03/02/2025
FTS 8.30
*Latin American opposition and BBC at center of controversy over mismanagement of USAID funds
*Israel perpetrated more than 9,200 massacres in 471 days in Gaza, Palestine
FTS 8.30
*Latin American opposition and BBC at center of controversy over mismanagement of USAID funds
*Israel perpetrated more than 9,200 massacres in 471 days in Gaza, Palestine
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NewsTranscript
00:00On Sunday, February 2nd, Venezuela held the first national public consultation on several
00:17Camino projects.
00:23This scandal unleashed by the first investigations into the U.S. Agency for International Development
00:28could lead to its permanent closure, British media and Latin American far-right leaders
00:33among recipients of millions of dollars in aid.
00:38In Palestine, the Gaza Government Information Office disclosed that Israel committed 9,268
00:47massacres during more than 471 days of genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
01:06Hello and welcome to From the South, I'm Luis Alberto Matos, from Televisu Studios
01:10in Havana, Cuba.
01:12We begin with the news.
01:27On Sunday, February 2nd, Venezuela held the first national public consultation on several
01:32Camino projects.
01:34All Venezuelan citizens over 15 years of age were summoned to the polls to decide on more
01:38than 36,000 projects presented by 5,334 communes in the country.
01:44These projects propose solutions or initiatives in the areas of health, sports, education,
01:49roads, housing, and public services.
01:52The voting centers remain open until all the people exercise their right to vote.
01:56This is the first public consultation held this year, and it has had the highest participation
02:01compared to all previous ones, especially in the states of Zulia, Mérida, Caracas,
02:06and Barinas.
02:14Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro described the first great national public consultation
02:18of the year as extraordinary, with massive participation by the Venezuelan people.
02:23Through his social media, the Venezuelan president said,
02:26What a beautiful experience we are living in full, direct, participatory and active
02:30democracy in Venezuela.
02:32It is the conscious, empowered, mobilized and determined people in their own territory.
02:37The first great national public consultation of 2025 has been extraordinary, with the massive
02:43participation of women, youth, grandparents, grandmothers, neighbors.
02:47Congratulations to the Venezuelan people.
02:56The first public consultation of the year 2025 took place, a massive turnout, voter
03:01turnout.
03:02From polling centers in Caracas, our correspondent Belén de los Santos with all the details.
03:09On Sunday, February 2nd, Venezuelans went to the polls to participate in the first national
03:14public consultation of 2025, in which over 5,300 communes and communal circuits chose
03:22which local development projects would receive funds to target the people's needs.
03:30It is very important for people to know that if they have needs, more than anything else,
03:35they have to come and vote because that is the way to know what the need of each person
03:40or each building is.
03:43The over 36,000 proposed projects had been previously discussed in assemblies in which
03:49the neighbors debated on their most pressing issues and drew up possible solutions.
03:55One of the ideas that citizens highlighted was that this was the opportunity to take
04:00matters into their own hands.
04:04It is our way of being able to tackle the problems that we face in our territory.
04:08And well, we are the ones who know our problems and we are the ones who are going to solve
04:12them.
04:16The key premise of the public consultation is that the people take charge of the decision-making
04:22within their territories, a power that no longer is reserved just for those in public
04:27office.
04:28That sense of direct involvement together with the past experiences that have already
04:33left significant changes in the territories have motivated many to come out and participate.
04:41This is our fourth election with the one for justices of peace.
04:45We have had four public consultations and they have been very successful.
04:49People are already coming here without us reminding them.
04:52People are coming spontaneously to their polling center to exercise their vote.
05:00In this way, Venezuela begins 2025 with a clear mandate to strengthen its form of participative
05:06democracy.
05:07With five more public consultations scheduled for the year and a constitutional reform also
05:13on the table, Venezuela sets its future path with the promise to follow the people's mandate
05:19on the road to a communal state.
05:21Yes, it is indeed a mechanism for exercising democracy in which you see your vote represented,
05:28which effectively translates into a benefit for the community.
