International

Bolivia rejects “interfering” US statements

March 13 |

Representatives of Bolivian social movements support today on Twitter the public rejection by the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Franklin Molina, of the interfering statements made by the head of the U.S. Southern Command, Laura Richardson.

“We do not admit any interference, from any State in the world. Bolivia has a definition regarding the industrialization of natural resources, something we started to do since 2006”, assured Molina in an interview to the state channel Bolivia Tv.

Referring to four-star general Richardson’s statements before U.S. congressmen that “we have ignored our backyard”, Molina was categorical.

“There is no consultation here, neither to the IMF (International Monetary Fund), nor to the World Bank, nor to any northern country to develop our own destiny. Therefore, as a sovereign country, we have decided and we are sovereign to choose and work with the one that brings us the best conditions for the country”, he reaffirmed.

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He considered that the assertions of the military hierarch show little capacity for analysis and at the same time little respect for the countries of the lithium triangle (Argentina, Bolivia and Chile).

The minister added that these expressions denote not only desperation, but also a lack of global vision of what is happening in the world.

Last Wednesday Richardson said that China “expands its influence” in Latin America and the Caribbean and “manipulates” its governments through “predatory investment practices”.

He added that “this region is full of (natural) resources and I am concerned about the malign activity of our adversaries, who are taking advantage of it, pretending they are investing, when in reality (they) are extracting them.”

The representative in the region of the Pentagon high command highlighted that the so-called triangle accumulates 60 percent of the world’s lithium and negotiates with China, Russia and Iran, nations she described as adversaries that “are taking resources from these countries and their people.”

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Internet users from the Comité Impulsor de la Justicia en Bolivia praised the direct criticism expressed in a thread of three tweets by former President Evo Morales to those interfering views. “Latin America is not a colony of the United States,” wrote the former president and leader of the Movement Towards Socialism-Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples.

Morales repudiated the threats of the general “who repeats his country’s predatory interest in the lithium triangle in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, the water and oxygen of the Amazon and the gold of Venezuela”.

Warning that China is a strategic ally that offers cooperation without conditions, Morales pointed out that “Latin America will never again be the backyard of interventionism”.

International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.