International
Venezuelan President orders joint defensive action against UK military threat
December 30 |
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros ordered Thursday the deployment of the joint action military exercise General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 to protect its territorial integrity, in response to the threat from the United Kingdom with the arrival of the ship HMS Trent off the coast of Guyana.
During the 2023 New Year’s Eve Salutation to officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the Venezuelan head of state strongly rejected the arrival of the British Navy ship HMS Trent to the area.
He stated that it constitutes a military threat and a provocation by the United Kingdom against a peaceful and noble, but also warrior people, such as the Venezuelan people. We are the people of the liberators, he added.
He denounced that the dispatch of the ship and its acceptance by Guyana “is a breach of the Argyle Agreements”, signed with that nation last December 14, and assumed as a road map to solve the territorial dispute over the Essequibo.
He pointed out that since the Venezuelan government knew of London’s intention, it activated all the political-diplomatic mechanisms for Guyana to stop the arrival of the HMS Trent, but his government decided to receive the said naval vessel.
The Bolivarian leader stressed that Venezuela will not stand idly by in the face of any threat, wherever it may come from. We do not accept provocations. Venezuela has the right to defend its integrity, he made clear.
He stressed that Venezuela has respected the Argyle Agreements, but it will not stand idly by in the face of this threat, wherever it comes from. He warned that this time it comes precisely from the power that stripped Venezuela of Essequiba Guyana.
He recalled that in that locality of St. Vincent and the Grenadines a path was sought, the path of political dialogue, after close coordination with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
He pointed out that “we are responding proportionally to the threats: today we have issued a communiqué and we reserve all actions” to defend the sovereign zones of Venezuela.
He explained that he called the military exercise joint action General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 in honor of this military chief (1834-1912), hero of Venezuela, whose remains will be taken next January to the National Pantheon. The military exercise was deployed in areas of the Venezuelan Atlantic coast and several forces are participating in it.
Venezuelan Vice-President rejects interference of the United Kingdom
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also rejected on Thursday the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial dispute over the Essequiba Guiana.
Delcy Rodriguez recalled that London forged the 1899 award to illegally appropriate the territory of the Essequibo.
The high official of the Venezuelan Government reiterated that the only historical owner has been and will continue to be Venezuela.
“The United Kingdom has the obligation to abide by what was agreed in the Argyle Declaration which expressly excludes external threats that seek to sow or escalate a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. Its threatening behavior against our country and the peace of our Region will have the timely and legitimate response of Venezuela. More than two centuries ago we decided for independence. We will not accept any kind of neocolonialism” wrote the Vice President in her X account.
Delcy Rodríguez indicated that the United Kingdom must recognize that they are part of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
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.
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