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Russia Says It Will Keep Talking to Forge Ukraine Deal but "Ready" to Fight If Europe Starts a War; The Fate of Gaza's Missing Aid Seekers; Trump Says U.S. Strikes in Venezuela to Begin Soon; Venezuelan Boat Strike Victim's Family Files Complaint; New Orleans Braces for Federal Immigration Sweeps; Zayed National Museum Opens Its Doors in Abu Dhabi. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired December 03, 2025 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programming headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson
in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7:00 in the evening.
The Kremlin says Russia is ready to continue talks with the U.S. to reach a peace deal on Ukraine. However, the U.S. president says the current war is,
quote, "a mess."
Back at the White House, president Trump dealing with a maelstrom at home. He and his Defense Secretary are insisting they didn't know about the
followup strike that killed survivors on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean. The controversy fueling new backlash from lawmakers.
Meanwhile, in our back yard, the new Zayed National Museum has opened in Abu Dhabi. The museum honors UAE history through the lens of its founder
the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. More on that is coming up.
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ANDERSON: We begin with more comments today from the Kremlin over those talks that didn't produce a breakthrough in the war in Ukraine. An aide to
Vladimir Moscow between Russia's president and Donald Trump's top two negotiators was useful and that talks will continue.
Well, a big sticking point for Russia is Ukraine's potential membership in NATO. And NATO foreign ministers have been meeting today in Brussels to
discuss Ukraine. This comes after a senior NATO official recently said there is no indication that Moscow is willing to make meaningful
concessions to end this war.
Well, for its part, the E.U. is trying to put a dent in Russia's war chest by phasing out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027. Want to head to
Washington to CNN's Kylie Atwood on this.
Worth noting that secretary Rubio was not there for these talks.
Just how much real progress, as you understand it, has been made at this point?
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the readout that we got from Russian officials certainly does not give the indication that
the two parties walked away on the verge of a possible agreement, Becky.
We heard from the Kremlin, taking questions after this meeting yesterday, saying that President Putin did agree with the U.S. officials, Jared
Kushner and Steve Witkoff, on a number of issues but that he also did not hide his negative views on a number of the proposals.
Indicating that there is still some significant hesitation on behalf of Russia to move forward with what the U.S. was putting on the table, which
they had discussed with the Ukrainians.
Now we did hear from president Trump yesterday during a meeting with his cabinet at the White House, while his officials were over in Russia,
meeting with President Putin. Listen to what president Trump said about that ongoing meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Our people are over in Russia right now to see if we can get it settled. Not an easy situation, let me tell you. What a mess. It's a war
that never would have happened if I were president. Not even a chance. And it didn't happen for four years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ATWOOD: Now one of the other things that the Kremlin said is, interestingly, that there are now four documents, not just one document,
that the two parties are going to be discussing. We don't know the details of what is in those four documents that are now standing.
We do know that there are no plans for further followup meetings in person between President Putin and Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. They said that
they would follow up by phone.
And, of course, we're watching to see what U.S. officials say today about this after they briefed the White House. Going into these meetings, we
should note that secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Sunday, after meeting with the Ukrainians, that this was incredibly complicated.
He cast this as being something that still had some work to be done, even though the U.S. is talking in person with both sides. It doesn't
necessarily mean that they're going to be able to get both sides to close that gap of where those disagreements still stand -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you.
My next guest, I hope, can tell us more about what Moscow's thinking might be on these negotiations. Alexander Baunov is a senior fellow at the
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, joins me now live from Berlin.
[10:05:03]
More questions than answers, it seems, at least with regard the two top U.S. diplomats and what they might bring back to Washington at this point.
The Kremlin has said that Putin has accepted some U.S. proposals and that Russia is prepared to meet as many times as it takes to reach agreement.
How serious do you believe Moscow about these talks?
ALEXANDER BAUNOV, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: It's quite serious about the talks. But in the Kremlin, they don't
see the result of the talks as a compromise. But they -- (INAUDIBLE) victory (ph) and it can be brought with the product held up (ph)
diplomatically.
That's diplomatic way combines with the military way. It's not about the compromise. It's about the victory achieved with two ways, military one and
diplomatic one. So it's not about concessions.
ANDERSON: Right.
BAUNOV: I would say --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: So some of the sticking points are demands for Ukraine to formally renounce its aspiration to join NATO and to surrender territory in
the Donbas.
