International
Possible lack of final agreement overspeaks Baku summit negotiations
Baku can go down in history as another failed climate summit, adding to the list of COPs that ended in failure; with a bad agreement, as in Copenhagen (2009) or without agreement, as in the summit in The Hague (2000).
This is raised in the conversations that negotiators, observers and journalists have this Saturday in the corridors of COP29, after the 24 hours of extension of a summit that was supposed to end on Friday afternoon and in full “chaos” after dozens of countries left the room where the draft of the potential agreement was being negotiated.
The analysts and observers consulted, as well as the negotiating teams, agree to underline the “especially chaotic” end of this summit, from which a not too encouraging outcome is expected: either a “bad agreement” – that does not meet the needs of the Global South to face the climate challenge – or, directly, without agreement.
Pessimism invaded the spaces of the summit that hosts these days the capital of Azerbaijan, and in which about 200 states have been negotiating for two weeks how to finance climate action, especially in those low-income countries and vulnerable to the impacts of global warming.
Everyone mentions the ghost of the failed summits in The Hague and Copenhagen, cases that they would like to avoid, because they fear that going through another failure like this would further undermine the already weaken confidence in multilateralism.
Some developing countries leave the trading room
In addition, small island states and some Africans left the negotiation room where they met the presidency’s latest proposal for the agreement on climate financing that finalizes COP29, where they said they did not feel heard.
Political representatives of the negotiating group that brings together the least developed countries, as well as that of the small island states claimed to have come to the climate summit in Baku to close “a fair agreement” on climate financing, but they have felt “hurt” by not being consulted.
“There is an agreement to be closed and we are not being consulted. We are here to negotiate, but we are leaving because at the moment we do not feel that we are being heard,” said the head of the negotiating group of the island countries, Cedric Schuste, in statements to the media.
“We do everything we can to build bridges with literally everyone. It is not easy, neither in financing nor in mitigation,” stressed the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, to emphasize that “it is fair to ask that we be constructive.”
Some Latin American and Caribbean states, which are trying to build bridges between the least developed and rich countries, expressed their refusal to admit that this Baku summit is closed without an agreement.
“We cannot leave Baku or Copenhagen,” said Panama’s special climate envoy, Juan Carlos Monterrey, in reference to the climate summit held in the Danish capital in 2009, a meeting that the international climate community considered a failure, by not reaching any agreement.
“We are already at a point of not only building bridges, but walking on those bridges,” Monterrey said, after detailing that the countries had left the consultation mainly because of their discrepancies regarding the total amount that rich countries suggest mobilizing to pay for the climate transition and adaptation to the inevitable impacts of global warming.
“The great struggle is the figure,” said Monterrey, since developing countries at this point support that the goal is 300 billion dollars per year by 2035, and developing and emerging economies ask for 500 billion dollars annually and by 2030.
Lack of transparency in the process
Panama’s main negotiator, Ana Aguilar, also criticized the lack of transparency in the process, something she blamed on the Azerbaijani presidency of the summit, which according to her has had more meetings with some parties than with others, and has been three days without favoring negotiations more than bilaterally.
“We have a problem,” said Colombian Minister Susana Muhamad, who claimed that there is still a long distance between the amount that rich countries propose to mobilize and that requested by those that developing countries.
The proposal of the presidency of the COP29, as reflected in a negotiating text made public on Friday, was that the awealing countries pay 250 billion dollars a year by 2035 to the states of the Global South, to help them pay for action against climate change, a phenomenon to which they hardly contribute but of which they are the main victims.
Now there is talk of 300 billion dollars, while the largest group of developing countries demands at least 500 billion.
The dispute is especially in the quantum, Muhamad said, but also “in some of the requirements that I think we can achieve through negotiation,” he said.
“The problem is that it has been published very late, it was published yesterday. The deadline is very short, so we have some countries, those that have less financial capacity, that do not feel satisfied,” explained Muhamad, who added that “we need them to be able to move and deliberate.”
The Colombian minister said that she will encourage rich countries “to take a step forward” and, she added, “it is very important that they do so so that we can move forward and carry out this negotiation.”
