The World Through the Eyes of La Jornada
Also in this edition: Understanding Isn't Enough: Gritón. The Epstein scandal continues to haunt Trump. Dark money in the U.S. government. Mexican women in the art and fashion scene in Paris.
Lea La Jornada Internacional en español aquí.
La Jornada's correspondents and columnists around the world offer a perspective that differs from traditional media. In response to suggestions from readers of this newsletter, we're featuring a selection of stories that highlight the newspaper's daily international news coverage.
▪️The young refugees who entered Ceuta. The tragic influx of tens of thousands of Moroccans into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta was not a genuine migration phenomenon, reports our correspondent in Spain, Armando Tejeda. Many of the young people had been misled by false information spread through social media and chat groups claiming that entry into Spanish territory had been opened without restrictions.
“The political interests behind the tragic incursion into Ceuta (...) are as impossible to conceal as the ability of the global right to mount a coordinated assault against a European government that has distanced itself from the genocidal policies of Israel and the United States,” La Jornada writes in an editorial. “It is worth taking note.”
Marcos Roitman explains the historical context behind what took place on July 27, 2026, calling it “the largest border incursion in peacetime.” “The blackmail continues,” he writes, “but this time with a stronger Morocco backed by powerful allies: the United States and Israel.”
Veteran South African trade unionist and leader Jay Naidoo asks: “Why has life in people’s home countries become so unbearable that they are willing to cross deserts, entrust their lives to smugglers, and risk drowning at sea?” He argues that Ceuta is a symptom, not the crisis itself.
▪️A different perspective on the Russia–Ukraine war. “In recent months, Ukraine has succeeded in making the Kremlin’s ‘special military operation’ felt in European Russia, where 77 percent of the country’s population lives and much of its critical infrastructure is concentrated, rather than something taking place only beyond its borders,” reports our Moscow correspondent, Juan Pablo Duch. “It began with attacks on oil refineries, fuel storage facilities, oil and gas export terminals, and tanker ships in the Black and Azov Seas. These strikes caused gasoline and diesel shortages across many federal regions and led to long lines at gas stations. More importantly, they disrupted one of the main sources of funding for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and brought grain exports to other countries to a standstill.”
▪️Venezuela begins its “democratic transition.” “On August 1, a dialogue process was set to begin that would lead to the appointment of new electoral authorities,” reports Ángel González from Caracas. “The announcement was welcomed and promoted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who agreed with the opposition in describing it as a path toward a democratic transition. The Venezuelan government, by contrast, prefers to characterize the process as a ‘strengthening of democracy.’”
▪️Chile: The former immigration agent who is now ambassador. Brandon Judd—a former U.S. Border Patrol agent for 27 years and now the White House ambassador to Chile—defends his country's arbitrary and irrational sanctions against Chile while criticizing remarks made by members of the Chilean government, reports our Santiago correspondent, Aldo Anfossi. His comments drew condemnation from political leaders across the ideological spectrum, who viewed them as a blatant act of interference.
▪️If the U.S. were truly concerned about forced labor, it would start at home. The United States' latest justification for imposing tariffs is the fight against forced labor, writes Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz. “The administration is right to say that far too little is being done to address forced labor. But its professed concern is a sham.” He argues that Trump's new tariffs present an opportunity for other countries to push back.
▪️Cuba and the nostalgia for Reagan. Tatiana Coll writes that “Rubio revives Reagan’s obsession,” portraying Cuba “as a surviving bastion of communist evil, despite every ‘humanitarian’ effort to liberate the Cuban people,” while “celebrating measures aimed at a total blockade that amount, in practice, to genocide.”
The Quote:
“The best news is not always the news that is reported first, but often the news that is reported best.”
—Gabriel García Márquez
In Case You Missed It
◻️ Understanding Isn’t Enough: Gritón. The career of painter, muralist, writer, and activist Antonio Ortiz Gritón encompassed both artistic production and activism, along with his deep social commitment and tireless work in cultural promotion and management. The exhibition Understanding Isn’t Enough explores the work and character of an “omnipresent” figure whose life was defined by a commitment to humanity.
◻️ Codes of ethics and editorial standards, or mechanisms of censorship? The federal government’s proposal to establish general guidelines for the Protection of Audience Rights has sparked a fierce backlash from major corporate media outlets and criticism from those worried about a centralised government control, who propose an “autonomous, horizontal and participatory regulation”. “Absolutely false. There is no censorship, and there will be none,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said. The goal should be to create self-regulation tools that allow for the verification of questionable claims, the enrichment of diverse viewpoints, and the provision of mechanisms for media organizations to recognize their own excesses, La Jornada writes.
◻️ Another journalist murdered — message received. Journalist Alejandro Leyva, a staunch critic of the Oaxaca government, was murdered in the municipality of San Pablo Etla, Oaxaca. “A large part of the profession, a large part of society knows it and are convinced that Alejandro’s murder came from here—from the Oaxaca government, from this apparatus. You can give many press conferences, interviews, and statements, but many of us are clear about it: the message was very direct, and it was received,” journalist Ivonne Mateo said, addressing Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara directly. Amnesty International reported that Mexico “continues to be one of the most dangerous countries for the press in the Americas, with more than 150 journalists murdered since 2000 and more than 25 missing.”
◻️ Union leader seeks 54 years at the helm. Amid a process marked by alleged irregularities, including a lack of transparency and possible early campaign activities, Rafael Riva Palacio Pontones, head of the National Union of Infonavit Workers, is seeking reelection for an additional four-year term. If successful, he would have led the organization for a total of 54 years, according to the opposition slate Integridad Sindical.
◻️ Despite lobbying efforts, U.S. public support for Israel declines. Supporters of the State of Israel in the United States have spent decades building what has been described as the most powerful foreign policy lobby in American history. Today, however, it faces unprecedented challenges to its influence, according to a wide-ranging investigation published this month. A new book titled Israel’s Lobby examines Israel’s influence and intervention in U.S. politics.
◻️ Dark money in the Trump administration. The Dark Money Game, a documentary produced by CNN, examines how a network of billionaires, nonprofit organizations, and political groups has expanded its ability to influence election campaigns, judicial appointments, and legislative debates—often without the public being able to determine the source of the funding.
◻️ Mexicans in Parisian art and fashion. In 1939, French women and visitors to the Dior fashion house wanted to dress in Frida’s style, “la robe madame Rivera,” thanks to the influence of Mexican designer Carmen Corcuera. Elena Poniatowska writes about Corcuera’s impact; a decade later, she became the first public relations director of the Dior fashion house.
◻️ The shadow of Epstein continues to haunt Trump. Women who were victims of abuse and sexual exploitation by the late Jeffrey Epstein have launched a project featuring a mobile book vehicle carrying printed and digital copies of 3.5 million documents detailing the financier’s decades-long close friendship with the current U.S. president.
📚 What We Are Watching
The subscription is free.
Edited by David Brooks and Jim Cason in the United States, Tania Molina Ramírez in Mexico City, of La Jornada, and Elizabeth Coll in Tokyo, under the direction of Carmen Lira Saade and Guillermina Álvarez. More information.