You say this isn't about concessions. But at this point, you know, if anything is going to happen, it will be a negotiation.
So to your mind, what do you believe Moscow's position is?
And how far do you believe it might move, if at all?
BAUNOV: Well, first of all, by all means, Putin showing how he's satisfied with the course of the war. He has put on military uniform three times in a
month in the literary stance over maps, directing his generals like a supreme commander in the headquarters from the bunker.
When the war was going less well for him, he didn't visually associate himself with it so intensely. That means that he's showing to his own
citizens and to the West that he's pretty well satisfied with how the war is going.
And that now the time of the West and Ukraine, of course, to decide whether he will go on with military meters, military way to conquer what he wants.
And to put new conditions, maybe worse conditions, worse demands he's putting now.
Or to go to the diplomacy. But he means, again, I repeat it, he means by diplomacy not a concession but a capitulation. Maybe not the major
capitulation, like Kyiv in Russian hands, but the capitulation on his current conditions.
ANDERSON: So what do you make of his position that the E.U., Europe, is trying to block this U.S. proposed peace deal, derail it?
I mean, this is what he said. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): We're not planning to go to war with Europe. I have already spoken about this 100
times. But if Europe suddenly wants to go to war with us and starts, we are ready right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
BAUNOV: Yes, it's clear. He's trying to divide, first of all, to divide the West. He was trying this from the very beginning of his anti-Western
rhetoric that started as early as May 2004-2005. You remember this famous Munich speech.
But now it's clear he's trying to divide the United States and Europe to sideline Europe and Ukraine in this peace process. Then he's trying to
divide the war in the cooperation with the United States.
From the very beginning of his communication with the Donald Trump administration, Putin himself, Kirill Dmitriev, his envoy, minister of
foreign affairs, were trying to say that we can perfectly cooperate, make deals and trade without ceasing the fire.
ANDERSON: Do you believe that he is successful or being successful in trying to put that wedge between Europe and the U.S. at this point?
BAUNOV: In dividing Europe and the United States?
Well, the result, I think at least half successful.
[10:10:00]
We see that the cooperation in the -- in defending Ukraine, in supporting Ukraine between Europe and the United States is -- that doesn't see,
doesn't look that strong as it was before. That's clear.
And this idea of trade and cooperation deals and some economic, you know, deals in cooperation seems seducing for some circles in the United States
with the current administrations, too. But not that much that Putin before the ending of the war.
ANDERSON: This is what the NATO secretary general has just said in a press conference. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, SECRETARY GENERAL, NATO: There is only one person in the whole world who was able to break the deadlock when it comes to the war in
Ukraine and that is the American president, Donald J. Trump. And he did.
He started in February to get engaged. And he is engaged up to and including today. And his team is engaged, including Steve Witkoff, Marco
Rubio and all the key players on the American side.
And that's crucial because, in the end, U.S. is by far the biggest ally in NATO and the strongest nation on Earth. And it's really up to them first to
break the deadlock and then make sure that others follow.
But getting this piece done, as also the American president has said, is not something in a straight line, in one go. You need proposals on the
table, you need to have discussions. And we have seen the meetings in Geneva, in Miami, now yesterday in Moscow. It will be a step-by-step
approach.
The last thing I want to do is to basically make it more difficult to get to a deal by commenting on every in-between step.
I can assure you that NATO here, they had the headquarters, myself, my team is closely coordinating with the White House, with State Department, with
all the relevant players on the American side to be of maximum help in this process, because we find it crucial.
And we all agree that, in the end, what you need is a sovereign Ukraine, a sovereign Ukraine, which knows that we have in place the necessary so-
called security guarantees, by which Russia will, after an hopeful peace deal or a long-term ceasefire, will never again try to attack Ukraine.
Because then they know the reaction will be devastating (ph). This is what they are aiming for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's the NATO chief speaking just a little bit earlier, choosing his words carefully.
What do you make of his comments?
BAUNOV: I can say that the current task of the Kremlin is to divide not only Ukraine and United Nations or Europe and the United States or divide
the cooperation and the war as well as to wide (ph) their agreement that some pieces, some different packages, I would say, and make -- to make, by
the way, their topic apparently security guarantees.
A different package, the lifting of sanctions, which are (INAUDIBLE) our reconstruction of Ukraine. A different package and a lot of package will be
obviously the territorial issue. That's what I see for now as the Moscow strategy.