International
Iran Faces Mounting Economic Pressure as US Prepares ‘Toughest Sanctions in History’
Iran, already weakened by years of sanctions and a devastating military campaign by the United States and Israel, is facing another major challenge as President Donald Trump moves to intensify economic pressure on the Islamic Republic.
The United States is preparing a new package of measures that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has described as “the toughest sanctions in history.” The measures are expected to be unveiled at a news conference Monday, as negotiations aimed at ending the six-month war remain stalled and Iran continues to disrupt commercial shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, contributing to economic pressure around the world.
Iranian officials have acknowledged that the country is struggling under the combined impact of the conflict and economic restrictions.
“We regret that these problems exist, as we are caught up in a large-scale economic, military and security war,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, according to state media.
The Iranian president said his government was working to address inflation, public services, livelihoods, employment and the broader economic outlook.
“As a government, we are doing everything in our power to steer inflation, public problems, people’s livelihoods, jobs, the future and people’s lives toward dignity and pride,” Pezeshkian added.
Signs of the economic strain have also emerged in major Iranian cities. Videos shared on social media last week showed nearly empty markets in Tehran and Karaj, with vendors complaining that they were unable to sell fresh produce.
Residents and business owners told CNN that the economic pressure has become increasingly difficult to withstand.
Nima, a 36-year-old Tehran resident, said the cost of living has surged while access to essential goods has also become increasingly difficult.
“Not only is everything expensive, but some of the important things we need, such as certain medicines, are not even available,” she said.
The latest US measures could further deepen the economic challenges facing Iran, particularly as the conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global trade and energy markets.
International
U.S. Revokes Nearly 900 Visas in Crackdown on ‘Birth Tourism’
The United States has revoked nearly 900 temporary visas as part of measures promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration against so-called “birth tourism,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
“Nearly 900 visas have already been revoked just since this task force was established. And that is in addition to the actions we have taken since the beginning of this administration to dismantle birth tourism networks around the world,” Pigott said in an interview with Newsmax.
The visa revocations are the result of coordinated efforts between the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify people who allegedly use tourist visas to enter the United States with the intention of giving birth there.
The measures are part of Trump’s broader immigration policies. In January, the president signed an executive order describing birth tourism as a practice that undermines the integrity of the U.S. immigration system in an effort to obtain what the administration considers permanent immigration benefits.
The directive stated that some people enter the country through temporary visas issued for tourism, education, cultural exchanges or temporary employment, and later seek to benefit from the U.S. citizenship their children acquire by being born on American soil.
Trump targets birthright citizenship
The latest actions are also part of Trump’s broader efforts to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States.
The country has traditionally followed the principle of jus soli, under which citizenship is generally granted based on birth within U.S. territory, rather than solely on parental nationality, as is the case in other legal systems.
The administrative measures come after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship through executive action, ruling that the policy raised constitutional issues involving the Fourteenth Amendment.
The visa crackdown represents another step by the administration to target practices it associates with the use of temporary immigration permits to obtain long-term immigration benefits.
International
Sinaloa Governor Returns to Office Amid Political Backlash and Cartel Allegations
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya returned to office on Friday after taking more than three months of leave while facing an investigation into allegations by the U.S. government that he has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Rocha has denied the accusations.
His return has drawn criticism from Mexico’s federal government and the ruling Morena party, which have accused the governor of putting personal interests ahead of the public good.
Although she did not mention Rocha by name, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the situation Saturday in a post on X, warning about the dangers of placing personal ambitions above the interests of the country.
“Power without principles becomes arrogance,” Sheinbaum wrote.
The president stressed that no personal interest should take precedence over the interests of the Mexican people and the nation, particularly when the objective is not public well-being but the pursuit of power for its own sake.
“Mexico deserves public servants who understand that positions are temporary, but responsibility before the nation is eternal,” Sheinbaum said.
She added that public officials should prioritize the dignity, future and hopes of the Mexican people over individual names, political groups or personal interests.
Later Saturday, while attending the inauguration of new agricultural services facilities in Mexico City, Sheinbaum told reporters that she learned of Rocha’s return through the governor’s social media post.
The president said she would provide further comments on the matter during her daily press conference on Monday.
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