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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Delivers Fresh Tariff Threats Against EU And China; U.S. Military Sends More Troops To U.S.-Mexico Border Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown; U.N. Official Says More Than 2,400 Aid Trucks Enter Gaza Under Ceasefire; DOJ Issues Memo Threatening Officials Who Resist Immigration Crackdown; Mexico Foreign Minister Spoke With U.S. Secretary Of State Rubio; Record Snowfall Across Southern U.S. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired January 22, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the warnings keep coming from the Oval
Office. President Trump is adding tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if a deal with Ukraine isn't reached. While newly-released Jan 6
insurrectionists might receive a White House welcome.
We've got all the details for you. Plus, thousands of U.S. troops are ordered to the southern border with Mexico, while the DOJ threatens to
prosecute officials who resist the immigration crackdown. And as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds, we'll find out about how
the tentative return to normality is being felt on the ground in Gaza for you.
But first, this hour, just two days in, reverberations are already being felt from Washington to Moscow and indeed beyond following a flurry of
truly head-spinning moves by the brand new Trump White House. Three hours from now, the administration is placing all federal workers in diversity,
equity and inclusion offices on paid leave.
That's a first step towards firing them. Is the priority for President Trump who signed an executive order banning all DEI programs just hours if
you remember, after he was inaugurated. Mr. Trump, meanwhile, is also threatening U.S. tariffs and new sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir
Putin doesn't end the war in Ukraine soon.
In an online post, the U.S. President wrote, "we can do this the easy way or the hard way." He also warned China that he's considering an across-the-
board 10 percent tariff that could begin as early as next week. And the sources -- and sources really tell CNN that administration has had talks
about inviting some convicted Jan 6 rioters to the White House.
The President pardoned more than 1,500 people who took part in the Capitol insurrection, including those who assaulted police and/or were charged with
seditious conspiracy. So, plenty, as you can see there for us to discuss with CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson.
And Stephen, great to see you. Look, it's only day two, but like you write in your piece on cnn.com, it already feels like a full term. It's an
incessant assault on all the senses. So, we've seen him fulfilling already campaign promises, imposing undiluted power like you said, and unsettling
and settling scores.
He's also -- you write, mocking the rule of law by releasing, as we just saw there, some of the most violent and the worst offenders of the January
6th Capitol Hill. One of those that's been released is Enrique Tarrio, who was a leader, I believe, of the Proud Boys, who were sentenced to 22 years.
He gave an interview, I understand, to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Have a listen to what he said here.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ENRIQUE TARRIO, FORMER LEADER OF PROUD BOYS: The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars and they need to be
prosecuted. We need people like Pam Bondi, Kash Patel and the rest of Trump's cabinet to right all these wrongs.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SOARES: So, Stephen, how is this then being received on Capitol Hill? And what is the message these pardons send to U.S. Capitol police officers,
who, of course, went out of the way to protect lawmakers as they do every day.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: It's been a difficult time again for Republican senators who, after four years are again being asked
to account for Donald Trump's extreme actions. Many of them had hoped that Trump would follow the advice of his Vice President J.D. Vance and not
release the most violent offenders.
People who had beaten up police officers, even if he went and released rioters or protesters who were also swept up in legal cases. That didn't
happen. The way I interpret that is that Donald Trump believes he is in an exceedingly powerful position, and he can do exactly what he wants and get
away with it.
And I think what we know about Republican senators is that they won't make him pay a price for this. So, he has sent a message, in effect, that
violence is an acceptable tool of political expression.
[14:05:00]
And that's why you're going to get those interviews by people like the leader of the Proud Boys. In terms of the Capitol police, remember, 140 of
them were beaten up by protesters after pitched battles on Capitol Hill during that riot. We've seen a lot of them come out on television and
express their dismay, but I'm afraid there's not an awful lot they can do about it.
