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As the People’s Liberation Army marks its 99th anniversary on August 1, one year from the deadline for its centenary goals, its evolution highlights the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the second part of a series, Gabriel Dominguez examines how Beijing is pushing the envelope on its near-seas island arc. Beijing has urged the People’s Liberation Army to transform into a “world-class military” by the mid-21st century, intent on piercing US-led chokepoints along an arc of...

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As of July 28, the U.S. was at war with Iran for 150 days, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and dozens of Iranian leaders, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including bombing a school in Minab, Iran, and the undermining of global trade. Calling for this war to . . .

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Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Thursday, July 30, the governments of Venezuela and Chile announced the start of a plan for the progressive normalization of bilateral relations.

As the first stage of the process, the two countries agreed to reactivate consular relations to guarantee protection and access to consular services for Venezuelan and Chilean citizens residing in both countries.

The announcement came days after Venezuela and Peru began a similar gradual process toward restoring bilateral relations, also beginning with the reactivation of consular services.

The official statement noted that the initiative is rooted in the “historic ties of friendship and Latin American solidarity” that have united Venezuela and Chile since their origins as republics.

Both governments confirmed that the rapprochement will proceed through constructive dialogue based on “mutual respect, reciprocity, and complete adherence to the norms of International Law.”

The statement added that the joint efforts seek to promote the development and well-being of the peoples of both countries and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region.

Venezuelan community in Chile
Venezuelans constitute the largest foreign-born national community in Chile, making the restoration of consular relations particularly significant for hundreds of thousands of people. On the other side, the Chilean community in Venezuela is estimated at approximately 20,000 people.

The Venezuelan community in Chile has been subjected to continuous xenophobic campaigns, discriminatory treatment, and incidents of violence at both private and institutional levels.

These attacks have frequently been fueled by the stigmatization of Venezuelan migration within sectors of Chilean politics and corporate media, particularly during periods of heightened right-wing and anti-migrant mobilization.

Relations severed following 2024 election
As in the case of Peru, diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Chile were severed in July 2024 following interventionist statements by the Chilean government concerning Venezuela’s presidential election.

President Nicolás Maduro was reelected on July 28, 2024, for the 2025-2031 constitutional term.

The Chilean government joined several regional far-right governments in questioning the results announced by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council. Caracas condemned these comments as violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.

In response, the Venezuelan government ordered the complete withdrawal of Venezuelan diplomatic personnel from Chile and instructed Chilean diplomats to leave Caracas.

The measure also impacted Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay after their governments issued interventionist statements challenging Venezuela’s electoral institutions.

Chile had previously been a founding member of the Lima Group, established in Peru in August 2017.

The US-promoted bloc was initially formed by 12 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.

Despite presenting itself as a regional initiative seeking a negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political disputes, the Lima Group became one of the principal instruments of Washington’s failed regime-change operation against the Bolivarian Revolution.

The bloc worked to isolate Venezuela diplomatically, legitimize coercive measures against the country, and support efforts to replace its constitutional government with a US-aligned administration.

The normalization process with Chile follows the collapse of this strategy and Venezuela’s renewed diplomatic engagement with governments across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Venezuela and Peru Reactivate Consular Relations in First Step Toward Resuming Full Diplomatic Ties

The unofficial translation of the Venezuelan statement follows:

The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the government of the Republic of Chile announce the start of a roadmap for the progressive normalization of bilateral relations.

In a first stage, both countries have agreed to reactivate consular relations as an initial step towards the full resumption of bilateral ties to ensure protection and consular services for their nationals residing in both sister countries.

This joint initiative is based on the historic ties of friendship and Latin American solidarity that have united Venezuela and Chile since their origins as Republics and inspire their joint efforts in favor of the development and well-being of our peoples and our region.

Venezuela and Chile reaffirm that this process will be based on constructive dialogue, under the principles of mutual respect, reciprocity, and complete adherence to the norms of International Law.

