Self-determination is a fundamental principle and must be protected by all States, UN Commissioner Türk said. On Wednesday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva called U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip “incomprehensible.”

“It makes no sense for the president of the United States to meet with the prime minister of Israel and say that they are going to recover and occupy Gaza… and where are the Palestinians going? Where are they going to live?” said the Brazilian leader. Lula questioned whether the United States, with its position of “incentivizing” Israel, is the most appropriate country to “take care of Gaza” and maintained that it is the Palestinians who should do so, after Trump stated that his country “will take control” of the territory.

The Brazilian president pointed to the need to send aid to repair “everything that was destroyed” during the Israeli Army offensive and allow the population of Gaza to “live with dignity.” Lula insisted that what the inhabitants of the Strip suffered during a conflict, in which over 40,000 Palestinians have died, amounts to “genocide.”

The text reads: “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not to Trump!” President Lula was clear in condemning the absurd proposal of the former US president to take control of the territory, ignoring Palestine’s right to self-determination.” On Wednesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also responded to President Trump’s proposal to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to other countries by recalling that “any deportation or forced transfer of people from an occupied territory is strictly prohibited.”

“International law is very clear, self-determination is a fundamental principle and must be protected by all States, as the International Court of Justice has recently underlined,” Türk said. “The suffering of the people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel has been unbearable, we must enter a new phase to ensure peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis on the basis of dignity and equality,” he added and insisted on continuing with the successive phases of the current ceasefire, in order to free all hostages and prisoners arbitrarily detained, “and end the war to rebuild Gaza with full respect for international humanitarian law and human rights.”

Imposing tariffs on Mexico makes no sense whatsoever and sets a very bad precedent, a former Ecuadorian trade minister said. On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum downplayed the impact of the 27% tariffs that Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa imposed on Mexican products.

During her press conference, she stated that imports from Ecuador account for only 0.4% of Mexico’s total imports. Due to Ecuador’s minimal weight in Mexico’s trade balance, Sheinbaum did not announce any retaliatory measures and joked, saying that “Mexican shrimp are tastier than Ecuadorian ones.”

On Monday, the far-right President Noboa announced that he would impose a 27% tariff on all Mexican products. He justified his decision by stating that the current non-oil trade between the two countries constitutes an “abuse” against Ecuador, an Andean country that has a trade deficit with Mexico.

Mexico severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador in April 2024 after the Noboa administration ordered its police forces to storm the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas. The text reads, “Imitating Trump, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced the imposition of 27% tariffs on all products from Mexico. Noboa’s clumsy bravado has provoked ridicule because Mexico’s dealings with this country are insignificant.”

In 2024, Mexican exports to Ecuador totaled US$446 million, a figure that represents just 0.07% of Mexico’s total exports worldwide. During the same period, Mexico achieved a trade surplus of US$108 million in its transactions with Ecuador. In Ecuador, Noboa’s decision sparked strong criticism from productive sectors. Former Trade Minister Julio Jose Prado stated that imposing 27% tariffs on Mexico “makes no sense whatsoever and sets a very bad precedent” because it harms Ecuador far more than it does Mexico.

He also pointed out that Ecuador’s unilateral decision will lead to price increases in essential goods imported from Mexico, such as medicines, vehicles, household appliances, computers, pipes, and raw materials for the food and manufacturing industries. Prado emphasized that Ecuador could even face a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization (WTO) because “we have no valid reason” to impose tariffs on Mexico, given that there is no balance of payments crisis, nor is there an excessive appreciation of the dollar against the peso.

“Trump-style? While Trump, with a similar measure, managed to bring Mexico to the negotiating table to discuss migration issues, Ecuador neither has the power nor the capacity to force Mexico to negotiate anything. There is no conflict to resolve. We are creating an unnecessary problem with consequences we do not yet understand,” the former minister said.

In an emotional ceremony held this Wednesday, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, commemorated the 108th anniversary of the promulgation of the Mexican Constitution, reaffirming her commitment to the sovereignty and dignity of the country.

During her speech, Sheinbaum emphasized that Mexico is a free and independent nation, rejecting any attempts at external interference. “We are a free, independent, and sovereign nation,” declared the president before an audience filled with citizens and officials. In a strong message, she asserted that “we are not a colony of anyone nor a protectorate of anyone; they may threaten us with any wrongdoing, but we will never allow them to violate our sovereignty or the dignity of our people and our homeland.”

Sheinbaum highlighted the importance of remembering the legacy of ancestors in challenging times, urging all Mexicans to defend the values that uphold the nation. “In these times that test us as a nation and as a people, we want to remember the promulgation of our Constitution and give our best in defense of Mexico,” she stated.

The president also emphasized her stance on international relations, declaring: “Cooperation yes, subordination no; collaboration yes, submission no. No to interference or intervention; also no to racism or classism.” This message resonates strongly in the current context, marked by political tensions in the region and the recent arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump to power.