SOARES: Yes, look, and it's not just kind of the flurry of these executive orders or pardons that is given or is given, I think fair to say. Some
people, including myself, whiplash, but also some of the comments, Stephen, I think we highlighted some of them that he is making in one -- on the
question of foreign policy, I'm thinking here of comments he made regarding President Putin and the war in Ukraine, which of course, he said he would
finish.
He would bring to an end in 24 hours. He's now talking about sanctions here and tariffs. Just add some context into this. Where did that come from?
COLLINSON: So, this is the most interesting thing I think that's happened over the last couple of days in these impromptu news conferences Trump has
been giving. He's almost been making up foreign policy on the fly, throwing out remarks -- he clearly seems to be trying to create some pressure on
President Vladimir Putin to force him to the table, talking about how Russia is being very badly hurt by the war, how it makes Putin look bad.
Perhaps, there's some extent to this in which Trump is trying to shed that reputation of being soft on Putin. A lot of people think he's going to go
into this negotiation on the Ukraine war if it happens, and give Putin exactly what he wants in terms of land that Russia has seized during the
war.
And it will be a very detrimental negotiation towards Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But he does seem to be creating, trying to create some momentum to get some
talks going. All of this, of course, is in advance of what he says will be a meeting fairly soon with President Putin. So, I think we should look at
it in that context.
But it's very interesting because we've looked for years at Putin putting out messages publicly, trying to play Trump, to play on his vanity. Trump
seems to be showing or trying to show that he's tough too, and he's creating some diplomatic ground here. So, it's actually very interesting to
watch what's going on.
SOARES: It is indeed. And we are on the side of the pond, also perplexed by all of this. The velocity in which this has happened -- happening, which
you say -- your article on cnn.com is deliberate. I have a feeling that you and I, Stephen, will be talking more often than, you know, twice a week.
So, prepare to see each other more often.
COLLINSON: All of who --
SOARES: Thanks, Stephen. Thank you --
COLLINSON: Thanks --
SOARES: Appreciate it. We're going to leave the United States for just a second and focus on what's happening in the Middle East, because the
Palestinian Authority is calling on the new Trump administration to help stop what it calls Israeli war crimes in the occupied West Bank. Israeli
forces launched one of the biggest military operations there in months just after Gaza ceasefire took hold.
Israel's Defense Minister says they're targeting terrorists in Jenin using lessons from the Gaza war. At least, ten Palestinians have been killed. The
Palestinian Foreign Ministry says Israel has also sealed off entrances to other towns and refugee camps across the West Bank, calling it part of an
Israeli plan to gradually annex the territory.
Far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees large parts of Israeli policy in the West Bank says the operation is for the protection of
settlements and settlers. His words. While Donald Trump's envoy who helped broker the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal will soon get a firsthand look
at how the truce is holding.
Steve Witkoff says he will join an inspection team on the ground. He says implementing the ceasefire may be harder than striking the deal itself. And
one of the areas Witkoff will visit is the Netzarim Corridor, named after a former Israeli settlement in Gaza. The road built by the IDF now divides -
- you can see Gaza, into two separating north from the south.
A senior Israeli Minister says the government is working on a long-term plan for Gaza, but gave no details. He says Israel needs to enlist both the
United States and countries in the region for the plan to succeed. Meantime, the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees says the sounds of bombs
in Gaza have been replaced by the sounds of life.
As people return to the streets and children once again play without fear. But for so many families, the agony, of course, is far from over. Gaza's
Civil Defense says 10,000 people may still be buried under the rubble. One man who's been searching for the bodies of his wife and children says the
only thing he wants in the world is to be able to bury his loved ones in a proper grave.
[14:10:00]
And the ceasefire now in its fourth day is allowing for a surge in humanitarian aid. The U.N. says more than 2,400 trucks have rolled into
Gaza since the truce began. That's more than the number of trucks during the entire month of December, and that is according to the U.N. I want to
bring in Sam Rose; the director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, he's life tonight in Nuseirat in Gaza.
Sam, great to have you back on the show, I'm glad we were able to connect with you. Just give us a sense -- we're what? Seventy two hours now into
the ceasefire. Give us a sense of what you are seeing on the ground.