Caracas, July 30, 2026

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/JRE/SF

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Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Thursday, July 30, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said that the Venezuela Reborn Plan continues to advance toward its central objective: providing new homes to families affected by the June 24 earthquake.

“We reviewed the progress in housing construction and evaluated new strategies to accelerate the recovery of the impacted areas,” Rodríguez wrote on social media.

She reiterated that protecting the Venezuelan people remains a priority for her government. “We will not rest until every person can enjoy the peace of mind of a safe home,” she added.

Habitability assessments
On Friday, the Presidential Commission for the Infrastructure Habitability Assessment presented the latest results from its rapid assessments of earthquake damage. The commission reported that 39,787 buildings have been inspected so far.

Of the properties inspected, 22,646, or 57%, received a green classification, indicating that they are habitable and have no serious damage.

Another 9,076 properties, or 23%, received a yellow classification due to moderate damage requiring restrictions on their use. The remaining 8,065 buildings, or 20%, received a red classification for severe damage.

The Caracas Mayor’s Office also reported that 16,605 technical inspections have been conducted across the capital.

Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez released the figures during a radio interview on Thursday. She explained that, under the traffic light risk methodology, approximately 64% of the properties inspected in Caracas received green certification, indicating they are habitable and sustained only minor damage.

Another 24% received a yellow classification due to intermediate damage, while approximately 13% were placed under a red alert for severe damage.

Controlled demolition phase begins
Also on Thursday, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that authorities had completed the first controlled demolition of a structure at risk of collapse in La Guaira state.

Cabello said the operation was coordinated on the ground with the relatives of those affected. He also highlighted the joint efforts of emergency personnel to conduct the demolition safely.

“We are carrying out the first demolition here in La Guaira state. It was planned, reviewed, and conducted by officials from our Bolivarian National Armed Force and our explosives experts,” he said.

Cabello reported that the operation proceeded according to plan. “The result was what we expected from the beginning. The charges worked, the safety tests were performed, and the entire perimeter was evacuated on time. The building fell as planned,” he said.

Following the demolition, firefighters began spraying the area with water to cool the site. “Then, the explosive-detection dogs would enter to detect any unexploded material. It is part of the process,” Cabello explained.

Venezuela Decorates Outgoing UN Coordinator as Post-Earthquake Recovery Phase Begins

He added that the controlled demolition was essential for search teams to resume their work safely.

“The search could not continue because of the building’s dangerous tilt. Once the building collapsed, those tasks resumed. The search process restarted,” he said.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/JRE/SF

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The following is a report by the Coordination of Communist Cells, a communist and anti-imperialist organization in the Spanish state regarding the situation of political prisoners in the part of Ukraine ruled from Kiev and backed by the U.S. and European Union imperialists. The information is valuable to counter the . . .

Continue reading Fascist Ukraine vs anti-fascist Ukraine and the tasks of internationalist solidarity at Workers.org

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The state plans to build more than 150 new weather stations, but on any given day up to 20 existing stations in Alaska are not reporting.

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On July 22-23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The vote was 216-212; six Democrats supported the measure and seven Republicans opposed it. It included a $1.15 trillion Pentagon package — the highest in U.S. history.  Some media outlets erroneously reported . . .

Continue reading Stop the secret war chest for Israel! at Workers.org

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LaDawn Redcrow and Waseskwan at a powwow. Photo supplied.

This story was originally printed in Alberta Native News and appears here with permission and minor style edits.

For the Redcrow family, the drum is more than music. It is a heartbeat, a connection to culture, and a source of belonging.

Neil and LaDawn Redcrow’s journey into the powwow circle began through their children. What started as a family attending powwows together became a way of life and one that has brought them closer to culture, community, and each other.

At the heart of their story is their youngest child, Waseskwan, whose connection to the drum has touched people throughout the powwow community.

