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This Wasn’t Just a China Trip. It Was a Test of Taiwan’s Political Future

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47490

This Wasn’t Just a China Trip. It Was a Test of Taiwan’s Political Future - Abolish Capital!

Editorial note: Orinoco Tribune does not generally publish pieces older than two weeks. However, an exception is being made in this case as the current article remains as relevant today as when it was first published. On the surface, it looks simple: Taiwan’s opposition leader went to mainland China, talked about peace, and came home. But this was not a routine visit. It was the first formal trip to mainland China by a sitting KMT chair in a decade, and it happened at a moment of rising military pressure, partisan deadlock in Taipei, and a wider U.S.-China struggle over Taiwan’s future. Reuters and AP both framed it as a politically significant visit, not a ceremonial one. That is why the real question is not where Cheng Li-wun went. The real question is whether Taiwan still has political room for a path based on dialogue rather than constant escalation. What actually happened Cheng Li-wun, chair of the Kuomintang, visited Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing from April 7 to April 12. The route itself carried a message. Shanghai points to trade and Taiwanese business networks. Nanjing points to Sun Yat-sen, the Republic of China legacy, and the KMT’s historical identity. Beijing is where actual political authority sits. The reception was also important. Song Tao personally welcomed the delegation. That matters because Song is not just another official. He heads China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, the central agency responsible for managing cross-strait policy. His role signaled that Beijing treated this as an official political event, not a symbolic exchange. [https://orinocotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cc1eca47-174d-4b89-914a-bafe56830076_1024x576.webp] During the visit, Cheng reaffirmed the 1992 Consensus. In plain English, that formula says both sides agree there is “one China,” while leaving room for different interpretations. That ambiguity is exactly why it has functioned as a bridge for dialogue, even though it remains controversial inside Taiwan. What Cheng was really saying in Nanjing The most important part of the trip was not just the route. It was how Cheng defined the trip herself. In Nanjing, she framed the visit as a peace mission with a political purpose. Her message had four parts. First, she argued that political differences across the Strait do not have to end in conflict. Second, she treated the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence as the only workable basis for stable dialogue. Third, she cast the KMT as a proven channel for cross-strait stability, pointing back to Lien Chan’s 2005 visit and the more stable period that followed under KMT rule. Fourth, she argued that Taiwan should not be reduced to a pawn in great-power competition. Reuters’ coverage of her Nanjing stop and her reconciliation language supports that reading. That is the key point. This was not just a speech during the visit. It was a speech explaining how the visit should be understood. This is not just independence versus unification A lot of Western commentary still flattens Taiwan into a binary: independence or unification. That is too simple. The sharper divide is over how to manage risk. One side argues that security comes from deterrence, tighter U.S. alignment, and larger defense spending. The other argues that security also requires communication, channel management, and de-escalation. Reuters noted that Cheng’s trip unfolded alongside fierce criticism from the ruling DPP over defense spending and the KMT’s approach to security. So this trip was not best understood as “choosing China.” It was better understood as choosing a different theory of survival. Beijing was signaling more than courtesy Beijing’s handling of the trip also sent a message to Taiwan. The KMT is not internally unified. It contains people with different instincts on China, the United States, elections, and even on what “peace” should mean. By giving Cheng such visible treatment, Beijing appeared to signal that Taiwanese politicians who still argue for dialogue, some degree of strategic agency, and less automatic dependence on Washington remain useful and valuable interlocutors. That is not just hospitality. That is political preference. In other words, this trip was not only about Beijing talking to the KMT. It was also about Beijing shaping incentives inside the KMT. The historical weight behind the KMT This part is essential for Western readers. The KMT is not just another opposition party. It was once the ruling party of China. After losing the civil war in 1949, the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan. But the ROC still held China’s seat at the United Nations, including the Security Council seat, until October 1971, when the People’s Republic of China replaced it in both the General Assembly and the Security Council. That history still shapes the party’s political language. When the KMT talks about cross-strait relations, it is not speaking only as a local Taiwanese party. It is speaking as the institutional remnant of a former Chinese state. That is why Nanjing, Sun Yat-sen, and the symbolism of continuity still matter. The real problem is trust The KMT’s argument is easy to understand: dialogue lowers risk, communication prevents spirals, and a stable channel is better than permanent brinkmanship. The problem is that many voters, especially younger ones, do not hear “dialogue” and automatically think “safety.” Some hear concession. Some hear vagueness. Some hear a return to an older political language that no longer fits Taiwan’s identity. AP and Reuters both noted that Taiwan’s ruling side continues to insist that only Taiwan’s people can decide Taiwan’s future, while Beijing’s military pressure has not stopped. So the issue is not whether dialogue is theoretically possible. The issue is whether enough people still believe it can happen without hidden costs. Why this could still matter in a positive way Even so, there is a cautiously positive way to read this trip. If Taiwan’s political direction shifts and the KMT regains executive power in 2028, visits like this would stop being symbolic and start becoming policy tools. That would not solve every structural problem between Beijing and Taipei. It would not erase distrust, military pressure, or outside interference. But it could reopen something that has been shrinking for years: political space. And that space matters. It matters for crisis management, business confidence, travel, education, family ties, and the daily stability ordinary people depend on. When elites turn every disagreement into a test of total loyalty, regular people pay the price first. A more stable channel does not guarantee peace, but it does reduce uncertainty. That has value on both sides of the Strait. Peace does not start with agreement. It starts with the ability to keep talking. > What the Media Gets Wrong About Taiwan’s Place in China [https://orinocotribune.com/what-the-media-gets-wrong-about-taiwans-place-in-china/] Final thought This visit was not just about one politician or one photo-op. It was a test of whether Taiwan still has room for a middle path, one where dialogue with China is possible without being treated as immediate surrender, and one where security is not reduced to military logic alone. (Grumpy Chinese Guy [https://open.substack.com/pub/grumpychineseguy/p/this-wasnt-just-a-china-trip-it-was]) — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

Manuel Buitrago Murcia 5h ago

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rss 8h ago

Venezuela Reports 10.6% Inflation in April

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47445

Venezuela Reports 10.6% Inflation in April - Abolish Capital!