And then, when going into these security guarantees package, Moscow has some red lines, a number of Ukrainian military, for instance, or type of
weapons Ukraine can possess. Or type of troops that can be deployed in Ukrainian territory.
And are multiple issues that may produce a very, very prolonged conversations and negotiations before it asking something that Ukraine --
both Ukraine and Russia and the United States can sign.
ANDERSON: Watch this space. Alexander, it's good to have you. Thank you.
Coming up after the break --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Forgive me, mom. If anything happens to me, whoever finds my phone, please tell my
family that I love them so much.
ANDERSON (voice-over): A final message and a heartbroken family. Our investigations team has found new evidence about what may have happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON: Well, a CNN investigation, based on video, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts, points to the Israeli military bulldozing the bodies
of Palestinians killed near an aid crossing in northern Gaza.
That possibility also backed up by evidence from whistleblowers from inside the IDF, who spoke to CNN. Well, the result, families in Gaza left
searching for answers about loved ones who went missing while seeking essential supplies. CNN Jerusalem correspondent Jeffrey -- sorry -- Jeremy
Diamond has the story.
Apologies, Jeremy. It's good to have you.
What did the team find?
DIAMOND: Well, over the summer, Becky, as you know, we saw near-daily incidents of the Israeli military, opening fire on crowds of unarmed
Palestinians, who were trying to get aid from these aid trucks, as well as from these Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites in various parts of Gaza.
Our investigation centered in particular on the crowds that went to the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, where we know that many people were shot
and killed by the military.
Some of those individuals were able to be brought back, to be counted among the more than 2,000 Palestinian aid seekers who were killed during that
time period. But other bodies were left behind amid the chaos. And now our investigation points to the Israeli military bulldozing some of those
bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): My brother is missing. Anyone who saw or glimpsed him --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My cousin went missing yesterday in Zikim --
DIAMOND (voice-over): Ehab Adel Mansour, 16 years old, went missing in the Zikim area.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son went missing while going to the aid area in Zikim on Sunday.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Messages from desperate families all searching for loved ones who went out to seek aid and never came back. 23-year-old Ammar
Wadi was one of them, last seen in June going to the Zikim crossing in Northern Gaza, where United Nations food trucks entered. His mother is
still desperate for answers.
NAWAL MUSLEH, AMMAR WADI'S MOTHER: I just want peace of mind, to know what his fate is. Even if he is a martyr, praise be to God. I just want to know
what happened to him.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Wadi's fate is still unknown but a CNN investigation based on video, satellite imagery and eye witness accounts points to the
Israeli military bulldozing the bodies of some of those killed near the Zikim crossing. IDF whistle blowers who spoke to CNN also point to a
broader pattern of the Israeli military mishandling bodies in ways that could amount to war crimes.
Collecting humanitarian aid became a deadly reality in Gaza over the summer before the ceasefire took effect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They killed him on the spot.
DIAMOND (voice-over): More than 2000 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while trying to get aid, according to the World Health Organization.
[10:20:00]
The Israeli military has acknowledged firing toward these crowds but said it does not intentionally fire at civilians.
Hundreds, some dead, others still clinging on to life, were hauled away amid the mayhem, including here near the Zikim crossing but amid the
clattering of gun fire, others were left behind.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gunfire, death, killing, martyrs -- so many martyrs.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Six aid truck drivers told CNN they saw dozens of bodies near the Zikim crossing. One shared these photos showing partially
buried remains surrounded by aid boxes. Some said they witnessed Israeli military bulldozers burying bodies. They've asked us to conceal their
identities, fearing retribution from Israeli authorities.
There are bodies everywhere. Decomposed, skeletal remains. One truck driver told CNN. Some are covered with dirt because the army cannot tolerate the
smell of decomposing bodies, said another. I watched Israeli bulldozers bury the dead, said, a third. This video appears to show the aftermath of
Israel's bulldozing alongside a crushed, overturned truck, partially covered bodies of several Palestinians jut out from the earth.
A paramedic at the scene said rescue workers managed to haul away 15 dead Palestinians. With the ambulance full, some bodies had to be left behind.
CNN geo located the video to this location near the Zikim crossing. You can see the overturn truck here alongside bulldoze roads and track marks left
by heavy machinery or armored vehicles.
These are the roads where crowds of starving Palestinians swarmed aid trucks on a near daily basis, where they were fired upon and at times
killed by Israeli gun fire. We geo located multiple videos of people being shot and killed to these bulldozed areas. The same areas where Palestinians
said some bodies were left behind in the chaos.