05:34Belén de los Santos for Telesur, Caracas, Venezuela.
05:48Flash floods in northeastern Australia have resulted in one fatality and forced the evacuation
05:57of over 2,100 residents so far as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc.
06:03The Queensland town of Inham has been particularly hard hit, with the mayor confirming the death
06:08of a woman in her 60s after a rescue boat capsized.
06:13Queensland Premier David Rizafuli warned that further rain and strong winds are expected,
06:19which could exacerbate the already dire situation.
06:22The Bureau of Meteorology has reported rainfall totals exceeding 600 millimeters in some areas,
06:27with predictions of continued severe weather into Monday.
06:31Authorities have issued emergency alerts for low-lying coastal areas, warning of life-threatening
06:36flooding as water levels rise rapidly.
06:43When the river bank broke, it just came down Mystic Avenue and wiped out one side of the street.
06:50Just everyone went underwater. Everyone's got water through their houses.
06:54There's a lot of people down there with no food, no power obviously.
06:59Yeah, people aren't coping and there's no centre for anyone to go here to get some help.
07:04I definitely believe there's a change in mother nature because they're getting more severe
07:09and this one especially is being spread out quite, you know, when you look at Cairns right
07:14down the bottom, mate, something to think about.
07:18We have our first short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at
07:22TELUS or English where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
07:27We'll be right back, stay with us.
07:39Welcome back.
07:51The president of Haiti's transition council, Leslie Voltaire, has linked the increase in
07:56disappearances in the country to organ trafficking of the many eels plaguing the nation.
08:01Recently, the security forces confirmed that several kidnapped farmers were still unaccounted for.
08:06The Haitian media emphasised that there are no ransom demands or anything similar.
08:11The acting head of government claims in the context of these disappearances that there is an
08:15organ trafficking network known as Pearl of the Antilles, which is an organisation with
08:20international connections that takes advantage of the vulnerability of Haitian citizens in
08:25the midst of a tremendous political, social and criminal crisis.
08:29The scandal unleashed by the first investigations into the US Agency for International Development,
08:39USAID, could lead to its permanent closure.
08:42British media and Latin American far-right leaders are among the recipients of millions
08:47of dollars in aid.
08:49Errol Musk, head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, has already
08:55administratively dismissed several officials who tried to block access to sensitive documents.
09:00Their first revelations confirmed the transfer of millions of dollars to alleged political
09:04leaders in Latin America to help migrants who are now being expelled by Washington in
09:09depraved conditions.
09:10The British BBC network is also at the centre of the controversy, having been found to have
09:15received funds from the US Agency, even though it is expressly forbidden to receive foreign
09:21funding.
09:25And in the United States, real human tragedies is what undocumented immigrants are experiencing
09:33due to the immigration raids ordered by President Trump.
09:37Our correspondent Henry Camelo from New York with the details.
09:43Desperation and terror are some of the feelings that immigrants throughout the United States
09:48are experiencing in the face of massive deportation raids.
09:52The outrages committed against them by immigration agents are being denounced on social networks.
10:11The violence of the agents has reached such an extreme that they even break the windows
10:15of cars to arrest undocumented immigrants.
10:30According to experts, all types of people are being arrested in these raids, regardless
10:35of their immigration status.
10:38The worrying thing is that they seem to have set quotas, so what has happened in some cases
10:44is that the officers can't find those people who have a criminal record to deport them
10:47and they start to worry.
10:49They apparently think the day is going to go away and they haven't deported enough people.
11:01So they have found other people who were not the people they were looking for and they
11:04have taken them away.
11:05That's what we call collateral damage.
11:11The so-called collateral damage is separating entire families.
11:29On the streets of New York, immigrants make no secret of their fear of arrest.
11:35If I suddenly get caught, well, what I want is to be taken to court before a judge.
11:42Even those with documents are preparing for the possibility of being caught in one of
11:47these immigration raids.
