International
Trump’s annexation threats return to Canada at the end of the 19th century
At the end of the 19th century, Canada was saved from being annexed by the United States thanks, in large part, to Spain. With Donald Trump in the White House, the threat is repeated and Canadians wonder what will happen now.
After winning the presidential election in November 2024, Trump made it clear that as soon as he reached the White House he would impose 25% tariffs on Canada.
Alarmed by the possibility of taxes that would devastate the Canadian economy, which allocates up to 70% of its exports to the neighboring country, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to have dinner with the then president-elect and try to defuse the threat.
During that dinner in November 2024, Trump told Trudeau that if Canada wanted to avoid tariffs, the country would have to become the 51st state of the United States.
Since then, the Republican has repeated his interest in the annexation of Canada, even using “economic force” to bend his neighbor and ally.
The last time was last Thursday when in the Oval Office, Trump insinuated that Canada as a failed country, unable to defend itself against the threats of Russia or China.
“I think Canada is going to be a very serious candidate to be our 51st state,” Trump explained.
The idea of the US annexing Canada is not new. But for more than a century it had practically disappeared from Washington’s political vocabulary.
After snatching much of its territory from Mexico (from Texas to California) in the first half of the 19th century, in the second half, especially after the end of its civil war in 1865, the United States regularly repeated the idea of taking over the British colonies of North America, what today is Canada.
By then, the United Kingdom considered these colonies a political, economic and military burden. And in a quiet way he had practically decided that his defense was not worth it in case the United States decided to appropriate them.
Paradoxically, as Andrew Johnston, professor of History at Carleton University of Ottawa, pointed out to EFE, it was the American attempts to annex the British colonies that forced their unification in 1867 in the Canadian Confederation.
“The US’ desire to absorb Canada was what actually pushed the British Empire and the inhabitants here to organize themselves into independent colonies and later into an independent nation,” he explained.
The creation of Canada that year, and the expansion of the new country to the west (until 1871 the province of British Columbia was not incorporated into the Confederation), did not stop the American expansionist desires.
This required a change of mentality in Washington. And Spain.
As the authors Gwynne Dyer and Tina Viljoen point out in their book ‘The Defense of Canada’ by the late nineteenth century, the United States had become a more industrial country.
“The old impulse for territorial expansion was ceasing to be a central issue in American life and the new imperialism that soon replaced it was almost no threat to Canada: what Washington now wanted were overseas colonies as the European empires had,” the two authors point out.
So in April 1898, with William McKinley in the Presidency, the United States declared war on Spain and before the end of that year, Washington had its overseas possessions: Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam.
Precisely McKinley is Trump’s idol, who has described him as “the king of tariffs”, for being the main driver of the legislation that at the end of the 19th century imposed tariffs of 50% on imports of goods into the United States.
That parallelism between Trump and McKinley does not escape Professor Johnston. “What Trump is expressing is something that I think has always been present in the minds of Americans, particularly after the revolution: that they have a historical mission,” he said.
But Johnston also believes that as in 1867, when the longings for annexation of the United States forced the creation of Canada, Trump’s threats will provoke another cathartic moment that has already begun with the renewed patriotism that the Canadian population has been demonstrating in recent months.
International
Iran Rejects Negotiations With U.S. as Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked Amid New Attack
Tensions remained high in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a vessel was hit by a projectile, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that negotiations with Iran were moving forward and that the strategic maritime route could reopen as early as Tuesday.
Tehran denied that direct talks were taking place, but Trump insisted that discussions were underway and described the situation as a final opportunity for Iran to reach an agreement.
“This is the last chance they have to sign a good document,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could happen “literally tomorrow” Tuesday.
The comments came after another escalation in rhetoric from Washington. Last week, Trump threatened Iran with military strikes before unexpectedly changing course on Sunday and announcing that negotiations with Tehran would resume.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai rejected the U.S. president’s version of events, stating that Tehran was not holding negotiations with Washington.