On August 9, 31 hours after crowds are seen here, evidence of fresh bulldozing appears in the exact same location. This video shows just how
close Israeli forces, including this D9 bulldozer, were to those crowds. The soldiers came in front of us, eyes to eyes and the quad copter was 10
meters away from us.
They were shot in front of us and there is a martyr that stayed over there and no one could get close to him. We begged the soldiers to carry
him back but they didn't allow us. We provided the Israeli military with GPS coordinates for the locations where bodies were likely bulldozed and a
detailed list of questions.
The military said bulldozers positioned in the Zikim area are, quote, used for operational purposes to deal with IED threats and for routine
engineering needs. It denied they were used to remove bodies but did not address questions about burying them. The military also declined to
describe its protocol for dealing with bodies in Gaza.
The Israeli military's apparent improper disposal of bodies of Palestinians stretched far beyond Zikim.
We spoke with two Israeli soldiers on condition of anonymity due to fears of retribution, both described bodies of Palestinians being buried in
shallow, unmarked graves in different parts of Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Essentially, the idea was to shove the body with a bunch of dirt clearing the road and push it to the sides.
DIAMOND: And that was it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was it. Yes.
DIAMOND: The grave was not marked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
DIAMOND: There was no identification process or notification process to any international or Palestinian organization.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not that I was aware of, not in my unit. So essentially, we were never given any protocol or any order of how to handle
any bodies.
There was never once that anyone told us, if you have a body, this is what should be done.
DIAMOND (voice-over): By allowing the dead to become the missing, international law experts say bulldozing bodies into unmarked graves can
violate international law. And if those bodies are mutilated or desecrated, the practice can rise to the level of outrages upon personal dignity, a war
crime under the Geneva Conventions.
As for Ammar Wadi, about a month after he went missing, in late June, his phone was returned to his family. A message had been left on the home
screen, forgive me, mom, if anything happens to me, whoever finds my phone, please tell my family that I love them so much.
A message that reads like a young man's final words. Words that are impossible for a mother to accept without a body to bury.
[10:25:00]
DIAMOND: And Becky, it's important to note that, despite the fact that there is now a ceasefire in Gaza, albeit a tenuous one, that area near the
Zikim crossing remains off limits to Palestinians behind that yellow demarcation line and remains a militarized zone under Israeli control.
And so that means that for families like those of Ammar Wadis, the unknown and the lack of answers continues -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond is in Jerusalem.
Jeremy -- I'm sorry; you're in Tel Aviv tonight. Thank you so much.
We are back after this quick break. Stay with us.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Here are your headlines this hour.
And the U.S. president has announced plans to launch land strikes inside Venezuela very soon. Donald Trump says those strikes would make it much
easier to target alleged drug traffickers in the country. And he refused to rule out striking targets in other countries as well.
Well, Russia says it's ready to keep talking. This comes after a marathon meeting in Moscow between Russia's president and Donald Trump's top
negotiators, which produced no breakthrough on a plan to end the war in Ukraine.
Meantime, the E.U. says it is trying to deplete Vladimir Putin's war chest by phasing out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027.
CNN projects Republican Matt van Epps will win a special election in Tennessee for a U.S. House seat. He is set to defeat Democrat Aftyn Behn by
nine points in a district Donald Trump won by 22 points just last year, preventing an upset but emboldening Democrats, who overperformed in what is
a traditionally deep red district.
Let's get you more on one of our top stories. The developments in Venezuela now, despite president Trump declaring that airspace there should be
considered closed, a U.S. deportation flight is due to arrive in the coming hours.
This as both Mr. Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continue to distance themselves from a followup strike on an alleged drug boat targeted
on September the 2nd, insisting that they were not aware of it.
Yet as we've been reporting, military action could soon escalate, with president Trump now saying attacks on land in Venezuela could be imminent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too. You know, the land is much easier. It's much easier. And we know the routes they
take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:30:00]
ANDERSON: So inside Venezuela, there are increasing challenges on political, economic and humanitarian fronts.
Our next guest says president Nicolas Maduro is a coward, who is hijacking justice in Venezuela. Leopoldo Lopez is the founder of the opposition party
Popular Will and spent four years in a military prison as well as small time under house arrest and at the Spanish embassy in Caracas. He is now
living in exile in Spain.