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com [https://OrinocoTribune.com])— Venezuela’s monthly inflation rate fell to 10.6% in April, marking a 2.5 percentage point decrease from March’s 13.1%. Figures released [https://www.bcv.org.ve/notas-de-prensa/bcv-preve-inflacion-de-un-digito-partir-de-mayo] by the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) on Monday May 4 indicate a steady downward trajectory since January, when the economy was severely destabilized by the US military invasion and abduction of President Nicolás Maduro. Single-digit inflation projected for May Luis Pérez, the acting president of the BCV, announced that Venezuela is projected to enter a single-digit monthly inflation phase starting in May. According to Pérez, price variations in the final two weeks of April already reached single digits, signaling a return to levels of stability that could strengthen purchasing power and economic growth. [https://ultimasnoticias.com.ve/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260504-npimg1.png] Economic impact of the January shock Cumulative inflation for the first four months of 2026 reached 90.0%, up from 53.5% during the same period in 2025. The BCV attributed this increase to the “shock” of the January 3 US military aggression, which triggered high uncertainty and volatility in the exchange market. During that period, the unofficial exchange rate spiked to nearly 1,000 bolívars per US dollar, before adjusting to approximately 640 bolívars, using the Binance P2P prices as a reference. Currently, the exchange rate remains around 650 bolívars per US dollar. Annualized inflation dropped to 611.9% in April, down from 649.5% in March. The BCV noted that an improved flow of foreign currency toward productive sectors has helped mitigate pressure on the exchange market, slowing the growth of prices for goods and services. [https://ultimasnoticias.com.ve/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260504-npimg2.png] Inflation breakdown by sector The sectors experiencing the highest price variations in April were transportation (11.5%), food and non-alcoholic beverages (11.5%), and miscellaneous goods and services (10.8%). Within the food category, significant increases were recorded for vegetables, roots, and grains (18.2%); fish (14.0%); milk, cheese, and eggs (13.1%); and fruits (12.7%). > Venezuela’s VP for Economy and Finance: Wage Increase is Thanks to Economic Recovery [https://orinocotribune.com/venezuelas-economy-and-finance-minister-wage-increase-is-thanks-to-economic-recovery/] Conversely, sectors with lower variations included housing services (6.1%), health (8.5%), and education services (8.9%). Beyond US direct military aggression, 2026 has been marked by an unprecedented tightening of illegal US sanctions and the presence of a massive US naval fleet off the shore of Venezuela—the largest US naval presence in the area since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis—factors that heavely impacted the exchange rate and national inflation. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff OT/JRE/SL — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

rss 8h ago

System of Sexual Torture Targeting Palestinians Exposed in New Report

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47425

System of Sexual Torture Targeting Palestinians Exposed in New Report - Abolish Capital!

