17/04/2025
FTS 12.30
*Iran requests impartiality from IAEA
*DR Congo: over 1 million displaced by violence
FTS 12.30
*Iran requests impartiality from IAEA
*DR Congo: over 1 million displaced by violence
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Ecuador, presidential candidate Luisa González of the Citizens' Revolution Movement
00:16reiterated that she will contest the results of the elections that gave the victory to President Daniel Novoa.
00:22Iran demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency guarantees for the safety of its facilities
00:31and impartiality so that the agency could comply with its responsibilities regardless
00:36of external political pressures.
00:42And more than 1 million people have been displaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as
00:47the result of armed violence in the nation.
00:56Hello and welcome to From the South.
00:57My name is Belen de los Santos and from the tercer studios in Havana, Cuba, we begin with the news.
01:14In Ecuador, presidential candidate Luisa González of the Citizens' Revolution Movement reiterated
01:18that she will contest the results of the elections that gave the victory to President Daniel Novoa.
01:24In a video published on Wednesday night in her social networks, she thanked those who supported
01:29her with their vote and added that what happened in the second round of elections was a serious
01:35attack against the legal and constitutional order of the country.
01:40The legalists accused Novoa of the use of public resources of the delivery of bonuses without
01:45technical support and also made reference to some of the irregularities such as multiple
01:50versions of minutes that were modified by the National Electoral Council itself without signatures
01:56and sums that did not coincide with the number of voters.
01:59In the sense, she warned that all these findings would be challenged and contested before the competent
02:05authorities, which today unfortunately are under the control of those who govern, as well as of all the legal institutions that assist us.
02:12This in order to prevent Ecuador from becoming a country without peace, without freedom, without democracy, in the midst of a persecution against those of us who have had the courage to raise our voices and who today are the
02:19more than a million votes scamlessly snatched in an unfair, unequal election, never seen the
02:26election of the country.
02:28The election of the United States has been challenged and contested before the competent authorities,
02:30which today unfortunately are under the control of those who govern, as well as of all the legal institutions that assist us.
02:32In addition, Gonzalez further denounced the electoral fraud committed by Daniel Novoa after a campaign plagued by irregularities.
02:53For this cause, for this struggle that impels me to think of the most needy, of the poorest, is that I see myself in the obligation to denounce the serious attack that our country suffers, trampled in its legal and constitutional order.
03:21This campaign plagued with irregularities began with the fact that Mr. Novoa campaigned without a license, continued with the seizure of electoral institutions that illegally allowed the indiscriminate use of public resources for an open campaign by the government in office.
03:42Millionaire bonds were also delivered without technical analysis as a populist strategy to buy votes, which today puts dollarization at risk.
03:52Changes of electoral precincts and last minute states of exception.
03:56In short, we can point out an endless number of infractions committed by those who today have taken power under the fictitious shadow of democracy.
04:05And in this regard, national and international organizations and movements have also denounced an electoral fraud in the Ecuadorian elections demanding a recount of votes by the National Electoral Council.
04:20Gabriela Mena brings us more details.
04:26In Ecuador, political organizations, social movements and legal groups have denounced electoral fraud, warning about irregularities in the process that gave Novoa the victory.
04:36They emphasize that there was a manipulation of minutes and irregular prohibitions to disrespect the will of the Ecuadorian people.
04:43In addition, on this occasion, there was no opportunity for the citizens to photograph the votes.
04:51And this, of course, is the result of the distrust that the Ecuadorian people have in their president of the republic.
04:57We are living before the state of Caprice, and this cannot be given in the legal system.
05:02And that cannot be given in the legal system.
05:08The point on which several analysts and political organizations agree, from the beginning and after the conclusion of the elections in Ecuador,
05:14the citizen revolution rejected the electoral results and denounced fraud, affirming that they did not remain with their arms crossed.
05:21But what are the ways that must be complied with to denounce electoral fraud?
05:25First, a political actor must present a denunciation before the National Electoral Council.
05:30This document must be supported by arguments, photographs, testimonies and reports that validate the irregularities.
05:36And in a period of up to one year, the ruling can be announced.
05:40For the analyst Ramiro Rividenera, this would not allow Novoa to be sworn in this May 24th.
05:46It is clear to me that we are dealing with a much more complex fraud than what could exist with respect to the accounting of certain votes.
05:59It is not only a question of numbers, it is not only a question of accounts.
06:03Behind this there is an accumulation, a lot of edges that have to be analyzed and from there it is important to open the minutes.
06:12The contentious electoral tribunal, prior to making the proclamation of the official results, must resolve the illegalities committed by Novoa.
06:23Starting with the lack of request for a license to the National Assembly to initiate the campaign period,
06:28he did not entrust the presidency to Veronica Abad, the use of state funds for campaigning,
06:33and the declaration of a state of exception just hours before the beginning of the election day.