LaDawn, whose family is from Buffalo Narrows, Saskatchewan, and who now lives in “Edmonton,” said their family’s powwow journey began about 13 years ago when their daughter inspired them to attend their first gatherings.

“We knew nothing really about powwows or anything,” LaDawn said. “We just started bringing her around the powwow circle and kind of just going to powwows all summer.”

Over time, powwow became more than a family activity. It became part of their identity.

Their three children — two daughters and their son — have grown up knowing the powwow circle as a place of culture, family, and connection.

“I’ve always gone to powwows my whole life, but I never really danced all that much until my daughter was born,” said Neil, who is from Saddle Lake Cree Nation.

He began dancing in 2015, and as LaDawn learned to make regalia, the family became more involved. Their daughters now dance powwow, with their oldest daughter Kiana earning titles including Tiny Tot Princess and Junior Princess.

“Our children grew up with it,” Neil said. “Our son too likes dancing and singing. Everybody knows him at powwow.”

‘The drum is the spirit’

For the Redcrow family, everything comes back to the drum.

“The drum is the spirit,” LaDawn said. “It’s the ceremony. It’s everything that a powwow is.”

She said dancers are not simply performing, they are responding to the spirit and heartbeat of the drum. That connection became especially meaningful when Waseskwan took his first steps.

LaDawn remembers attending a powwow in Cold Lake when an intertribal song began. At the time, Waseskwan, who has Down’s syndrome, had not yet started walking.

“That was the first time an intertribal song came on, and that was the first time he ever walked,” she said. “I believe it was the spirit of that drum.”

Neil said he witnessed the same connection. At about 18 months old, Waseskwan was only able to take a few steps. During a powwow, he connected with a drum group and began dancing.

“Before he could even fully walk, he was just dancing,” Neil said. “He just never stopped since then.”

Today, at just four years old, Waseskwan is known across the powwow community. He goes from drum to drum, singing with groups and being welcomed into the circle.

“He just jumps in there and starts singing with people, and they just allow him,” Neil said. “Through him, I know people all over Indian Country.”

Neil said his son has introduced him to people he may never have met otherwise.

“We’ll go to powwows and people I don’t even know are like, ‘Hey, it’s Wasey’,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, my son knows everybody.’”

Powwows as a source of healing and joy

For Neil, powwow also carries teachings about responsibility.

“You’re supposed to be protectors [of children], and protectors of the women,” he said. “I have two daughters, so it’s a big role to fulfill, keeping your children close.”

He believes the positive impact of powwow is what matters most.

“I always look for the positives in powwow,” Neil said. “There could be negatives anywhere you look, but I always just try to follow the positives — what good it’s done for my children.”

The family knows the powwow lifestyle requires commitment. There are late nights preparing regalia, early mornings getting ready, and long days travelling.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s enjoyable at the end of the day,” Neil said.

For him, the drum remains the centre of everything. “The drum is very powerful,” he said. “That’s really what makes the powwow happen.”

The Redcrow family believes powwow also plays an important role in healing Indigenous communities. Neil said cultural gatherings provide opportunities to grieve, but also to celebrate life.

“Our Indigenous communities overall need a lot of healing and they need something to celebrate,” he said.

Through powwows, ceremonies, and gatherings, he believes communities can reconnect and create moments of joy for future generations.

For Neil and LaDawn, Waseskwan’s journey is a reminder that culture belongs to everyone.

When they learned their son had Down’s syndrome, Neil wondered whether he would be accepted within the Indigenous community. Over time, he saw a growing acceptance and recognition of people with disabilities within powwow spaces.

“The most amazing part for me is just how he’s accepted and known all over,” Neil said.

Through the drum, dance, and the powwow circle, Waseskwan has shown people the power of love, inclusion, and belonging.

“It’s such a beautiful way of life,” LaDawn said. “Through this little boy, you get to see that.”

The post Beloved on the powwow circuit, young boy’s connection to the drum inspires appeared first on Indiginews.