11:49Fortunately, I am legal.
11:53I have my ID with me and on my cell phone I have my passport photo, my citizenship certificate.
11:59I can prove it.
12:05Immigration lawyers recommend the following actions to those who fall into these immigration
12:08raids.
12:10If you are approached by an agent, remain calm and courteous.
12:14Do not lie and do not show false documents.
12:18Remain silent.
12:19Ask to speak to an immigration attorney.
12:22Do not sign anything without first consulting with an attorney.
12:26You could be signing a voluntary order of deportation.
12:33We are on Roosevelt Avenue, one of the busiest and most commercial streets in Queens County
12:37in New York City, now almost empty after the announcement of the immigration raids.
12:50Roosevelt Avenue is empty.
12:52Customers have decreased by 30 percent, which hurts a lot.
12:56According to immigration authorities, more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants are detained
13:05every day from coast to coast, cities such as Chicago, New York, Seattle.
13:11Houston and Miami have been the target of the first raids and other large operations
13:15are expected in the coming weeks.
13:18In the United States as well, rescue operations
13:25continue after the meteor collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger
13:29jet over Washington, D.C. on January 29th that claimed 67 lives.
13:34Rescuers have recovered dozens of victims from the icy Potomac River, with 55 identified
13:39so far.
13:40Crews are working to lift the plane's fuselage as human remains are sent to the medical examiner.
13:45Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly expressed confidence that all victims will be retrieved
13:51despite the challenging conditions.
13:52The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the tragedy,
13:57which killed 64 passengers and crew on the jet and three soldiers aboard the helicopter.
14:08And South Africa joined the list of countries attacked by U.S. President Donald Trump on
14:11Sunday who assured that he will suspend all future funding to the country.
14:16Without presenting further details or evidence, he assured that land is being confiscated
14:20in that nation and that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.
14:25South Africa is one of the member countries of the powerful BRICS bloc, an alliance that
14:29the new tenant of the White House has already harshly criticized and intimidated, as he
14:34has done with Mexico, Canada and the European Union, with the imposition of tariffs that
14:38could even reach 100 percent.
14:40The Republican also assured that the serious facts that he accuses the African nation of
14:46are silenced by the extreme left-wing media.
14:51And South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday rejected his U.S. counterpart's
14:57comments, saying that Pretoria, like Washington, had always had laws regulating land use.
15:04President Trump said he would suspend aid to South Africa, accusing his government of
15:08illegal land expropriation and human rights abuses.
15:11But the South African president reiterated that his country is a constitutional democracy
15:15rooted in justice and equality.
15:17He also reminded the White House that the Expropriation Act was not an instrument of
15:22confiscation but a legal process, and that the only funding they receive from Washington
15:26is related to the HIV-AIDS program.
15:35We now have a second short break coming up, but before, we invite you to visit our YouTube
15:38channel at El Esplendor English.
15:40There you'll be able to rewatch our interviews, top stories, special broadcastings and more.
15:44Hit the subscribe button and activate the notification bell to stay up to date on the
15:48world's most recent events.
15:49Found your break?
15:50Don't go away.
16:15Welcome back.
16:16In Palestine, the Gaza Government Information Office disclosed that Israel committed 9,268
16:22massacres during more than 471 days of genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.
16:28According to statistics published in a report, Israeli aggression against Palestinians in
16:33the coastal enclave left more than 61,000 people dead.
16:36In addition, Israeli attacks damaged 150,000 homes and displaced 2 million Palestinian
16:42civilians from their homes.
16:44The report also noted that Israeli forces killed 1,155 health sector workers in Gaza,
16:51205 journalists, and 194 members of civil defense teams since October 2023.
16:57Also, 34 hospitals were out of service due to attacks by the Israeli army.
17:03And the Russian Federation extends to 40 deletes of states with access to the foreign exchange
17:08and financial derivatives market after authorizing the entry of Mexico and Argentina.