SAM ROSE, DIRECTOR, UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: Absolutely, thanks for having me on. I mean, it has been a real kind of roller-coaster of emotions over the
past three days since the ceasefire came into effect. We'll all recall that it was stop-start at the beginning and a bit stuttering. But look, since
then, as you said at the -- at the top, the bombs stopped falling, the drones stopped ringing.
People have been out and about going about their business, children playing, people walking around without any sense of fear. The rains came
tonight, so, that puts a different complexion on it. But the aid is flowing in as well, we're seeing a marked increase, as you said, dramatic increase
in the volumes of aid that we're able to bring into Gaza.
So, our distribution centers, our warehouses are full. And as UNRWA, we're pushing out as much aid as possible. We brought in enough food in the past
four days to feed a million people. That's how dramatic the increase --
SOARES: Wow --
ROSE: Is. All those barriers that we were facing, the constraints they've gone away, and we're showing that we can deliver if that enabling
environment exists.
SOARES: And Sam, I mean, the U.N. which said it has about, I think, 4,000 trucks ready to enter Gaza said that the availability of the food was and
is not the problem. It says the delivery mechanism is wrought very much with obstacles. Speak to those challenges.
ROSE: Yes, I mean, we as UNRWA alone have about 4,800 trucks of aid outside, two-thirds of all food aid outside of Gaza right now belongs to
UNRWA. We're doing everything that we can to get it in. And look, a lot of the challenges have gone away. We face challenges linked to the nature of
the armed conflict that meant --
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: That it was very difficult to get to the crossing point, and challenges face linked to criminality due to an absence of civilian police
on the streets and a governance void which was filled with criminal gangs. Those gangs have not disappeared, but police have resumed presence in areas
where there're -- you know, because there's a ceasefire and we're able to move a lot more easily.
We do face real challenges in getting people what they need. But we're able to get the aid out there. The real issue now is that people need a lot more
than food aid. They need a restoration of basic services. They need to be able to find and bury their loved ones. They need to --
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: Rebuild their damaged homes and just rebuild themselves. So, there's a lot more that needs to be done beside the aid getting in. But it's a very
good start.
SOARES: And Sam, you were talking about the challenges of getting people what they need. What are people -- what's the commonality? What are people
asking you for more often you'd say?
ROSE: People now are just asking for the ceasefire to hold after the --
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: Euphoria of the first 24 hours, there's a certain numbness that sets in as people realize the enormity of what lies ahead. More than anything,
people want to go home, people want to send their children back to schools. People want to do the things that they did before the war, live a normal
life.
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: They know, though, that Gaza has changed forever, but that's what they want more than anything, the same things that we all want.
SOARES: Well, absolutely. What about the north of Gaza? I know that was a challenge. Is that still cut off?
ROSE: It is. I mean, according to the agreement and what we understand, the Netzarim Corridor which you --
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: Spoke about, the main road that severs Gaza city in the north from the rest of the Gaza Strip, that's due to open at the weekend after seven
days. And we anticipate mass movements of population across that road, across that corridor when the border opens. Anything from 700,000 to a
million people fled south in October 2023.
They've not been able to go home since most of northern Gaza and Gaza city has been destroyed. But as soon as that checkpoint and those crossings
open, people will want to go back to their former homes to secure what they can, to find people under the rubble and just take a look at what's left of
their --
SOARES: Yes --
ROSE: Homes and their lives. So, that should happen at the weekend.
[14:15:00
SOARES: Hopefully, good news. And now I've got you here, let me ask you about this Israeli ban against UNRWA, which I believe, Sam is expected to
go into effect, I think it's something like 2 -- in 2 weeks time or so. I had read that UNRWA and World Food Program assist something like 1.1
million people in Gaza.
I mean, how is this going to restrict, first of all, this ban going to restrict aid delivery distribution? And I'm not thinking just of Gaza. I'm
thinking east Jerusalem, I'm thinking West Bank. Is there a contingency plan at this point?
