Venezuelan government dismantles network of internal coyotes // Haiti: criminal groups set Port-au-Prince hospital on fire // Greece: Anafi island in state of emergency due to seismic activity
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00:00The government of Venezuela announced on Friday the dismantling of an network of internal
00:10coyotes that sought to destabilize the country.
00:16In Haiti, after a confrontation between armed groups, criminals set fire to the hospital
00:21of the country's state university, leaving at least three people dead and several wounded.
00:30And the government of Greece declared a state of emergency on Anafi Island due to the earthquakes
00:35that have been shaking the area in recent days.
00:44Hello and welcome to From the South, I'm Alejandra Garcia from Telesur Studios in Caracas, Venezuela.
00:49We begin with the news, stay with us.
01:04The government of Venezuela announced on Friday the dismantling of a network of internal coyotes
01:09that sought to destabilize the country.
01:11This way, during the programs in Trujillo and Mañas, the Minister of Interior, Justice
01:16and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, stated that with the network linked to which three persons
01:21were arrested, the extreme right wing was seeking to sow a campaign of fear and uncertainty
01:27among young people.
01:28In the same program, Cabello pointed out that part of the resources for this operation were
01:33financed by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID.
01:38Furthermore, he assured that the term Aragua Train is part of a narrative against the country,
01:43with the objective of creating an unstable state to justify an intervention.
01:54Yesterday we dismantled, we finished dismantling the network of internal coyotes that has not
02:01been informed on before.
02:03But we dismantled the network of internal coyotes, we finished dismantling it.
02:09Who were they?
02:10Well, for example, that group was the one that worked to get Leopoldo Lopez out of Venezuela,
02:17and they were planning to rescue Rocio San Miguel and another detained person from a
02:22clinic when she was taken to be operated on, in order to extract them.
02:30A rise in hate crimes has led Bahia, the Brazilian state with the highest proportion of black
02:35residents to inaugurate its first specialized police station for crimes of religious intolerance
02:40and racism.
02:41Our correspondent Brian Meyer has more.
02:47One hundred and eighteen million Brazilians have African heritage.
02:51This influence can be seen in organized religions like Candomblé, which is practiced by millions
02:56of people.
02:57With a rise in popularity of evangelical Christian churches, however, crimes against Afro-Brazilian
03:03religious followers are on the rise.
03:06In 2024, Brazil registered 3,853 religious hate crimes, up 80% from 2023.
03:16We've suffered racism and intolerance from the moment we were pulled out of Africa.
03:21It came with slavery, and this didn't change after we arrived in Brazil.
03:26Even though Brazil is a secular nation which has a statute that guarantees racial equality
03:31and the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, IT doesn't happen in practice.
03:37Racism and religious intolerance have been increasing in Bahia and Brazil.
03:41Typical crimes against followers of African-based religions include evangelical pastors with
03:47loudspeakers leading exorcisms in front of Candomblé temples, harassment of worshippers,
03:54death threats, and arson against temples.
03:57In response to this problem, the Bahia Civil Police have created its first specialized
04:03police station for racism and religious hate crimes.
04:07Bahia is a state with a lot of black people and Salvador is a city with a lot of black
04:13people.
04:14Nevertheless we have a lot of crime of racism and religious intolerance in this city.
04:19This is why we had to create a specialized police station to conduct investigations as
04:23quickly and effectively as possible and provide answers to society.
04:27It's hoped that other police departments across Brazil will found similar stations based on
04:32the Bahia Civil Police model.
04:35Brian Meir, TELUSUR, Salvador.
04:40In Haiti, after a confrontation between Arab groups, criminals set fire to the hospital
04:45of the country's state university, leaving at least three people dead and several wounded.
04:50The health care center located in the capital, Port-au-Prince, was reportedly left in a deplorable
04:56condition.
04:57Precisely, the hospital was the only place where Haitians could access medical care,
05:02including dialysis.
05:04In the aftermath of the incident, health authorities and the media are on the scene working towards
05:09reopening the vital institution.
05:21At the same time, thousands of Haitian families have been forced to leave the area due to
05:25the tensions caused by the presence of criminal groups and the insecurity crisis.
05:31Displaced people denounce the government's inaction against the organizations that plague
05:35the Salina neighborhood and other areas of Port-au-Prince.
05:39The Order of Human Rights defenders warned that violence by criminal groups in Haiti
05:44left at least 6,938 people dead, 1,648 injured, and another 1,515 kidnapped in 2024.
06:03And now we have a short break coming up, but we'll be right back, don't go away.
06:11Welcome back to From the South.
