26/04/2023
FTS 8.30
*Russian and U.S. diplomats to meet in Istanbul
*G20 Finance Ministers meet in South Africa
FTS 8.30
*Russian and U.S. diplomats to meet in Istanbul
*G20 Finance Ministers meet in South Africa
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00In Panama, Rio Indio residents announced rallies against the construction of a dam in the Panama
00:12Canal basin.
00:17Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced diplomats will hold a meeting with their U.S.
00:22counterparts on Thursday in Istanbul.
00:28And on Wednesday, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the G20 Summit of Finance
00:34and Economic Ministers in Cape Town.
00:38Hello and welcome to From the South.
00:45My name is Belén de los Santos.
00:46I'm from Aterzo Studios in Havana, Cuba.
00:49We begin with the news.
00:50In Panama, Rio Indio residents and several former national movements announced rallies
00:55against the construction of a dam in the Panama Canal basin.
00:58Lidia Benítez, Farmer Coordinator for Life, expressed that the authority of the Panama
01:03Canal disseminated fake news about the alleged acceptance of this project.
01:08She denounced a questionable and intimidating census that do not reflect the will of the
01:14people.
01:15Benítez recalled that since 1999, farmers have been waging a struggle in defense of
01:20their territory against a government program that includes the eviction of productive lands
01:25that they have occupied for several generations.
01:29That is the case of Rio Indio, vital for the agricultural and livestock activities of over
01:3412,000 people.
01:41In other news, in Venezuela, the head of state, Nicolás Maduro, emphasized that in 90 days,
01:46the definitive proposal for the 2025 constitutional reform must be ready.
01:51During the meeting of the National Commission for the Constitutional Reform, the president
01:55stated that once the 60-day debate sessions have been held, the final drafting phase of
02:01the proposal generated by the expanded debate should begin.
02:05He also stressed that he trusts in the commitment of the deputies of the National Assembly to
02:10deliver the 2025 constitutional reform to the National Electoral Council in a reasonable
02:16time and to proceed with the referendum elections in the country.
02:20In this context, he also stressed that members of the failed opposition bench have reappeared
02:25to cause confusion and sow fear among the Venezuelan people regarding this reform.
02:36We continue in Venezuela, as President Nicolás Maduro received the Japanese architect Riken
02:40Yamamoto at the Simón Bolívar Hall of the Miraflores Palace.
02:45During the meeting, proposals were discussed to consolidate urban structures in the country's
02:49cities in addition to advancing towards the self-management of each territory through
02:55the organization of the communes.
02:57It should be noted that this initiative seeks to strengthen sustainable development and
03:02communal self-governance.
03:04In this sense, Yamamoto's collaboration with Venezuela strengthens international ties and
03:10promotes an innovative approach to urban planning in the region.
03:20And in this regard, the head of state, Nicolás Maduro, also held a meeting with the great
03:24Muslim religious authority of Lebanon, Ali Muhammad al-Hassawi, to strengthen ties of
03:30friendship between Venezuela and Lebanon.
03:33During the meeting, the President reaffirmed Venezuela's intention for both countries to
03:37continue strengthening the diplomatic relations that were established since 1946, and other
03:44authorities such as the representative of the Lebanese embassy in the Venezuelan territory
03:49were also present.
03:55In other news in Colombia, the police arrested a 40-year-old man who tried to smuggle several
04:00bags of cocaine, hidden under a carefully placed toupee, onto a flight to the Netherlands.
04:07According to police, the suspect was arrested on Monday at Cartagena airport, as he was
04:12about to board a flight to Amsterdam.
04:14A scan revealed the hidden shipment of 220 grams of cocaine, packed in small bags strategically
04:21placed under the so-called narco wig.
04:25Police estimate the street value of the drug to be approximately 10,000 euros in the European
04:31markets.
04:32In this context, a police video captured the moment when an officer wearing blue gloves
04:38carefully removes the suspect's wigs with scissors, revealing approximately a dozen
04:44pockets of cocaine.
