International
Indigenous peoples of Mexico help migrants stranded in the south far from the border
Indigenous communities took the initiative to help and feed migrants who are stranded far from the border in southern Mexico, where uncertainty is aggravated days before Donald Trump assumes the presidency in the United States, next Monday.
In Oaxaca, one of the main cities in the south of the country, activists created a community canteen to give free food to migrants, mostly from Central and South America, who arrive to rest, raise money and resume their journey to Mexico City and, later, to the United States.
Its motto is ‘Nkaáymyujkeme’, a voice written in the Mixe language of the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca that means ‘Let’s all eat’, and which emerged during the first days of 2025, mainly for migrant children, when estimating that a “difficult year” is coming in the United States in the face of restrictive policies for mobility.
Oaxaca is the origin of migrants and to help only motivates the empathy of suffering hunger in the flesh when leaving the earth in search of a better life, its founder, Filadelfo Aldaz Desiderio, tells EFE.
“I think it is just from hunger, that is, from the hunger we spend in our communities, from the hunger we spend in the cities because in the end we are also people who migrate from our communities and, from that hunger we precisely do this work,” says the activist.
The country is concerned about the mass deportations promised by Trump because about half of the 11 million undocumented in the United States are Mexicans and almost 4% of Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) is represented by their remittances, which in 2024 received an estimated record of 65 billion dollars.
In addition, the Government of Mexico detected a record of more than 925,000 irregular migrants from January to August, a year-on-year increase of almost 132%.
In this scenario, initiatives such as ‘Let’s eat all’ arise, which is supported by citizen donations, since there is no political or religious group that sponsors the donation of food and hot drinks in bus terminals for migrants in the city of Oaxaca.
Desiderio, an indigenous mixe culture, explains that it is about helping, but also protesting.
“It’s just that in reality migration is not going to stop, that is, all people move around the world. However, the United States is going to paralyze these people a little, to persecute them, to torture them, even to murder them. It’s a whole foreign policy of the United States,” he says.
The menu for migrants of the first visit of the year that the canteen, led by indigenous people, delivers at the bus terminal was a plate of lentils, rice, beans and corn tortillas, accompanied by a glass of hot coffee to reduce the winter cold that in the city of Oaxaca drops to 6 degrees.
Juana Antonia Osorio, a 28-year-old Honduran who approached the group, is in the seventh month of pregnancy and is in a hurry to arrive in the United States, where Trump assumes the presidency on January 20.
“I want to reach the States before it is born so that it is American (American) and there I am going to put it to study,” .
Upon arriving in Oaxaca, Osorio ran out of money, so time was pressing.
“I want to get there quickly, but things have gotten complicated, right now I don’t have weights to continue the trip,” describes the woman, who will be a single mother because armed groups murdered her husband in Honduras.
The traveler now receives the support of the community canteen, which has undertaken a campaign to request economic resources and food to help migrants trying to reach the border and ask for asylum in the United States.
For some migrants, the food given is the only thing they will eat during their stay in Oaxaca.
“Until now we had not eaten, we have been walking all day, waiting,” says Cristian Martínez, a Venezuelan who seeks to get to Mexico City to work, save and then go to the United States.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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