Sheinbaum reiterated her commitment to defending the freedoms and democracy of the Mexican people, assuring that her government will always be alert to any threats to national sovereignty. “Any intention to affect our right to be a free people will be faced with courage,” she concluded.

In a call for unity and resilience, Sheinbaum emphasized the value of the Mexican people, stating that “they always know how to rise to the challenges.” With these words, the president seeks to inspire a sense of pride and determination in the population in the face of upcoming challenges.

In a piece written for Kawsachun News, the Thomas Sankara Centre for African Liberation and Unity shares the experience of Burkina Faso delegates in Caracas for the World Anti-Fascist International Festival which coincided with the inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The towering peaks of Caracas’ mountaintops captured the attention of the delegates from Burkina Faso even before their airplane hit the ground at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela. Venezuela’s imposing mountainous coastline is a sharp contrast to the long stretch of flat savanna that makes up the majority of Burkina Faso’s landscape.

The Burkinabé delegates from grassroots social movements, primarily members of the Thomas Sankara Centre for African Liberation and Unity based in Ouagadougou, had come from far away to visit Venezuela from 7 to 14 January 2025. Their excitement to attend the inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro and to participate in the Global Anti-Fascist Festival in this friendly and inspirational South American country was perhaps unmatched. Afterall, the two countries are at the forefront of the international struggle against imperialism and exploitation.

Witnessing and Experiencing the Bolivarian Revolution

On January 6, comrades Fabrice and Kouss from the Thomas Sankara Centre left Ouagadougou in the early hours of the morning for a 48-hour journey of over 14,000 km to Venezuela. As soon as they arrived at Simon Bolivar airport, the comrades were struck by the internationalist environment. Meetings with various delegates from Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Niger, Congo, Netherlands, India, Nepal, and elsewhere fostered a sense of belonging to a collective cause of social justice, anti-fascism and international solidarity. They would soon be joined by another comrade from the Thomas Sankara Centre, Inem, who arrived on the 8th to a similar atmosphere.

The delegates from Burkina Faso were struck by Venezuela’s technological and architectural progress in the face of sanctions and economic difficulties. Initiatives in the fields of agriculture, energy, and communications illustrated the resilience and ingenuity of the Venezuelan people. These discoveries broadened their perspective and understanding of the possibilities for sustainable development within a socialist state.

Participation in the Global Anti-Fascist Festival, the meeting with President Nicolas Maduro and the Third International Communications Congress provided opportunities to exchange ideas with activists from around the world, attend practical workshops and take part in discussions on strategies and tactics in a shared struggle spanning the Global South.

While in Venezuela, the delegation also sought to forge Pan-African connections between those coming from the African continent and their diasporic counterparts.

ALBA and the AES

Like Venezuela, which is the initiator of Latin America’s anti-imperialist Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP), Burkina Faso is a part of Africa’s foremost anti-imperialist intergovernmental organization, the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

ALBA was proposed by the rebellious and charismatic military man turned revolutionary leader, Hugo Chavez, and came into fruition in 2004. The AES was formed just two-years ago, first as a defense agreement and then as a working confederation in 2024, by three soldiers who also became revolutionary leaders from the West African Sahel, namely Captain Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, General Assimi Goïta of Mali, and General Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger.

Both ALBA and the AES have fiercely and boldly defended the self-determination of the peoples of South America and Africa. In ALBA, this has meant working towards greater integration between socialist and progressive states in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to increase economic cooperation and provide social services in the region all while resisting imperialist domination. In the AES, this has meant expelling the French military occupation in all three countries, nationalizing critical resources such as gold and uranium mines, and developing a shared defense and foreign policy with the goal of unifying into a future Pan-African federation.

ALBA references and draws inspiration from historical revolutionary figures in the region, particularly Simón Bolívar, José Martí, and Augusto Sandino. The AES looks up to African revolutionaries of the past such as Thomas Sankara, Modibo Keïta, and Djibo Bakary.

Both ALBA and the AES are at the forefront of the international struggle for a multipolar world, shifting global power from the NATO bloc to the Global South.

Relations Between the Peoples and the States

Yet, when the Burkinabé delegates made their way to Caracas, they found that among ordinary Venezuelans who had come out to support their president, along with delegates who arrived from various other parts of the Americas, some had been paying close attention to the updates and developments unfolding in Burkina Faso and the Sahel, while others had never heard of Burkina Faso before.

Back home in Burkina Faso, the reality is similar. Some Burkinabé have paid attention to Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution and have followed it for years, yet others are not familiar with the country and its resistance to US hegemonic control.

Indigenous leader Jones Huala denied that his organization is responsible for wildfires in the Patagonia region. On Wednesday, the government of far-right President Javier Milei announced that it will declare the group Ancestral Mapuche Resistance (RAM) a “terrorist organization.”

“RAM will be declared a terrorist organization. The National Security Ministry is already working on the case file,” presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni announced. “The government has revoked three resolutions that granted land to so-called Mapuches. In our territory, the only flag that flies is the Argentine one,” he added.