ROSE: There isn't. No, I mean, we await clarity on the bills and how they will be implemented. But right now, less than ten days out, we have to
assume that they will and they'll have catastrophic impacts on the ability of the humanitarian system and the agree -- those -- the parties that have
agreed to the ceasefire to meet the humanitarian commitments under that ceasefire, given what a large actor UNRWA is, we're by far the largest
actor, the main mechanism for not just delivery of humanitarian aid, but also basic services, primary health care, psychosocial support, garbage
collection, education.
You rip that away. There is no actor that can come in and replace it. The only actor that could would be a functioning state, and we're still some
way away from that. So, implications of course, for UNRWA, but more seriously for the -- for the plight of Palestinians and the fate of the
ceasefire right now in Gaza.
SOARES: Sam Rose, as always, appreciate you taking time to speak to us this evening live from Nuseirat in Gaza. Thanks, Sam, good to see you.
ROSE: Thanks a lot.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, Turkey is in mourning as investigators work to figure out what caused a deadly fire at a popular ski resort. We'll
have those details for you just ahead. Plus, a Trump administration begins its immigration crackdown, but what does it really mean? We'll try to
answer that question just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And breaking news coming in to CNN. Police say at least two students have been shot at a high school in Tennessee. This is at Antioch
High School just outside of Nashville. According to police, a student fired others in the school cafeteria before shooting themselves.
[14:20:00]
The school district has released a statement saying the school is on lockdown, but that person responsible is no longer a threat. The Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it is also responding. No further details at this hour are available on the wounded students, but of
course, we will stay across this breaking news story as soon as there are any more developments out of this high school in Tennessee we will, of
course, bring it to your attention.
We are tracking a devastating incident in Turkey where an early morning fire killed at least 76 people on Tuesday. Officials say the blaze ripped
through a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey. Here you can see search teams and emergency workers on the scene.
"Reuters" reports 11 people have been detained as part of an ongoing investigation, and the country is observing an official day of mourning.
Our Jomana Karadsheh has the details on what we know so far about the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The names and pictures of the victims of Tuesday's devastating fire are emerging on
social media and across Turkish media. Among them families with young children who perished in this tragedy. One family according to our
affiliate CNN Turk, lost 14 members including a mother, a father and their three young children and nine other relatives.
This happened during the Winter school break in Turkey when many families from Istanbul and Ankara and other cities would usually take their children
on holiday to resorts like Kartalkaya, one of the most popular resorts in the Bolu Mountains in northwestern Turkey. You know, there were more than
230 guests and staff members at this hotel, the Grand Kartal, according to officials when the fire broke out at around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
And as you would expect, this is a time when most would have been asleep. The fire engulfed the 12-story hotel, and we have seen the shocking images
and heard the terrifying testimony from survivors, people trapped in the hotel tried desperately to escape the flames, some tied bed-sheets together
and threw them out of the window, trying to climb out.
Others jumped out of the window, at least two people, according to officials, died after jumping. Some eyewitnesses say that they couldn't
find fire extinguishers, others have said that the fire detection system failed. The government immediately launched an investigation and several
people, including the business owner, have been detained.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Bolu on Wednesday and attended funerals there during this day of national mourning. And as the nation
mourns, they are waiting for answers. How did this happen? And was this tragedy avoidable? Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, officials say the U.S. military is ordering thousands more troops to the southern border. We'll be live at the
Pentagon for the very latest. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Officials tell CNN the U.S. military is ordering thousands of additional troops to the southern border as the Trump
administration kicks off its immigration crackdown. Currently, there are about 2,200 active duty forces in the region supporting U.S. Customs and
Border Patrol.
Sources say the Trump administration asked the military earlier this week to be prepared to deploy up to 10,000 active duty troops immediately. And
this comes as the department -- the Justice Department is threatening to prosecute local officials who resist federal efforts to crack down on
illegal immigration.