“At this moment, we are not negotiating with the United States. We are negotiating with Oman to guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqai said.
Earlier, the Iranian official said that Tehran was close to reaching an agreement with Oman, which lies across the Strait of Hormuz, to reopen the crucial waterway that plays a key role in global energy trade.
The maritime route has remained blocked by Iran since the outbreak of hostilities following U.S. and Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced Tuesday that they had launched an attack against an airport in Saudi Arabia. The Iran-backed group had previously disrupted the passage of Saudi vessels through the Red Sea, an alternative route used for crude exports by the world’s largest oil producer.
The continued instability in the region has raised concerns over global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important chokepoints for international oil shipments.
International
Lula Launches Re-Election Campaign Amid Rising Tensions With Trump
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to be officially nominated for re-election by his Workers’ Party (PT), marking the start of his campaign for a fourth presidential term.
The nomination takes place during the party’s national convention in São Paulo, Brazil’s economic hub, where around 3,000 supporters gathered to back the veteran leftist leader.
“Today I’m here because Lula’s policies changed my life and my family’s. Thanks to him, we finally own a home after eight generations without one,” said Cristiane Rosa Julho, a 51-year-old social worker attending the event dressed in the PT’s signature red.
Seeking the presidency for the seventh time in his political career, Lula is expected to face Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in next year’s election.
The 45-year-old senator is the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been jailed over his alleged role in an attempted coup following his defeat to Lula in the 2022 election.
The party convention opened with videos highlighting Lula’s social initiatives and speeches by four women praising his leadership, while supporters waved PT flags and held signs reading “We Want Lula as President” and “Brazil Is Not for Sale.”
The campaign begins amid growing tensions with the United States and President Donald Trump, a close ally of the Bolsonaro family who has openly backed several conservative candidates across Latin America.
Last week, Lula warned against foreign interference, declaring, “In Brazil, we do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong.”
In July, the United States imposed two rounds of tariffs on Brazilian products, accusing the country of unfair trade practices. The measures followed earlier restrictions introduced in 2025, encouraged by Jair Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro, in response to legal proceedings against the former president.
Lula has vowed to wage what he called a “war of truth against lies” in response to Washington’s pressure and accused Flávio Bolsonaro of undermining Brazil’s interests by allegedly helping the United States damage the country’s economy. The senator has denied the accusations.
The Brazilian president also claims Washington is attempting to influence the country’s political landscape in an effort to prevent his re-election.
International
Truck bomb attack near police station in Colombia leaves 14 injured ahead of presidential inauguration
A truck loaded with explosives exploded on Saturday near a police station in the Colombian city of Cúcuta, close to the Venezuelan border, leaving 14 people injured in an attack that occurred six days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella’s inauguration.
The blast took place in the early hours of the morning and was allegedly carried out by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who detonated a vehicle packed with explosives. According to the latest report from the Colombian Army, the attack injured 11 police officers and three civilians.
The explosion involved around 15 explosive devices, and two of the wounded officers are in critical condition and “fighting for their lives,” said William Villamizar, governor of Norte de Santander, the region where the attack occurred.
The incident comes amid Colombia’s worst wave of violence in the past decade, with armed groups expanding their presence in several areas of the country.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack carried out in Cúcuta against our National Police. Terrorism will not intimidate Colombia or break the determination of Colombians to live in peace and security,” De la Espriella said in a post on X.
The conservative lawyer, who has been described as a far-right figure, will take office on August 7, replacing Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president. The inauguration ceremony will be held in Cali, the country’s third-largest city and a frequent target of attacks by armed groups.
The United Nations condemned what it described as an “indiscriminate attack” that caused not only injuries but also “fear and distress among the population.”
De la Espriella has repeatedly warned about an alleged plot against his life. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro, who is currently visiting Cuba, has not commented on the attack. During his visit, Petro met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to discuss what Havana describes as the United States’ “policy of suffocation” toward the island.
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