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
Mexico City Mayor Invites U2 to Perform at Iconic Zócalo Plaza
Irish rock band U2, which spent Tuesday and Wednesday filming a new music video for its song Street of Dreams in the Historic Center of Mexico City, received an invitation to perform at the capital’s iconic Zócalo square from Mayor Clara Brugada.
Brugada shared the invitation through social media posts accompanied by photos and a video showing her meeting with the band members.
“This is an invitation for you to perform in our wonderful public square, the Zócalo. You are welcome here, and we would love to have you,” Brugada said in the video while handing a document to Bono, the band’s lead singer.
Bono responded by saying that the group would like “to begin its new tour in Mexico City.”
Referencing one of the band’s most famous songs, In the Name of Love, Brugada said she was greeting Bono along with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr..
“Welcoming U2 to our capital means celebrating music, connection and the emotion that can be felt in every corner of this city,” Brugada wrote in one of her messages. “We are a city open to the world, vibrant and full of stories shared from the stage to the streets.”
She also described the Zócalo as “the country’s most important public square” and a cultural landmark for Latin America.
Over the years, the Zócalo has hosted massive concerts by internationally renowned artists and bands including Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, Manu Chao, Café Tacvba, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Tigres del Norte, La Maldita Vecindad, Silvio Rodríguez, Joan Manuel Serrat, Rosalía and Shakira, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans.
International
Marco Rubio Urges China to Help Restrain Iran Amid Gulf Tensions
Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington hopes to persuade China to take a more active role in stopping Iran from escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf, arguing that the crisis directly threatens Asian commercial interests.
“It is in China’s interest to resolve this situation. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to stop what it is doing now and trying to do in the Persian Gulf,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Sean Hannity on Fox News while traveling aboard Air Force One.
The top U.S. diplomat said the conflict and concerns over the possible disruption of the Strait of Hormuz have already affected China’s interests.
Rubio noted that “a Chinese cargo ship was struck over the weekend,” referring to the exchange of attacks reported last Friday between Iran and the United States.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over rising tensions in the region and the potential impact on global trade routes and energy supplies.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
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