We are focused on both of those strands. Joining us from the Pentagon CNN's national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand, and with us from
Washington, CNN senior U.S. justice correspondent Evan Perez. Good to see you both. Natasha, let me just turn to you. What more are you learning
about these additional troops? How soon are they likely to be deployed to the border? What are we talking about here?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, they could get there extremely soon. This first wave of active duty troops is
going to be around 1,500 that are going to be sent to the border, and they are going to join the roughly 2,200 active duty U.S. troops that are
currently there, helping the Department of Homeland Security with mostly logistical things like data entry and transportation and other aspects of
border enforcement, including intelligence gathering, for example, on migrant flows, as well as potential threats against the U.S. border.
But this is not expected to be the last of the troops that are going to be deployed there. President Trump has made very clear that he wants there to
be a very robust military presence at the southern border to serve really as a deterrent and as a message to any migrants who might be trying to
cross the border illegally.
And to that end, we were told that the initial request actually by the Trump administration to the military was for 10,000, up to 10,000 active
duty troops to be sent, and that really prompted a scramble here in the Pentagon and military officials pushed back very strongly on sending that
large amount of troops, at least initially, because they said that it could really strain resources and other kind of mission critical areas around the
world.
And so, we're already seeing kind of that tension play out between the White House and the Trump administration and the U.S. military and the
career officials here who are trying to prioritize a lot of different resources. So, what we are expecting to see is this initial wave of around
1,500 troops going to the border, again, they're going to be conducting kind of routine tasks, not engaged in any kind of law enforcement.
But if within 90 days President Trump determines that the border is not under control, and that more is needed to be done to control those migrant
flows, then he can -- he said in an executive order, reserve the right to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would then allow the military to conduct
those law enforcement actions at the border.
SOARES: And Evan, Natasha was talking about tension there already starting, you know, only two days, three days in. You have new reporting, your own
reporting on any official who kind of resists these federal efforts to crack down on immigration. What are -- talk to the -- to those threats or
that warning, I should say, what are they hearing?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Isa, this is a big push by the Justice Department, the new Justice Department, to make
clear that what they want to make sure is that cities and states that have these so-called sanctuary laws, these are laws that are aimed at protecting
migrants and immigrants and make sure that -- for instance, that they don't turn over information.
[14:30:15]
They don't provide information to the federal government to aid the deportation of those people, that those people essentially are unnoticed.
That if they obstruct in any way what the Trump administration wants to do, that they may be subjected to prosecution.
Now, this is a memo that was issued by the acting attorney general -- deputy attorney general, rather, Emil Bove. And what he's doing in this is
laying out a couple of threats, not only to those cities and states, but also to prosecutors internally at the Justice Department, telling them that
if they decline to bring some of these cases that they could be reported up to main justice and they would essentially be perhaps subject to being
fired.
I'll read you just a part of this memo where he says, federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing
to comply with lawful immigration related commands.
Now, look, the practical matter here is that the federal government has very limited ways to do that. to actually force the cities and states to do
things that they don't want to do. Look, if a mayor goes out there and tries to interfere with the immigration people trying to arrest someone, of
course, that is subject to some kind of legal action, some kind of arrest, perhaps.
But most cases, right, the cities and states are simply saying, we're just not going to help you. And it's not clear that the Justice Department can
really do much about this. A lot of this is about raising threats and making sure -- making people afraid, essentially, to try to stand up to the
Trump administration. This is a way of trying to make sure to instill fear in those people, and we'll see whether this actually works in the end.
We've been through this before, and in the end, a lot of times Trump -- the Trump people put up -- put together these memos, and they don't really
stand up to court scrutiny by the time they're challenged.
SOARES: Evan, really appreciate you breaking it all down for us. Evan Perez, Natasha Bertrand, thank you to you both. We'll stay across the
story.