He welcomes the pressure that the Trump administration is putting on president Maduro. And Venezuelan opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez joins
me now.
And you've said that you want change in Venezuela, a return to democracy. You said that you want it peacefully.
At this point, should the U.S. military use -- or the U.S. use military action in your country, would you support that if the stated intention is
to force change?
LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Well, thank you very much for the opportunity. I would like to say that this is a -- the opinion of
the huge majority of the Venezuelan people, that we have hope that this pressure on the Maduro regime will finally lead to a transition to
democracy.
And it's very important to remind everyone that we have been fighting for democracy for years, for years. We had an election last year that was won
by Edmundo Gonzalez. The leader that won the primaries, Maria Corina Machado, was not able to run.
And in spite of all of the difficulties, that election was won with 70 percent of the vote. Nine out of every 10 Venezuelans want change. And we
have done everything. We have gone to elections. We have tried diplomatic negotiations. We've taken the streets.
And there has been thousands and thousands of victims, people that have been imprisoned, people that have been killed, murdered, tortured and 10
million Venezuelans have been forced into exile. So, yes, this is an opportunity that we see, that could lead to a transition to democracy.
ANDERSON: So you believe military action would be the best path at this point?
I just want to be absolutely clear about that.
You support military action by the U.S. if that's the course of action the U.S. president decides to take?
LOPEZ: Yes, we do. And as I said before, I believe that this is the position of the huge majority of the Venezuelan people. In fact, there's
been opinions that have been published that the Venezuelan people, majority position, is to support the military action, to support the pressure that
is being put on the Maduro regime.
And again, we have tried everything. We have tried everything. We have won elections, diplomatic pressure, sanctions; we've taken the streets for
years and we know that the Maduro regime is a criminal structure.
I spent seven years between solitary confinement, imprisonment and house arrest because we called Maduro a narcoterrorist 12 years ago. So we know
that Nicolas Maduro is the head of a criminal structure.
And that is the reason why he has been able to hold on to power, in spite of the huge majority of the will of the Venezuelan people.
ANDERSON: Are you in close contact with this Trump administration?
LOPEZ: No. There has been close contact throughout all of this process with the -- with the Trump administration. But this is now a military
process. And, of course, the decisions, the tactical decisions and strategic decisions are at a military level.
What we do, what we can say is that the Venezuelan people and the -- and the Venezuelan leadership is ready to transition to democracy. The -- many
people have said, have given the opinion that the case of Venezuela could lead to a scenario similar to Libya or to Iraq or Afghanistan.
I believe that this is not true. It's a very different scenario. There are no religious infighting nor ethnic fights. And there is a clear leadership
with a clear mandate that was reaffirmed in the election of 2024.
ANDERSON: Is there a clear strategy that has been detailed, defined between the opposition in Venezuela and this U.S. administration, that
might follow military strikes in order to unseat the current government there and Maduro and to usher in the potential for democracy and elections?
LOPEZ: Well, what's very clear is what needs to follow is the respect to the will of the people and to the constitution of Venezuela.
[10:35:06]
Mundo Gonzalez was elected. The national assembly was elected in the year 2015 with a two-thirds majority for the democratic forces. And there is a
plan and it has been stated by Mundo Gonzalez, by Maria Corina Machado several times, to transition from the first moment, from day one to start
this process.
It's not going to be easy. It's not going to be an easy process. It's been 25 years of the growth of a autocratic regime that has been -- that's
destroyed all of the democratic institutions in Venezuela.
But yes, there is a clear commitment and a clear plan to transition to democracy with the legitimate elected leadership of Edmundo Gonzalez and
Maria Corina Machado.
ANDERSON: This is what Marco Rubio said about potential talks with Nicolas Maduro. Let's just have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: At the end of the day, where Maduro and his problem basically is that this is a guy, if you wanted to
make a deal with him, I don't know how you do. He's broken every deal he's ever made. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Has any diplomatic offramp at this point for this disappeared?
Is a diplomatic offramp off the table at this point?
LOPEZ: Well, I think secretary Rubio is right. I mean, there's been dozens of negotiations with all different sorts of mediators, from the Vatican to
Norway to ex-presidents. And Maduro has always used negotiations and diplomatic engagement to win time.
Of course, this is what we would hope, that there is a peaceful transition, that there is a recognition that he lost the election, that the will of the
people is to have Edmundo Gonzalez as president.