By Ali Abunimah and Tamara Nassar – May 1, 2026 “We suddenly found ourselves dealing with hundreds of testimonies where released detainees said they were subjected to sexual violence,” Maha Hussaini told The Electronic Intifada Livestream for 30 April. Hussaini is head of media and public engagement at Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, which has published a report documenting systematic sexual violence, including the widespread use of rape, against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons and military detention camps since October 2023. The report, “Another genocide behind walls [https://www.euromedmonitor.org/en/article/7023/],” concludes that the horrific abuses are not isolated acts but part of an organized state policy enabled by Israeli legal, medical and judicial institutions. Almost every released Palestinian detainee “spoke of at least one form of sexual violence they were subjected to, or they witnessed others being subjected to,” Hussaini added. You can watch Hussaini’s conversation with The Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah in the video above. The Euro-Med investigation is based primarily on firsthand testimonies from Palestinians detained in Gaza and later released, corroborated by visual evidence, medical findings and external reporting. It covers the period from 7 October 2023 through October 2025 and focuses on detention sites including Ketziot, Megiddo and Ofer prisons and the Sde Teiman detention camp. Dogs trained for rape Israeli detention facilities have been transformed into “spaces isolated from oversight, akin to legal and physical ‘black holes,’” where torture, including rape, genital mutilation and other sexual violence, is carried out systematically and with impunity. Survivors recount being raped by male and female Israeli personnel using their genitals or objects, forced nudity, genital torture and threats of sexual violence, in addition to numerous other forms of physical torture, abuse and degrading treatment. These acts – often carried out publicly in front of other detainees, soldiers and visitors, or recorded – are described as deliberate methods “to break both individual and collective will and inflict serious physical and psychological harm.” Survivor testimonies describe extreme forms of abuse. Wajdi, 43, recalled that “during interrogation, they tied me naked to a metal bed, and one of the soldiers asked me how many Israeli women I had raped in Israel.” This suggests that Israeli forces used Israel’s debunked claims [https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mass-rape-accusation] of a mass rape campaign by Palestinian fighters on 7 October 2023 as a pretext for committing sexual crimes against Palestinians. “I denied that I had even entered Israel. Then a soldier raped me,” Wajdi said. “I felt severe pain in my anus and screamed, but every time I screamed, I was beaten.” “The soldier left after ejaculating inside me. I was left in a humiliating position. I wished for death. I was bleeding,” Wajdi said. “Later, they untied me and brought a dog, which also raped me.” Multiple survivors also reported being raped by dogs, or witnessing other detainees being assaulted in this way, describing the animals as appearing to be trained for that purpose and used deliberately by soldiers in detention settings. “One of the dogs then raped me, penetrated my anus in a trained manner while I was being beaten,” Amir, 35, said. In a separate testimony, A.S., also aged 35, recalled that his captors “forced me to lie down, and a dog climbed on top of me and tried to insert its penis into me. At first, I did not understand what was happening, but then I realized that I was being raped.” The report presents these accounts alongside other testimonies describing rape with objects. Hassan, taken captive in northern Gaza, recalled being stripped and mocked while he was shackled by four female soldiers. “Then, one of them pushed me, and I fell to the ground. Another grabbed a stick and inserted it into my anus,” Hassan said. “I cried out in pain as they laughed,” Hassan recalled. “I was in pain for over two weeks after the incident.” Women raped The report also documents horrific sexual violence against women. A 42-year-old detainee testified that she was raped repeatedly at the Sde Teiman detention camp while soldiers filmed the assault. “Two soldiers took turns violently raping her, and the other two documented the assault on film,” Euro-Med states. After being repeatedly raped over days, the woman was “suspended by her hands and subjected to repeated electric shocks until she lost consciousness, while being shown photos of her rapes and nude images, and threatened with their publication if she did not ‘cooperate’ with Israeli intelligence.” The woman called her experience “another genocide behind walls.” The report also documents cases in which detainees lost one or both testicles as a result of torture or suffered other serious permanent injuries. One detainee said he lost consciousness after a soldier pressed violently on his testicles. “When I regained consciousness, I found myself on a hospital bed with my genitals wrapped in gauze, and I realized that one of my testicles had been removed as a result of the violent pressure,” said Khalil, 48. Euro-Med says such accounts are corroborated by other evidence, including leaked footage, medical reports of severe genital injuries and testimonies from Israeli whistleblowers. “Collective humiliation rituals” The victims of Israel’s sexual violence include men, women and children from Gaza, as well as healthcare workers, journalists and civilians detained during raids, at checkpoints or in so-called “safe corridors.” Israel’s mass arrests targeted broad segments of the population. Detainees were frequently stripped, blindfolded and transported to unknown locations, where many were held incommunicado. Euro-Med found that Israel subjected Palestinians to “repeated collective humiliation rituals designed to dehumanize detainees in front of each other.” The methods used include “collective forced nudity, crowding detainees naked, using obscenities and breaching social norms, such as stripping men in front of women and children or threatening women with rape while their husbands watched.” Israeli forces also forced detainees to witness rapes and sexual assaults. This, according to Euro-Med, was to “break family bonds and create a sense of helplessness, impacting both the victims and the witnesses.” > Israel Is Routinely Raping Palestinians in Its Torture Dungeons [https://orinocotribune.com/israel-is-routinely-raping-palestinians-in-its-torture-dungeons/] Testimony under threat Euro-Med Monitor conducted confidential interviews with released detainees, ensuring informed consent and anonymity. Identities were concealed using pseudonyms to protect victims from reprisals. Researchers cross-referenced testimonies with leaked videos, photographs, medical evidence and reports by UN bodies and human rights organizations. The report emphasizes the difficulty of documentation: Many victims refused to testify due to fear of re-arrest or threats against their families. Others were constrained by stigma associated with sexual violence, affecting both male and female survivors. Some testimonies were cut short due to severe psychological distress, including breakdowns during recounting of abuse. Genocide and impunity Euro-Med concludes that these systematic abuses constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute. Given their scale and intent, it argues that these acts “fall within the scope of genocide.” Central to the report is the finding that abuses are enabled by a system of institutional collusion. Israel has systematically denied detainees access to lawyers, family visits and oversight by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It has used pseudo-legal frameworks such as the “Unlawful Combatants Law” to strip detainees of procedural protections, facilitating enforced disappearances and indefinite detention without trial. Israeli medical personnel are accused of facilitating torture by issuing “fit for interrogation” certificates, withholding treatment and concealing evidence of abuse in medical records. Israel’s judiciary, the report states, has “historically and systematically” entrenched impunity by reclassifying serious crimes, restricting victim participation and dismissing cases despite evidence. A prime example is Israel’s dismissal of the charges [https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/03/israel-opt-decision-to-drop-charges-against-soldiers-accused-of-abuse-of-palestinian-detainees-disgraceful/] against five soldiers accused in the rape [https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/palestinians-recount-gang-rapes-israeli-soldiers-dogs] of a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman caught on a security camera. Sidelining Palestinian victims Euro-Med’s findings – combined with those of other bodies – present a consistent picture: Israel’s use of sexual violence is not incidental but forms part of a broader system of repression and destruction, sustained by institutional protection and the absence of accountability. A new report [https://addameer.ps/ar/media/5725] from prisoners rights group Addameer also documents the same pattern of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including 12 rapes in Israeli detention facilities. Most of those cases involve multiple soldiers and include anal rape using batons. In one case, a prisoner identified by his initials Q.M., a displaced person taken prisoner from al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, was subjected to severe beatings and sexual assaults that resulted in his permanent loss of his ability to father children. He was released as part of the prisoner exchange in October 2025. Another prisoner recalled being taken for a search at Sde Teiman by two soldiers as a third soldier whispered threats of rape into his ear. “I thought it was just a threat, but I was shocked that he pulled down my pants and inserted the baton into my anus,” he told Addameer. “I suffered for two months, and I was unable to use the bathroom for bowel movement without treatment.” Another prisoner, identified as O.H., reported being assaulted in the same manner. He recalled one soldier telling detainees: “We will return you to Gaza castrated.” These crimes do not only inflict devastating physical and psychological injuries on individuals but create “intergenerational trauma passed on to families and children,” according to Euro-Med. On the Livestream, Hussaini addressed the stark imbalance in attention between Israel’s debunked claims [https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mass-rape-accusation] about mass rapes on 7 October and the extensive, documented evidence of systematic sexual violence, including rape, torture and mutilation, against Palestinian detainees. She made clear this is not about a lack of evidence, but about power shaping what is seen and believed: Well-documented abuses against Palestinians are sidelined while unsubstantiated Israeli claims are amplified. She pointed to political influence, media dynamics and structural bias that subject Palestinian victims to heightened skepticism and marginalization – even when their accounts are consistent, corroborated and overwhelming. As Hussaini put it, “What we are seeing instead is a disparity in attention, not in available facts.” Ali Abunimah is executive director and Tamara Nassar is associate editor of The Electronic Intifada. (The Electronic Intifada [https://electronicintifada.net/content/system-sexual-torture-targeting-palestinians-exposed-new-report/51373]) — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