And then on this story, we're actually going to take you to Latin America, because President Trump's crackdown on immigration is in full force, and
the U.S.-Mexico border is effectively closed off to migrants seeking asylum in the United States.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters her foreign minister spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the first official
contact between the counterparts. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday, Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente and Secretary of State Rubio spoke
on the phone. They began talks and it was a very good and cordial conversation. They talked about migration and security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more now from Stefano Pozzebon who joins us now from Bogota. And, Stefano, give us a sense of what the reaction has been from
Mexico and beyond to these executive borders -- orders, I should say.
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Isa. I think that the main -- the word that best describes the sentiment here in Latin America is of concern.
Over the last couple of days, I've been able to speak with sources and analysts from Mexico, Central America, to Colombia. And of course, there is
a lot of concern of what the impact of those deportations could have on this country, not just the economic impact, but also the social impact of
having to reintegrate potentially thousands of -- tens of thousands of migrants back into these societies.
And this is a society that rely heavily on remittances from U.S.-based migrants and the diaspora off Central Americans, Mexicans, South Americans
in the United States. I think that up to five countries in the region have more than 20 percent of their GDP in foreign remittances. And this is
creating a growing dissonance between what's the discourse here in Latin America and what's the discourse up north of the border. Take a listen to
what one analyst told me here in Bogota.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH DICKENSON, COLOMBIA ANALYST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: We have increasing dissonance between what western leaders want from Latin America,
which is to stop drug trafficking, and what Latin American leaders want, which is to stop violence. Their policy priorities are increasingly at odds
with one another, because often the steps that we take to reduce drug trafficking, things like forced eradication, interdiction, high level
captures can actually have the result of exacerbating violence. We have a very clear example of this right now in Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: And, Isa, that conversation was all about the possibility of the United States declare Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
So, that's why Elizabeth was referring to the security challenges.
[14:35:00]
But these are series of challenges that both North America or the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere and Latin America in
particular have to come together to face these challenges, and we're seeing more and more a dissonant discourse between the leadership of north of the
border and south of the border, and we are preparing for a very busy year here in South America. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, years, maybe. Make it plural, Stefano. Appreciate it, Stefano Pozzebon, great to see you. Thank you.
Well, America's new president is also making waves with Venezuela, saying on Monday that the U.S. will probably stop buying oil from them. In
response, Venezuela's interior minister says the country wants to have, "respectful" as well as transparent relations with the U.S.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced massive military and police exercises for today as well as Thursday. Last week, I
spoke with Claudio Grossman about the political situation unfolding in Venezuela. Grossman is a professor of law and dean emeritus at America's
University Washington College of Law. Here is part of our discussion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLAUDIO GROSSMAN, PROFESSOR OF LAW AND DEAN EMERITUS, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: There was a clear winner, Edmundo Gonzalez. There is no doubt
about it. And what is unbelievable also, to a certain extent, because the only way for Maduro to remain power was to increase repression. He said the
fact that around 25 disappearances have taken place. So, he has not been deterred by the reaction of the International Community.
Among others, somebody I know personally, it doesn't matter whether you know someone, but it touched really, Carlos Correa from Espacio Publico,
and the other candidate for the presidency of the Republic, and the son-in- law of Edmundo Gonzalez. So, there is widespread repression taking place in Venezuela while we are talking now, you and I.
SOARES: Yes, and we have seen it for some time. We have seen it pick up following the elections. Myself, I have spoken to several family members of
those who have been arrested by the Maduro government. That has been very clear, but just bring your expertise into this, because you are former
president of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights. More recently, you were appointed special adviser to the ICC, International Criminal Court
Prosecutor Karim Khan, on exactly this, the deteriorating and alarming human rights situation in Venezuela. But you parted ways with the ICC, from
what I understand, because of Venezuela. Just explain to us why. What happened?
GROSSMAN: Well, you know, in accordance with my ethical standards, I wanted to be free as someone that has worked in democratic issues and in human
rights to pursue action involving Venezuela. And I could not do that while I stay as adviser of the prosecutor office.
SOARES: And when you say, Mr. Grossman, that you wanted to be free, that insinuates or hints to the fact that you did not think that the ICC and the
case it was pursuing against Maduro and maybe his cronies wasn't going anywhere. That's what it sounds like to me. Did you lose faith on that?