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The online child educator known as Ms. Rachel on Friday used her massive platform on Instagram to promote a dozen progressive Democrats running for seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives.

"These are the folks I believe care about all kids," wrote Rachel Accurso, whose wildly popular videos are designed to encourage language development. She asked her more than 5 million followers to share "which candidates you're voting for and why."

Accurso is supporting:

• Becca Balint in Vermont's At-Large Congressional District;
• Cori Bush in Missouri's 1st Congressional District;
• Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate in Michigan;
• Peggy Flanagan for US Senate in Minnesota;
• Troy Jackson for US Senate in Maine;
• Jarrett Keohokalole in Hawaii's 1st Congressional District;
• Oliver Larkin in Florida's 25th Congressional District;
• William Lawrence in Michigan's 7th Congressional District;
• Elijah Manley in Florida's 20th Congressional District;
• Donavan McKinney in Michigan's 13th Congressional District;
• Angie Nixon for US Senate in Florida; and
• Justin Pearson in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District.

"I think politicians shouldn't attack each other and I don't think big groups should be able to use millions to attack candidates," Accurso asserted. From her home state of Maine to Michigan, super political action committees (PACs) and billionaires have spent big to boost "moderate" Democrats and Republicans amid a recent series of progressive primary victories.

"I'm for peace and kindness always but that doesn't mean not telling the truth and not standing up against injustice," said the educator, who has outraged right-wingers for speaking out against Israel's assault on Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.

Accurso wrote that "I'm for the kids, I'm for the people—I think all kids and people should have medical care, I don't think anyone needs a billion dollars ever, I think all kids should be safe from violence, I think parents should be able to afford high quality childcare if they want it/a parent should be able to stay home if they want to."

"I think everyone should be able to feed their kids and have high quality schools without stress—I just love literally everyone," she added.

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Balint is seeking a third term in the House. As the presumptive Democratic nominee, she is expected to face the Republican who wins the August 11 primary—likely Gerald Malloy, an Army veteran and defense contractor who previously ran for Senate, according to recent polling.

Bush—who was previously part of the progressive "Squad" in Congress—is hoping to reclaim the seat she lost last cycle to Democratic Rep. Wesley Bell, who was financially backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's super PAC, the United Democracy Project (UDP). Their primary is August 4.

During this cycle, UDP is targeting El-Sayed, who is facing Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Michigan's August 4 Democratic primary. After Accurso contributed $3,000 to El-Sayed, Samantha Cantrell, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told the New York Post last Saturday that "Abdul El-Sayed and Ms. Rachel are one and the same, forcing their socialist, they/them, anti-America agenda on our children, and parents should be worried when they head to the ballot box."

Flanagan, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, is running to replace Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who decided not to seek reelection and is supporting the progressive. Polling conducted in the lead-up to the August 11 primary for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party shows Flanagan ahead of Congresswoman Angie Craig.

Maine Democrats last weekend nominated Jackson, a former state Senate president and logger, to challenge longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. He replaced Graham Platner, who stepped aside after sexual assault allegations, which he denied. Platner's surge in popularity and series of scandals have drawn national attention to the race.

Keohokalole is running to oust incumbent Democratic Rep. Ed Case, who is currently leading in polls. According to Hawaii Public Radio, the state senator "decided to run for Congress after seeing how Case reacted to immigration agents holding teachers at gunpoint on Maui." Their primary is August 8.

Larkin is challenging another Democratic incumbent: Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz. As the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday, Larkin is "a democratic socialist inspired to get involved in politics by progressive icon US Sen. Bernie Sanders," a Vermont Independent. Their primary is August 18.

Lawrence, a co-founder of the youth-led climate organization Sunrise Movement, is hoping to beat former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam and Bridget Brink, who was previously US ambassador to Slovakia and Ukraine, in Michigan's primary on August 4.