But we know the way in which Maduro has acted in the past. Hopefully, if Maduro decides -- it's his decision at the end, given the actual
circumstances, if there is a peaceful transition or if there is an increase in the use of force.
But we have seen throughout all of these years --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I wonder --
LOPEZ: -- that Maduro has always used diplomacy in order to manipulate and win time and hold on to power.
ANDERSON: And that's certainly the position of the U.S. administration at this point.
So last question to you is got two parts to it.
What options do you believe Nicolas Maduro has right now?
And what are you hearing about or from Maduro's inner circle?
Even if he is ousted from power, for example, what is their grip on the country?
Will they or could they still have a hold on Venezuela?
LOPEZ: Well, it's been public already that there was a conversation between president Trump and Maduro, where there was an offer for Maduro to
peacefully stand down and to open for a peaceful transition toward Edmundo Gonzalez. So the decision is on Maduro at this point.
He has to decide whether he does the right thing and steps down and allows for a peaceful, democratic transition, which is what we have always hoped
for. That's why we went to an election. That's why, against all odds, that election was won.
But Maduro decides to stay in power, well, the consequences, as it's been stated by the U.S. administration, will be the use of force.
And I can tell you that the large majority of the Venezuelan people understand that we have walked every single route to a peaceful transition
to democracy and that this is the only alternative that we have for a transition to democracy.
And I can tell you that there is a huge support and there is clear leadership with a clear constitutional, legal, legitimate mandate to take
Venezuela away from autocracy and into democracy, prosperity and opportunities.
ANDERSON: Your perspective is hugely important for us tonight as we continue to report on what is going on and what may happen next. Thank you
for joining us.
Meanwhile, the family of a Colombian man killed in the Caribbean has filed the first-known legal complaint against such attacks to the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights.
The family of Alejandro Carranza Medina says he was a fisherman and was killed when his boat was attacked by U.S. forces on September the 15th off
the coast of Colombia. They are describing his death as an extrajudicial killing. The complaint names U.S. secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as
being responsible for ordering the attack.
[10:40:00]
In the past three months, U.S. military has carried out more than 20 strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific that they say were used
to smuggle drugs, killing at least 83 people.
Well, still to come on CNN, the Trump administration zeroes in on Louisiana for its next wave of immigration raids. How local leaders there and
residents are responding to the operation.
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ANDERSON: Well, the Trump administration's immigration crackdown is now expanding to the state of Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security
announced that it is launching a brand new immigration operation in New Orleans, starting today.
According to a federal law enforcement official, immigration authorities are aiming to arrest up to 5,000 people across a large section of the
state. CNN's Ryan Young is following this story for us from New Orleans.
What more can you tell us about this new operation there?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you people are terrified. They are scared. In fact, just off camera, we were talking to a gentleman who
just pulled up on us to tell us that some of these agents are just about a mile away from us. So this action is starting to spread throughout the
community.
People are concerned. The business behind me, this is one of the businesses that decided to shut down. They're trying to avoid the situation with any
of their employees or anybody who would come in the front door.
If you look right here, we want to show you this. Look how they put this up. Everyone is welcome except ICE. And then here, they made it pretty
clear. They want all the agents who are here to stop at the door, especially if they do not have a warrant.
This concern throughout the community has been going so fast and so strongly that people are even comparing it to COVID. They're saying they
want the people to stay home until after the agents are gone.
We actually talked to the mayor-elect about not only her concerns but her feelings, especially for this community, that's terrified about what could
happen over the next few days. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR-ELECT HELENA MORENO (D-LA), NEW ORLEANS: What they're seeing on TV and reports that they're seeing is not that Border Patrol is going after
the most violent criminals. You know it's not. That's not what they're seeing.
What they're seeing is what appears to be racial profiling of brown people and then going after these individuals and treating them like they are
these significantly violent offenders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: And, Becky, I wanted to show you this. This is a whistle that we just received from a restaurant. They actually had a sign. And this sign
was up to say, take one of these whistles. And if you see the agent, start blowing the whistle so everyone in the neighborhood could know they were
there.
And what they're hoping is people will start repeating this action throughout the city. There's actually food caravans as well that are being
set up so that people can get fed during the next few days.
[10:45:00]
So if they don't want to go out to the grocery store, they don't want to go to a restaurant, they're able to not leave their homes, there was also a
strong protest on Monday night. We'll show you some of this video.
