FTS 20:30 29-02: President Maduro denounces U.S. plan to "steal and destroy" CITGO
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to host 8th CELAC summit. // President Maduro denounces U.S. plan to "steal and destroy" CITGO. // Army assault kills Chad's main opposition leader ahead of elections. teleSUR
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00:00 The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, denounced the United States for its plan to
00:09 steal SIDCO.
00:14 The eighth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, will
00:18 be held in San Vincente and the Grenadines.
00:25 A leading opponent of Chad's ruling junta, Chif has died in an army's assault on his
00:30 party headquarters ahead of a May election.
00:40 Hello and welcome to From the South, I'm Alejandra García from Telesur Studios in
00:44 Havana, Cuba.
00:45 We begin with the news.
00:46 In Venezuela, social and political organizations mobilized on Thursday to commemorate the 20
00:51 years of the anti-imperialist declaration of Commander Hugo Chávez.
00:56 The great national caravan called La Furia Bolivariana, in which citizens remember this
01:01 date, as the date in which Commander Hugo Chávez reaffirmed the anti-imperialist character
01:06 of the Bolivarian Revolution, with a massive mobilization that expresses the rejection
01:10 to the economic blockade and the unilateral coercitive measures implemented against the
01:15 Venezuelan people by the United States.
01:18 The great national caravan of the Bolivarian rage is inspired in the thought and action
01:23 of Commander Hugo Chávez, who on February 29, 2004, reaffirmed that his government would
01:30 follow the anti-imperialist vision left as legacy by the liberator Simón Bolívar.
01:36 Let's hear a bit of that speech.
01:47 Almost 200 years have passed since the last alert made by the great leader, the great
01:52 visionary that was Simón Bolívar.
01:55 Two hundred years later, here we are gathered in the Bolivarian Caracas to continue saying
02:00 no to the United States interventionists in our land.
02:07 The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, denounced the United States for its plan to
02:11 steal Zirco.
02:13 The denunciation of the Venezuelan President took place in the midst of a great popular
02:17 mobilization in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the anti-imperialist declaration
02:22 of Commander Hugo Chávez.
02:24 Likewise, the Venezuelan head of state denounced that the plan seized by Argentina and the
02:30 United States from the Venezuelan state company M-Trasur was crushed in American territory.
02:36 In view of this fact, President Nicolás Maduro affirmed that the North American Empire has
02:41 a plan to destroy Zirco, a subsidiary of the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela.
02:47 And now they have a plan to dismember Zirco.
02:57 Alert!
02:59 Alert!
03:01 They kidnapped Zirco.
03:05 They are denying us the right to defense in the Greengroc courts.
03:16 They shared a loot.
03:17 Guaidó, Leopoldo López, Capriles, Machado, Ledesma.
03:26 They shared a loot of billions of dollars.
03:33 They stole more than $5 billion in cash.
03:40 Zirco costs at its current value more than $12 billion.
03:48 And they have a plan, which I denounce here, to steal and dismember Zirco within a few
03:59 days in revenge against the people of Venezuela.
04:04 President Nicolás Maduro denounced the government of Joe Biden for scrapping the seized Conviasas
04:10 M-Trasur aircraft.
04:15 Yesterday evening at night we were informed of a vile criminal outrageous act in Miami
04:19 airport in Florida.
04:29 The vindictive perverse Gringo Empire with all its wickedness
04:39 proceeded to scrap the Intrasur plane, the Conviasa plane that was hijacked from us.
04:52 The 8th Summit of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States will be held
05:07 in San Vincente and the Grenadines.
05:09 The main objective of the Dialogue Forum is to deepen political, economic, social and
05:14 cultural integration and consolidate the bonds of solidarity and cooperation among the 33
05:20 member countries.
05:21 Ralf Gonsalves, Prime Minister of San Vincente and the Grenadines, has welcomed leaders arriving
05:26 in the country.
05:27 Among the first to reach Kingston are the President of Brazil, Luis Ignacio Lula da
05:32 Silva and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Brown.
05:37 Also the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley, the Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel
05:42 and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, are already on the nation
05:47 island.
05:54 In Argentina, social activists gather outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires to protest
06:00 against the imposed neoliberal policies of Javier Millet's administration when the
06:04 lower chamber met to pass a food emergency plan amid reports of rising hunger.
06:10 Thousands of citizens remain on the streets to reject the economic policies that aim at
06:14 privatisation and the end of social programmes.
06:17 These policies are being promoted by the government of Javier Millet, including the rise up of
06:22 public transportation fees and the blockade to help for community soup kitchens.
