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
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
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