International
Cuba rejects possible foreign military intervention in Haiti
October 7 |
The Government of Cuba rejected Thursday the military intervention approved by the United Nations against Haiti, while saying that the Caribbean country what it needs is “more and better assistance and international cooperation”.
A statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry published Thursday recalls that Haiti “suffers a serious humanitarian and security situation, which exacerbates social instability and poverty caused by centuries of colonial and neocolonial plunder, underdevelopment and foreign intervention.”
Cuba’s statement comes after the United Nations Security Council last week approved a resolution authorizing the deployment of what it called a Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, “whose troops may use force in its area of action”, according to the UN.
According to the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry, “this is not the first time that the Council mandates a military deployment in that country”, although it recognizes that “on this occasion, it responds to a request from the Haitian authorities”.
However, it emphasizes that “Cuba is in favor of peace and stability in Haiti, the first Latin American and Caribbean country to rise up against European colonialism, to achieve its independence and to abolish slavery in the Western Hemisphere”.
In that sense, the Cuban Foreign Ministry defends “the legitimate rights of its people to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the enormous challenges it faces, based on full respect for its sovereignty.”
“The main pending task of the international community with Haiti is not to send a military contingent.”
The Cuban statement expresses that “the international community has an enormous moral debt” with Haiti, a country that, according to Havana “needs more financial resources for its development. It urgently requires more and better international assistance and cooperation, not only for its reconstruction, but also to advance in the sustainable development of the country”.
Cuba regrets that “many of the amounts of financial and material aid committed by the international community for Haiti […] were absorbed for their own expenses by innumerable foreign non-governmental organizations and program execution agencies” and that “on many occasions, the will of the Haitian authorities and the priorities they established were not respected”.
Cuba “reiterates the call to address the situation in Haiti with due attention to the structural, economic and social problems of the country” and supports “the call of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for a long-term development strategy” in the Caribbean nation.
The Cuban statement also recalls that Havana “has cooperated with Haiti and concentrated its efforts in areas where they can have the greatest impact, such as public health, a key element of Haiti’s sustainability and social stability” and “has maintained, since 1988, a brigade of health professionals and technicians in Haiti, to unconditionally support its people, even during the impact of meteorological and seismic events, the cholera outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic”.
Finally, he pointed out that “Cuba maintains its commitment of solidarity with Haiti and will continue to offer its unconditional help. The noble Haitian people need and deserve more resources and cooperation from the international community”.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
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