International
Sheinbaum says that “it will remain the Gulf of Mexico for the whole world” despite Trump
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be called that “for the whole world,” despite the order of the new president of the United States, Donald Trump, to rename the body of water as ‘Gulf of America’.
“I mean, what corresponds to the continental shelf of the United States, they call it the Gulf of America, for us it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the whole world, so it is important to see what the decree says,” said the ruler in her daily press conference.
The president minimized the implications of Trump’s executive order, who complied with his warning to seek to call the Gulf of Mexico ‘Gulf of America’ for considering that Mexico is “governed by drug trafficking cartels” and is “a very insecure place.”
“Soon, we will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’,” Trump said on Monday in a speech full of political proposals to inaugurate a “new golden age” in the United States that also included “regaining” control of the Panama Canal.
Although Florida, governed by Ron de Santis – of the Republican Party – became the first state in the United States to call it the ‘Gulf of America’ in a weather alert, Sheinbaum said that the rest of the world will continue to call it the Gulf of Mexico.
“The Gulf of Mexico, beyond anything, they establish it for its continental shelf, for us it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the whole world it still is,” he stressed.
The Mexican president promised on Tuesday to “defend Mexico above all” after the decrees on migration, trade and drug trafficking signed by Donald Trump, but asked to “be calm.”
“It is important to be calm and read the decrees as such to be able to make an interpretation and that they know that the president of the Republic will always defend Mexico above all,” he said.
The president requested to analyze with “a cool head” the executive orders of Trump, who on his first day in office declared a national emergency on the southern border of the United States, ordered the designation of Mexican cartels as terrorists and asked to reinstate the immigration program ‘Stay in Mexico’.
The head of the Executive argued that “the emergency zone decree of the southern border (of the United States) that he signed yesterday, is very similar, practically the same as the decree that he signed in his first period, in 2019.”
Sheinbaum also rejected that Mexico becomes a “safe third country” with the return of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) or ‘Stay in Mexico’, recalling that Trump implemented in his first administration, in January 2019, this program that forces US asylum seekers to wait in Mexican territory.
“This has nothing to do with a safe third country and all this, but it is a statement from the United States Government. What do we do about it? Act in a humanitarian way and, then, according to our foreign policy, our migration policy, seek the repatriation of these people to their countries,” he said.
And he insisted that his Government is prepared to receive potential repatriates from the mass deportations from the United States, where Mexicans represent almost half of the nearly eleven million undocumented immigrants in the country.
“We will always support the Mexicans who are in the United States, our compatriots, our countrymen, those two principles are fundamental and elementary for a president of the Republic,” he stressed.
The president of Mexico said she seeks “coordination” in security with the new president of the United States, Donald Trump, for his order to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists.
“We all want to fight drug cartels, that’s obvious. So what do you have to do? We have to coordinate efforts, we have to collaborate, they in their territory, we in our territory,” said Sheinbaum.
The Mexican ruler recognized that “they can act in their territory, within their framework of action and their Constitution” after the order that Trump signed on his first day in office to classify the Mexican cartels, the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua and the Salvadoran gang MS-13 as terrorist organizations.
“Mexico probably doesn’t want this,” Trump said in the Oval Office after signing the decree and giving a two-week period for the different departments of the United States Government to help compile a list of Mexican criminal organizations.
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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International3 days agoIranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
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