Below is my weekly summary/preamble, spoilered so that you can get down into the comments more easily.
preamble
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ceasefire that, for weeks, is so obviously about to be broken at any given moment and yet nonetheless continues. So-called Operation Freedom may mark a resumption of hostilities, as the US seems to once again be trying an active role in attempting to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. The initial, ridiculous claim was that the US Navy would itself be escorting ships (i.e. just getting your destroyers sunk for no reason), and as expected, this was just said to try and calm markets. Nonetheless, there is reporting that other military measures may be taken against Iran soon if they continue to keep the Strait closed, so we’ll see how that all goes.
US gas prices at the pump have hit close to record high numbers, and generally the average citizen is growing mightily displeased with Trump, even those in previously safe demographics. Unfortunately, this discontent is not immediately geopolitically relevant - as both parties are staffed from top to bottom with pro-war Zionists with only a small group of exceptions, and third parties will necessarily never be allowed to take power, there is no way for US public discontent to manifest itself in a change of policy. What is more likely to cause changes in policy will be grumbling from American capitalists, of which there are many factions. The fossil fuel capitalists seem perfectly content for this situation to continue indefinitely, with record profits. I imagine the financial sector is pretty nervous, but aren’t currently demanding Trump cease fire - same for the tech industry which has now been engulfed in AI, as the bubble seems to be close to, but not quite, popping. Smaller businesses and agriculture are perhaps the most likely to be crying uncle, but may have limited representation.
Going back to Western Asia, the situation from last week has remained broadly the same. The Zionist tactic in Southern Lebanon appears to essentially be “If we can’t occupy this land, then you won’t be able to, either,” as they are doing their utmost to physically destroy as many towns and villages on the border as possible. Hezbollah’s success at keeping Zionist territorial gains fairly minimal, and the growing onslaught of not only anti-tank guided missiles but also FPV drones causing chaos where the Zionists attempt to hold and advance, have, I believe, partially contributed to Iran not pushing the issue of a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon so far as to cause them to feel the need to resume fire on the occupied territories.
The US blockade has truly been a mixed affair. While it’s obviously quite leaky and many Iranian ships are getting through, Naked Capitalism and others have pointed out that it’s not just Iranian ships that are transporting goods, and that there are ~70 Chinese ships with Iranian oil that are much less willing to risk running the blockade. But, once again, the success of the blockade isn’t all that relevant. Iran has experienced periods of a couple years straight without meaningful oil exports and survived, and their extensive land borders make a true siege impossible - goods can and are still pouring into the country, and with Pakistan recently allowing Iranian exports through their border, as well as the Caspian Sea in the north and Iran’s railway link to China, Iranian exports can still leave just fine. Another interesting indication is that China’s government has ordered Chinese businesses to ignore US sanctions against Iranian oil, so we’ll see how that develops. And while the issue of maintaining sufficient public cohesion in the wake of economic suffering is a potential long term problem, we haven’t yet seen any meaningful scenes of public discontent inside Iran. Internal unity appears to be staying at record levels in the face of total war.
Even being as careful as possible to check my own biases, it’s difficult for me to form any other conclusion other than that Iran is winning, and people like Armchair Warlord have even pointed out that American tactical victories have been pretty minimal so far.
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The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on the Zionists’ destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
Mirrors of Telegram channels that have been erased by Zionist censorship.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Al Mayadeen: Colonization in print: How Western Liberal journalists distort Lebanon and Palestine
Matt Wolfson argues that Western liberal journalism often disguises colonial assumptions as “objectivity,” reducing Lebanese and Palestinians to victims, extremists, or background figures. He traces this distortion through elite media networks, Zionist influence, and decades of reporting that obscures cause, context, and resistance.