06:13President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a set of reciprocal tariffs on his country's
06:18trading partner that will match the rates applied by each nation to the United States.
06:23After the announcement of the measure, the President signed a memorandum on the matter,
06:28which will allow his administration to execute the review process to implement the initiative.
06:33Trump assured that the equalization of tariffs with other countries would lead to the return
06:38of pharmaceutical, automotive, and integrated circuit manufacturers to U.S. soil, boosting
06:44job creation.
06:45However, analysts have said that the tariff policy could backfire on Trump if his agenda
06:52increases inflation and slows economic growth, making it a high-risk gamble for the country.
07:02On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning
07:08whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them, no more,
07:15no less.
07:16In other words, they charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same tax or tariff.
07:23Very simple.
07:24In addition, we will make a provision for subsidies provided by countries in order to
07:30take economic advantage of the United States, which a lot of countries do, including our
07:36allies.
07:37Our allies, in many cases, are worse than our enemies in this having to do with trade.
07:44According to recent figures, at least 7 out of 10 violent deaths in Mexico are caused
07:48by illegally trafficked firearms.
07:51According to the National Public Security System, last year's homicide rate reached
07:5572.92%, the highest figure ever recorded.
08:00It is estimated that more than 200,000 weapons from the United States enter the country each
08:04year through criminal groups, which is why the Mexican government has called on Washington
08:11to implement a strategy to increase the effectiveness of the fight against the trafficking of weapons
08:16that cross the border from its territory and end up in the hands of criminals.
08:28Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has questioned the way U.S. military weapons end
08:33up in the hands of criminal gangs in Mexico.
08:39How can it be explained that a grenade launcher for the exclusive use of the United States
08:45Army is in the hands of a criminal group in Mexico?
08:49This is what we need to coordinate and work together to prevent.
08:54How high-powered weapons for the exclusive use of the United States Army a criminal group
09:00in Mexico has them?
09:06The Prime Minister of Georgia accused the U.S. Agency for International Development,
09:10known as USAID, of planning color revolutions in the country as well as interfering in its
09:15electoral decisions.
09:17The USAID was involved in the planning and implementation of revolution processes.
09:21There is concrete evidence of this, including video evidence, said Prime Minister Irakli
09:27Kobatidze.
09:29According to the executive, the organization has also been directly involved in the political
09:33and electoral processes on the country, and in this regard, Kobatidze expressed his satisfaction
09:39that the new U.S. administration is finally talking about all the irregularities surrounding
09:45USAID's activities.
09:47The 61st edition of the Munich Security Conference, MSC, kicked off in Germany, focused on the
10:03new United States administration negotiations with Ukraine and tensions with China.
10:08The annual meeting, which brings together heads of state, defense ministers, diplomats
10:13and experts in international relations, will be held from February 14th to 16th, having
10:19current conflicts in the world as one of the key topics on the agenda.
10:23The preliminary report of the MSC affirms that the United States is not being seen by
10:29the world as the supposed warrantor of liberal international order.
10:33Precisely, U.S. President Donald Trump assured the presence of Russian diplomats, which was
10:39later denied by spokeswomen of the Russian nation's foreign ministry, Maria Sakharova.
10:50The Chinese government urges to avoid a scenario of confrontation as political divisions in
10:55the Asia-Pacific region happen.
10:58Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Wu Yikun, stresses that nations should establish relations
11:04and cooperation without involving third parties.
11:07The spokesman urges not to push confrontational agendas that create unnecessary tensions that
11:13could harm regional and global security.
11:16This comes in the wake of the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian
11:21Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the U.S. President highlighted an increase
11:26in arms sales into India, including F-35 fighter jets.
11:37We have a second show break coming up, so don't get away, we'll be right back with more
11:40information.
11:55Welcome back to From the South.
11:57Authorities denounce the resumption of Israeli expansionist plans to occupy the West Bank
12:01and expel Palestinians.
12:04Palestinian experts denounce the construction of new settlements and roads by Israel, which
12:08exposes its strategic expansion plan.
12:11They point out that the settlers have been carrying out a gradual annexation in the West
12:16Bank since 1967, based on the division of the West Bank into corridors with the aim
12:23of separating the Palestinian cities and connecting the settlements by a network of independent
12:28roads.
12:29The Commission of Resistance to the Wall and Settlements Warrant of the Confiscation of
12:33Moorland and denounce the violation of international law to make life difficult for Palestinians
12:38in order to force them to live under the pretext of voluntary migration.
12:47In this context, the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, criticized the offensive of
12:52the Israeli occupation forces against the West Bank.
