International
MEP Miguel Urbán charges Milei for questioning the historical memory
Spanish MEP Miguel Urbán considers that the Government of Argentina, headed by the ultraliberal Javier Milei, and other far-right-wing Executives of the world seek to question the policies of historical memory so that the flame of the struggle of the present cannot be ignited in the reading of the past.”
“It is a common feature and a deliberate attack on what the democratic foundations would be,” says in an interview with EFE in Buenos Aires, this member of the European Parliament since 2015, a central figure of the Anti-Capitalist political organization – which was integrated into Podemos from its foundation until 2020 -, and author of the essay ‘Trumpisms’.
Urbán, son of a communist militant tortured during the Franco dictatorship (1939-1975) by the policeman Antonio González Pacheco, better known as ‘Billy el Niño’, is in the Argentine capital to, among other reasons, accompany other victims grouped under the so-called ‘Argentine complaint’ against the crimes of the Franco regime.
In addition, this Sunday he will participate in the mobilization that will take place in Buenos Aires within the framework of March 24, Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice, in which the victims of the last Argentine military dictatorship (1976-1983) are commemorated, on the anniversary of the coup d’état that overthreuched the democratic powers of the South American country.
The Government of Milei – and particularly the vice president, Victoria Villarruel, with family ties with the military and accused of ‘denialism’ of the crimes of the dictatorship by associations that defend human rights in Argentina – has been equidistant with this symbolic day.
“Obviously we are witnessing a questioning of memory as a questioning of democracy,” says Urbán, who considers that this type of policy is the same as those used by other far-right leaders in the world, such as the Portuguese André Ventura, leader of the Chega! party, or the Spanish Santiago Abascal, president of Vox.
Urbán attributes this trend to the “element of the cultural battle”, usually argued by reactionary leaders to position himself “against the ‘cowardly right’ that does not question the ‘progressive dictatorship’.”
The MEP thinks that Milei is nothing more than “the Argentine decline of this global reactionary wave” that he describes in his latest book and that he presented this Friday in Buenos Aires.
“These phenomena start from eating the political space of the international right (…) Milei could not have been president if he had not managed to get the right to prefer to support him rather than a ‘right-wing uncle’ like Sergio Massa (the presidential candidate of Peronism in the 2023 elections),” says the MEP.
Urbán considers that “the same radicalization” motivated prominent conservative leaders – among them, the former president of the Spanish Government Mariano Rajoy (2011-2018) – to ask for the vote for the far-right Milei in the last Argentine elections.
“(The phenomenon of the extreme right) is not a European measles,” warns Urbán, who calls the importance of the communication skills of far-right leaders or issues such as the rise of disinformation “peripheral”.
“We could not understand this global reactionary wave without understanding that we are facing a real crisis of the regime of capitalism; a crisis resulting from the combination of the neoliberal governance crisis (…) and, on the other hand, the ecological crisis and climate change that constitute a kind of ‘cancellation of the future’,” explains Urbán.
Faced with the anxiety of the present, the MEP, who participated in the 15-M movement (or ‘of the indignadomen’) in Spain in 2011, believes that the extreme right proposes an imaginary of the past “known and that gives assurances.”
“It’s a matter of passion and not of reason,” says Urbán.
In this sense, the MEP believes that Milei’s ultra-liberal positions are more difficult to “inoculate” than those of the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, characterized by his harshness in police action against the violent gangs of the Central American country.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
International
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
The United States may soon carry out airstrikes on military facilities inside Venezuela as part of an escalating offensive against Nicolás Maduro’s regime, according to reports Friday from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Trump administration.
Airstrikes could take place “within days or even hours,” the Herald reported. The Journal noted that while the option is under serious consideration, President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on authorizing strikes on Venezuelan soil.
Potential targets allegedly include military-controlled ports and airports used in drug trafficking operations, such as naval installations and airstrips, officials told the Journal.
The Herald also quoted a source saying that “Maduro’s time is running out”, suggesting that more than one Venezuelan general may be ready to detain and hand him over. However, officials declined to confirm whether the Venezuelan leader would be among the military targets.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to block the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, following nearly two months of airstrikes against vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Those operations have destroyed 15 boats and left 61 people dead and three survivors since September 1.
“We are finally waging a war against the cartels — a war like they’ve never seen before — and we are going to win that battle. We are already winning at sea,” Trump told U.S. troops during a speech in Japan.
The reports on possible airstrikes come on the same day the United Nations accused the U.S. of violating international law with its maritime operations, saying those killed at sea may have been victims of extrajudicial executions.
International
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
Pope Leo XIV announced on Friday that he will revive and update the Global Compact on Education, an initiative launched by the late Pope Francis aimed at deeply transforming global culture through education.
The announcement was made during an audience in St. Peter’s Square, held on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Educational World, which this week gathers more than 20,000 participants from 124 countries in Rome.
During his address, the pontiff — who is of U.S. origin and Peruvian nationality — emphasized the importance of restoring the value of educators and reinforcing the principles that support the pact.
“We must be careful: damaging the social and cultural role of educators means mortgaging our own future,” he warned before thousands in attendance. “A crisis in the transmission of knowledge leads to a crisis of hope.”
The Global Compact on Education, launched by Pope Francis, seeks an integral and long-term cultural transformation. It is structured around five pillars: dignity and human rights; fraternity and cooperation; technology and integral ecology; education for peace and citizenship; and culture and religions. To date, the initiative has been joined by over 553 schools and nearly 410,000 students, according to Catholic Schools data.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over the widespread inner fragility affecting both students and teachers — many of whom feel overwhelmed by bureaucratic burdens.
He additionally addressed the role of artificial intelligence in education, warning that it may worsen emotional isolation among learners: “It can further isolate students who are already isolated, giving them the illusion that they do not need others — or worse, the feeling that they are unworthy of them,” he said.
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. considering airstrikes on military sites in Venezuela, reports say
Pope Leo XIV revives Global Compact on Education to confront cultural crisis
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