International

Trump visits the city he used to stigmatize Venezuelans and promises to “clean” the US

The former president of the United States (2017-2021) and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, sokened this Friday fears of migration in Aurora (Colorado), a city that he himself put at the center of national attention to criticize the policies of the Democratic government and promote false narratives about Venezuelan immigrants.

In a massive rally, Trump raised the tone of the xenophobic ideas that set the pace of his campaign, said that Venezuelan migrants have “infected” Aurora and promised to “clean” the country if he reaches the Presidency.

“On November 5, I will rescue all the cities that have been invaded and conquered,” stressed the former president, among cheers from the attendees.

Trump spoke in front of a false wall, decorated with the words ‘deport all illegals now’ and stood in the middle of the photos of two migrants, pointed out by local authorities as members of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump and the myth

Aurora, a suburb of Denver – the capital of Colorado – jumped to the national sphere in Trump’s mouth and through the right-wing media ecosystem, as did social networks such as X or TikTok.

The area has become a kind of myth for the Republicans, who have drawn the image of a city “taken” by Venezuelan gangs.

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In particular, they mention the Aragua Train, an organization born in a prison near Caracas and pointed out for crimes such as extortion and sexual exploitation of migrants in South America.

Local authorities deny this narrative, including the Republican mayor of Aurora, Mike Coffman, who said this week that “concerns about the activity of Venezuelan gangs are gross exaggeration.”

The Denver Metropolitan Area Police has acknowledged having identified the presence of members of the Aragua Train in the area and have pointed to 10 people, several of them already arrested.

The statistics

Multiple studies have shown that the migrant population commits fewer crimes than people born in the US and in Aurora, in particular, crime has decreased by 17% in the last five years, according to data compiled by the local network Denver 7.

Throughout the election campaign, the president has extrapolated individual cases of crimes committed by migrants in the country to stir up fears among foreigners and accuse the government of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in November, of promoting a policy of “open borders.”

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“She has committed crimes by allowing these migrants to enter the United States. They are ruining our country,” Trump said.

The Democratic government, contrary to what Trump assures, has imposed harsh restrictions on asylum on the border that have been criticized by international organizations such as the UN agency for refugees.

As a result, the number of irregular crossings on the border with Mexico has reached its lowest point in four years and the number of deportations under this Government – including hot expulsions at the border – are on their way to surpassing those carried out during the four years that Trump was in power.

International

Trump orders U.S. control of Strait of Hormuz after failed Iran talks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will take control of the Strait of Hormuz“effective immediately,” following the collapse of negotiations with Iran held in Islamabad.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. Navy to block vessels attempting to enter or exit the strategic waterway, a key route for global energy trade.

“The meeting went well, agreement was reached on most points, but the only really important one — nuclear weapons — was not approved,” Trump said, referring to the talks with Iranian representatives.

The president also stated that he had instructed authorities to intercept ships in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran to transit the strait, calling such payments “illegal.” He further accused Tehran of hindering an agreement by deploying mines in the area, describing the move as “international extortion.”

Trump added that the United States will undertake efforts to clear mines from the strait and expressed confidence that a future agreement ensuring free navigation could eventually be reached.

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The announcement came after Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed the president on the outcome of the negotiations, considered the highest-level contacts between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While Trump acknowledged that enough progress had been made to maintain a temporary truce, he criticized Iran for remaining unwilling to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling its position “very inflexible” on the central issue.

International

Child Found Malnourished in Van in France; Father Admits Confinement

French gendarmes discovered a child in a van in Hagenbach, in northeastern France, after a neighbor reported hearing what she described as “childlike noises” coming from the parked vehicle.

After unlocking the van, officers found the boy lying in a fetal position, unclothed and covered with a blanket, surrounded by garbage and near human waste, according to a statement from the Mulhouse prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz.

Authorities said the child appeared pale and severely malnourished. Due to prolonged confinement in a seated position, he was no longer able to walk. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Mulhouse for medical care.

The boy’s father, who lived with his partner and two daughters aged 10 and 12, admitted to keeping the child confined and depriving him of proper care.

According to the prosecutor, the man said he placed the child in the van in November 2024, claiming he wanted to “protect him” because his partner intended to have the boy admitted to a psychiatric facility.

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The suspect also stated that he allowed the child out of the vehicle in May 2025 and permitted him to enter the family apartment around mid-year, when the rest of the family was on vacation.

The man’s partner—who is not the child’s mother—also faces charges, including failure to report abuse. However, she has denied all accusations.

International

Europe Faces Jet Fuel Shortage Risk Amid Hormuz Disruption

The Airports Council International Europe has warned of a potential “systemic shortage” of jet fuel if maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored within the next three weeks, according to a letter reviewed by AFP on Friday.

In the document, addressed to the European Commission and first reported by the Financial Times, the European airport lobby stated that a “systemic jet fuel shortage will become a reality” in the European Union unless stable and significant transit through the strait resumes soon.

The association, which represents around 600 airports across 50 countries, called on Brussels to implement “urgent monitoring of fuel availability and supply” over the next six months.

Jet fuel prices have surged amid the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transport.

The conflict escalated on February 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.

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In response, Tehran imposed several countermeasures, including blocking maritime traffic through the strait, a route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil, jet fuel, and gas supply passes.