rss 8h ago

Israel Extends Imprisonment of Flotilla Activists Amid Reports of Abuse and Torture

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47424

Israel Extends Imprisonment of Flotilla Activists Amid Reports of Abuse and Torture - Abolish Capital!

By Ana Vračar – May 4, 2026 Israeli authorities extended imprisonment of Global Sumud Flotilla activists Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila amid reports of abuse and torture. In a hearing on Sunday, May 3, an Israeli court extended the imprisonment [https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/israeli-occupation-court-extends-detention-of-saif-abukeshek-and-thiago-avila-as-evidence-of-torture-they-suffered-emerges/] of Global Sumud Flotilla activists Saif Abukeshek [https://www.instagram.com/globalsumudflotilla/p/DX4RpOrjtsL/] and Thiago Ávila [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/01/thiago-avila-coordinator-of-global-sumud-flotilla-deported-from-argentina/] until Tuesday, following the illegal interception of vessels [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/30/israel-intercepts-global-flotilla-to-gaza-in-international-waters/] in international waters and the seizure of over 170 activists by occupation forces. “Today’s ruling reflects a broader pattern in which israeli occupation courts function to legitimize unlawful detention and state violence in cases involving Palestinians and their allies,” the Global Sumud Flotilla reacted to the decision. Both activists are on hunger strike and held in Shikma Prison, according to communications by the Global Sumud Flotilla and Adalah Center, whose legal experts are representing Abukeshek and Ávila. “The prison is known for being used to detain Palestinian prisoners under harsh conditions, most recently being used to imprison civilians abducted from Gaza as part of israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people,” the Global Sumud Flotilla warned [https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/embassy-confirms-torture-of-brazilian-citizen-and-first-hand-accounts-confirm-torture-of-spanish-citizen-as-global-sumud-flotilla-activists-forcibly-transferred-to-askalan-in-occupied-palestine/]. Both their main organization and legal representatives reported that Abukeshek and Ávila have been exposed to severe abuse [https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/embassy-confirms-torture-of-brazilian-citizen-and-first-hand-accounts-confirm-torture-of-spanish-citizen-as-global-sumud-flotilla-activists-forcibly-transferred-to-askalan-in-occupied-palestine/] and torture since their seizure. “He [Thiago Ávila] was dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice,” Adalah wrote after first meeting the activists on May 2. “From the moment he was taken by the Israeli military until his transfer to the Israel Prison Service more than two days later, he was kept in isolation and blindfolded.” “Saif Abukeshek reported being kept hand-tied and blindfolded,” the center added, “and being forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure until this morning, resulting in bruising to his face and hands.” In an update issued on Monday, Adalah attorneys emphasized their concern about the abuse endured by the two activists, warning they are being held in total isolation, under constant high-intensity lighting, and blindfolded whenever they are moved outside their cells. “Thiago Ávila reported being subjected to repeated interrogations lasting up to eight hours,” the legal center reported. “Interrogators have explicitly threatened him, stating he would either be ‘killed’ or ‘spend 100 years in jail.’” Israel allowed to “patrol European waters, seize boats, kidnap people” The Global Sumud Flotilla is part of a new global civil flotilla [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/28/global-flotilla-sails-again-to-break-illegal-blockade-of-gaza/] to the Gaza Strip aiming to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver essential supplies, including food and medicines, to the Palestinian population enduring genocide for the past two and a half years. On the night of April 29-30, armed Israeli vessels and drones attacked the flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, 60 nautical miles from Greek waters and 600 miles from Gaza. They proceeded to kidnap the crew of 21 ships and left one more crew stranded on a damaged boat, while the rest of the flotilla managed to find temporary shelter in Greek territorial waters. The remaining more than 170 activists were transferred by Israel to Greek authorities later that week, with 36 requiring medical attention, including hospitalization, due to injuries inflicted during detention. Numerousreports of abuse [https://www.instagram.com/p/DXy3ziROONs/], as well as European countries’ silence over Israeli armed vessels operating so close to their territorial waters – and inside Greece’s search and rescue area – have led to sharp condemnation [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/22/eu-fails-to-suspend-agreement-with-israel/]. “It is an abomination that Apartheid Israel, while continuing its genocide undisturbed, is allowed to patrol European waters, seize boats, kidnap people,” UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese [https://x.com/FranceskAlbs/status/2050714222959513890] wrote of the event. > Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Flotilla in Mediterranean, Organizers Say [https://orinocotribune.com/israeli-forces-intercept-gaza-bound-flotilla-in-mediterranean-organizers-say/] While Brazilian and Spanish authorities signed statements [https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicacion/Comunicados/Paginas/2026_COMUNICADOS/Declaracion-conjunta-de-los-ministros-de-Asuntos-Exteories-de-Espana-Turquia-Banglades-Brasil-Colombia--.aspx]denouncing Israel’s actions and issued a joint communiqué [https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicacion/Comunicados/Paginas/2026_COMUNICADOS/Comunicado-Espana-Brasil-sobre-secuestro-en-aguas-internacionales.aspx] demanding the release of Ávila and Abukeshek, their respective citizens, EU members whose responsibility has been identified in this case, have been evasive at best. There has yet to be a more substantial reaction from Italian authorities [https://www.esteri.it/it/sala_stampa/archivionotizie/comunicati/2026/04/dichiarazione-congiunta-italia-germania-sulla-global-sumud-flotilla/], under whose flag the boat Abukeshek and Ávila were seized from was apparently sailing. In turn, the Greek government [https://www.mfa.gr/en/announcement-by-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-on-the-global-sumud-flotilla-30-04-2026/] has been called out for essentially cooperating with Israeli authorities and failing to abide by its obligations under international law. “The Greek government is cooperating fully in Israel’s criminal behavior, effectively surrendering its search and rescue obligations and conniving with Israel to victimize the brave crews of the Sumud Flotilla who are steadfastly, through their activism, defending international law as well as the verdict of the International Court of Justice which has clearly and unequivocally declared Israel’s continued naval blockade of Gaza and its occupation of the Palestinian territories illegal,” former minister of finance Yanis Varoufakis [https://x.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/2050155805714845979] wrote on social media. The failure by Greek authorities to prevent the detention of Abukeshek and Ávila, the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote [https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/global-sumud-flotilla-confirms-reports-of-torture-demands-immediate-global-intervention-as-israeli-vessel-transfers-abducted-civilians-toward-occupied-palestine/], “represents a profound failure by European authorities to uphold international law and prevent the unlawful transfer of civilians to the custody of a military power credibly accused of ongoing war crimes.” A small part of the call for liberation of all Palestinian political prisoners Through reactions that poured in over the weekend, several organizations insisted on the relevance of the flotilla’s mission as part of the broader solidarity movement with Palestine. This included references to a US State Department statement [https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/04/united-states-condemns-the-pro-hamas-global-sumud-flotilla] that described the Global Sumud Flotilla’s mission as linked to terrorism and demanding ports deny its ships the right to dock and refuel. “Rather than justify Israeli piracy, kidnapping, and global terrorism, the US should demand Israel release the two activists,” the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and Thousand Madleens to Gaza wrote [https://www.instagram.com/p/DX6b9toCqR-/]. “The flotillas are not and have never been about delivering humanitarian aid. Palestinians are capable of thriving on their own. Israel has manufactured the need for aid by isolating Gaza from the world and destroying the foundation of Palestinian life.” “The flotilla is about confronting the root cause of the crisis: Israel’s unlawful blockade and broader system of colonization and domination that has created, and continues to sustain, a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” the organizations added. “The flotilla movement is committed to ending Israel’s illegal occupation and supporting the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to freedom.” “As we demand the liberation of Abu Keshek and Ávila, we emphasize that this is just a small part of the call for the liberation of all of the 9,600 Palestinian political prisoners held by the Zionist occupation, who are routinely subjected to severe torture and abuse, including assassination, murder, and sexual assault, and who the Zionist regime openly boasts about its plans to kill through the new Prisoners’ Execution Law [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/04/01/israeli-knesset-mandates-death-by-hanging-for-palestinian-prisoners/],” the Palestinian prisoners’ solidarity group Samidoun [https://samidoun.net/2026/05/free-saif-abu-keshek-and-thiago-avila-the-attack-on-the-global-sumud-flotilla-and-the-criminalization-of-resistance-and-solidarity/]wrote. (Peoples Dispatch [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/05/04/israel-extends-imprisonment-of-flotilla-activists-amid-reports-of-abuse-and-torture/]) — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