17:14Until now, Brazil, Cuba, and Venezuela were the only Latin American countries authorized
17:18to participate in the Russian foreign exchange and financial derivatives market, which was
17:23established last September 2023.
17:25The government reported that the measure would make it possible for the Russian Federation
17:30The government reported that the measure would make it possible to increase the efficiency
17:34of the mechanism of direct conversion of the national currencies of friendly and neutral
17:38countries, and the formation of direct ruble quotations to meet the demand of the Russian
17:42economy for payments in national currency.
17:45Cambodia, Ethiopia, Laos, Nigeria, and Tunisia also joined the list of authorized countries.
17:59Paris hosted a special parade on Sunday celebrating the Year of the Snake with a burst of color
18:10and excitement.
18:11Thousands of spectators were able to appreciate the beauty of Chinese culture and its rich
18:16traditions.
18:20On Sunday, Paris and the Champs-Élysées celebrated the arrival of the Year of the
18:25Wooden Snake.
18:27On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, which is based on the lunar calendar, the Champs-Élysées
18:32celebrated again this year with an impressive parade to which everyone was invited to dress
18:37up in traditional Chinese costumes to follow the procession.
18:46It's a very, very important festival for all the Chinese.
18:51And this year it's a celebration of intangible culture.
19:01We're really excited, and it's a way of showing off Chinese culture to the whole world.
19:13The snake is the sixth animal in the zodiacal cycle and an important symbol in Chinese mythology.
19:18Traditionally, it is associated with traits such as intuition, wisdom, cunning, and charm.
19:24This year is considered a time of reflection and personal growth.
19:28On this occasion, the parade featured two main acts, a 300-year-old Chinese folk dance
19:34symbolizing luck and peace, and a lion dance, an emblematic tradition of the celebrations,
19:40both performed majestically by dance artists and martial artists.
19:49First, I feel so proud, because even in China, I never saw this show.
19:55Like, personally, I only saw it on TV.
19:58And I was so excited, almost crying, because it's so lively.
20:03Everyone performs, tries to express the spirit of Chinese New Year.
20:09And to everyone, I feel so lucky and so, so excited.
20:12Yeah.
20:16In all, more than 300 dancers and actors brought the colorful show to life.
20:21This celebration on the Champs-Élysées is part of a series of events to mark the Chinese New Year in Paris.
20:28It will be followed on Sunday, February 9, by the traditional Grand Parade in the 13th arrondissement,
20:34offering two consecutive weekends of exceptional festivities.
20:43In Brazil, they have an indigenous village and inaugurated their first cinema in an Amazon indigenous territory.
20:49The Cine Aldeia project, led by indigenous filmmaker Thais Kokama and launched in 2019,
20:55has become a cultural hub for film screenings and workshops.
20:59The opening feature Kokama's documentary, Traces de Resistencia, or Traces of Resistance,
21:06along with eight short films showcasing indigenous talent from across Brazil.
21:13The importance is that we are becoming the protagonists of our own story
21:17and bringing cinema to people who are impacted by the drought.
21:20The drought makes it difficult for us to leave the village.
21:23When the river is low, we are caught by the impact of the drought.
21:26We walk for two and a half hours, which makes it hard for our community to watch a movie.
21:31But today, we will be able to watch a film.
21:34The goal is a dream come true, where children will be able to watch films, documentaries,
21:40and things that happen outside, because not everyone has access to the city.
21:44We try to keep our children, our kids, safe in the city,
21:49so that they don't have to go to school, to school, to school, to school, to school,
21:54to school, to school, to school, to school, to school, to school, to school.
22:00We try to keep our children, our kids, studying within the village,
22:05so they aren't at risk of suffering.
22:07How can I put it? There is still prejudice.
22:13Like this, we are from the end of this news brief,
22:15where you can find this and many other stories on our website at Telesol English,
22:19so join us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok.
22:24For Telesol English, I'm Luis Alberto Matos.
22:29TELESOL ENGLISH