International
The battle of the tribes of California for Biden to protect their ancestral lands
A coalition of Native American tribes from California is fighting an intense struggle for the president of the United States, Joe Biden, to protect their ancestral lands, a vast territory of 400,000 hectares that treasures not only rare species of flora and fauna, but also the legacy of peoples who have lived for centuries with that sacred nature.
This contest has been ongoing for years but it becomes more urgent in the face of the proximity of the November elections, in which Biden will again face the Republican Donald Trump, who during his term (2017-2021) approved oil projects that harmed the Native Americans.
The lands they are fighting for are “irreplaceable,” Thomas Tortez, president of the Torres Martínez desert indigenous people and who has asked Biden to declare about 267,000 hectares as a national monument in the Chuckwalla Valley, in Southern California, explained to EFE and expand the Joshua Tree National Park.
“When someone goes to a sanctuary and it catches fire or is knocked down, they can erect another temple in another place. But when the site that embodies our culture is intrinsically linked to a place and a specific land like the one we have here, there is no human way to replace it,” Tortez says vehemently.
Therefore, he urges Biden to protect the lands of his tribe using the 1906 Antiquities Act, which gives the president the ability to create national monuments on federal land without having to go through Congress.
The lands that Tortez defends are, in large part, desert. It might seem that they are sterile, devoid of life, but for Native Americans, this area contains a rich history, with plants that can be used for medicinal, food or spiritual purposes, and animals that have coexisted with the community for centuries.
Even the hills, with their tones ranging from magenta to lighter shades of red, are interpreted by Native Americans as a reminder of the stories of creation and the presence of divinity, says Tortez.
In addition to protecting these lands, the tribal coalition seeks Biden to expand and designate four other national monuments in California.
Among them, the effort of the tribes of the Tataviam Fernandeño and Gabrieleno missions to expand the national monument of the San Gabriel mountains, near Los Angeles, on about 44,100 hectares, stands out.
Within this territory are the remains of three indigenous peoples prior to the Spanish colonization and that are of great importance for the tribes, whose families go there to teach their origins to the new generations, the president of the Tataviam Fernandeño missions, Rudy Ortega Jr., explained to EFE.
Ortega Jr., whose father was also the leader of the tribe for five decades, believes that this effort to expand the national monument of the San Gabriel mountains is part of the struggle that his tribe has fought for centuries to protect its territory.
In its beginnings, its land covered more than 600,000 hectares, from the Antelope Valley to the Pacific Ocean. However, by 1900, it was reduced to zero, and since then they have had to fight to recover their lands.
Another objective of the coalition is to achieve the designation as a national monument of almost 81,000 hectares in the mountainous area of Lake Medicine, which would make it possible to safeguard the heritage of peoples with a long history in that area of northern California, such as the Pit River tribe.
The Quechan tribe of Fort Yuma also longs for the Kw’tsán mountains to be established as a national monument, and finally, the yocha dehe wintun nation wants the Berryessa Snow Mountain national monument to be expanded and Molok Luyuk to be permanently protected, which translates as “condor crest.”
These lands embody the soul of the tribes. As Anthony Roberts, leader of the yocha dehe wintun nation, told EFE, ensuring the protection of those territories is part of the “sacred responsibility” that those peoples have with nature, from which all forms of life emanate.
International
MS-13 Member Sentenced to 35 Years for Fatal Subway Killing in New York
A federal court in New York has sentenced Salvadoran national Víctor López, known by the alias “Curioso” and identified as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, to 35 years in prison for his role in the 2019 killing of Abel Mosso at a subway station in Queens.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall after López pleaded guilty in February 2025 to racketeering-related charges and causing the victim’s death through the use of a firearm. U.S. authorities also stated that López agreed to be deported to El Salvador upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court records, the attack took place on February 3, 2019, when López and four other MS-13 members traveled to a New York City subway station with the intention of locating and killing Mosso, whom they believed to be affiliated with the rival Barrio 18 gang.
Investigators determined that López, along with Ramiro Gutiérrez and Tito Martínez-Alvarenga, followed the victim onto a Line 7 subway train. The group allegedly assaulted Mosso before forcibly dragging him onto the platform at the station located near 90th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens.