12:55In a communique, UNICEF expressed its deep concern at the high human cost and the deterioration
13:01of children's lives caused by the attacks and bombardments of the Palestinian territories.
13:06The agency denounced that in 2025 alone, at least 13 children were killed in the West
13:12Bank, an increase of 200% since the intensification of aggressions on October 7, 2023.
13:19The officials condemned all acts of violence, especially in the governorates of Jenin, Toukarem
13:25and Toubaz, and called for a cessation of hostilities in the West Bank for the sake
13:29of children and the population.
13:37And the Vatican informed on Friday that Pope Francis has been admitted to the Agostino-Gemelli
13:42Hospital for diagnostic tests and for the treatment of an ongoing bronchitis.
13:47The Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church had met with the President of Slovakia, Roberto
13:52Fico, as part of his scheduled agenda, but he was admitted to the health facility soon
13:56afterwards.
13:57Due to his health condition, meetings had been held in his residence, Casa Santa Marta,
14:03foregoing the usual Papal Palace.
14:06The hospitalization comes after the Pope had to interrupt the homily of a mass inside Peter's
14:11Square on Sunday due to breathing difficulties.
14:15Then on Wednesday he halted the reading of the Catechesis to the general audience.
14:39The government of Greece declared a state of emergency on Anafi Island due to the earthquakes
14:43that have been shaking the area in recent days.
14:46The civil protection authorities indicated that the measure applied to the island, located
14:51in the Cyclades archipelago, will be enforced until March 13.
14:55Previously, the government established a seismic alert for the islands of Santorini and Amargos.
15:01Up to February 8, more than 12,800 tremors have been recorded in the Asian area, the
15:08strongest being a magnitude of 5.3 recorded some 20 km southeast of Amargos.
15:21Heavy rains in Peru have affected more than 2,800 houses and 14 others have been destroyed.
15:27Infrastructure damage and roads were also affected in the Ica region south of the country.
15:33In a press release, the National Civil Defense Institute reported that the damage includes
15:38two educational institutes, a health center, 6.2 km of communication lines, 200 hectares
15:45of crops, drinking water and electricity.
15:48They also indicated that they are still evaluating possible effects on the geoglyphs of the Ingenio
15:54Archaeological Reserve, where tents were installed in the sports complex by the municipality,
16:00as well as in other districts of Xanguillillo Hospital in Santiago, Parquena and Santa Cruz.
16:06More industry urges to keep local diversity centers active.
16:26And the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennial is being held in Saudi Arabia, a
16:31meeting that seeks to modernize the Islamic tradition.
16:34Let's see.
16:37The city of Jeddah on the shores of the Red Sea hosts this event covering 100,000 square
16:42meters with five exhibition halls and numerous open-air spaces displaying more than 500 pieces,
16:48including modern objects and ancient works.
16:50The biennial, the first and only exhibition in the world dedicated to the arts of the
16:55Islamic civilization, is committed to the juxtaposition of relics with the aim of transforming
17:00the ultra-conservative image of this religion.
17:02Islam is a lived system, it is experienced by billions of people from around the world.
17:10Our experiences with Islam shape culture, shape our understanding of ourselves.
17:15In the biennial, this bringing together of the contemporary past really emphasizes the
17:21change that Saudi Arabia is going through.
17:24No other...
17:25This Islamic Arts Biennial features the participation of more than 30 artists from all over the
17:30as well as guests from the Gulf region and other countries, allowing visitors to view
17:34objects and works from various parts of the world.
17:37Included in the exhibitions are displays from sacred sites such as Mecca and Medina, including
17:42Islamic holy objects such as the sacred Kiswah.
17:45There are also collections from the cultures of Mali, Qatar, and Turkei, and samples from
17:49more than 30 of the world's most important institutions, including the Vatican Apostolic
17:54Library in Vatican City, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum
17:58in London.
18:00For me, the Islamic Arts context, it's definitely given me a lot of thought and research and
18:06diving deeper into what it means to me and what it means to us regionally.
18:09And again, it's about, I think, re-contextualizing, reframing, putting it within the global context
18:18but also historical, you know?
18:22The biennial seeks to offer a perspective on the way in which diverse cultures interact
18:26and endure.
18:28By combining historical objects from Islamic cultures with contemporary art, it allows
18:32to explore the beliefs of faith through feeling, thought, and creation.
18:37The exhibition will be open until May 25th of this year.
18:45And with this information, we have come to the end of this News Brief for Telestudio
18:49English.
18:50I'm Alejandra Garcia.