Category: Americas

The United States announced on Friday that it would be revoking the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, giving them only a few weeks to exit the country.

President Donald Trump has committed to initiating the largest deportation effort in US history and restricting immigration, particularly from Latin American countries.

This directive impacts approximately 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who entered the United States through a program started in October 2022 and expanded in January under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden.

These individuals will forfeit their legal protection 30 days after the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement is published in the Federal Register, which is set to occur on Tuesday.

Consequently, immigrants involved in the program “must leave the United States” by April 24 unless they obtain another immigration status that allows them to remain, according to the order.

Welcome.US, an organisation that aids individuals seeking refuge in the United States, has encouraged those impacted by this decision to “immediately” consult with an immigration attorney.

The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program, which was launched in January 2023, permitted the entry of up to 30,000 migrants each month from these four nations over two years, all of which have concerning human rights situations.

Biden described the initiative as a “safe and humane” method to alleviate the strain on the busy US-Mexico border. However, the Department of Homeland Security clarified on Friday that the program was “temporary.”

Last week, Trump used wartime legislation to transfer over 200 suspected members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, which has agreed to imprison migrants and even US citizens at a reduced rate.

Recently declassified US government files related to the assassination of US President John F Kennedy (1917-63) on 22 November 1963 show that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) established covert bases in Africa starting in the 1960s.

One document lists the African cities of Harare (formerly Salisbury), Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, Pretoria, Rabat, and dozens of other cities worldwide.

US President Donald Trump’s 23 January executive order forced agencies to release the documents to create the JFK assassination archive.

It comprises around 6 million pages and includes photographs, videos, audio recordings, and artefacts.

Noteworthy for Africa are the CIA’s dubious operations during the 1960s and ‘70s.

British researcher Susan Williams highlighted these activities in her 2021 book, ‘White Malice: The CIA and the Recolonization of Africa.’

In it, she explained how the agency aimed to integrate newly independent African nations into the imperialist and capitalist sphere while thwarting any alignment with socialist ideologies, including that of the Soviet Union.

The CIA’s primary focus was on the vast central African state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), previously known as the Belgian Congo, due to its strategic significance.

Just a year after gaining independence in 1960, DRC’s visionary Pan-Africanist prime minister, Patrice Lumumba (1925-61), was assassinated in a CIA-orchestrated plot. At the time, CIA Director Allen Dulles (1893-1969) referred to Lumumba as ‘a Castro or worse.’

CIA schemes also ousted influential African leaders, such as Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah (1909-72).

The overarching impact of these operations was a covert recolonisation of Africa, characterised by removing capable people-oriented leaders and replacing them with compliant figures like Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-97), who permitted foreign powers to exploit the Congo’s resources.

Fast forward several decades, and the CIA continues to engage in covert operations that, on the surface, appear to focus on countert*rrorism.

However, the reality is that these efforts, in conjunction with the Pentagon’s US Africa Command (AFRICOM), serve to maintain a persistent US military presence in Africa under the pretext of combatting ongoing insecurity created by Western machinations.

Such is the case in Africa’s Sahel region, which has been overrun by arms and t*rrorists since the 2011 NATO invasion of Libya.

Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States could own and run Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of his latest bid to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

The offer comes as some 30 military chiefs from countries keen to help protect an eventual ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine prepared for talks in Britain on Thursday to discuss planning for a peacekeeping force.

EU leaders were also set to discuss the three-year war at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, as well as the bloc’s defence capabilities as it grapples with an aggressive Russia.

Following the Wednesday call with Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that Kyiv was “ready” to pause attacks on Russia’s energy network and infrastructure, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to halt similar strikes on Ukraine.

Zelensky also said he had discussed Trump’s power plant takeover plan.

“We talked only about one power plant, which is under Russian occupation,” Zelensky, who was on an official visit to Finland, said during an online briefing, referring to the plant in Zaporizhzhia.

He added that he had “not felt any pressure” from Trump to make concessions to Russia.

