.
17:33Obviously there are certain expectations of change.
17:38Perhaps we will have more empathetic ministers, a more relaxed atmosphere,
17:44but there is a clear expectation of transformation,
17:47and it is an expectation that will last at least one or two years
17:50for the new court to enjoy that legitimacy bonus.
17:52We will see how it develops.
17:54The first issues to be dealt with by the new Supreme Court of Justice
18:02are the informal preventive detention
18:04and the tax debts of several businessmen totaling billions of dollars.
18:07We now move on to other topics.
18:24Hungary and Slovakia filed former complaint with the European Commission on Thursday
18:29due to the third attack by Ukraine on the Drusba oil pipeline in Southeast Russia,
18:35that is the main oil supply route for both countries.
18:39Foreign ministers Peter Sijarto and Shurak-Planar warned that the interruption in the flow of crude oil
18:45could last at least five days, raising concerns about energy security in the region.
18:51They noted that the recent attacks, which had already temporarily stopped supplies on several occasions,
18:59represent a direct threat to the stability of Hungary and Slovakia.
19:04In addition, officials recalled that the European Union had committed itself
19:08to protect the critical energy infrastructure of its member states
19:12and demanded that these promises should be fulfilled immediately.
19:34We go now to the ongoing situation in Palestine as the United Nations Organization officially declared
19:42a state of famine in Gaza.
19:45It's the fourth time in history that this verdict has been issued.
19:49The last time was in 2004 in Sudan.
19:52Although the genocidal government of Benjamin Netanyahu has systematically denied famine,
19:57according to the Integrated Food Security Facing Classification, the IPC,
20:03a globally recognized system to back up the severity of insecurity and malnutrition,
20:10it is abruptly confirmed.
20:13Although the UN made previous warnings,
20:15it did not want to make the announcement official until it had scientific data.
20:20According to these results, in the city of Gaza and its surroundings,
20:23including three cities and several refugee camps,
20:26the media's requirements are met.
20:28More than 20 percent of households face extreme food shortages.
20:33More than 30 percent of children suffer from acute malnutrition,
20:37and there are two or more deaths per 10,000 inhabitants per day
20:42due to absolute starvation.
20:45And in other news, on the occasion of the summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization,
21:04socio-environmental organizations presented a series of recommendations
21:08for the care of the rainforest and its community.
21:11Our colleague Ignacio Lemus brings us all the details.
21:13Connectivity is the key concept for weaving the enough network of life
21:21that today makes up the largest tropical forest on the planet.
21:25Four socio-environmental networks presented a document to the governments of Amazonian countries
21:30to protect the ecological, hydro-climatic and socio-cultural connectivity of the Amazon.
21:35The proposal was delivered prior to the summit of presidents of the Amazon.
21:38There is a concern that we do not lose connectivity,
21:46that is, that we eliminate deforestation, illegal activities, burning and other elements
21:50that remove the forest and damage connectivity,
21:53and on the other hand we are calling for the restoration of connectivity.
21:55In other words, we are trying to strengthen alternatives related to socio-bioeconomics,
22:05to strengthen indigenous territories and protected areas.
22:08Loss of connectivity threatens vital ecosystem functions and the lives of 47 million people.
22:20By 2022, 23 percent of the biome had completely lost its connectivity
22:25and another 13 percent was severely degraded.
22:27There is a whole interconnection between the forests, the rivers and the people who live there.
22:37When connectivity is removed, the forest becomes fragile.
22:40It becomes more susceptible to burns, the temperature rises and the rainfall changes.
22:46And all of this affects not only the existence of the forest itself,
22:49but also its capacity to sustain itself.
22:51The goal of the recommendations is for the member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
23:03to totally eliminate deforestation, degradation and criminal fires by 2030.
23:09Protect strategic areas to maintain connectivity.
23:12Develop a regional program to restore ecological corridors.
23:16Ensure the effective participation of local communities.
23:18Promote a socio-bioeconomy that preserves ecosystems and supports community initiatives.
23:24Establish regional criteria to evaluate the impacts of infrastructure projects
23:28and stop illegal activities, environmental crimes and organized crime.
23:33In a region where displacement can take weeks,
23:36the concept of connectivity also encompasses the relationship between communities.
23:40The Amazonian territory has suffered invasions for centuries, evangelization, timber extraction, drug trafficking.
23:51There are many forms of exploitation and invasion.
23:53There are many forms of exploration, many forms of invasion.
23:58It seems important to me the exchange between these communities
24:04in the sense of sharing their different forms of resistance and struggle for their protection.
24:08In the midst of the United States military siege in the region,
24:18the leaders of Pan-Amazon countries will have two opportunities to decide on concrete measures
24:23for the protection and development of a strategic area for the planet.
24:26The first will be in Bogota, the second in November during the COP30 in Bulum in the Brazilian Amazon.
24:31Ignacio Lemus and Julia Nassif for Telesur.
24:36And like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
24:39You can find these and many other stories on our website at TelesurEnglish.net.
24:42Also join us on social media.
24:44We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok as well.
24:48For Telesur English, my name is Belen de los Santos.
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