04:53After scanning this person, we found he had a wig containing more than 220 grams of cocaine,
05:00which he intended to take to the Netherlands.
05:04With this action, we attach the criminal revenue in Europe with an estimated price of more
05:09than 10,000 euros.
05:12This is the second detention at the airport in these checkpoints.
05:18And in Guatemala, survivors of the military dictatorship held a march to pay tribute to
05:23the more than 200,000 victims of this internal armed conflict.
05:28Santiago Botón with the details.
05:34This is the commemoration of the National Day for the Dignity of the Victims of the
05:38Internal Armed Conflict in Guatemala, and Mayanachi women, who are currently seeking
05:43justice in the courts, are also participating in the march.
05:48They join this demand for justice, this demand that the state should no longer use sexual
05:53violence as a weapon of war.
05:55It is also a demand to the army.
06:02Survivors of the military dictatorship have arrived in the Guatemalan capital to demand
06:06that the government of Bernardo Arevalo fulfill its commitment, announced a year ago, to promote
06:12a program for the dignification of the victims.
06:16We ask for material reparation, restitution of land, truth and, above all, to attend to
06:22the elderly women who lost their children, their husbands, in the internal armed conflict.
06:31The survivors denounce that, on the contrary, the government has prioritized economic compensation
06:36for more than 40,000 former paramilitaries, which contradicts the narrative of a democratic
06:41government, as they have reiterated.
06:43It is not possible that the military is being compensated.
06:49This does not fit in the mind of a civilized citizenry, to compensate the one who did wrong
06:54and to persecute the one who is doing good.
07:02In addition to the demand for the dignification of the victims, there is still a large number
07:06of survivors who continue to search for their loved ones who disappeared during the 36 years
07:11of military dictatorship.
07:14We continue in the struggle, in the search for justice, in the search for the disappeared
07:18And on behalf of the victims of the internal armed conflict, we will continue to commemorate
07:22this day.
07:26The National Day for the Dignity of the Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict was established
07:30following the presentation of the Historical Memory Report in 1999, which revealed that
07:36the state committed crimes of genocide.
07:40Now we have a short break coming up, but first, remember you can join us on Tech Talk at Telus
07:44News of English, where you will find news in different formats, news updates, and much
07:48more.
07:50Stay with us.
07:51Welcome back to From the South.
08:09As we continue with more information, Chile has managed to restore electricity to approximately
08:1490% of the country's homes following a massive blackout that affected most of its territory.
08:20This blackout, which extended from the Arika region in the north to Los Lagos in the south,
08:25left millions of people without electricity and paralyzed essential services such as the
08:31subway and mining.
08:33President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency and established a curfew to guarantee
08:38public safety.
08:39The National Electricity Coordinator activated a recovery plan to restore service as soon
08:44as possible.
08:45As electricity is restored, authorities continue to work to fully normalize services in the
08:50country.
08:58I made the decision to decree a state of exception due to a catastrophe from Arika and Parinicota
09:03regions to Delos Lagos region.
09:11In addition to a curfew in the same areas from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, although
09:19we know that in some communes and some sectors, the situation has been gradually declining,
09:24it is essential that we all act responsibly because the situation is still unstable.
09:31And in this context, the Chilean government confirmed that three patients, depending on
09:35electrical devices, died during the national power outage.
09:40The president of the Luz Para Ellos Foundation criticized the electric companies for lack
09:45of preventive measures.
09:47Authorities informed that one of the victims passed away due to the lack of a backup generator.
09:53Meanwhile, the Interior Minister Carolina Toa added two other deaths, noting that the
09:58patients' dismissals will be analyzed thoroughly.
10:08Also in this context, the Viña del Mar International Song Festival called off its activities as
10:14a result of Chile's power outage nationwide.
10:18After having canceled the production of the festival, reassigned its activities for next
10:22Saturday, March 1st, 2025.
10:25On a press release, the event organizer stated that the confirmed artist will be present
10:31on the new date, keeping up with the same agenda.
10:34The measure was pursued around 7 p.m. local time, four hours following the national power
10:41outage.
11:00Ecuador increased from 6 to 8.