Were Belgium’s Gepards Nearly Sold to Ukraine as Scrap for €2 Million Each, and Why Delivering 15 Systems Is So Complicated
Although Gepard systems have proven highly effective in Ukrainian service, the 15 units promised by Belgium may pose challenges due to concerns about their initial condition
more
At first glance, Belgium’s plan to supply Ukraine with 15 additional Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems sounds like good news and raises the question of why this was not done earlier. However, the reality is more complicated, and the issue goes beyond the specific variant of the system. Photos published on social media show the condition of these air defense systems while in storage at OIP [Belgian defense industry company] in 2021. They reveal that many components, including key elements of the main armament, had been removed. This suggests that even before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and before the Gepard regained relevance as a drone hunter, OIP’s inventory had already been partially dismantled. Some components may have been stored separately, but it is likely that a significant portion had been sold to other operators. This helps explain why, out of up to 50 systems reportedly in storage, only 15 are now being transferred to Ukraine as part of Belgium’s €1 billion aid package. Most likely, this is the number that can realistically be restored to operational condition, while the rest may be fit only for scrap.
It is worth recalling that in 2023, OIP reportedly asked up to €2 million per unit for these Gepards when Ukraine sought to purchase them. At the time, this was widely criticized as excessive pricing. Today, however, this issue appears less significant, either because the terms have improved or because the urgency has increased. Overall, this situation highlights the broader challenges associated with legacy military equipment that has not been produced for years and has been kept in storage, often serving as a source of spare parts for systems still in service. As a result, reactivation becomes a complex and resource-intensive task.
remember this whenever you’re reading equipment figures - for example, France was supposed to have ≈200 Leclerc tanks and about that many in storage, except it turned out that a bunch of those stored tanks had been cannibalized for parts for the active-service ones - so, realistically, they only have the 200-something tanks and can’t restore many more to service
given the pathetic numbers of modern-production vehicles, and these challenges facing the legacy fleets, the reality is that NATO militaries are way more disarmed than they seem, and they already look pretty bad even on the surface!
The Belgian contractor responsible for restoring these Gepards before delivery will likely face a demanding workload. This is especially true given that the systems are in their original baseline configuration, equipped with older radars and analog fire control systems. It is possible that, during their use in Ukraine, German or Ukrainian defense industries have restarted production of certain components, as was done with ammunition. However, there is no confirmed evidence or official information to support this, suggesting that refurbishment will likely rely on existing stockpiles of spare parts. It is also worth noting that Ukraine is receiving more modern alternatives, such as the newly produced German Skyranger 35 and Skynex systems, as well as Sweden’s Tridon Mk2. However, these systems are significantly more expensive and require time to manufacture.
https://xcancel.com/STANISKRAPIVNIK/status/2051210626152759751
The Sunday Times today devotes an entire spread to the sensational story in Ukraine about how a fighter named Nazar Daletsky returned home to Lviv from Russian captivity, only to be buried there with someone else’s remains being handed over to his mother. The story, of course, is touching and revealing. The British newspaper admits that Ukrainian morgues are overwhelmed and unable to cope with the influx of corpses from the front, and many bodies are still lying in refrigerated trucks on railway tracks near Kyiv and Odessa. But for some reason, the Times does not ask the question: how could this happen if, according to Zelensky and official British propaganda, the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are supposedly minimal? Similarly, the Times does not explain to readers why the chevron of the Ukrainian fighter who returned from captivity features the eagle of the Nazi Third Reich. After all, they would have to explain to readers that “Nazism in Ukraine is a fabrication of Russian propaganda”!
interesting sleeve patch…
https://xcancel.com/SU_57R/status/2051418974701953522
🇷🇺🇺🇦 An article published about Ukraine’s recruitment process exposed a major issue with new servicemen. The article quotes officers and commanders who deal with new recruits and claim that the influx of bodies is “catastrophic”. Problems start from the get go: many men aren’t even fit for service, but are brought in anyways because higher ups have created requirement quotas. The article claims that out of 10 men brought in, 2 are addicts, 3 are only partially fit and another 2 go to SSO. "The units are stretched to the breaking point, and the medics are turning into nannies for the seriously ill, who should never have been mobilized in the first place. Simply because someone ‘at the top’ decided that statistics are more important than common sense," - A commander of medical services in the AFU.
https://xcancel.com/MerruX/status/2051434312558350702
US has atleast 20 tankers in the Air in the middle east going towards the Gulf for Iran. It cost about 15k per hour in just fuel cost alone for 1 tanker. Most of these flights are 12-13 hours. That 4 million in fuel alone for these tankers. Not including other jets they are supporting. Its 8 million a day to run this. Assuming 2 jets each. Thats 24m in jet fuel.