rss 8h ago

Elderly Care Brigades Deployed Across Venezuela

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47399

Elderly Care Brigades Deployed Across Venezuela - Abolish Capital!

This Sunday, house-to-house deployment of an Integral Care Brigade to aid Venezuela’s elderly population began. The initiative was announced by acting president Delcy Rodríguez on April 30 with the aim of improving health, nutriotion, and social programs for the aged. In Tumeremo, administrative capital of Guayana Esequiba state, the mMinister for Elderly Men and Women, Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the Homeland, Magally Viña, led a session in which care routes were established for the most vulnerable and remote communities in that state. Meanwhile, Aragua state deployed 1,910 brigade members distributed across the state’s 191 communes. From the José Ángel Lamas municipality, Mayor Tony García noted that the aim is to identify, house by house, elderly people at risk in order to provide concrete responses in terms of health and food, working in coordination with communal councils and Self-Government Chambers. The deployment in Miranda state reached Barrio Bolívar in Petare in a joint effort between the regional government and the municipal authority. The action was praised by the spokesperson for the Unidos por Bolívar commune, María Collantes, who said that “these house-to-house visits bring dignity to those who have given everything for the homeland.” In addition to recording each elderly person’s needs, this first deployment included the distribution of medical supplies and food, according to a press release from the Sectoral Vice-Presidency for Social and Territorial Socialism. > ‘A Rethinking of Everything Altogether’ [https://orinocotribune.com/a-rethinking-of-everything-altogether/] (Diario VEA [https://diariovea.com.ve/brigadas-de-atencion-a-los-abuelos-y-abuelas-desplegadas-en-todo-el-pais/]) by Yonaski Moreno Translation: Orinoco Tribune OT/CB/SL — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

rss 8h ago

Leaks Reveal Netanyahu Paid to Free Juan Orlando Hernández; Trump Seeks to Return Hernández to Power in Honduras

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47397

Leaks Reveal Netanyahu Paid to Free Juan Orlando Hernández; Trump Seeks to Return Hernández to Power in Honduras - Abolish Capital!