06:28 Protesters reject these neoliberal adjustments, measures that cause the rise of inflation,
06:33 trying to make a call on a government that stands still at the face of the needs of the
06:38 citizens.
06:44 The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, inaugurated on Thursday an important
06:49 section of the Cancun Playa del Carmen Mayan Train, two tourist poles of transcendence
06:54 for the country's economy.
06:56 The morning conference was held at the Cancun Airport station of the Mayan Train, located
07:01 on the Xichén Itzá-Tulum highway in the state of Quintana Roo, from where the Mexican
07:07 President made the tour along the Iron Road after his traditional press conference.
07:11 López Obrador prized the Cancun area, which is visited every year by 20 million Mexicans,
07:17 not counting foreigners.
07:19 AMLO explained that the Mayan Train will solve the problems of transferring visitors to that
07:25 zone, but he specified that the main objective is to make known the culture of the natives
07:30 in the deep Mexico and to unite all the Mayan zones of the Mexican Southeast.
07:36 Let's take a short break, but remember you can join us on TikTok @TelesurEnglish where
07:44 you will find news in different formats, news updates and more.
07:47 Other stories coming up, stay with us.
07:49 The Israeli occupation forces conducted a series of arrests over the last few days.
08:19 The Palestinian Prisoners' Society and the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Authority
08:29 said in a joint press statement that the arrests primarily targeted Hebron, south of the West
08:34 Bank, where 14 individuals were detained.
08:38 According to the statement, additional arrests were reported in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
08:44 The note informed that the arrests were accompanied by widespread harassment, brutal beatings,
08:50 threats against the detainees and their families, as well as extensive destruction and sabotage
08:55 of citizens' homes.
08:57 The two organizations pointed out that the total number of Palestinians arrested by Israeli
09:02 occupation authorities since October 7 has risen to approximately 7,325.
09:14 In Palestine, the government denounced the Israeli regime's plans to expand and deepen
09:19 Jewish settlements in the occupied territories while increasing aggressions against the Gaza
09:24 Strip.
09:25 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and expatriates criticized a statement that the Israeli right
09:30 wing in power exploits the global concerns over the genocidal war against the people
09:36 in Gaza to further its colonial aims in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem.
09:43 In this regard, they warned about Benjamin Netanyahu's government's new plan to build
09:47 a new settlement east of the city of Bethlehem.
09:51 They also denounced colonialism in all its forms and the armed attacks against Palestinian
09:56 citizens, including children.
09:57 On Thursday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tork told the United
10:08 Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva that Israel planned a ground assault on Rafa in
10:13 the Gaza Strip would contravene orders issued by the highest court of the United Nations.
10:18 In this regard, the United Nations Human Rights Chief declared that the ground operation announced
10:24 by the administration of Benjamin Netanyahu is inconsistent with the binding interim measures
10:30 issued by the ICJ.
10:32 It should be noted that on January 26, the ICJ, while not ordering an immediate cessation
10:39 of the war in Gaza, declared that Israel must prevent the commission of all acts linked
10:44 to genocide.
10:45 In turn, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu maintained his position on a landing coercion
10:50 in Rafa.
10:51 For his part, Volker Tork reiterated that an initially ground attack on Rafa would take
10:56 the nightmare being inflicted on more than 1.5 million people in Gaza to a new dimension.
11:06 The total number of people killed has exceeded 30,000 and tens of thousands of people are
11:14 missing, many presumed buried under the rubble of their homes.
11:20 This is carnage.
11:21 Let me be absolutely clear and issue yet another stark warning.
11:28 The prospect of an Israeli ground assault on Rafa would take the nightmare being inflicted
11:34 on people in Gaza to a new dimension.
11:38 Over 1.5 million people are sheltering in Rafa despite continuing bombardment and it
11:44 has become Gaza's humanitarian hub.
11:48 Israeli Jewish and Arab activists rally in Tel Aviv to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza
11:52 Strip and an end to the Israeli-Hamas war.
11:57 We're here protesting again, not the first protest, against this war, calling for a ceasefire
12:02 agreement that will stop the killing and destruction in Gaza and that will bring back the hostages
12:08 alive to their families in Israel.
12:10 We're doing so because we understand we need to fight for a future of no more death, of
12:15 no more destruction, of no more wars and occupation.
12:18 We need to understand that we hit a historic crossroads.
12:22 It's either we are going into an internal war that will never stop, we'll move from
12:28 one military operation to the other or we're going to a diplomatic agreement, an Israeli-Palestinian
12:34 peace.
12:38 The Egyptian Defence Ministry releases footages showing humanitarian aid packages from Egypt
12:44 and the United Arab Emirates being airdropped over the Gaza Strip.