you know what we should do in the midst of a historic fuel supply crisis? that’s right, burn a ton of fuel flying planes back-and-forth! I am a genius
the Alliance Fairfax that allegedly transited the strait, has, for whatever reason, not yet turned its transponder back on, so its last position being shown is still in the Gulf, from over two months ago: https://www.marinetraffic.org/vessels/ALLIANCE-FAIRFAX/9303546/366771000/current-position
surely once they’re in safe non-Iranian waters they would turn it back on? I guess we’ll wait and see
https://xcancel.com/BabakVahdad/status/2051389387477242112
Trump: ‘Iran hasn’t violated the ceasefire, they only shot a few missiles most of which were shot down, very little damage’ ABC.
- By downplaying the missile launches, Trump is effectively raising the threshold of what counts as a violation: as long as the damage is limited, it doesn’t “break” the deal.
- In other words: absorb some pressure, keep the truce alive, and avoid sliding into escalation (possibly in view of a kind of a deal).
Like I said yesterday, it would be hilarious if Trump just ignores this. Cmon Iran, this is a green light to constantly launch small waves of missiles at UAE.
https://xcancel.com/philippilk/status/2051150040366739679 https://archive.ph/nW08q
If you are starting to worry about the looming energy crisis but then think “oh no the authorities have a plan that they’ll announce soon” I hate to tell you but they have no plan whatsoever. Everyone is just looking the other way as the energy markets start to collapse. 🙈
stripping the copper out of the walls, actually just taking apart the entire house and selling it brick-by-brick
https://xcancel.com/AMercouris/status/2051360629382885748
The CNN and Financial Times reports of the Kremlin worrying about a coup - of which there is no sign - and CNN’s admission that ‘hoping’ for Russia’s internal collapse is the West’s only ‘strategy’ for winning the Ukraine war shows just how desperate the West has become. Betting everything on internal collapse in Russia is not a ‘strategy’. It is a confession of strategic and moral bankruptcy, sacrificing a nation (Ukraine) whilst holding out for a miracle. That miracle will not come. Russia is politically and economically stable and its army is advancing. That is the reality. It is beyond time for these fantasies to be abandoned and for serious negotiations with the Russians to begin. Further delay compounds the disaster. Of course for that to happen there needs to be an honest debate, which in the West - and especially in Europe - it is now all but impossible to do.
Russia has not even mobilized yet while Ukraine is already scraping the barrel and trying to kidnap Ukrainians living in other countries and throw them in the grinder.
Russia’s economy is not doing good if we look at it from a capitalist perspective but the population will not revolt unless shit gets worse than the 90s which will not happen.
https://xcancel.com/Matt_Bracken48/status/2051500218768613644
Reportedly, two US Navy DDGs, the Mason and the Truxton, have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. This raises an interesting issue of sustainability. At a 20-knot cruising speed, these Burke DDGs have about 9 days before they run dry. At 30 knots, much less, just 3 or 4 days. At their best fuel conservation speed, down around 12 knots, they could go maybe 12 days. So the problem for them is this: they will have to run back out of the Strait of Hormuz and beyond the Gulf of Oman to safely refuel at sea. 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain was hit hard by Iranian missiles and was abandoned, so refueling pier side there is out. Ditto to try refueling in the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai. They would risk being hit while a stationary pier side target.
So some questions arise, assuming the two ships are, as claimed, currently inside the Persian Gulf. Were they essentially permitted into a trap, with Iran not using its most dangerous anti-ship cruise missiles and drones against them, in time-on-target swarms, during the then-ongoing “quazi ceasefire?” It’s an open question. But if the kinetic war heats up again, and the ceasefire is truly over, the Truxton and Mason will have to escape from the Persian Gulf under serious missile fire, or face going to DIW status: Dead In the Water, and in the Persian Gulf. (Incidentally, what every Navy commanding officer fears most, outside of being hit by a missile, striking a mine, or running hard aground on a reef, is, to use Navy vernacular, “going broke-dick dead in the water.” Typically this happens due to an engine room or electrical snafu. But running out of fuel? That would be career ending.) And DIW in the PG is not where any sailor wants to be in wartime. So I expect our 2 DDGs will scram back out of the PG while the quazi-ceasefire still holds.