A series of leaked audio recordings of private conversations, released by the outlet Canal Red and the platform Hondurasgate, have uncovered an alleged network of corruption and international interference aimed at facilitating the return to power of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández with the backing of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, among others. According to the material released — which includes audio obtained from platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram between January and April 2026 — the operation involves foreign funding, political pressure, and strategic agreements to turn Honduras into a key geopolitical enclave for US and Israeli interests in Central America. The alleged plan: return to power and strategic controlAccording to the leaked conversations, the central objective is to secure Hernández’s return to the Honduran presidency following the eventual annulment of the legal proceedings against him. The recordings outline a scheme in which the current president, Nasry Asfura, would serve as a transitional figure, paving the way for future candidacy by the former leader. Should this scenario materialize, Hernández would position himself as a regional political operator aligned with the US and its international vassals and tasked with advancing an agenda that would include: * Installation of strategic military infrastructure. * Control of special economic zones. * Development of legal frameworks favourable to foreign technology companies, particularly in sectors such as artificial intelligence. The pardon: the operation’s key elementOne of the most controversial elements of the investigation is the alleged pardon granted to Hernández by Trump despite the former Honduran president having been sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking offences in the US. In one of the recordings, attributed to Hernández himself, he explains that the funds used to secure the pardon came from “a group of rabbis.” Minutes later, he clarifies that “Israel” and Benjamin Netanyahu are “in large part” responsible for the pardon — and then goes further, specifying that not just “in large part” but “in every part.” The recording also states that the assets did not come directly from US politicians but from groups linked to pro-Israeli interests, pointing to a possible international funding network. Network of complicity in HondurasThe leaks also involve various Honduran political figures, including: * Tomás Zambrano; * Cosette López-Osorio; * María Antonieta Mejía. In the recordings, these individuals coordinate actions to remove legal obstacles, consolidate institutional control, and weaken the opposition, with the aim of facilitating Hernández’s return. One recording attributed to Mejía reflects direct political support: “The people want President Juan Orlando… count on our support.” Elections under suspicionThe alleged operation is set against the backdrop of the presidential elections of November 30, 2026, which were marked by irregularities, delays in the vote count, and claims of foreign interference. Following the vote, Asfura was declared the winner with just over 40% of the vote, amid questions over the transparency of the process. At the same time, international pressure was reported, including visa restrictions targeting electoral officials who were pushing for a review of the results. Honduras as a geopolitical enclaveThe underlying thrust of the scheme, according to the leaked material, would be to turn Honduras into a strategic hub for foreign interests, replicating existing models of military and economic cooperation but with a greater degree of political and territorial control. This would include the expansion of US military bases, regional logistical control, and the consolidation of special economic zones, in a context of global competition between powers. No official confirmationTo date, none of the allegations contained in the recordings has been confirmed by official authorities, and no formal investigations into the released material have been reported. Nevertheless, the revelations have sparked debate about sovereignty, electoral transparency, and foreign influence in Latin America — a case that could escalate to the international level if the facts are substantiated. > Trump Pardons Convicted Narco-Trafficking Pol Amid Plot to Rig Honduran Election [https://orinocotribune.com/trump-pardons-convicted-narco-trafficking-pol-amid-plot-to-rig-honduran-election/] (El Soberano [https://elsoberano.mx/2026/04/29/audios-revelan-que-netanyahu-pago-para-liberar-a-juan-orlando-hernandez-y-trump-busca-devolverlo-al-poder-en-honduras/]) Translation: Orinoco Tribune OT/CB/SL — From Orinoco Tribune [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://orinocotribune.com/feed/].

rss 8h ago

The Work of Migrants

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47394

The Work of Migrants - Abolish Capital!