Besides revoking land grants in the Mendoza province, the Milei administration also eliminated a community strengthening program that provided Indigenous communities with legal assistance for territorial claims. “In this way, the lands that were in the hands of terrorists are returned to Argentinians… The state was funding lawyers who acted against its own sovereignty,” Adorni asserted.

Last weekend, RAM leader Facundo Jones Huala defended acts of sabotage against infrastructure as a method of resistance against capitalism and its multinational corporations and landowners. However, he denied that RAM was responsible for the wildfires that have been spreading in Argentina’s Patagonia region since December.

“We have never done it, nor would we ever do it,” said the RAM leader. This group serves as the political-military arm of the Mapuche Autonomous Movement of Puel Mapu, an organization that claims ownership of Patagonian lands for Indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres accused Jones Huala of inciting citizens to set Patagonian forests on fire, with 20,000 hectares having been affected by wildfires so far.

On Tuesday, Milei changed the name of the Security Ministry to National Security Ministry as a signal of strengthening the institution and supporting his minister, Patricia Bullrich.

The Venezuelan leader told journalist Breno Altman that his role and that of Lula is to prioritize relations between Caracas and Brasilia. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that despite the differences between the foreign ministries of Brazil and Venezuela, both countries are committed to overcoming these differences and strengthening their bilateral relations.

Maduro’s remarks came during an exclusive interview the Venezuelan leader gave to Opera Mundi founder Breno Altman in a special edition of the 20 MINUTES program: For the president, who began his third term on January 10 this year, his and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s role is to “understand each other and our countries and turn the page”.

“(We must) see the new scenario of world geopolitics, the situation of Our America and prioritize relations between Brazil and Venezuela, peaceful relations, of cooperation, of brotherhood, of economic progress,” he said.

Regarding Brazil, Maduro once again affirmed that “there has been no crisis, there is no crisis, and there will be no crisis” between Caracas and Brasilia, pointing out that the “only way” for the relationship to maintain a link is through “understanding for Latin America, for the Caribbean, for peace and for the development of our countries”.

The Lula government did not recognize Maduro’s victory in the July 28 presidential election, but sent a diplomatic representation to his inauguration. In addition, Brazil vetoed Caracas’ entry into the BRICS, culminating in a worsening of relations between the countries. Maduro believes that it is necessary to “look to the future” and for progress to be made in “recognizing what is already a reality, that Venezuela belongs to the BRICS”.

Breno Altman: “President Nicolás Maduro, I’d like to start our interview with a question that is on many people’s minds. Some foreign governments, such as the United States, did not recognize your victory on July 28, even announcing that they recognized Edmundo González as president-elect. Do you think your inauguration on January 10 and the weakening of the extreme right will put an end to this controversy?”

Nicolás Maduro: “The weakening and defeat of the fascist far right in Venezuela, which intoxicated and contaminated the right and center-right throughout Latin America and the Caribbean for more than 20 years, is the expression that everything they did to them on the networks, in the media, the whole operation around this candidacy was an operation orchestrated by the US government that just left, which took advantage of the negotiations with the diplomacy of deception, the diplomacy of the carrot, and did not speak clearly or seriously.”

Nicolás Maduro: “In fact, all the agreements we made were totally violated and disrespected by them, they were never complied with, they only served as a pretext to once again prepare the ground for the destabilization of Venezuela. After 2017, we managed to consolidate a process of peace and political stability. In 2017 and 2018, we suffered a bombardment of missiles and sanctions, which caused us great economic damage.”

Nicolás Maduro: “Then, in 2019, the government of the time, the officials of the time: John Bolton, Mike Pence, John Kelly, Mike Pompeo, drew up the Guaidó project and convinced the president at the time, Donald Trump, that it was very easy to appoint and recognize a president called Guaidó, who nobody knew, and that this would immediately imply the takeover of Venezuela, an international coup d’état. We managed to denounce him, confront him, defeat him and, in the midst of this struggle, we managed to recover society and the economy. In the midst of this hard-won stability, with our own efforts, Joe Biden’s administration unfortunately missed a golden opportunity to get along with us, to respect the agreements we had talked about and signed, and devised a Guaidó 2.0, as he is called, Guaidó part 2, which ended up having a very bad ending, Guaidó part 2 ended up having a very bad ending. So they knew what was coming for a long time, they did everything.”

Nicolás Maduro: “Here in Venezuela, no less than a billion dollars were invested by the oligarchy, called the technological oligarchy, owners of the big networks, all the networks turned against us: Facebook, Instagram, X, formerly Twitter; TikTok, and they created a national and international situation that they believed was infallible.”

Nicolás Maduro: “We suffered this on July 28, something that I denounced immediately, on July 29, as the first cyber-fascist coup in the modern history of Latin America, and I could say of humanity, we defeated it in 48 hours, and we have been consolidating the victory. The country is at peace, the institutions are working, the five branches of government are functioning, the economy is growing and recovering. And the vast majority of Venezuelans, as all the polls show, more than 80% repudiate these coup attempts, 80% of Venezuelans want to turn the page on this destabilization and follow a safe course of growth, recovery and respect for Venezuela.”