06:38However, what the court has done to somehow say that it is doing its job is to channel several of these complaints into one.
06:48Of these five, there is still no definitive resolution to tell us what has happened.
06:53It is necessary to mention that, to this accumulation of illegalities, it has added the implementation of a law by the National Electoral Council,
07:06and at the same time denied the possibility to Ecuadorans to exercise their right to vote from abroad,
07:11in countries such as Venezuela, where Luisa Gonzalez had a high number of supporters.
07:16All these things make a context in which the final results are bulky, they do not make any statistical sense.
07:25In all this context, it seems to me that what is really responsible is that people do question how this type of issues could have occurred.
07:35Experts question whether the authorities will act legitimately without tipping the balance in favor of NOBOA and not declaring fraud.
07:44And the fact is that unions denounce that NOBOA has the powers of the state monopolized.
07:49Gabriela Mena, Telesur Ecuador.
07:52We now move on to other topics.
07:53In Argentina, security forces repressed with tear gas, another demonstration of retorees in front of the Congress in Buenos Aires, living more than 100 injured.
08:02The protest, organized weekly to demand pension increases and a new pension formula, faced an operation that included the federal police, gendarmery and prefecture,
08:11who restricted traffic and threw chemicals against demonstrators, including minors.
08:17Among those affected were a 13-year-old girl, the 16-year-old teenager, and Deputy Alejandro Vilca, who was hospitalized.
08:24The mobilization meant to rate the demand for pensions to recover the lost purchasing power after the government vetoed an increase in the year 2024.
08:34Organizations such as UDEP warned that they will continue the protest until they get answers.
08:40Now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English.
08:48There you will be able to rewatch our interviews, top stories, special broadcastings and more.
08:53We'll be right back. Stay with us.
08:55Welcome back to From the South.
09:14The multinational security support mission in Haiti has received additional personnel with the arrival of new agents from Jamaica.
09:22The reinforcement will attempt to curb the violent attacks from criminal groups that have generated a serious disruption of the social, political and economic life in the country.
09:32This is the second Jamaican contingent that joins the troops commended by Kenya in this Caribbean nation.
09:38The first landing took place at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, the country's capital,
09:44and was composed of 24 soldiers and policemen who landed on September 12th of 2024.
09:56We go now to El Salvador as on Wednesday United States Senator Chris Van Hollen was denied a visit with Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia,
10:04who was wrongly deported to the Latin American nation under Trump's administration's orders.
10:10Precisely, Salvadoran Vice President Felix Ulloa reportedly confirmed to Van Hollen that Abrego Garcia remains detained at the high security center, SECOT,
10:20not due to crimes but at the request of the United States government.
10:24The Maryland senator, who also co-chairs the Senate's foreign policy committee, intended to visit the deportee at the center and demand his return to the U.S. state.
10:34In this context, Van Hollen ratified to the press Abrego Garcia has been illegally abducted since no crime has been proven against him.
10:43I'm asking President Bukele under his authority as President of El Salvador to do the right thing and allow Mr. Abrego Garcia to walk out of a prison,
11:02a man who's charged with no crime, convicted of no crime, and who was illegally abducted from the United States.
11:08And on a related topic, Venezuelans under temporary protected status, TPS, in the United States accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of treason on Wednesday after he endorsed the termination of this program.
11:22In this regard, the head of the Venezuelan American Caucus, Adelis Ferro, asserted that the Secretary of State has requested Homeland Security Secretary,
11:31Kristi Noem, threw a letter to terminate the TPS for over 600,000 Venezuelans.
11:37Ferro stated that the petition was a rude awakening for them since, in March 2022, Rubio had encouraged the Biden administration to extend TPS protections for Venezuelans.
11:48The letter released this month made Venezuelans notice the hard-line stance taken by far-right parliamentarians and also Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
12:00And a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry criticized the United States' recent tariff hikes on Chinese imports describing the 245% rate as an extortion and arguing that such measures no longer make economic sense.
12:18The comments come after the White House announced a series of escalating tariffs, including a new executive order that increased duties on Chinese imports to 125% in response to China's own 84% tariffs on U.S. goods.
12:34The Chinese spokesperson stated that these increases have become a numbers game with little real economic impact, serving mainly to highlight how the U.S. uses tariffs as a tool for political pressures.
12:47The U.S. spokesperson also emphasized that China does not seek a trade war but is prepared to respond, warning that further U.S. escalation would be met with resolute countermeasures.
13:02And the President of China, Xi Jinping, arrived on Thursday in Phnom Pham in Cambodia to strengthen bilateral ties on his official visit.
13:11President Xi plans to meet with King Xi'anmoni, Senate President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet.
13:18The Chinese head of state further highlighted his will to enrich the China-Cambodia diamond hexagon cooperation framework and likewise the leader commended the rapid economic growth of the country thanks to the implementation of its pentagonal strategy.