This editorial by Diego Torres appears as the introduction to the May 2026 issue ofHablemos de Migración*, a newsletter on migration issues published by the Frente Amplio de Mexicanos y Migrantes. We encourage you to subscribe [https://frenteampliome.wordpress.com/]. The English version of the May 2026 issue is available for download [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HvuFiBuM68-G1NNM3JYhATkiKgW7Xcg0/view].* [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/image-1.png] Talking about migration in May forces us to confront one of the great contradictions of our time: the United States repeats slogans about regaining its greatness, while a decisive part of that greatness has been sustained, for decades, by the labor of migrants. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024, people born outside the United States represented 19.2% of the entire civilian workforce in the country. Furthermore, the irregular status of migrants allowed them to be overrepresented in occupations related to services, construction, maintenance, manufacturing, and transportation and movement of goods; that is, in many of the jobs that keep daily life and the American economy functioning. However, the median weekly earnings of migrants remained lower than those of workers born in the United States: $1,001 compared to $1,190 per week (US Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2025). > That’s why talking about migrant labor is also talking about the dismantling of the Mexican countryside. This dependency didn’t begin yesterday. It’s inscribed in the very history of U.S. economic growth: during the second half of the 19th century, the exploitation of Chinese labor in railroad construction and other essential tasks of industrial expansion; later, in another stage of U.S. history, this dependency shifted forcefully toward Mexican labor. The Bracero Program, created in 1942, not only institutionalized the use of Mexican workers primarily in agricultural labor; it also established a logic of labor subordination that persisted even after the program ended in 1964. The U.S. National Park Service acknowledged that the Bracero Program “institutionalized previous Mexican migrations” and, moreover, stimulated irregular migration, while other official materials from the same agency indicate that it prolonged wage depression in the agricultural sector and became a serious obstacle to unionization, because many employers prefer vulnerable workers to negotiating with organized labor (National Park Service [NPS], 2020; NPS, 2025). [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/braceros-sm.jpg] Braceros Therein lies one of the keys to understanding what came next. The United States discovered that it could sustain a significant portion of its growth with a highly productive workforce, disciplined by fear, poorly paid, and legally vulnerable. In other words, an indispensable workforce, but without full rights. This formula proved functional for agribusiness, for the expansion of small and medium-sized businesses, and, over time, for broad sectors of the service industry. The material greatness that American policy so often boasts about cannot be explained without this migrant labor that generates wealth, lowers costs, and sustains consumption in other social sectors (BLS, 2025; NPS, 2025) In the US agricultural sector, that dependence remains brutal. Data from the US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research data shows that in 2022, only 32.1% of farmworkers were U.S.-born, while 42.1% lacked legal work authorization. This means that a huge portion of U.S. agriculture relies on migrant workers placed in more vulnerable situations. This is not a marginal phenomenon; it is an economic structure: the U.S. food system continues to need migrant labor to reduce costs and maintain its Department competitiveness of Agriculture). (U.S. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service [USDA ERS], 2022). But this story cannot be told solely from the U.S. perspective. We must also consider what this model has meant for Mexico. The economic integration promoted by NAFTA and later continued, with limited modifications, in the USMCA, did not resolve the structural inequality between the two countries. On the contrary, various analyses have documented that Mexican agriculture was one of the biggest losers. A study published by the Migration Policy Institute clearly summarized this effect: Mexican agriculture lost out to trade with the United States; employment in the sector fell significantly, and U.S. exports of subsidized crops, such as corn, depressed agricultural prices in Mexico. The poorest rural sectors bore the brunt of this adjustment without sufficient government support (Audley et al., 2004). In other words, while the United States consolidated its access to cheap labor, Mexico saw the conditions that sustained many rural communities deteriorate. Therefore, discussing migrant labor also means discussing the dismantling of rural Mexico. For decades, millions of people were forced to leave not only by abstract poverty, but also by an unequal integration model that weakened local production, created precarious conditions for farmers, and made migration more profitable than staying. Communities were emptied, families were fractured, and an economy of expulsion was consolidated. The cruelest aspect of this story is that many of these people ended up strengthening, through their labor, the very economy that had contributed to the disruption of their home territories (Audley et al., 2004; BLS, 2025). May also carries a political and symbolic weight that should not be overlooked. Although international labor tradition associates May Day with the memory of the Chicago martyrs and the historical struggle of the working class, in the United States it is celebrated on the first Monday of September. This is an attempt to sever any link between the labor celebration and the fight for workers’ rights. However, for millions of migrants, May continues to hold special significance: it is the month in which the memory of the working class intersects with the memory of migrants, making visible the fact that a significant portion of American wealth has been built by foreign hands. This economic centrality, however, has not translated into full rights. On the contrary: at the most precarious levels of this structure, exploitation, wage theft, excessive workloads, and, in many cases, violence appear. This hits migrant women and migrant children particularly hard. > American wealth has been built by foreign hands. The Government Accountability Office of the United States warned in 2025 that unaccompanied minors arriving in the country have been exposed to trauma and violence and may face a greater risk of becoming victims of trafficking. In fiscal year 2023, the Office of Refugee Resettlement served approximately 119,000 unaccompanied minors, a figure that reveals the human dimension of the problem (US Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2025). When that vulnerability intersects with the labor market, exploitation ceases to be an exception and becomes part of the landscape. It is impossible to discuss migration without acknowledging labor. But it is equally impossible to speak honestly about migrant labor without pointing out the structural hypocrisy of a system that needs migrants to sustain its economy while simultaneously criminalizing them in political discourse. The United States has not only historically benefited from the labor of millions of migrants; in many ways, it has built part of its economic power on them. And Mexico, at the same time, has paid a very high price: loss of productive capacity, rural decline, community uprooting, and dependence on a model that expels people only to turn them into cheap labor on the other side of the border. To speak of migration in May, then, is to speak of work, of memory, of dispossession, and of injustice. It is to remember that behind the wealth of a superpower, there are millions of stories of struggle, rarely recognized with the dignity they deserve. Diego Torres is the founder of El Frente Amplio de Mexicanos y Migrantes, an organization founded in 2022 with the goal of strengthening the unity of the migrant community, contributing to the consolidation of the Fourth Transformation in Mexico’s public life, and advocating for immigration reform in the main migrant-receiving countries; as well as the editor of Hablemos de Migración. — * The Work of Migrants [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/mexico-extortion-migrants-large-1024x729.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/the-work-of-migrants/ Analysis [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/analysis/] #### The Work of Migrants [https://mexicosolidarity.com/the-work-of-migrants/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 The US has not only historically benefited from the labor of millions of migrants; it has built its economic power on them. And Mexico, at the same time, has paid a very high price: loss of productive capacity, rural decline, community uprooting, and dependence on a model that expels people only to turn them into cheap labor. * Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/sumud-flotilla-large-1024x576.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 Mexican photographer Abril Rojas was traveling on one of the boats seized last Wednesday by Netanyahu’s regime in international waters near Greece. * “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/mineros-sonora-strike-large-1024x683.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 The head of Mexico’s National Mining Union said that several mines are replicating the model of Canadian Orla Mining, hiring armed groups to interfere in union votes. The post The Work of Migrants [https://mexicosolidarity.com/the-work-of-migrants/] appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/]. — From Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/].

rss 14h ago

Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47328

Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla - Abolish Capital!