Or will our Navy admirals consider their 2-DDG incursion into the PG a success, and attempt to reinforce it with more inbound warships? Maybe even our amphibious ships, loaded with Marines? To attack Kharg Island, say? And if this happens, will this be on the road to ultimate U.S. victory, or to our fleet being allowed into an Iranian sea-cauldron trap? Time will tell.
putting two of my guys right on top of a clearly marked Bond-villain-trapdoor-to-a-vat-of-sharks, to, uh…?
https://xcancel.com/_AuberonHerbert/status/2051522644181123493
USS Truxton, 1 of the 2 destroyers reported by CBS to have crossed the SOH, was involved in a collision in the Caribbean in Feb. The repair contract was awarded on 4/15, with work to be completed over 2 yrs at Norfolk. I doubt the ship is even taking part in Epic Fury.
well, at least one of my guys (allegedly) standing on top of the trapdoor is half-dead from prior injuries anyway, so not a big deal if he dies!
https://xcancel.com/AJEnglish/status/2051489027560202516 https://archive.ph/JOTDl
BREAKING: The six Iranian boats targeted by the US in the Strait of Hormuz were not IRGC-affiliated speedboats, but civilian vessels carrying goods and passengers, and five people were killed in the attack, reports Iranian state media.
A military official told the Tasnim news agency that, after US reports of the attacks, an investigation was carried out by Iranian authorities, who found that US forces had “attacked and fired upon two small cargo boats carrying civilians that were moving from Khasab on the coast of Oman towards the Iranian coast”. “This hasty and clumsy behaviour by the enemy stems from the excessive fear and nightmare of the US military regarding the IRGC’s fast-boat operations,” Tasnim quoted the military official as saying. After reporting that US forces attacked the Iranian small boats on Monday, CENTCOM, which is leading US operations in the region, said that Sea Hawk and Apache attack helicopters “were used to eliminate Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping”. Washington said the boats were destroyed while they were attempting to interfere with commercial shipping amid US operations to reopen the strait.
> get pissed off about the Iranians calling your bluff
> murder a bunch of random civilians and pretend they were military targets so you can say “see, we’re totally still in control!”
y’know, sometimes you just really wanna take a guy and…
Article
Iran confirmed on Sunday that the United States has delivered its response to Tehran’s proposed 14-point plan through Pakistani mediators, and that the Islamic Republic is currently reviewing the document.
“The Americans have given their answer to Iran’s 14-point plan to the Pakistani side, and we are currently reviewing it,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a televised interview.
He clarified that the Iranian proposal is exclusively focused on ending the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and hostilities in the region and contains no provisions related to the country’s nuclear program.
“The plan we have presented is centered on ending the war. There are absolutely no details regarding the country’s nuclear issues in this proposal,” Baghaei said.
He dismissed recent reports, including a piece by Al Jazeera, which claimed the 14-point plan included a 15-year suspension of Iran’s nuclear activities and potential US-Iran cooperation on mine-sweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
“These are among the things that I believe are fabricated by the imagination of some media outlets. No such thing exists in the plan,” the spokesman said.
He pointed out that the nuclear issues that have recently been raised were covered in previous negotiations between Tehran and Washington and have nothing to do with the current plan.
The US and Israel attacked Iran in mid-June and late February as Tehran was in the midst of diplomatic talks with Washington over its peaceful nuclear program, he explained.
“We are not currently engaged in any negotiations over the nuclear issue, and decisions about the future will be made in due course,” he emphasized.
Baghaei reiterated that Iran’s immediate diplomatic and security focus remains on halting aggression across the region, particularly in Lebanon.
“We are currently concentrated on ending the war in the region, including in Lebanon,” he said. “As for other matters, decisions will be made at their appropriate time. As I mentioned, at this stage we are focused on ending the war, and we have no nuclear negotiations.”
The proposed framework is based on an initial cessation of hostilities, followed by a 30-day period during which detailed provisions would be examined, the spokesperson said.
Iran fundamentally does not accept negotiations under ultimatums or imposed deadlines, he asserted.
The spokesperson dismissed media speculations that some countries have been named as guarantors of a possible agreement between Iran and the US.