But a wider ceasefire remains elusive with the Kremlin leader insisting in his own call with Trump on Tuesday that the West first stop all military aid for Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron have said they are willing to put British and French troops on the ground in Ukraine.

The UK government says a “significant number” of nations are prepared to do the same, but it is not clear exactly how many countries are keen.

Trump’s tone on Wednesday was markedly more positive after the Zelensky call, with the White House describing it as “fantastic” — despite the fact that the two men had a blazing televised row in the Oval Office recently.

Trump “discussed Ukraine’s electrical supply and nuclear power plants” and said Washington could be “very helpful” in running them,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a joint statement.

“American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure,” it said.

– ‘Ending the war’ –

Trump also pledged to help Kyiv get more air defense equipment from Europe, and to find Ukrainian children “abducted” by Russia, the statement said.

The US president earlier said on his Truth Social network that efforts to reach a full truce were “very much on track.”

Zelensky said Ukrainian and US officials could meet in coming days for fresh talks in Saudi Arabia, where Russian and American teams are also due to meet early next week.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 372 prisoners, Moscow said Wednesday, which was planned as a goodwill gesture following the Trump-Putin call.

Kyiv and Moscow however have accused each other of continuing attacks.

Russia said it destroyed 132 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks in several regions throughout the country.

Ukrainian emergency services said on Thursday that an overnight Russian drone attack struck residential buildings in Kropyvnytsky in central Ukraine wounding eight people, including a child.

– ‘Don’t believe Putin’ –

The major sticking point remains Putin’s resistance to a full ceasefire — something that Kyiv and some Western allies say underscores how the Russian leader cannot be trusted.

Putin insisted during his call with Trump on Tuesday that a full ceasefire was only possible if the West agree to Moscow’s long-standing demand to halt its billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine.

The Kremlin chief also demanded Ukraine must not be allowed to re-arm and must halt mandatory mobilization.

Moscow and Washington were even at odds on the results of the call.

The Kremlin said they only discussed halting power plant attacks, but the White House insisted the talks covered both energy and other civilian infrastructure.

Trump’s overtures to Putin, and indications Washington will no longer guarantee European security, have also spooked Kyiv and the United States’s NATO allies.

“I don’t believe Putin at all, not a single word. He only understands force,” said Kyiv resident Lev Sholoudko, 32.

In Moscow, locals were more optimistic the talks could bring an end to the fighting — to Russia’s advantage.

“Definitely this is in our favor,” said Moscow resident Larisa, 46.

“There is no other way. What happened in 1945 will happen now,” she added, referring to the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

(AFP)

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200% tariff on wine, cognac and other alcohol imports from Europe,opening a new front in a global trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised recession fears.

Stocks fell on the news, as investors worried that Trump would enact stiffer trade barriers around the world’s largest consumer market.

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“The Entire World is RIPPING US OFF!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump’s threat came in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey and other products next month — which itself is a response to Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that took effect on Wednesday. The European Commission had no immediate comment on Trump’s post.

Canada, a neighbor and close ally that is the U.S.’ biggest aluminum provider, has also announced countermeasures of its own to Trump’s metals tariffs.

Alcohol is shaping up to be a key friction point in the trade war Trump has launched since returning to the White House in January.

Some Canadian retailers have pulled American bourbon from their shelves as relations between the two countries have frayed and Trump has threatened to annex that country.

Many of the EU’s proposed countermeasures, worth 26 billion euros ($28.31 billion) in all, would apply to products that have little more than symbolic value, such as dental floss and bathrobes.

But the proposed 50% duty on U.S. bourbon would be a significant hit for the industry, which has seen exports grow steadily since the United States lifted tariffs Trump imposed during his first 2017-2021 term in office.

The EU accounted for roughly 40% of all spirits exports in 2023, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade group.

Likewise, the United States accounts for 31% of EU wine and spirits exports, according to Eurostat.

Trump said his proposed 200% tax on European alcohol would benefit domestic producers, and shares of U.S. drinks makers rose on the news.

Nevertheless, industry officials on both sides of the Atlantic urged their leaders to de-escalate.