11:03The number of provinces declared an emergency due to the heavy rainy season that is hitting
11:07the country, leaving nine dead and almost 1,100 people affected since January.
11:14This measure was informed by the Secretary of Risk Management, Jorge Carrillo, in the
11:19face of the prolonged and powerful rainfalls that also affected some 16,500 people and
11:26more than 5,000 houses, as well as bridges and roads.
11:30In addition, on Monday, four members of a family died due to a landslide that affected
11:36a house in Manaví as a result of the downpours.
11:39The situation contrasts with the drought of 2024, the worst in 60 years, that resulted
11:45in forest fires and blackouts of up to 14 hours a day due to the affectations in the
11:51production of hydroelectric power plants.
12:19Those who have houses, they're going to lose everything.
12:22Refrigerators, appliances, beds are lost and damaged because the water reaches a point
12:27where you can't fight against nature.
12:32And in other news, the White House announced it would sell a permanent residency with a
12:37gold card worth US$5 million.
12:41President Donald Trump stated so on Tuesday from the Oval Office.
12:45The card will grant the privilege of permanent residency with the option of becoming a citizen.
12:52The US head of state stressed that in addition to providing the funds, applicants must go
12:56through a rigorous vetting process to ensure that they are wonderful world-class global
13:02citizens.
13:03Notwithstanding, it is important to recall that money laundering is one of the most prevailing
13:09crimes in the country.
13:19And also from the United States, social organizations rejected the aggressiveness of the Secretary
13:24of State Marco Rubio against Cuba, reminding him that the island's cooperation has saved
13:29lives all over the world while Washington acts against wars.
13:33The Interreligious Foundation for the Community Organization, Pastors for Peace, has recalled
13:39the initiatives and programs of the island, such as the Latin American School of Medicine,
13:45which has become not only an opportunity to study, but also to train sensitive professionals.
13:57And now we have a second short break coming up, but before we invite you to visit our
14:00YouTube channel at Tell Us Your English, there you will be able to re-watch our interviews,
14:04top stories, special broadcastings and more.
14:07Hit the subscribe button and activate the notification bell to stay up-to-date on the
14:11world's most recent events.
14:13Final short break, don't go away.
14:33Welcome back to From the South.
14:35From Qatar, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Lavrov announced that Russian diplomats would
14:40hold a meeting with their US counterparts on Thursday in Istanbul to sort out issues
14:45concerning their embassies.
14:47Lavrov specified the encounter is aimed at normalizing bilateral relations, grounded
14:52in the fact that both nations had expelled their embassy personnel from the other during
14:58the Biden administration.
15:00As the Kremlin and Washington have been making negotiations regarding the conflict in Ukraine,
15:06tensions have started to diffuse between them.
15:09In reference to the Ukrainian-Russian dispute, Europe stated to be ready to provide peacekeepers
15:15to Ukraine as security warrantors, which Russia does not accept as they are likely to be a
15:20gimmick to allocate weapons to the Kiev regime.
15:33Our diplomats, high-level experts will meet with US colleagues and consider systemic problems
15:38that have accumulated as a result of the illegal activities of the previous administration
15:43in creating artificial obstacles to the activities of the Russian embassy in the US, naturally.
15:51We responded by creating uncomfortable conditions for the work of the US embassy in Moscow.
16:00Such a meeting will take place tomorrow in Istanbul.
16:04I think that its results will show how quickly and effectively we can move forward.
16:11And also on Wednesday, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the G20 Summit of Finance
16:17and Economic Ministers in Cape Town.
16:19Multilateralism is once again the common factor in the opening speeches.
16:24Recalling that the group was founded on the principles of cooperation, the President called
16:29on the developed and emerging powers that make up this alliance to deepen multilateral
16:35cooperation.
16:36He referred to the escalation of tensions and the unprecedented global uncertainty to
16:41underline the importance of working together.
16:44The agenda of this conclave focuses on the reform of the financial architecture without
16:49neglecting to analyze the tariff threats from the United States, a country that is not attending
16:55this meeting.