During the confrontation, López reportedly drew a firearm. Prosecutors said Mosso briefly managed to wrestle the weapon away from him. As bystanders attempted to intervene, one of the gang members warned them not to interfere.
“Don’t get involved, we are MS-13, we’re going to kill him,” one of the attackers allegedly shouted in both Spanish and English, according to court documents.
The investigation found that Ramiro Gutiérrez later regained possession of the firearm and shot Mosso multiple times in the head, killing him at the scene.
Authorities also stated that after the attack, López burned the clothing he had worn during the assault in an effort to destroy evidence and avoid identification by law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York said the sentence reflects the severity of a brutal gang-related murder carried out in broad daylight at a crowded public transportation hub.
Federal prosecutors described the case as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle violent gang networks operating in New York and to hold those responsible for acts of organized criminal violence accountable.
International
U.S. Launches Military Strikes on Iran Following Apache Helicopter Incident
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday in what officials described as an act of “self-defense” following the alleged downing of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The operation was confirmed by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which stated that the attacks began at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time under direct orders from President Donald Trump.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began conducting self-defense strikes against Iran today at 5:00 p.m., following the Commander-in-Chief’s instructions, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter,” the military command said in a statement.
According to U.S. authorities, the helicopter was involved in operations near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime routes for global oil shipments, when the incident occurred. Officials reported that the two service members on board were rescued alive approximately two hours later.
President Trump had earlier signaled that a military response was being considered, arguing that the incident amounted to a direct attack by Iranian forces amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
CENTCOM described the military action as a proportional response to what it characterized as an unjustified act of aggression by Iran.
The escalation comes at a time of heightened instability across the Middle East, fueled by recent confrontations between Iran and Israel and the continued presence of U.S. military forces in the Persian Gulf to safeguard commercial shipping lanes and strategic operations.
Hours after the U.S. announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded through social media, issuing a warning directed at foreign military forces operating near Iranian territory.
The latest developments have intensified concerns about the possibility of a broader regional conflict, as diplomatic and military tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
Central America
Bukele Tops Latin America’s Presidential Approval Ranking in June, Survey Finds
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, and President Laura Fernández of Costa Rica are the three highest-rated leaders in Latin America, according to the latest June 2026 presidential approval survey conducted by CB Global Data. The study places Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, at the bottom of the regional ranking.
Bukele leads the list with a 69.1% approval rating and a 27.6% disapproval rate, improving on the 67.5% positive image recorded in May. The Salvadoran president has maintained a state of emergency since March 2022 as the cornerstone of his anti-gang security strategy, a policy that continues to shape public perceptions of his administration.
Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, ranks second with a 65.5% approval rating and 31% disapproval. Although she remains among the region’s most popular leaders, her support declined from the 67.8% approval registered in May.
Completing the top three is Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, who recently assumed office and now records a 56.1% favorable rating against 37.1% negative opinion. Her approval has risen significantly from the 52.7% reported a month earlier.
At the opposite end of the ranking is Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, who received only 18.2% positive approval while 71.7% of respondents expressed a negative view of his administration. Despite remaining last in the survey, he showed a slight improvement compared to previous measurements.
Second from the bottom is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, with a 29.5% approval rating and 64.8% disapproval. Nevertheless, she registered the largest increase in positive perception among all leaders surveyed, gaining more than five percentage points compared with the previous month.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo rounds out the group of lowest-rated leaders, posting a 33.1% approval rating against 63% disapproval. His support level declined from 36.9% in May.
Just outside the top three is President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, who achieved a 54.8% approval rating and 42.2% disapproval, despite a decline from the 60.2% support recorded a month earlier.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña follows with a 48.3% favorable rating and 48.2% disapproval, improving slightly compared with May. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ranks sixth with a 47.6% approval rating and 48.1% disapproval, down from 49.5% the previous month. Lula is expected to seek another term in Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October 2026.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz fell to seventh place after experiencing the largest decline in the survey. His approval rating dropped to 46.4%, while disapproval climbed to 52.3%, representing a loss of more than nine percentage points compared with May.
The CB Global Data survey, conducted across 18 Latin American countries, reflects shifting public sentiment toward regional leaders and highlights the growing influence of Central American presidents among the continent’s most highly rated governments.
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