13:34Overall, President Xi Jinping underscored that both nations were on the track of broadening mutual cooperation, ensuring greater security and contributing more to peace and stability worldwide.
13:48And Iran demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, guarantees for the safety of its facilities and impartiality so that the agency could comply with its responsibilities regardless of external political pressures.
14:09Therefore, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Aragachi, met with the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in an attempt to defuse tensions raised by the U.S. and Israeli governments.
14:23These administrations had issued threats to Tehran to force Iranian authorities to meet their demands on nuclear energy.
14:29In this regard, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, rejected these threats, while Aragachi ratified that this nation was the only one deciding on their own nuclear future.
14:42We have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our Facebook page at Telstra English, there you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverages and much more.
14:56Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
15:01Final short break, don't go away.
15:12Welcome back to From the South.
15:37We continue with more information.
15:39Israel committed a new massacre by shelling the tents of displaced people in Amawasi area, west of Han Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
15:48According to the Gaza Civil Defense, more than 15 bodies were recovered, most of them from children.
15:54In addition, dozens of people were wounded and many of the bodies of the marches were burned.
15:59It is important to note that Israel continues to commit massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip,
16:05shelling inhabited buildings, displaced persons' tents and hospitals in the midst of the constant siege that causes a daily increase in the number of martyrs and wounded.
16:16We didn't notice until the fire spread to four tents, and we went out with the neighbors to put out the fire.
16:26We tried to put it out with water and sand, we saved what we could, but the fire brigade was late in arriving,
16:32we took out all the charred bodies, some of them disabled, Ahmed, a disabled child, Anam Ramzi Arbu O'Raus, an elderly woman with a wheelchair,
16:41in addition to three others' women, and eight others' children.
16:44They had claimed it was a safe area, but there is no safe area.
16:51Also in this context, Palestine warned that the entry of the Prime Minister of the Israeli Sionist regime, Benjamin Netanyahu,
16:57into the northern Gaza Strip represents an extension of the genocide crimes against the Gazan people.
17:03The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the Sionist Premier's incursion
17:08constitutes an attempt to circumvent the demands for an immediate halt to the aggression
17:13and the implementation of the precautionary measures issued by the International Court of Justice.
17:19It should be noted that the constant provocations by Israel are considered a flagrant violation of all international agreements
17:26and of the Geneva Convention.
17:28The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli regime since October of 2023 to date has reached 51,000,
17:36with 116,343 wounded.
17:45And Yemeni forces have succeeded in making their plan to support the Palestinian cause affect world trade
17:51as traffic through the Egypt's Suez Canal has reportedly fallen by 50% so far this year.
17:57This was confirmed by the head of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabi,
18:01who stressed that the Yemeni forces' incursions in solidarity with the population of the Gaza Strip
18:07have forced many ships of different flags to change their course.
18:11For their part, the Ansarola movement has ratified that as soon as Washington, London and Tel Aviv
18:18stop killing Palestinians in Gaza, the ships would be able to sail in peace along its coasts.
18:24We now move on to other topics.
18:30More than one million people have been displaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
18:34as a result of armed violence in the nation.
18:36The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, emphasized that civilians have abandoned their homes
18:42in the midst of the clashes between the army and the M23 rebel group in the provinces of Ituri, North and South Kibu.
18:50The entity pointed out that among the displaced, there are at least 400,000 children as a result of the violence.
18:58In this sense, UNICEF warned several days ago that minors could represent 45% of the almost 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence in the country.
19:13Niger has registered new clashes between the National Army and Islamist groups.
19:18The army reported that after military operations in the regions of Tilaveri and Tera, they cleared two alleged Islamist groups.
19:27The military also stated that six members of an alleged Islamist cell were killed near the border with Burkina Faso
19:35and three others in the Tera region in the town of Garbunia in the west of the country.
19:41These operations are part of regional security strategies between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, member nations of the Alliance of Sahel States,
19:50to combat terrorist groups within their territories and near their borders.
19:55And in the Vatican City, Easter week activities started with the celebration of the Holy Thursday,
20:06Karen's Mass to bless the oils to be used in ceremonies in Rome parishes throughout the year.
20:12Thousands of faithfuls included over 1,000 priests took part in the ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica,
20:18which was not attended by Pope Francis, who is still recovering from a life-threatening boat of double pneumonia.
20:26The ceremony was instead offered by Cardinal Domenico Calagno, retired head of the Vatican's Patrimony Office.
20:33Pope Francis is expected to remain largely on the sidelines during these weeks as the Cardinals were designated to take his place,
20:41presiding over the most important liturgical services leading up to Easter.
20:46So, let's see.
20:49Like this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
20:52You can find this and many other stories on our website at TellUsYourEnglish.net.
20:55And also join us on social media.
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21:01For Tell Us Your English, my name is Belinda Santos.