Manley aims to represent a Florida district impacted by Republicans' mid-decade map-rigging at the request of President Donald Trump. Longtime Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has faced criticism for opting to run in this primary, scheduled for August 18.

Backed by progressives in Congress including Sanders and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), McKinney is running to unseat Democratic Michigan Congressman Shri Thanedar, who has support from key party leaders in the House. The pair face off in the August 4 primary.

Nixon "is running an unapologetically progressive campaign" against Alex Vindman, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel who was a key witness in Trump's first impeachment trial. The winner of the August 18 primary will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed last year and is now seeking a full term.

Pearson, known nationally for being expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives by Republicans over his protest for stricter gun laws, is running in the Memphis district targeted by GOP gerrymandering efforts. After the redistricting, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen opted to retire. The primary is August 6.

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By Gerry Condon Condon is the former president of Veterans For Peace and currently a member of the VFP National Board. Veterans For Peace has issued a strong condemnation of Marco Rubio’s McCarthyite report, “Cuba, the Capital of 21st Century Communism,” which was released by the State Department on July . . .

Continue reading Veterans condemn Rubio’s threats against Cuba and against U.S. peace and solidarity activists at Workers.org

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Spain has returned nearly 48,500 people to Moroccan territory following the massive irregular entry of migrants into the autonomous city of Ceuta, as authorities deploy the armed forces and border operations accelerate.

The Spanish and Moroccan governments reached an agreement on Thursday to expedite the return of migrants who entered recently.

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior confirmed the accelerated return operation through the Tarajal breakwater at a rate of 150 people per minute, applying the coordinated return agreements between Madrid and Rabat to contain a contingency that reached at least 57 lives.

RELATED: EU Commission Rejects Suspending Spain from Schengen Over Ceuta Crisis

The mass return operation is being executed while commercial and labor activities in the city of 83,000 inhabitants remain paralyzed, after nearly 50,000 people entered Ceuta irregularly since Thursday.

Army troops, the National Police and the Civil Guard secure the streets and intensify maritime patrols for the recovery of bodies along the coasts.

Analysts affirmed that mass mobilization was driven by the viral spread of social media messages within Morocco, which falsely claimed that territorial boundaries remained open and without access restrictions. However, local Moroccan media pointed out that the spontaneous crossing is difficult to sustain in the midst of the Throne Day festivities and pointed to the articulation of digital platforms to generate an unprecedented flow of young people and minors from the locality of Castillejos.

Following this, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares criticized the Italian government’s comments on the events, summoning the ambassador in Madrid and rejecting Rome’s announcement of border controls on non-European travelers arriving from Spain until August 31. “Practically all of those who entered Ceuta have already returned to Morocco. It is not possible to travel from Ceuta and Melilla to the peninsula without identifying yourself at a police checkpoint. The integrity of the Schengen area is absolutely guaranteed. Enough of interested confusion,” Albares wrote on X.

Almost everyone who entered Ceuta yesterday has now returned to Morocco.

It is not possible to travel from Ceuta or Melilla to mainland Spain without presenting identification at a police checkpoint. The integrity of the Schengen area is fully guaranteed. https://t.co/F2s3JWN4bF

— Embassy of Spain UK (@EmbSpainUK) July 31, 2026

During the hours of greatest tension, the Moroccan police intervened with tear gas and water cannons in the vicinity of Castillejos and the Tarajal crossing to repress hundreds of young people and families gathered with the intention of crossing.

The crisis has reignited tensions over the status of the two Spanish enclaves on African soil and put the spotlight on the migration policies that govern the western Mediterranean route.

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The enclave remains under military reinforcement while the accelerated return operation continues through the Tarajal breakwater, as Morocco and Spain seek to contain one of the most serious border crises in the western Mediterranean in recent years. Humanitarian organizations warn that the toll could rise, while families of the missing demand information about those who attempted the maritime crossing and never reached the Spanish shore.

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