Baghaie said that Tehran does not rely on Washington’s commitments as “guarantees”, instead, Iran’s leverage stems from its own domestic power and capabilities.
“Power on the battlefield and levers are the most important assurances for the implementation of any potential agreement,” he explained.
IRNA reported on Friday that Tehran delivered the text of its latest plan to Pakistan Thursday night as a mediator in talks with the United States.
The United States and Israel launched their unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on February 28. They assassinated Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and struck nuclear facilities, schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure.
Iran’s Armed Forces responded with 100 waves of retaliatory strikes under Operation True Promise 4, launching hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones, against American military bases across West Asia and Israeli positions throughout the occupied territories.
On April 8, forty days into the war, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire took effect. Iran and the US held one round of intensive discussions in Islamabad on April 11 aimed at securing a permanent deal but they ended after 21 hours with no breakthrough with Iran citing Washington’s “excessive demands.”
US President Donald Trump on April 21 said that he would indefinitely extend the ceasefire.
Iranian officials have said that Washington should lift its illegal blockade on Iranian ports before the start of new round of talks. Tehran has also asserted that, as long as the blockade is still in place, it has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The US blockade of Iranian ports has also failed to achieve its stated aim of cutting off Iran’s oil revenues.
Article
On Sunday, four months after his kidnapping, Venezuela’s Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro urged the Venezuelan people to promote unity and faith as tools to overcome adversity.
In a message shared on social media, the president emphasized perseverance as a fundamental value for navigating complex times. He invited citizens and people around the world to delve deeper into the biblical teachings of apostles Peter and Paul.
In the message, co-signed by First Lady Cilia Flores, President Maduro noted that spiritual strength is the necessary engine for building a free and sovereign homeland.
In the text, he reflected on passages from the New Testament that urge people to unite belief with virtue, knowledge, and temperance.
He also emphasized that providence has provided what is necessary for life and that it is now up to society to respond with discipline and dedication.
President Maduro recalled that the country’s history and the dignity of its workers constitute a “cloud of witnesses” that accompanies the nation in its determination to move forward on the right path without abandoning hope.
Under this premise, he emphasized the importance of not giving in to evil and, instead, overcoming misfortune through the practice of good and constant prayer.
Finally, President Maduro stated that sovereignty is defended through honesty and the protection of the truth.
By urging patience in the face of tribulation, he reaffirmed his conviction that unity of purpose will provide the indispensable strength to overcome any obstacle, ensuring that Venezuela will prevail through justice and peace.
Hondurasgate: Juan Orlando Hernández, Zionism, and US Imperialism - Orinoco Tribune
Article
The release of controversial leaked audio recordings exposed a dangerous plot where transnational economic and political power prevails over the popular will. Honduras now faces the urgent need to investigate these leaks and prevent Juan Orlando Hernández’s return to consolidate a dictatorship financed by the imperial interests of the US and “Israel.”
In the late 1990s, Juan Orlando Hernández was elected deputy to Honduras’ National Congress under the banner of the National Party. For over a decade, he built legislative influence, control of internal party networks, and alliances with business and security sectors.
His presidency was inaugurated in 2014 with a platform promising a frontal assault on organized crime and drug trafficking. At the time, Honduras was one of the most violent countries in the world, with homicide rates exceeding 80 per 100,000 inhabitants. As president of Congress, Hernández had promoted the armed forces’ participation in policing and the creation of structures such as the Military Police of Public Order.
However, the reality of his administration was a progressive concentration of power, including influence over the judiciary and political control of Congress. This was compounded by countless human rights violations associated with his security strategy. Human Rights Watch’s 2017 World Report documented 21 murders of journalists in two years, the removal of 29 judges, and the suspension of another 28 without clear criteria.
In 2015, the Supreme Court, controlled by Hernández, ruled that the ban on reelection was inapplicable. Two years later, he ran in an election marred by serious irregularities. The subsequent post-election crisis led to mass protests, curfews, and repression. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) documented deaths, arbitrary detentions, disproportionate use of force, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The IACHR went so far as to describe Honduras as “one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders.”