This article by Emir Olivares Alonso originally appeared in the May 5, 2025 edition of [https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/05/04/politica/mexico-condena-la-intercepcion-en-aguas-internacionales-de-segunda-global-sumud-flotilla] La Jornada [https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/05/04/politica/mexico-condena-la-intercepcion-en-aguas-internacionales-de-segunda-global-sumud-flotilla], Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper. Mexico City. The Mexican government expressed its “deep and strong objection” to israel’s interception in international waters of the second Global Sumud Flotilla, which was headed for Gaza. Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stressed that this act “constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including international human rights law, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.” Mexican activist and photographer Abril Rojas was traveling on one of the boats seized last Wednesday by Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime in international waters near Greece. Upon announcing that the Mexican national was repatriated to Mexico over the weekend, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that, through the appropriate diplomatic channels, it has conveyed to israel, “with the utmost firmness, that the rights of the crew members be respected, that their physical and mental well-being be guaranteed, and the right to free transit.” The agency headed by Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco announced this afternoon that over the weekend, the Director General of Consular Protection, Vanessa Calva, received at the Mexico City International Airport the Mexican national who was traveling on one of the vessels intercepted by israeli authorities on the high seas in violation of the legal principle of freedom of navigation. He explained that the Mexican ambassador to Greece, Alejandro García Moreno, assisted the Mexican woman in that country and, in coordination with the Mexican consul in Istanbul, Alberto Fierro Garza, she was repatriated to national territory, where she reunited with her family. “We appreciate the efforts of the Greek and Turkish authorities in supporting the repatriation of our citizen. She will be provided with the necessary support and assistance in light of the events that occurred, with full respect for and safeguarding of her fundamental rights,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. He added that Mexico’s diplomatic missions in the region remain in contact with the other seven Mexican nationals who were not intercepted and were part of the flotilla. “So far, they are reported to be doing well.” * Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/sumud-flotilla-large-1024x576.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 Mexican photographer Abril Rojas was traveling on one of the boats seized last Wednesday by Netanyahu’s regime in international waters near Greece. * “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/mineros-sonora-strike-large-1024x683.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 The head of Mexico’s National Mining Union said that several mines are replicating the model of Canadian Orla Mining, hiring armed groups to interfere in union votes. * Cuba Does Not Stand Alone [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cuba-flotilla-large-1024x683.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/cuba-does-not-stand-alone/ Analysis [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/analysis/] #### Cuba Does Not Stand Alone [https://mexicosolidarity.com/cuba-does-not-stand-alone/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 ´No More Foreign Wars’ Means Cuba Too. The post Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/] appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/]. — From Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/].

rss 14h ago

“Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia

https://news.abolish.capital/post/47313

“Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia - Abolish Capital!

This article by Alexia Villaseñor originally appeared in the May 5, 2026 edition of [https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/05/05/politica/mineras-utilizan-al-crimen-organizado-contra-sindicato-gomez-urrutia] La Jornada [https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/05/05/politica/mineras-utilizan-al-crimen-organizado-contra-sindicato-gomez-urrutia], Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper. The case of Camino Rojo, in Zacatecas, is joined by others of mining companies (international and national) in which organized crime is involved, both to attack workers and to interfere in union life, denounced the leader of the National Mining Union, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia. In a press conference, he indicated that several mines are replicating the model of the Canadian company Orla Mining, which consists of using armed groups to interfere in union assemblies, forcing workers to vote for a particular group and thereby causing them to desert the National Mining Union. Some of these mines are Plata Panamericana in Zacatecas; Américas Gold and Silver in Cosalá, Sinaloa; and Torex Gold in Guerrero. “There are several mines, unfortunately from Canada for now, (because) it is the country that has almost 70 percent of foreign investment in mining, and there are three other companies that are acting with total impunity,” he warned, within the framework of the 44th Convention of the National Union of Mining, Metallurgical, Steel and Similar Workers of the Mexican Republic. The union, he explained, is demanding that the concessions of these companies be revoked and that the employers’ unions be stripped of their registration so that workers can operate normally and safely, without any risk to them or their families, since, he lamented, there are cases where they have received death threats. Regarding the Camino Rojo case, Gómez Urrutia indicated that the Orla Mining company denied workers’ rights to exercise their freedom and democracy, and that they were at risk because they resorted to “organizations linked to company unions, which are almost narco-unions , as they could be called, used by organized crime, which is a total violation not only of human rights, but of all labour legislation.” He reported that the union he represents requested the Labour Secretariat to revoke the concession granted to the Canadian company due to the labor violations it has committed, as well as the removal of the employers’ union registration. The federal deputy, who is currently on leave, also considered it would set a “very negative” precedent if the practice of mining companies resorting to organized crime or company unions to attack workers continued. * Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/sumud-flotilla-large-1024x576.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### Mexico Condemns Interception in International Waters of Global Sumud Flotilla [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mexico-condemns-interception-in-international-waters-of-global-sumud-flotilla/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 Mexican photographer Abril Rojas was traveling on one of the boats seized last Wednesday by Netanyahu’s regime in international waters near Greece. * “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/mineros-sonora-strike-large-1024x683.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/ News Briefs [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/news-brief/] #### “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 The head of Mexico’s National Mining Union said that several mines are replicating the model of Canadian Orla Mining, hiring armed groups to interfere in union votes. * Cuba Does Not Stand Alone [https://mexicosolidarity.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cuba-flotilla-large-1024x683.jpg]https://mexicosolidarity.com/cuba-does-not-stand-alone/ Analysis [https://mexicosolidarity.com/category/analysis/] #### Cuba Does Not Stand Alone [https://mexicosolidarity.com/cuba-does-not-stand-alone/] May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 ´No More Foreign Wars’ Means Cuba Too. The post “Mining companies use organized crime against unions”: Napoleon Gómez Urrutia [https://mexicosolidarity.com/mining-companies-use-organized-crime-against-unions-napoleon-gomez-urrutia/] appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/]. — From Mexico Solidarity Media [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://mexicosolidarity.com/feed/].