“This cycle of tit-for-tat retaliation must end now!” said spiritsEurope, an industry trade group.

But his barrage of threats has spooked investors, businesses and consumers. Producers of jets, coffee, clothing, autos and packaged foods are among the many businesses scrambling to assess their operations as Trump’s actions threaten international supply chains.

Some economists say the uncertainty threatens the health of the U.S. economy and raises the risk of recession. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that 70% of Americans expect Trump’s tariffs to lead to higher prices.

Trump says tariffs are a crucial tool to revitalize U.S. manufacturing industries that have withered due to decades of globalization, and he has stacked his administration with officials who line up with those views.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was not worried about recent Wall Street volatility because the Trump administration is focused on a longer-term transformation of the U.S. economy.

He warned that the EU has more to lose in a trade war, as it relies more on exports to the United States.

“In the event that there’s a back and forth with tariffs, I would counsel these government leaders that they are on the losing side of this argument economically,” he said on CNBC.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he would work with Europe to set terms for a possible peace deal to present to the United States, after allies gathered in London pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition to defend any truce in Ukraine.

The weekend crisis talks, which brought together 18 allies, came at a delicate moment for war-battered Ukraine, facing uncertain US support and on the back foot against Russia’s three-year invasion.

Days earlier, US President Donald Trump berated Zelensky in front of reporters at the White House, heightening fears he intends to force Kyiv into a peace deal that gives Russian President Vladimir Putin what he wants.

But European leaders closed ranks in support of Kyiv, with Zelensky saying afterwards the summit cemented their commitment to work towards peace.

“We need peace, not endless war,” he said on Telegram.

“In the near future, all of us in Europe will shape our common positions — the lines we must achieve and the lines we cannot compromise on,” he added. “These positions will be presented to our partners in the United States.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer likewise said that Britain, France “and others” would work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, which they would then put to Washington.

And French President Emmanuel Macron, flying back from the summit, told Le Figaro newspaper that France and Britain wanted to propose a partial one-month truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure”.

Starmer and Macron have said they are prepared to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine to help preserve any truce.

With no guarantee of US involvement, “Europe must do the heavy lifting”, Starmer said.

– One-month truce –

Macron told Le Figaro that a truce would not, initially at least, cover ground fighting.

The problem was that it would be very difficult to enforce given the size of the front line, he said.

Peacekeepers would be deployed at a later date, he said, adding: “There won’t be European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks.”

Macron also suggested that European countries should raise their defence spending to between 3.0 and 3.5 percent of GDP to respond to Washington’s shifting priorities and Russia’s militarisation.

While recently reinaugurated Trump has cast himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelensky, his approach has sidelined Kyiv and Europe while pursuing rapprochement with the Russian leader.

This shift was on full display at the Oval Office meeting with Zelensky, who Trump accused of not being grateful enough for US aid and not being “ready” for peace with Russia.

Starmer, who had met Trump just days earlier, insisted the United States was “not an unreliable ally”. Any deal “must have strong US backing” to succeed, he said.

But after the leaders gathered on Sunday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned the continent urgently had to rearm to “prepare for the worst”.

And Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for the United States and Europe to show Putin “that the West has no intention of capitulating before his blackmail and aggression”.

On Sunday, Trump dismissed concerns over his closeness with Russia, saying the United States should worry “less” about Putin and more about domestic crime.

– ‘Constructive’ approach –

Trump’s Republican party has largely fallen in line behind his pivot towards Moscow’s narrative on the Ukraine war.

Top officials have suggested Zelensky should step down to ensure a peace deal.

“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, told CNN.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Zelensky either “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country.”

Zelensky has repeatedly suggested he would resign in exchange for NATO membership for Ukraine — a goal scorned by Trump.

“If there is NATO and the war is over, it means I fulfilled my mission,” Zelensky said Monday.

He also stressed the need to keep Washington onside, and signalled his readiness to sign a mineral deal coveted by Trump.

“I am ready to engage in any kind of constructive format in relations with the US,” he said.