The arrest of his brother, Tony Hernández, marked a definitive turning point. In 2019, Tony Hernández was found guilty in the US of large-scale cocaine trafficking and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021. During the trial, prosecutors claimed drug trafficking networks had bribed Honduran politicians and directly named Juan Orlando Hernández, who allegedly received $1 million from Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the leader of the Sinaloa cartel.
The former mayor of El Paraíso, Copán, Amílcar Alexander Ardón Soriano, claimed to have witnessed a meeting between Tony Hernández and “El Chapo.” There, the money for the reelection campaign was handed over. He also stated that the former president asked him to bribe three members of Congress.
Hernández was subsequently included on the US list of “corrupt and anti-democratic actors,” and his visa was suspended. After leaving power in January 2022, he was arrested and extradited to New York to face trial for facilitating the shipment of more than 400 tons of cocaine to the US.
In March 2024, the former president was sentenced to 45 years in prison. The prosecution argued that Hernández used the state apparatus to facilitate these drug trafficking operations with the objective of “flooding the US with cocaine.” They maintained that under his administration, Honduras had a system where traffickers could operate with protection from the highest levels of government. According to the indictment, millions of dollars in bribes financed political campaigns and ensured institutional control.
Hernández denied all accusations, claiming to be the victim of a setup by Joe Biden’s government in a rigged trial. However, Donald Trump’s victory in November 2024 changed his fortunes. The Republican granted him a presidential pardon in December 2025, sending a direct message to the Honduran political elite following Nasry Asfura’s contested victory. In April 2026, a US appeals court overturned the 45-year sentence, leading Hernández to declare the decision a “complete wipe of the slate.”
Today, thanks to leaked audio recordings published exclusively by Canal Red and Hondurasgate, it has been revealed that “Israel” paid for the pardon and that Trump is facilitating Hernández’s return to the presidency. This move appears to be aimed at turning Honduras into a geopolitical control enclave for the continent.
The release of controversial leaked audio recordings exposed a dangerous plot where transnational economic and political power prevails over the popular will. Honduras now faces the urgent need to investigate these leaks and prevent Juan Orlando Hernández’s return to consolidate a dictatorship financed by the imperial interests of the US and “Israel.”
Bolivian transport workers begin national strike - Prensa Latina
Article
La Paz, May 5 (Prensa Latina) The Federated Transport sector began a national strike today in Bolivia, and its leaders responded to President Rodrigo Paz that if the government wants to engage in dialogue, it must do so amidst the protest.
The day before, the leader of the Bolivian Confederation of Drivers, Víctor Tarqui, assured that the staggered strike, defined in a national assembly, will begin this Tuesday with a generalized measure of passenger and freight transport for 24 hours.
He added that if their demands are not met, they will continue with another 48-hour strike until they reach an indefinite one.
This union demands guarantees of fuel supply and quality, compensation for damages caused to their engines by so-called “garbage gasoline,” imported and distributed by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), and the maintenance of roads in Bolivia.
The sector warns that, despite previous agreements at dialogue tables, all these promises have been broken by the Government.
The drivers’ strikes constitute blockades with their heavy vehicles, buses, minibuses and cars (trufis) on the main streets and avenues, a situation that prevents vehicular traffic.
Drivers in La Paz and El Alto, meanwhile, confirmed a 24-hour strike this Tuesday, accompanied by the installation of 88 roadblocks, 44 at the headquarters of the national government and 44 in the city of El Alto, according to their calls.
Leaders of this union ratified the pressure tactic in demand of attention to their demands, mainly regarding the quality of gasoline and compensation for damages to motorcyclists.
“We are going to carry out a massive strike. The national government has only signed agreements; we want to meet with the president of the state and, if that doesn’t happen, we are going to escalate the action,” said Limberth Táncara, leader of the Free Transport union, in an interview with the Unitel network.
:For his part, the drivers’ spokesperson, Edson Valdez, pointed out that the government authorities have failed to fulfill the commitments made to the transporters regarding their two main demands.
“The fuel quality is poor. Compensation is moving at a snail’s pace. They’ve given each union two or three payments; this government wants to silence us with that,” Valdez criticized.
Union leaders agreed that the measure will be forceful, and reiterated that they do not rule out more far-reaching actions if their demands are not met, while the Government maintains its call for dialogue to avoid disrupting traffic and daily activities.