GROSSMAN: Well, you know, there are issues of confidentiality here, but what is in the public domain and my later, you know, declining to continue
was filter is what it is public. I express in that -- in accordance with what's in the public domain, I expressed my dissatisfaction that in spite
of investigations by the United Nations, organizations of American states, public statement by Human Rights Watch, by Amnesty International, and every
Latin American NGO and numerous government expulsion of the Latin American government, things were not going in the direction and with the necessary
effectiveness that I want. That's what I can say.
SOARES: And just for context, Mr. Grossman, just for our viewers around the world, and I know you've touched this, we know the U.N. Human Rights
Council, back in September of last year of 2024, spoke of these unprecedented levels of violence. They cited the arrests, sexual abuse, as
well as torture and some of the methods used by Nicolas Maduro's government in order to stay in power.
The chair of that report, Marta Valinas, who I've spoken to as well on the show, insisted that in its latest findings, I'm going to quote her here,
"were overwhelming. Not only have there been no improvements, but the violations have intensified, reaching unprecedented levels of violence."
Does this line up with what you were investigating? And then, that begs the question, why do you think that the ICC, pardon me, has not indicted
Nicolas Maduro, given the evidence that we've had for years now?
[14:40:00]
GROSSMAN: Yes, first of all, let me say that I was the chair of the Committee Against Torture of the United Nations for many years, and I know.
And I know what's torture and inhuman treatment well, and it's not on the basis of my expertise. Anyone observing this show will know what's torture
and disappearances, the phenomena I thought was finished in Latin America as an instrument of repression, and the lack of an independent judiciary,
and we know what is a general attack against the civilian population, which is one of the conditions of the Statue of Rome associated to this thing. I
don't want to enter into speculations here.
SOARES: And I understand you don't want to speculate, but clearly from your tone, Mr. Grossman, you are frustrated that we are here yet again.
GROSSMAN: Yes, of course I am frustrated. But I will tell you, it -- and that happens and should happen with you and all those who are looking at
this program. Sometimes we have a sense that we cannot do anything. Yes, we can. You know, just by talking about this and promoting things, we
contribute to a certain extent to achieve something.
One thing we achieve. We express solidarity with people. And for the people of Venezuela, solidarity is essential. They are not alone on this. So, that
we can achieve. And so, that's the task of everyone now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Claudio Grossman for that interview. We're going to leave Venezuela to focus on Panama, because the president of Panama has
spoken out about President Trump's comments about the Panama Canal.
This, if you remember, after the U.S. leader made a promise at his inauguration to reclaim it. Here's what President Jose Raul Mulino had to
say earlier at the World Economic Forum that's taking place in Davos, Switzerland.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE RAUL MULINO, PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The day I traveled here, I stated my government's position in a statement, rejecting
its entirety of everything Mr. Trump said. Firstly, because it is false. And secondly, because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue
to belong to Panama. The Panama Canal was not a concession or a gift from the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
And the United States controlled the canal for decades after its completion back in 1914. But it was returned to Panama after President Jimmy Carter
reached an agreement with the country's leader in 1977. The U.S. still had troops at the Canal when it invaded Panama in 1989, but control of the
waterway was eventually handed over to the Panamanians a decade later.
And still to come tonight, parts of the southern U.S. are covered in record snowfall. Our meteorologist Chad Myers takes a look at the once-in-a-
generation winter storm that's hitting the region, including some of my colleagues. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, Santa Ana winds will continue whipping through Southern California and through Thursday sparking fears that progress, of course,
have made fighting wildfires that have killed 28 people could be reversed.
I want to show you these live pictures from Los Angeles County and the so- called Hughes Fire, authorities, as you can see there, have just issued evacuation orders for residents near that place, still trying to deal, of
course, with those blazes. Still a real huge concern.