16:59It is vital to ensuring that the rights and interests of the vulnerable are not trampled
17:11beneath the ambitions of the powerful.
17:16Multilateral cooperation is our only hope of overcoming unprecedented challenges, including
17:24slow and uneven growth, rising debt burdens and levels.
17:49We now move on to other topics.
17:50In Gaza, the Medical Aid Directorate warned of the aftermath of the cold wave and the
17:55growing shortage of basic supplies.
17:58Health authorities detailed that around 35,000 Gazan families have been facing all kinds
18:04of shortages of basic services due to over 158 months of Israeli genocide against the
18:11Gaza Strip.
18:12Furthermore, they estimated that over 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents are required
18:19to assist the forcibly displaced for safeguarding them against the effects of extreme weather
18:25events.
18:26In this context, the United Nations indicated that close to $53 billion are needed to rebuild
18:32Gaza.
18:37And Israeli forces killed four civilians in an airstrike in southern Lebanon in yet another
18:43violation of the ceasefire agreement with that nation.
18:46The Lebanese authorities reported that at least two people were wounded in the bombing
18:51and were taken to nearby medical centers.
18:54They also denounced the siege imposed by the troops of the Taliban regime on at least five
19:00key points in the south of the country, and also the violation of the ceasefire agreement
19:05signed by Israel with the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, on November 27th.
19:17And in this context, the Egyptian government has rejected an Israeli proposal to take over
19:21Gaza for eight years in an exchange for Israel cancelling its foreign debt.
19:28The proposal was made at a forum in the United States, where the Israeli leader, Yair Labid,
19:33suggested that Egypt administer Gaza for eight or possibly 15 years.
19:38The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi rejected this condition, affirming that Egypt
19:43would cancel its own debt and condemning the expulsion of the Palestinians from their land.
19:49The Egyptian leader called for the ceasefire to be maintained, reiterating his support
19:54for Palestine and his commitment to the reconstruction of Gaza, as the idea of U.S. control violates
20:00international laws and norms.
20:05And we now move on to other topics.
20:09In Sudan, a military plane crashed into Omdurman city, bringing about around 46 deaths and
20:1612 others who were injured.
20:18The accident occurred in the Al-Tarwa town in the Karrari district, where the aircraft
20:23hit several residential buildings due to a technical failure.
20:27The military plane, which took off from the Wadi Saidna base in Khartoum, was bound for
20:33the port of Sudan city, the seat of the current government and the army command.
20:38Civilians and soldiers, including high-ranking military commanders, were among the fatal casualties.
20:50And in Nigeria, the Tinabwe government has been pursuing bold economic measures that
20:55made the gross domestic product rise by 3.8% year-on-year.
21:00The National Bureau of Statistics briefed that the driving force behind this breakthrough
21:06was broadening by 5.37% the provision of services.
21:11Nonetheless, the growth did not reach yet the ambitious 6% target set by the Nigerian
21:17president.
21:18Marine economy, arts, culture, tourism, information, technology, agriculture, industrial output,
21:25coal production, and e-commerce have been ramping up, which paved the way for obtaining
21:31higher GDP indexes.
21:32Therefore, the International Monetary Fund forecast the Nigerian economy to grow by 3.2%
21:40by 2025.
21:55In India, Shivaratri festival celebrations carry on this Wednesday, summoning thousands
22:01of devotees to honor the Hindu god Shiva every year.
22:04Shiva is one of the main deities of Hinduism.
22:08Thus worshippers gathered in temples to pour water or milk over a rock that represents
22:13the god of the sacred trinity, Shiva Linga, protector of those seeking enlightenment and
22:19truth.
22:20Devotees further perform fasts and vigils, between chants and religious dances to honor
22:25the holy trinity of Hinduism.
22:28This festivity began on January 13th and up to date reports over 500 billion participants.
22:40And like this we have come to the end of this news brief.
22:43You can find these and many other stories on our website at tensorenglish.net and also
22:47join us on social media.
22:48We are on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and also on TikTok.
22:52For Tensor English, my name is Belén de los Santos.