International
What are the first measures approved by Trump after taking office as US president?
Republican Donald Trump has debuted as president of the United States, dismantling Joe Biden’s legacy with a sleve of executive decrees to inaugurate his second term in the White House.
But what measures has Donald Trump already approved and which ones are just a declaration of intent? Review of some of the most outstanding decisions during these first hours in office.
1. Not applying the agreement reached in the OECD to apply the global tax in the United States
The president said that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will be notified that the commitments made by the previous cabinet regarding the global tax agreement to impose a global tax are ineffective
2. Exiting the Paris Agreement against climate change
One of the measures that the president has already announced and that he has fulfilled has been to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. An action that he already did during his first term (2016-2021) and which now former President Joe Biden reinstated in 2021.
3. Withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization
He also ordered the US’s exit from the World Health Organization (WHO).
4. Pardon 1,500 convicted of the assault on the Capitol in 2021
Most of those convicted for the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, which occurred on the same day that Biden’s victory was being certified, have been pardoned by the new President Trump. About 1,500 people benefit from this measure.
5. Declare the “national emergency” on the border with Mexico, which authorizes the use of military
In honor of his motto Make America Great Again, Trump declared a “national emergency” on the border with Mexico, which authorizes the use of military forces on that border.
6. Revoke Cuba’s exit from the list of states promoting terrorism
Donald Trump revoked the order of last January 14 with which former President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the US list of states promoting terrorism.
7. Declare the “national energy emergency” to be able to drill in the United States in search of oil and gas
He also signed an executive order to declare a “national energy emergency” that gives him authority to boost oil and gas production in the country, including the opening of new drilling in Alaska.
This energy emergency is one of several measures with which to boost the oil, gas and energy industry and reverse the transition to clean sources promoted by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
But in addition, during his first hours after taking office, he also made headlines with several declarations of intent:
1. Rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to be called “Gulf of America”
Another of the announced reforms was the renaming of the “Gulf of Mexico”. “Soon, we will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’,” Trump said.
2. Regain control of the Panama Canal
During his speech, he assured that he would regain control of the Panama Canal. “China is operating the Panama Canal. But we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we are going to take it back,” he said.
3. Turn into “official policy” of his new government to recognize only two gender identities: “the male and the female”
One of the orders decreed by the new president was to ‘overthring’ almost 80 decrees of the Biden government, including the one that bet on racial equity and the one that advocated to prevent and combat discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In his inauguration speech, he stated that he will recognize only two gender identities, “the male and the female”.
4. He criticized the economic contribution of some NATO countries, such as Spain, whose contribution he described as “very low”
The new president criticized that Spain’s contribution to NATO is “very low”, in addition to being confused by including the country as a member of the BRICS, an organization of emerging countries of which it is not a part.
International
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
A truck loaded with explosives exploded on Saturday near a police station in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, close to the Venezuelan border, leaving 14 people injured in an attack that occurred six days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration.
The blast took place in the early hours of the morning and was allegedly carried out by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. According to the latest report from the Colombian Army, the attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians.
The explosion involved around 15 explosive devices, and two of the wounded officers are in critical condition and “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, governor of Norte de Santander, the region where the attack occurred.
The incident comes amid Colombia’s worst wave of violence in the past decade, with armed groups expanding their presence in several areas of the country.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out in Cúcuta against our National Police. Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia or break the determination of Colombians to live in peace and security,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The conservative lawyer, who has been described as a far-right figure, will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president. The inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, the country’s third-largest city and a frequent target of attacks by armed groups.
The United Nations condemned what it described as an “indiscriminate attack” that caused not only injuries but also “fear and distress among the population.”
De la Espriella has repeatedly warned about an alleged plot against his life. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro, who is currently visiting Cuba, has not commented on the attack. During his visit, Petro met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to discuss what Havana describes as the United States’ “policy of suffocation” toward the island.
International
EU Faces Migration Crisis After 60,000 Migrants Arrive in Spain’s Ceuta Enclave
The arrival of around 60,000 migrants from Morocco to Spain’s Ceuta enclave triggered a major European Union crisis on Friday, after Madrid described the situation as an “attack” on its territorial integrity.
At least 34 people died while attempting to reach the Spanish territory, according to local authorities.
Hundreds of migrants had begun arriving in Ceuta earlier in the week, either by swimming across the border or climbing security fences. Most of those who entered were young men and teenagers.
However, the situation escalated dramatically early Thursday morning, when the number of arrivals surged within a few hours, reaching nearly 60,000 people. According to the Spanish government, the vast majority of them — around 48,000 migrants — had returned to Morocco by Friday evening.
The episode represents one of the most serious migration crises faced by the autonomous city of Ceuta, which has a population of around 84,000 residents, in recent years.
Several European countries responded strongly to the crisis, with Italy announcing the temporary suspension of the Schengen free movement agreement with Spain, a measure supported by Finland and Denmark.
“The temporary suspension of Schengen with Spain is a necessary decision to protect the security of our citizens and defend Europe’s borders,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a post on X.
Italy’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the country had tightened controls on maritime and air entry points from Spain, but clarified that the measure would not affect Spanish or European citizens traveling to Italy.
The additional checks will specifically target non-European citizens arriving from Spain, according to the ministry.
The measure will remain in effect for one month starting Saturday, authorities said.
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares responded to the Italian announcement through a statement on X, as European governments continued discussions over the consequences of the migration crisis.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
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Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
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