标签： North America

Minneapolis has become the epicenter of national unrest following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer on Wednesday. The incident has triggered widespread demonstrations across multiple U.S. cities and sparked conflicting narratives between federal authorities and local officials.

Federal immigration officials assert that Good attempted to strike immigration agents with her vehicle, necessitating what they describe as a defensive response. However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has publicly condemned the shooting as reckless, while other local officials characterize Good as merely caring for her neighbors when she was shot at close range.

This lethal encounter occurred amid the substantial deployment of hundreds of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration. The government had recently assigned an additional 2,000 federal agents to the region following allegations of welfare fraud in Minnesota.

The shooting has ignited passionate protests from coast to coast. In New York City, demonstrators gathered to express solidarity with Minneapolis residents and demand accountability. Oakland, California saw significant gatherings, while Chicago has witnessed daily protests against ICE operations that have become routine occurrences.

Vigils honoring Good’s memory have accompanied the protests, creating a dual atmosphere of mourning and civic outrage. The contrasting official accounts of the incident have further polarized communities and raised serious questions about federal immigration enforcement tactics.

In a significant diplomatic development, Colombian President Gustavo Petro held a substantive telephone conversation with United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon. The high-level exchange, confirmed by sources within Colombia’s Foreign Ministry and reported by local media outlets, marks a pivotal moment in bilateral relations between the two nations.

The dialogue occurs against a backdrop of recent tensions, as President Trump has reportedly issued multiple threats directed at the Colombian leader in preceding weeks. While the precise content and tone of their discussion remain confidential, the mere occurrence of direct communication suggests potential de-escalation efforts between the two administrations.

This diplomatic engagement represents President Petro’s continued navigation of complex international relationships while maintaining Colombia’s strategic interests. The conversation likely addressed critical issues including trade agreements, security cooperation, and regional stability in Latin America.

The phone call demonstrates both leaders’ recognition of the importance of maintaining functional diplomatic channels despite apparent disagreements, underscoring the enduring significance of the Colombia-US partnership in hemispheric affairs.

In a significant development concerning international energy politics, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright declared on Wednesday that the United States will maintain indefinite control over the marketing and sales of Venezuela’s oil production. The announcement was made during an industry conference in Miami, Florida.

Secretary Wright outlined the comprehensive plan, stating that the U.S. government will initially market approximately 30-50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil that had been previously stored under sanctions. Subsequently, the arrangement will extend indefinitely to include all future production from the South American nation’s oil fields.

The mechanism established will see all oil sales “conducted by the U.S. government with proceeds deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government,” according to Wright’s statements. The Energy Secretary framed this control as necessary leverage to drive political and social changes within Venezuela, while simultaneously claiming that proceeds from these sales would eventually benefit the Venezuelan people.

The policy emerges amid ongoing diplomatic engagements between the Trump administration and Venezuelan leadership, as well as consultations with U.S. petroleum corporations. This development follows recent military actions against Venezuela that have drawn international criticism, with many observers characterizing the intervention as primarily motivated by Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves rather than humanitarian concerns.

The indefinite control of Venezuela’s primary economic resource represents an unprecedented extension of U.S. influence over another nation’s sovereign assets, setting a notable precedent in international relations and energy politics.

In a landmark foreign policy decision, the Trump administration has formally initiated the United States’ withdrawal from 66 international organizations. The White House announced the move via social media platform X on Wednesday, following the signing of a presidential memorandum by President Donald Trump.

The comprehensive disengagement encompasses 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 UN-affiliated entities that the administration asserts ‘no longer serve American interests.’ The presidential memorandum represents one of the most significant unilateral reductions of U.S. participation in global governance frameworks in modern history.

This strategic pivot reflects the administration’s America First doctrine, prioritizing national sovereignty over multilateral commitments. The withdrawal process from these diverse international bodies will unfold through established diplomatic channels, though the specific organizations affected were not detailed in the initial announcement.

The move signals a profound shift in how the United States engages with international institutions, potentially reshaping global power dynamics and creating strategic vacuums that other nations may seek to fill. The decision follows years of criticism from the administration regarding what it perceives as ineffective or counterproductive international agreements that constrain U.S. autonomy.

Thousands of Venezuelan citizens converged in central Caracas on Wednesday for a major demonstration expressing solidarity with their detained leader. The protest, organized by government supporters and civil society groups, centered on demands for Washington to immediately release President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores from US custody.

Protesters carried national flags and banners proclaiming ‘Hands Off Venezuela’ while chanting slogans defending national sovereignty against what they characterized as American judicial overreach. The gathering represented the first significant public response since Maduro’s extradition to the United States last month to face narcoterrorism charges.

Organizers framed the demonstration as both a show of domestic support for the embattled leader and a rejection of foreign interference in Venezuela’s political affairs. Several speakers addressed the crowd, accusing the United States of orchestrating a politically motivated prosecution designed to undermine Venezuela’s sovereign government.

The protest occurred amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Caracas and Washington, with Venezuela’s interim government threatening to review all bilateral agreements should Maduro remain in US detention. Regional allies including Cuba and Nicaragua have issued statements condemning Maduro’s prosecution as a violation of international law.

The Trump administration has executed a sweeping disengagement from global governance structures by formally withdrawing the United States from 66 international organizations. This strategic repositioning, enacted through a presidential memorandum signed Wednesday, represents one of the most comprehensive shifts in American foreign policy in recent decades.

Nearly half of the affected entities operate under the United Nations framework, including the foundational UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that serves as the architectural basis for worldwide climate cooperation. The withdrawal extends to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the premier scientific body assessing global climate science, alongside organizations addressing peacekeeping, democratic governance, family planning, and conflict-related sexual violence.

The White House justified these withdrawals as necessary to terminate American taxpayer funding to entities that allegedly advance “globalist agendas” at the expense of U.S. priorities. An official statement characterized many of these organizations as promoting “radical climate policies, global governance and ideological programs” that conflict with American sovereignty and economic interests.

This action follows President Trump’s consistent pattern of challenging multilateral institutions and established scientific consensus. The administration had previously withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and declined participation in the COP30 climate summit in Brazil. Legal scholars note that while the Constitution outlines procedures for treaty ratification, it remains silent on withdrawal mechanisms, potentially setting the stage for constitutional challenges.

Reaction from the scientific community has been sharply critical. Rachel Cleetus, senior policy director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, described the move as emblematic of an “authoritarian” and “anti-science” administration deliberately undermining global cooperation. This systematic disengagement from international frameworks signals a fundamental reorientation of America’s role in global governance structures.

A fatal shooting involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis has sparked significant controversy, with federal officials characterizing the incident as an act of domestic terrorism.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the confrontation occurred on January 7, 2026, when ICE officers became stranded in snowy conditions during adverse weather. While attempting to free their vehicle, officers reported being attacked by a woman operating another automobile. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated the individual “attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle,” prompting what she described as defensive action by one of the federal agents.

“An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him,” Noem announced during a press conference in Brownsville, Texas. “My understanding is that she was hit and is deceased.”

The DHS issued an official statement on social media platform X, identifying the deceased as one of several “violent rioters” and confirming that injured ICE officers were expected to make full recoveries. The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened federal presence in the Minneapolis area, where the Trump administration recently deployed approximately 2,000 federal agents and officers amid allegations of welfare fraud involving Somali residents.

The characterization of the shooting as a defensive response to domestic terrorism has drawn immediate scrutiny from civil rights organizations and community advocates, who question the narrative presented by federal authorities and call for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.