The Kremlin said in remarks aired Sunday that the United States’ sudden shift in foreign policy “largely aligns” with its own position.

“The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations. This largely aligns with our vision,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a reporter from state television.

“There is a long way to go because a lot of damage has been done to the whole complex of bilateral relations. But if the political will of the two leaders, President Putin and President Trump, is maintained, this path can be quite quick and successful,” Peskov added.

U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to rebuild ties with Russia since taking office in January, reaching out directly to President Vladimir Putin and siding with Moscow in the United Nations during a vote on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, relations between the U.S. and Ukraine have grown increasingly strained, culminating last week in a stunning televised confrontation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office.

A White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aiming to secure a deal that would allow the U.S. access to Ukrainian rare mineral rights turned into a shouting match between the two leaders with Trump threatening Zelenskyy with “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out.”

In a statement on social media following the meeting, Trump indicated the proposed deal is off.

“I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” Trump wrote.

“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”

The heated exchange, witnessed by dozens of American and Ukrainian reporters in the Oval Office, took a combative tone around 40 minutes in when Zelenskyy raised Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance immediately criticized Zelenskyy, accusing him of engaging in a “propaganda tour.”

“I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media,” he told Zelenskyy.

Both Vance and Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of not being thankful for the assistance his country has received from Washington.

“You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said, raising his voice as Zelenskyy tried to rebut him. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III.”

Zelenskyy left the White House early without participating in a scheduled joint press conference.

Rare minerals deal

Before the meeting devolved, Trump said he was close to signing the deal with Zelenskyy.

“We have something that is a very fair deal, and we look forward to getting in and digging, digging, digging, and working and getting some of the rare earth,” Trump told a visibly uncomfortable Zelenskyy.

The deal includes provisions for the co-ownership and management of a post-war reconstruction fund for Ukraine, to which Ukraine will allocate 50% of future revenues from the country’s natural resources.

Trump has characterized the minerals deal as a type of “backstop” in lieu of the security guarantees where the U.S. supports European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after its war with Russia ends.

“It means we’re going to be inside, and it’s a big commitment from the United States,” he said.

The agreement states that the U.S. will maintain a “long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.” It makes no direct reference to efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or about future security arrangements, apart from a single line: “The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”

Beyond the minerals deal, Trump has been non-committal on providing any security guarantees to support European peacekeepers to enforce a future truce between Ukraine and Russia — demands made by France, Britain and other NATO allies.

“I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal,” Trump said during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Kier Starmer on Thursday at the White House.

First White House meeting

Trump and Zelenskyy have had various in-person engagements in the past, but Friday marks their first one held at the White House. Earlier this month the pair spoke by phone, following Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Since coming to office, Trump has increased his pressure campaign on Ukraine, falsely asserting that Kyiv started the war with Russia and calling Zelenskyy a “dictator.”

He has also repeated a claim that the U.S. has spent $350 billion on Ukraine’s war — a figure that far eclipses the amount recorded by the Department of Defense and the interagency oversight group that tracks U.S. appropriations to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Trump is pursuing direct negotiations with Russia without the involvement of Kyiv or European allies, defending it during his Thursday press conference as “common sense.”

He described the talks as “very well advanced” but cautioned that there is only a narrow window to secure a deal to end the war. He expressed confidence that Putin will “keep his word” and not launch further aggression on Ukraine should a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv be reached.

(VOA)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said Andrew and Tristan Tate, social media influencers facing human trafficking charges in Romania, were “not welcome” in the US state after they arrived in Fort Lauderdale.

DeSantis told a news conference that Florida had no involvement in the brothers’ return but added that the state had limited power to prevent their entry, according to NBC News.

“We have no involvement in that,” he said. “I read about it through the media.

“Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” he said.

The Tate brothers, dual citizens of the US and the UK, left Romania after authorities lifted a travel ban. They are under investigation for allegedly forming an organized criminal group involved in human trafficking, trafficking minors, engaging in sexual activity with a minor and money laundering. They deny any wrongdoing.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office was working with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the individuals.

“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.,” he wrote on X.