International

Trump begins to design his first decrees and his possible team in the White House

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has begun to shape the decrees he will sign on his first day in power, including one on immigration on the border with Mexico, and the team that will advise him in the White House and in his cabinet.

As reported this Thursday by The Washington Post and Politico newspapers, Trump’s campaign is already in transition mode after the US elections this Tuesday, in which he won a second term that will begin on January 20.

Closure of the border

Trump plans to enact on his “first day” two decrees to “close” the border with Mexico and promote oil drilling to lower prices, Jason Miller, advisor to the president-elect, told Politico.

The advisor did not give details about what this alleged “closure” of the border would imply, if it would mean closing the legal ports of entry or increasing security in that porous border area, which covers more than 3,000 kilometers.

That plan of the former US president between 2017 and 2021 has generated fears in the government of the current president, Joe Biden, that there may be a swege of migrants trying to enter the country through the southern border before the transition, NBC News network reports this Thursday.

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Trump already announced this week that “on the first day” of his mandate he will threaten Mexico with tariffs of 25% on all its imports if not for the “arrival of criminals and drugs to the country”, something that could mean a violation of the T-MEC trade treaty.

Trump’s team has not specified what its decrees on energy matters will consist of either, but the former president’s commitment to fossil fuels has generated concern among advocates of a green transition to tackle the climate crisis.

Marco Rubio, among the candidates for secretary of state

Meanwhile, the campaign of the president-elect began this Wednesday to seriously debate possible names to form his government team, with Republican Senator Marco Rubio among the favorites to become Secretary of State, according to the Washington Post.

The Hispanic legislator for Florida, of Cuban origin, had a remarkable influence in politics towards Latin America during Trump’s first term, given his power in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and this year he was among the aspiring vice president in the Republican campaign.

Former director of national intelligence Rick Grenell, very close to Trump and who was ambassador to Germany between 2018 and 2020, and Senator Bill Hagerty, who was ambassador to Japan, also sound like possible heads of US diplomacy, according to Politico.

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The influence of Elon Musk

For the position of Secretary of the Treasury, the names of billionaire investor John Paulson, known for having amassed a huge fortune by anticipating the 2008 financial crisis, and the current economic advisor to the president-elect, the investor Scott Bessent, indicates the Post.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton could become Secretary of Defense, while independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, is expected to have a role related to health or regulation of medicines and food in the country.

Billionaire Elon Musk and television presenter Tucker Carlson spent the day with Trump in Mar-a-Lago (Florida) this Wednesday, so they could influence those first measures and the selection of their cabinet, for whose confirmation no obstacles are expected, thanks to the Republican majority in the Senate.

International

Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids

Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.

The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.

In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.

He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”

The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.

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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.

International

Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win

Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.

“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.

In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”

International

Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains

Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.

The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.

“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”

Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.