It was downpouring rain. More than 100 people showed up and started marching through the streets. There should be more protest action, we're
told, by the same organizers on Thursday as well.
But I will tell you this -- and especially a community that's wrapped itself around tourism and making sure people are welcomed to the city --
and it's a melting pot -- they are scared about the actions and how this could change the city for quite some time.
And let's not forget, it's not just New Orleans. It goes from here all the way to Baton Rouge through the state. This is the first time this action
has been done in a state that has a Republican governor. So they're going to get a lot of assistance from the apparatus of the government as well
here.
ANDERSON: This is fascinating. Look, Ryan's in New Orleans, in Louisiana, and all the time is 9:45 in the morning. Good to have you, sir. Stick at
it.
Well, two popular beer brands have become unexpected casualties of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Constellation Brands, the U.S. company that
distributes Modelo Especial and Corona, relies heavily on the Latino community and sales have taken a nosedive.
Research shows that Hispanic people's leisure habits have been changing. Many say they're afraid to go out in public due to this immigration
enforcement.
At the same time, there have been job cuts in industries with large immigrant workforces and inflation has, frankly, squeezed spending across
the board.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There's a lot more ahead. Do stay with us.
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ANDERSON: All right, let's have a look at these markets for you. And the Dow, the Nasdaq and the S&P are all higher but only marginally today. It's
important that we keep an eye on these markets in December. After all, it was a roller coaster month, wasn't it, November.
Investors, it appears at least today, somewhat sitting on the sidelines. There has been a real rout, of course, in crypto markets of late, although
the currencies do seem -- two big ones at least, bitcoin and ether, do seem to have regained a little bit today but their losses have been significant
of late.
And then, of course, investors are waiting to find out what the Fed will do at its next rate meeting. And speaking to a couple of analysts today, not
least Mohamed El-Erian. He's a good friend of this show, talking about some 90 percent of analysts now looking at a rate cut at the next meeting.
What isn't clear is what is going to happen after that. We do know there will be a new Fed chairman in 2026. We also know that there have been calls
for reform of the institution.
Anything that goes on at the Federal Reserve, of course, has a -- an effect around the world. After all, it is the world's biggest central bank. So
Fed-watching at present, cryptocurrencies; keep an eye on gold.
Gold has been on a little bit of a rip again of late as investors look for an opportunity to park their money elsewhere while we continue to see some
volatility, not least in these stock markets.
[10:50:05]
But today, at least, things do seem calm. We are halfway through what is the first trading week of the last month of the year. Markets are edging
higher.
Right. Well, for more than a decade, Abu Dhabi has been creating a multibillion-dollar cultural canvas that many will see as competing with
Paris, London, Rome and New York.
The Louvre and the Guggenheim are amongst the global names who have come to the Emirates. Saadiyat Island, a new natural history museum also opening
there last month.
And today, the doors opened at the Zayed National Museum, telling the story of the UAE through the lens of its founding father. Well, I was given a
personal tour by Abu Dhabi's chairman of culture and tourism, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Visitors to the Zayed National Museum are afforded a watery welcome as a sparkling cascade competes for attention with the
building beyond. Despite its beauty, the fountain loses the battle to a breathtaking combination of art, architecture and design.
The feathers, which adorn the rooftop, were inspired by the Emirati love affair with falconry. The Pritzker prize-winning architect Norman Foster
designed them as thermal chimneys to funnel cooler air into the building below, an air conditioning technique used by Arab architects for centuries.
The building is remarkable in itself, even before the first steps are taken into its six permanent galleries.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you here. Just talk to me about the significance of the museum in this cultural quarter on Saadiyat Island.
MOHAMED KHALIFA AL MUBARAK, CHAIRMAN OF CULTURE AND TOURISM, ABU DHABI: (INAUDIBLE).
(AUDIO GAP)
-- and is beautifully shown. Its people, its culture, its heritage, its connectivity with the rest of the world. It's like chapter one of this
beautiful story.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): The opening chapter for visitors to the museum is provided by this reproduction of a 4,000-year old boat, used by traders
across the region. In a partnership with Zayed University, NYU Abu Dhabi and Indian master shipbuilders, it's been faithfully recreated using
traditional techniques without nails, bolts or screws.
And it passed its sailing tests with flying colors. The importance of the UAE's maritime tradition is a recurring theme, showing ancient trade routes
across the region.
It's also a treasure trove of information on the perilous pearl diving industry, which once thrived here.