12:48 Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Nivine El-Khabab stated on Thursday that Egypt has
12:54 sent nearly 200,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza, accounting for 60% of the total
13:00 aid from more than 37 countries.
13:03 The United Arab Emirates, in joint cooperation with Egypt, has sent several packages of food
13:09 and medical supplies to Gaza.
13:11 On the other hand, aid agencies pointed out that despite the fact that aid packages are
13:16 being sent continuously, famine is imminent in Northern Strip.
13:26 On Thursday, Sudanese Army Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan met with Egyptian President Abdel
13:32 Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.
13:35 According to a statement issued by the Sudanese ruling Sovereignty Council, during the joint
13:39 bilateral talks they discussed ways to strengthen the relations between their nations, as well
13:45 as the issue of de-escalation of the situation in Sudan.
13:49 It should be noted that this meeting takes place in a context where the war in Sudan
13:54 between the army and paramilitary rapid support forces is entering its 11th month.
14:00 According to United Nations experts, the war has killed tens of thousands of people, including
14:05 up to 15,000 in the city of West Darfur, and has also devastated the economy, destroyed
14:12 infrastructure and forced more than 8 million people to flee their homes.
14:21 We have a final short break coming up, but before we invite you to join our WhatsApp
14:25 community for our English speaking audience, you can scan the QR code on screen to join
14:30 directly and share the link to reach more people.
14:32 Stay connected at El Corte de la Tierra.
14:46 Welcome back.
14:47 In Slovakia, the Constitutional Court on Thursday suspended part of the rules of the criminal
14:52 reform proposed by the government and against which numerous protests took place in the
14:57 Republic.
14:58 President Susana Kaputova announced earlier that she signed a criminal law reform previously
15:05 approved by the Parliament, but as she did not agree with the proposed amendments, she
15:10 would send the document to the Constitutional Court.
15:13 In early February, the Parliament supported the criminal law reform suggested by the government,
15:19 against which there were periodically numerous protests in the country since the end of 2023.
15:25 The novelties foresee the mitigation of penalties for some economic, corruption and patrimonial
15:30 crimes and the liquidation of the Special Prosecutor's Office.
15:34 The opposition indicated that the later proposal was due to the government's desire to stop
15:39 investigating politically sensitive cases.
15:46 A leading opponent of Chad's ruling, Humta Chiv, has died in an army assault on his party
15:52 headquarters ahead of a May election.
15:55 The assault took place the day after Chad announced it would hold a presidential election
16:00 on May 6, ending three years of Humta rule when Debbie Idno took power after his father
16:06 was killed fighting rebels.
16:08 49-year-old Yaya Dilo Yerou, who led the opposition Socialist Party without borders, had been
16:14 accused of leading an attack against the offices of the Internal Security Agency overnight
16:19 on Tuesday to Wednesday.
16:22 Their internet access was cut in the capital and the army carried out an assault on the
16:27 party's main office with automatic weapons.
16:30 According to government spokesman Abderrahman Koulamala Dilo, died on Wednesday where he
16:36 had retreated at the headquarters of his party.
16:44 In Nigeria, local activists and international environmental groups demand government to
16:49 delay the approval of the sale of oil company Shell's onshore assets, putting into light
16:55 that Shell is trying to shirk its environmental and social responsibilities in the now highly
17:03 polluted Niger Delta.
17:06 The London-based company is trying to sell its subsidiary to a consortium of local companies
17:13 for $2.4 million.
17:17 In this regard, a Dutch non-profit research centre released a report on Wednesday saying
17:23 Shell shouldn't be allowed to divest in the delta unless it takes legal responsibility
17:33 for its years of pollution towards the river and ensures the safe decommissioning of abandoned
17:39 oil infrastructure.
17:41 Also local citizens and activists are making demonstrations and sharing how their lives
17:48 have been severely affected by the current water resources, slaked with contaminants.
17:59 The people of Iran prepare to cast their vote in the parliamentary elections and to choose
18:04 the members of the Council of Experts.
18:08 The Iranian Electoral Commission informed that the day will start with the process of
18:13 obtaining votes for the 12th term of the parliament from early hours.
18:20 As part of the process to warrant the transparency of the elections, the Constitutional Council
18:28 revealed that over 230,000 public observers will take part in the electoral supervision.
18:36 To warranty the people's participation, President Ebrahim Raisi highlighted the security mechanism
18:43 as the cornerstone of the event.
18:46 A spokesman for the Electoral Commission assured that some districts will have the activation
18:52 of electronic voting.
18:55 [Extended silence]