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
Latin Music Stars Unite in Miami to Raise Aid for Victims of Venezuela’s Devastating Earthquake
Latin music stars including Marc Anthony, Ricardo Montaner and Feid will take part in a benefit concert in Miami on August 16 to raise funds and support victims of the devastating double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
The disaster has left 4,734 people dead and 16,740 injured, according to the latest official figures.
The lineup will also feature artists such as Jay Wheeler, Elena Rose, Silvestre Dangond, Gente de Zona, Mau y Ricky, Olga Tañón, Lasso, San Luis, Piso 21, Alleh, Zhamira Zambrano and Enrique Santos, with organizers expecting additional performers to join the event in the coming weeks.
Athletes, actors, entertainment figures, media personalities and leaders from the Hispanic community are also expected to participate in the initiative.
Organized by the United for Venezuela coalition, the concert will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami starting at 6:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. GMT) and will be broadcast simultaneously through multiple platforms.
According to organizers, viewers will be able to contribute through donation platforms and QR codes available during the event.
The concert will also feature reports on rescue efforts, the work of humanitarian organizations on the ground, and testimonies from people affected by the disaster to highlight the scale of the tragedy.
Venezuela was hit on June 24 by a powerful double earthquake measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, with the strongest impacts reported in areas including Caracas and La Guaira.
The event aims to bring together the international community and mobilize resources to assist families affected by the earthquake and support ongoing recovery efforts.
International
Trump Administration Seeks Global Action Against “Resurgent” Left-Wing Terrorism
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host a ministerial meeting in Washington on Thursday to discuss what the Donald Trump administration describes as a growing threat from left-wing terrorism around the world.
According to a statement from the State Department, the meeting aims to promote “stronger joint action” among international partners to address what Washington considers security gaps that terrorist groups continue to exploit.
The U.S. government has not yet disclosed which countries will participate in the meeting or which foreign ministers are expected to attend.
The Trump administration claims that “far-left terrorism is resurging”, pointing to violent attacks linked to extremist movements in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and other regions.
U.S. officials argue that the threat has been “underestimated” by the international community for years as part of broader counterterrorism strategies.
As part of its efforts, the Trump administration has designated several left-wing extremist groups as terrorist organizations, including Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front (FAI/FRI), Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense.
The United States has also announced rewards of up to $10 million for information that helps disrupt the financial networks supporting those organizations.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration seeks greater international cooperation on counterterrorism policies and increased coordination among governments to address what it considers emerging extremist threats.
International
President Noboa Declares New Security Strategy as Ecuador Faces Record Violence Levels
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Tuesday declared the National Comprehensive Security Plan 2025-2029 as a nationwide public policy, a strategy aimed at guiding state actions on security matters over the next four years.
The measure was formalized through an executive decree that activates the plan approved on March 9 by the Public and State Security Council (Cosepe) and replaces the National Comprehensive Security Plan 2019-2030, which had been designated as public policy in 2021.
Under the new decree, implementation of the strategy will be led by the ministries of Interior, Defense, and Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, along with the National Intelligence Center and the National Secretariat for Risk Management. These institutions will be responsible for coordinating actions according to their respective areas of responsibility.
According to the official document, the new plan adopts a multidimensional and comprehensive security approach, with a long-term vision focused on national interests and on strengthening the State’s ability to respond to current threats.
The Ecuadorian government said the strategy seeks to improve coordination among public institutions within the framework of the “internal armed conflict” declared by Noboa in 2024 as part of the fight against criminal organizations operating across the country.
The plan also includes measures to strengthen international cooperation against transnational organized crime, which authorities identify as one of Ecuador’s main security challenges due to its links to drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The government described the document as a roadmap for prevention, protection, response and recovery actions in the face of national security risks, promoting coordinated efforts among state institutions.
Ecuador has remained under an internal armed conflict declaration since 2024, when Noboa intensified operations against criminal gangs that his administration has labeled terrorist organizations. Despite the increased security measures, the country recorded around 9,300 homicides in 2025, the highest figure in its history, according to data from the Ministry of Interior.
The new security plan comes as Ecuador seeks to strengthen its institutional response to escalating violence and the growing influence of organized crime networks.
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