International
What are the first measures approved by Trump after taking office as US president?
Republican Donald Trump has debuted as president of the United States, dismantling Joe Biden’s legacy with a sleve of executive decrees to inaugurate his second term in the White House.
But what measures has Donald Trump already approved and which ones are just a declaration of intent? Review of some of the most outstanding decisions during these first hours in office.
1. Not applying the agreement reached in the OECD to apply the global tax in the United States
The president said that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will be notified that the commitments made by the previous cabinet regarding the global tax agreement to impose a global tax are ineffective
2. Exiting the Paris Agreement against climate change
One of the measures that the president has already announced and that he has fulfilled has been to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. An action that he already did during his first term (2016-2021) and which now former President Joe Biden reinstated in 2021.
3. Withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization
He also ordered the US’s exit from the World Health Organization (WHO).
4. Pardon 1,500 convicted of the assault on the Capitol in 2021
Most of those convicted for the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, which occurred on the same day that Biden’s victory was being certified, have been pardoned by the new President Trump. About 1,500 people benefit from this measure.
5. Declare the “national emergency” on the border with Mexico, which authorizes the use of military
In honor of his motto Make America Great Again, Trump declared a “national emergency” on the border with Mexico, which authorizes the use of military forces on that border.
6. Revoke Cuba’s exit from the list of states promoting terrorism
Donald Trump revoked the order of last January 14 with which former President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the US list of states promoting terrorism.
7. Declare the “national energy emergency” to be able to drill in the United States in search of oil and gas
He also signed an executive order to declare a “national energy emergency” that gives him authority to boost oil and gas production in the country, including the opening of new drilling in Alaska.
This energy emergency is one of several measures with which to boost the oil, gas and energy industry and reverse the transition to clean sources promoted by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
But in addition, during his first hours after taking office, he also made headlines with several declarations of intent:
1. Rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to be called “Gulf of America”
Another of the announced reforms was the renaming of the “Gulf of Mexico”. “Soon, we will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’,” Trump said.
2. Regain control of the Panama Canal
During his speech, he assured that he would regain control of the Panama Canal. “China is operating the Panama Canal. But we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we are going to take it back,” he said.
3. Turn into “official policy” of his new government to recognize only two gender identities: “the male and the female”
One of the orders decreed by the new president was to ‘overthring’ almost 80 decrees of the Biden government, including the one that bet on racial equity and the one that advocated to prevent and combat discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In his inauguration speech, he stated that he will recognize only two gender identities, “the male and the female”.
4. He criticized the economic contribution of some NATO countries, such as Spain, whose contribution he described as “very low”
The new president criticized that Spain’s contribution to NATO is “very low”, in addition to being confused by including the country as a member of the BRICS, an organization of emerging countries of which it is not a part.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
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