International
José Andrés demands from the pulpit an independent investigation of the Israeli attack
Spanish chef José Andrés claimed this Thursday from the pulpit of the National Cathedral of Washington an independent investigation into the Israeli attack that ended on April 1 with the lives of seven co-workers of his NGO, World Central Kitchen (WCK).
The chef, dressed in black, reiterated his request during an exciting speech at Washington’s National Cathedral, where hundreds of people gathered for an interreligious ceremony aimed at paying tribute to the seven aid workers killed in the Israeli attack.
“I know that we all have many unanswered questions about what happened and why. There is no excuse for these murders. The official explanation is not enough. And obviously we continue to demand an investigation into the actions of the Israeli Armed Forces against our team,” he said.
The chef had already asked after the attack for an independent investigation into the attack on the WCK convoy and has urged the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom, countries of origin of the deceased aid workers, to join this call, although Washington has already refused to do so.
“Food can never be a weapon of war, humanitarian workers can never be a target because they are the best of us,” said José Andrés, who said that “every civil life is sacred and should never be treated as collateral damage.”
Quoting the writer Elie Wiesel, José Andrés called for an end to indifference.
“The opposite of love is not hatred, it is indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it is indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it is indifference. It’s time to put an end to indifference,” he asked.
The chef began his speech by talking one to one of the seven deceased aid workers: the Palestinian Saifeddin ‘Safi’ Issam Ayad Abutaha; the British John Chapman; the American and Canadian Jacob Flickinger; the Australian Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom; the British James Henderson and James Kirby; and the Polish Damian Sobol.
On several occasions, but especially when he talked about Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom from Australia, his voice broke when he spoke and he had to hold back his tears.
He described it as “the living, throbbing and smiling heart” of everything the NGO did on the ground to distribute food in conflict zones, where no one else can reach. “She was like a sister to me,” he said moved.
José Andrés said that these losses may “seem small” compared to the almost 200 humanitarian workers who have died in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war or the more than 34,000 Palestinians who have lost their lives in the Israeli offensive and the 1,200 Israelis who died in the Hamas attack on October 7.
However, he stated that each of the seven deceased members of his team had a family, friends, a life and a story full of light.
“When a disaster happens, it’s easy to see the darkness and never the light. But the reality is this, the light will always shine. We cannot ignore the suffering after a natural disaster or in a war zone. Today we cry and suffer with the families of our seven beloved heroes and the whole family of World Central Kitchen.
Just after the words of José Andrés, the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma played.
Among the audience was Douglas Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the White House.
The ceremony, called “Celebration of Life,” sought to mix prayers, hymns and sacred readings of the Muslim, Jewish and Christian tradition.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
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U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
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