International
Migrants on the Mexican border accuse Texan guards of firing rubber and gas bullets
Migrants waiting at the northern border of Mexico to cross to the United States denounced on Monday that the attacks of the Texas National Guard (USA) are on the rise, which they accuse of shooting rubber and pepper spray bullets, even if they are on the Mexican side.
Foreigners stranded in Ciudad Juárez told EFE that they feel “cornered” because on the US side the Texas National Guard shoots them, while on the Mexican side they face the risk that organized crime will kidnap them or that the National Institute of Migration (INM) will stop them.
Among them is the Venezuelan Francisco Galicia, who has been working in Juárez for a year, but has not gotten an appointment with the US authorities to apply for asylum, so he decided to cross the Rio Bravo at gate 40, where Texan agents have attacked him with pepper spray bullets.
“The policemen from around El Paso (USA) have guns with pepper spray, right now they also gave it to the Army (the Texas National Guard) and right now we can’t get there because they shoot us. They are balls that if they burst into one’s body, it stings his face burns, one drowns, the children drown,” Galicia said.
The Venezuelan indicated that Texan agents “even threar tear gas bombs,” but they still prefer to take risks because migrants are also afraid of kidnappers in Mexico.
“They ask for up to $2,000 or $3,000. Even one’s mother can sell her house so that they can release it to one, to be able to pay for freedom,” said the South American.
The actions of the Texas authorities occur despite the fact that the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said last week that the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has been “moderate” recently because he previously had a “very aggressive” policy against migrants and Mexicans.
They also happen in the midst of growing operations to stop migrants in the United States and Mexico, where in the first quarter of 2024 alone, irregular migration intercepted by the Mexican Government grew by about 200% per year to almost 360,000.
López Obrador and the president of the United States, Joe Biden, agreed at the end of April to “work together to immediately implement concrete measures in order to significantly reduce irregular border crossings and at the same time protect human rights.”
Elizaul Campos, from Venezuela, denounced that he has also been the victim of aggressions by the Texan authorities, who are also hostile to minors.
“It doesn’t matter if they have children, they shoot them, they beat women. Here you can see everything, many desperate mothers, many people beaten, you can see everything. The train was turning over, some people were kidnapped, you can see everything, but well (you have to go) forward,” the man said.
He said that, after walking from the homonymous capital of the state of Chihuahua to Ciudad Juárez, they have been in the Rio Bravo for five or six days waiting to pass, they eat once every two days and with limited rations of water due to the risk involved in returning to Mexican stores near the border.
“They insult us, they tell us things, but there is one without being able to say anything, we are here illegally, they say every little while they shoot us, there are many children crying. One was beaten around here and that’s what you don’t want, you tell them to calm down, but they have no compassion for any migrant,” he lamented.
International
German president says trust in U.S. leadership is ‘lost’ amid global tensions
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday that trust between the United States and its Western allies has been “lost,” warning that the damage could persist beyond the presidency of Donald Trump.
“The rupture is very deep, and the loss of trust in U.S. great power policy is significant—not only among its allies, but also, as I observe, globally,” Steinmeier said during a speech in Berlin marking the 75th anniversary of Germany’s Foreign Ministry.
Referring to the future of transatlantic relations, he stated that “there is no return to the situation before January 20, 2025,” the date marking the start of Trump’s second term in the White House.
“Even a future U.S. administration will no longer be able to resume the role of a benevolent hegemon guaranteeing a liberal international order,” added Steinmeier, who previously served as Germany’s foreign minister.
He also criticized the war against Iran, describing it as “contrary to international law” and calling it “a political mistake with serious consequences.”
“This war is avoidable and unnecessary,” he said.
Although the German presidency is largely ceremonial, Steinmeier’s remarks reflect a broader concern within Germany, aligning with the government’s cautious stance while going further in tone.
International
Trump claims talks with Iran as G7 meets to address global tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States has held talks with Iran—a claim denied by Tehran—and has temporarily paused his threat to target the country’s electrical infrastructure.
In his first overseas trip since the United States and Israel launched their offensive on February 28, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to address key global issues, including the situation in the Middle East, according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven will meet in Cernay-la-Ville, close to Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris.
During the meeting, Rubio will hold discussions with his counterparts on “the war between Russia and Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and threats to global peace and stability,” Pigott said.
France currently holds the presidency of the G7, whose members also include the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Although all G7 nations are close allies of the United States, none has offered explicit support for Washington’s military actions against Iran, a stance that has reportedly frustrated Trump.
Last Saturday, G7 foreign ministers called for an “immediate and unconditional end” to Iranian attacks against U.S. allies in the Middle East.
International
Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Persian Gulf as Middle East tensions escalate
The Pentagon is planning to deploy nearly 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Persian Gulf, according to two senior officials cited Tuesday by Spanish newspaper El País.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah warned it would confront any attempt at occupation following Israel’s announcement that its military will take control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, located about 30 kilometers from the border.
In recent hours, the Israel Defense Forces carried out airstrikes on Beirut, while Iran and Hezbollah responded with attacks on Israel, leaving at least six people with minor injuries in Tel Aviv.
The escalation comes as global markets react to renewed instability. The price of oil rose again above $100 per barrel after a brief decline the previous day, following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of a five-day truce on attacks targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure.
Despite the announcement, Iranian authorities reported that two projectiles struck a gas pipeline in Khorramshahr and administrative buildings at a gas facility in Isfahan early Tuesday.
German president says trust in U.S. leadership is ‘lost’ amid global tensions
Trump claims talks with Iran as G7 meets to address global tensions
Pentagon to deploy 3,000 troops to Persian Gulf as Middle East tensions escalate
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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