International
“Israel’s goal is to destroy memory,” says former Palestinian Minister of Culture
The writer and former Palestinian Minister of Culture Atef Abu Saif said that Israel’s goal is to destroy memory, eliminate Palestinian history and any evidence that unites the Palestinian people with their land.
“They are destroying museums, theaters, cultural centers… They try to eliminate our history,” said in an interview with EFE the author of ‘I want to be awake when I die: diary of the genocide in Gaza’ (2024), who traveled to Brazil to participate in a literary fair.
Cultural losses for Palestine due to Israeli attacks
The latest report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that, of the 120 sites it monitors through satellite images in Palestine, 69 were damaged since October 7, 2023, the day of the radical group Hamas attack on Israel that started the war.
Among them are religious sites, buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, deposits of cultural property, monuments and archaeological sites.
One of the key losses for the Palestinian people, says Saif, was the destruction of the Central Archive of Gaza City, which contained historical documents more than 150 years old, in December 2023.
The politician, who dedicated himself to writing stories from a very young age, pointed out that in Palestine “culture is not luxury and entertainment,” but “a tool of struggle and resistance,” and stressed that currently the residents of the Strip have their lives on pause.
“You live little by little, second by second. You’re fine now, but that doesn’t mean it will be like that in the next minute. It’s a constant fight against death,” he laments.
For Saif, this historical event will be remembered as “the first genocide of the 21st century” and the moment in which “the international community was silent.”
‘I want to be awake when I die’, his latest book
The author, a native of the Yabalia refugee camp, believes that it is a responsibility to talk about the suffering that the people of Palestine are going through.
“Of course I would like to talk about love, life, hopes and dreams. But I can’t avoid, for example, when I describe my characters, the fact that none of them can leave Gaza through the border posts. I would love not to talk about it, but what normal life can you have if no one is qualified to leave a place?” Saif wonders.
From that notion is born his latest book, ‘I want to be awake when I die: diary of the genocide in Gaza’, a story of his days in the Gaza Strip after October 7.
The book was translated into ten languages and its Portuguese version was recently presented at the Paraty International Literary Festival (Flip), the largest event of letters in Brazil.
Saif was in Gaza with his son for work when the Israeli offensive began and was trapped for three months with his relatives and more than 2 million inhabitants, so he saw no other way out than writing to tell stories.
“War is a machine that reduces us to just numbers. We are not numbers, we are stories, we are lives, we are part of a family. We are past, present and future,” said the author, who is displaced from his home.
“When people ask me where I live, I don’t know what to answer. Sometimes I say that I live in the world while I wait for the war to end so I can return to Gaza.”
International
Ex-Pemex director linked to Odebrecht scandal detained in Texas, faces trial in Mexico
Carlos Treviño Medina, former director of Mexico’s state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) between 2017 and 2018—during the final year of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration—has been detained in the United States and will be deported to Mexico to face corruption charges, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday.
“He was detained in the U.S., an ex-director of Pemex who was already on alert lists. He will be deported and will face trial here in Mexico for corruption-related matters,” Sheinbaum told reporters during her morning press conference.
Shortly after, Sheinbaum confirmed that the detainee is Treviño Medina, who is accused of receiving bribes in connection with the Odebrecht scandal, “among other things.” She added: “We should ask the Attorney General’s Office exactly what the charges are. What I can say is that it is related to a complaint filed by Emilio Lozoya,” a former Pemex official also implicated in the Odebrecht corruption case.
Later in the day, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) stated in a press release that Treviño Medina was arrested on August 12 in Dallas, Texas, by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which currently holds him in custody while deportation proceedings move forward.
The FGR noted that Treviño Medina is subject to an active arrest warrant in Mexico on charges of criminal association and money laundering.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government said that ICE detained Treviño Medina for overstaying his visa by nearly three years.
International
Residente to perform free concert at Mexico City’s Zócalo on september 6
Mexico City’s head of government, Clara Brugada, announced on Saturday that Puerto Rican musician Residente will perform a free concert at the capital’s Zócalo on September 6.
“I have great news for you! On Saturday, September 6, at 8:00 p.m., Residente will perform. It’s a song to freedom and Latin American resistance,” Brugada said in a video posted on X.
According to the Mexico City Ministry of Culture, Residente will take the stage “with lyrics loaded with social messages and rhythms that have marked generations.” The singer, who has already held free concerts at the Zócalo, also shared the announcement on his social media, emphasizing the historic significance of the venue.
“I don’t take this for granted, I know where I’m performing—it’s a special place (…) It’s where the flag of a free Mexico was first woven, and that’s what I want for my own country as well. (…) I don’t know how much longer I’ll keep performing, but what I do know is that I want to enjoy this day to the fullest with all of you,” he wrote on Instagram.
With over 20 years of career, René Pérez Joglar—better known as Residente—is recognized as a rapper, songwriter, and music producer, as well as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the group Calle 13. His lyrics have long stood out for their political and social content.
The Zócalo show will open with a performance by the female collective Mujer en Cypher, featuring Arianna Puello, Ximbo, Niña Dios, Prania Esponda, Azuki, and Mena, according to the Ministry of Culture.
International
Trump and Putin end Alaska summit without Ukraine peace agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up their summit in Alaska on Friday with a brief joint press conference, during which they announced no agreement on peace in Ukraine.
Trump described the more than three-hour meeting with Putin and his delegation at Elmendorf-Richardson base as “extremely productive,” but admitted, “we have not reached the goal.”
“Many points were agreed upon. Only a few remain unresolved. Some are not significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a good chance of resolving them. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we have a good chance of achieving it,” Trump stated cryptically at the no-questions press conference.
According to White House officials, the summit began around 11:30 a.m. local time (7:30 p.m. GMT).
Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy for the Middle East and Kremlin mediator Steve Witkoff. On Putin’s side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov were in attendance.
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