International
The US unblocks $6 billion in aid to Ukraine for Patriot missiles and drones
The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austin, announced on Friday that he will release $6 billion in military aid to Ukraine to increase Kiev’s access to Patriot missiles and drones that allow us to respond to Russian advances on the eastern front.
Austin made this announcement at a press conference at the close of a meeting of Ramstein’s group, in which the United States confirmed that the first 1 billion new military aid to Ukraine is on its way.
The head of the Pentagon assured that the United States will urgently send ammunition for HIMARS batteries to Ukraine, which allows Russian positions to be attacked far from the front, 155-millimeter advanced artillery ammunition and air defense systems in armored vehicles.
“I am delighted to be able to announce an additional $6 billion commitment for Ukraine’s security assistance initiative. That will allow us to procure new capabilities for Ukraine from the US industry. This is the largest aid package committed today,” Austin said.
That new military aid will include Patriot missile batteries and ground-to-air defenses, plus a defense system against drones and “a significant amount of artillery ammunition, air-to-ground ammunition and maintenance support,” Austin said.
According to the head of the Pentagon, the help of the members of Ramstein’s group “has saved countless Ukrainian lives” with commitments that are already around 95 billion dollars and the coalition of these 50 countries remains “strong” in its support of Kiev.
Austin also said that the group is also working on creating a “self-sufficient” Ukrainian Army capable of containing Russia in the long term.
“The result in Ukraine will determine the trajectory of our days. If (Vladimir) Putin remains and wins in Ukraine, the consequences will be serious and global,” Austin said.
Today’s announcements of new military aid to Ukraine come after US President Joe Biden signed a law this week to progressively give Ukraine $61 billion in military aid and loans.
Today, at the beginning of the meeting, Austin announced that the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Czech Republic will send artillery, Patriot and HIMARS batteries to Ukraine urgently.
“If Ukraine succumbs under the boot of (Vladimir) Putin, Europe will fall under its shadow. That’s why we are determined to dissuade Russia from any new aggression, including NATO allies,” he said.
Austin praised the decision of the Czech Republic to send thousands of artillery pieces; the decision of the United Kingdom to approve a military aid package of 620 million dollars and the donation by Germany of another Patriot missile system.
The head of the Pentagon reiterated that right now the most perentory need for Ukraine is to improve its anti-aircraft defenses to prevent Russia from taking over air hegemony in key parts of Ukrainian territory.
In a recorded message, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Ukraine needs “at least seven Patriot batteries” and “urgently” missiles and more artillery to face Russia.
“It must be remembered that predatory regimes such as Russian are rapidly increasing their appetite for aggression. When they succeed in one part of the world, problems are created in other places and the aggression will spread and will not stop,” Zelenski said.
International
Mexico requests extradition of ‘Mini Lic’ for murder of journalist Javier Valdez
The Mexican government has requested the extradition of Dámaso López Serrano, a former high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, who is accused of masterminding the 2017 murder of Mexican journalist Javier Valdez, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday.
López Serrano, known as “Mini Lic,” was arrested last Friday in Virginia, United States, on charges of fentanyl trafficking, a crime he committed while on parole.
“This is the key issue for us, he [López Serrano] is the mastermind of this murder. The rest of the perpetrators are already processed and in jail, he was the one missing,” said Attorney General Alejandro Gertz.
“We immediately made the extradition request,” the official added during the routine morning press conference of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Valdez, an award-winning reporter specializing in drug trafficking and correspondent for AFP and the newspaper La Jornada, was murdered on May 15, 2017, in front of the office of his magazine Riodoce in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state.
“Mini Lic” was originally arrested in 2017 when he voluntarily turned himself in to U.S. authorities and pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. In 2022, he was released on parole.
Gertz confirmed that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office had requested López Serrano’s extradition “countless times,” but Washington had declined to act on the request because he had become a “protected witness” for the U.S. government and “was providing a lot of information.”
“Now, with this situation where they themselves are acknowledging that this individual is still committing crimes, I think there are more than enough reasons for them to support us,” the prosecutor added.
The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in Mexico and was founded by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in the United States.
Culiacán has been shaken by a wave of murders since the arrest of Ismael “Mayo” Zambada, another key leader of the cartel alongside Guzmán, on July 25 in New Mexico, United States.
International
Cuba’s government stresses openness to serious, respectful U.S. relations
Cuba reiterated on Tuesday its willingness to engage in dialogue with the United States, just weeks before Republican President Donald Trump assumes office. During his first term, Trump halted the historic rapprochement between the two countries, which had been initiated just ten years earlier by Democrat Barack Obama.
“It will not be Cuba that proposes or takes the initiative to suspend the existing dialogues, to suspend the existing cooperation. Not even the discreet exchanges on some sensitive issues,” said Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernández de Cossío at a press conference in Havana.
“We will be attentive to the attitude of the new government, but Cuba’s stance will remain the same as it has been for the last 64 years. We are willing to develop a serious, respectful relationship with the United States, one that protects the sovereign interests of both countries,” he added.
His statements come on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the historic rapprochement announcement between Washington and Havana.
On December 17, 2014, Cuban leader Raúl Castro (2006-2021) and Barack Obama (2008-2016) announced the beginning of a thaw in relations, which led to the restoration of diplomatic ties in 2015, after more than half a century of confrontation.
This process of thawing bilateral relations was later halted by businessman Donald Trump, who significantly reinforced economic sanctions against the communist-ruled country. The Republican will return to the White House on January 20.
Cuba, under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962, was re-listed in 2021 on the “blacklist of countries supporting terrorism,” blocking financial and economic flows to the island of 10 million inhabitants.
Subsequently, the administration of current Democratic President Joe Biden made only slight adjustments to the sanctions and also kept Cuba on this list. However, his administration resumed bilateral contacts with Havana on migration issues and the fight against terrorism.
International
Mexican government to use church atriums for gun surrender program to combat violence
The atriums of Mexican Catholic churches will be used for the voluntary surrender of weapons in exchange for economic and legal incentives as part of a plan announced on Tuesday by the government to reduce violence.
According to the Mexican government, there is a link between the illegal trafficking of weapons—almost entirely coming from the United States—and the spiral of criminal violence that has plagued the country since late 2006, when a controversial military anti-drug offensive was launched.
“The idea is to set up areas in the church atriums where people can voluntarily surrender their weapons, and in return, they will receive financial resources based on the weapon they are turning in,” explained President Claudia Sheinbaum during her regular press conference.
The left-wing leader emphasized that the program, called “Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace,” guarantees that those who surrender their weapons will not face any “investigation.”
“What we want is to disarm. This will be implemented next year. We also did it in Mexico City, and it had significant results,” added the former mayor of the capital, with a population of 9.2 million.
The disarmament plan is part of the government’s “comprehensive security strategy,” one of whose pillars is promoting a culture of peace, especially in regions severely affected by organized crime violence, Sheinbaum pointed out.
More than 450,000 people have been murdered in Mexico since the government launched its military-led anti-drug operation, alongside about 100,000 people who have gone missing.
Despite being a secular state, the Mexican Catholic Church has played a key role in efforts to contain violence, with priests acting as mediators between citizens and criminals. Several clergy members have been killed for this cause.
Just last week, the Catholic hierarchy called on cartels to declare a truce in their violent actions during the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12 and the upcoming Christmas holidays.
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