International

New York Police surround the protest of the Columbia University campus

The New York Police deployed a large number of agents on Tuesday night around Columbia University, the epicenter of the protests against the Israeli war in Gaza.

This deployment occurs after the educational authorities claimed that they were “exploring options” after the students occupied one of the buildings of that teaching center last midnight.

According to local media, many of the students who were camped in the West Lawn area to protest Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza spontaneously went to Hamilton Hall to occupy it.

The University had already limited access to the campus to the necessary staff and the students who live there today due to the seizure of the building, of great symbolism because it was also occupied in 1968 in protest against the Vietnam War.

In parallel to the deployment around the camp in Columbia, the Police also started on Tuesday night an eviction device with multiple arrests of students camped at the University of the City of New York (CUNY), which is public.

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The president of the House of Representatives, Republican Michael Johnson, said on Tuesday at a press conference that, if the police are not able to suppress the violent protests at Columbia University, “we need the National Guard.”

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said at a press conference that the protests in U.S. universities around the war in Gaza have taken an anti-Semitic face that includes the clamor for the destruction of the state of Israel.

The legislator said that if the president of Columbia University, Nemat Shafik, is not able to control the situation in that institution, “it is time for her to resign.”

“The first responsibility of the administration of a university property is the protection and safety of students,” he added. “If someone fails in that obligation, he has totally failed.”

“Columbia is out of control,” Johnson said. “That’s why we demand that the police come and take care of the matter. And if the police are not able (to control the situation) then we need the National Guard.”

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Johnson’s proposal brings to mind the incident in May 1970 at Kent State University, Ohio, when soldiers of the National Guard of that state shot protesters protesting the war in Vietnam, killing four and injuring nine students.

The Columbia protests are in addition to those that hundreds of students in dozens of other universities in the United States have been holding for days because of the war in Gaza.

The demonstrations have in common the rejection of US policy towards Israel and the request that educational centers break relations with the Government and the Israeli private sector.

International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.