Sea shanties, known as nahham (ph), captured the attempts of divers and crew to keep spirits up during long and dangerous journeys.
AL MUBARAK: The museum tells you the story and it takes you on a voyage really. It takes you on a voyage from an ancient past to our present. So we
go back 300,000 years, from the earliest tools that were used by human beings here in this land.
And it takes you on this voyage through the eyes of Sheikh Zayed, because he was so interested in history and archeology. I mean, some of the
earliest archeologists, he brought them here. And there was digs all over the Emirates.
So we're about to enter a recreation of the Hili Grand Tomb. This was excavated in the 1960s by His Highness Sheikh Zayed, because, of course, of
his interest of the history of the land. You see these interpretations on the wall. It gives you a glimpse of what this place looked like thousands
of years ago.
ANDERSON: And these were burial tombs.
AL MUBARAK: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: So what was found inside, Mohamed?
AL MUBARAK: A whole bunch of things. So you had a mixture, of course, of human bones. Most people at the time would have buried themselves with
their goods. So jewelry, weaponry, things that were so close to them.
These are amazing drawings, as you can see right now around you. And they are all a metaphor of something. So all of these things together
continuously give us a glimpse of our ancient past.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Perhaps the most significant artifact is the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, whose thoughts and deeds flow through this museum like a
bloodline connecting the ages. These horse figures were created from direct descendants of animals owned by Sheikh Zayed, painstakingly tracked down by
the museum's researchers.
AL MUBARAK: This museum emphasizes the values that Sheikh Zayed lived on.
[10:55:00]
Values of unity, family, sustainability, courage, ingenuity, all of these values, you see them in the way he lived his life. This museum has a soul
and that soul is Sheikh Zayed's soul.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Despite the wealth which came with the discovery of oil, Sheikh Zayed considered the people as the real wealth of a nation.
This is a replica of the Chrysler Newport he used to drive around the Emirates, meeting people and learning their needs.
It led to his creation of the first hospital and health care in the region.
ANDERSON: In every gallery, there are words of wisdom from Sheikh Zayed and, in this one, I note, "The present is only an extension of the past. He
who does not know his past cannot live his present and his future."
When you read that, how does it make you feel?
What are you thinking?
AL MUBARAK: We're very lucky here. Sheikh Zayed is a teacher. He's really a father to all of us. You know, his emphasis on understanding the past,
both the ancient past and the modern past, his emphasis of taking to heart what our people are all about was imperative for him.
Because he knew that if we knew our past and we understood the difficulties that our past forefathers had to face, to basically pave the way of our
future, that connectivity is so important for me. And you have so many objects that connect the past to the present.
And to be honest, with even the future. It's amazing. Pieces of jewelry from Al Ein (ph), from Ras al Khaimah. And you just see amazing pottery.
Look how intricate the jewelry is. It's beautiful, it almost looks modern.
ANDERSON (voice-over): As an Abu Dhabi resident, I've witnessed the evolution of Saadiyat Cultural District firsthand. I've even seen it from
the sky, sharing an occasional chopper ride with Mohamed.
AL MUBARAK: This exhibit will tell the history of this great land, not just its modern history but its ancient history.
ANDERSON (voice-over): As the skyline was transformed from a vision to a view, Nouvel's (ph) delicate dome, Foster's falcon feathers and Gehry's
cluster of cones contribute to a spectacle of starchitecture rarely matched elsewhere in the world.
ANDERSON: With the opening of this museum and recently the Natural History Museum, we see the evolution of the Cultural District here at Saadiyat
Island. Next phase, of course, is the opening of the Guggenheim.
Can you give me some progress on that?
And is that ultimately the last piece in the puzzle here?
Or does this Cultural District continue to evolve?
AL MUBARAK: I mean, yes, the Guggenheim is coming. But we're not done. There's another amazing asset that we're going to be announcing also very
soon. I'll give you a hint.
(CROSSTALK)
AL MUBARAK: I'll give you a hint. It's, if you like music, that's the only hint I can give you.
OK?
But they will all come together in a celebration of culture.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Attracting cultural explorers to the Emirates is a high-value ambition, which continues Sheikh Zayed's belief in the need for
economic diversification.
And as visitors exit through the gift shop, it is hoped that, along with their souvenirs, they'll take with them a greater understanding of where
the UAE is heading and how it got here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, that is it for CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson, stay with CNN.
END