There are also new fires breaking out. The Lilac Fire in Northern San Diego County began early on Tuesday. And then the Clay Fire began the same day
near Riverside. A red flag warning, which is a high wind warning, remains in effect through Thursday. So, still huge concern over these fires.
Several states, though, in the Southern U.S. are now dealing with a once- in-a-generation deadly winter storm that dumped snow across the region on Tuesday. Look at these images. At least 10 people have been killed due to
freezing temperatures and traffic accidents on slick roads.
And if you look at this drone flying over neighborhood, this is New Orleans, you could just make out the houses, but you can see the streets.
You can't actually see the streets or indeed even the sidewalks. And this was a scene, let me show you this, in Houston, Texas, yes, that's right, in
Texas, a city not accustomed to extreme winter weather. Just look at the kids, clearly, and adults sledging down the hill at the city's Herndon
Park, clearly enjoying it.
Even Florida is seeing blanketing snow. This is Pensacola, which is in the Panhandle region of the state. Across the south, some airports have been
closed due to the storm, and authorities are warning people not to drive until conditions improve.
You know, for the latest on this truly historic snowfall across southern United States I want to bring in Chad Myers who joins us from the CNN
Weather Center in Atlanta. And, Chad, I mean, these images is not something that we're used to seeing in these parts of the United States. Just how
unusual is this?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: These are towns that don't own snow plows because it doesn't snow there. I mean, so that kind of gives you an idea.
No, this is not supposed to happen this far south and thousands of people were stranded on the highways last night and a very cold night.
To give you an idea, let's go to New Orleans proper because we had great pictures from there. They had eight inches of snow in New Orleans. If you
add up all of the snow that has ever fallen in New Orleans since they've been keeping track for 77 years, you don't get to eight. Eight is more than
they've ever had altogether in the past. And yes, even places like Florida, 10 inches. Well, we shouldn't have 10 inches in Florida.
The most Florida, the entire state, anywhere in the state has ever had is four inches. So, we've doubled it and then some compared to what the
highest on record ever was. Warm Gulf of Mexico, very cold air coming down from the north. And all of a sudden, you get that clash. You get enough
moisture and the very cold air and it just snowed. And it continued to snow.
All the way -- there was snow on the beach, all the way from Texas, across Northern Florida and all the way to Delaware. Every single beach had snow
on top. Some of the Florida beaches had as much as seven inches on the sand. Now, it warms up and it melts and all that. But the nighttime
temperatures are the problem when you get that slush on the roadways and we go below zero Celsius, go below freezing, all of a sudden it refreezes. And
by morning, even after sunset, things really, really get slippery.
I mean, I've watched it last night here, even in Atlanta, it was just all wet. And then, all of a sudden, sunset and the whole place was a skating
rink out there. And some cars didn't make it at home at all. And even interstates had to be shut down, big interstates that transport lots of
produce, lots of things across the deep south here in Georgia and also across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, they got shut down as well.
So, it was a tough snow. They'll get out of it. It's just going to take some time. It's just going to have to melt first. I don't even think some
of those --
SOARES: How long? What are we talking about here
[14:50:00]
MYERS: -- like, some of those big stores don't even have shovels. You know, I think by Saturday, everybody is back to normal. And even by tomorrow, a
lot of things. You just have to be careful going out in the very early morning when your morning low temperatures are going to be 21. It melted.
The sun came out. But then all of a sudden, it refroze.
SOARES: Chad, stay safe. Everyone, stay safe.
MYERS: I will.
SOARES: Thank you very much. Good to see you, Chad. And still to come tonight, the latest in Prince Harry's dispute with British newspapers.
We'll tell you why today's events are so unexpected. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Prince Harry's years long legal dispute with the British newspaper group has taken an unexpected turn. The Duke of Sussex has in fact settled
the lawsuit just before the trial was due to get underway. The dispute against Rupert Murdoch's news group claimed that reporters and
investigators working for the British tabloids like The Sun had been targeting the prince and his family. Our Max Foster has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After months of preparations, Prince Harry's lawyer today ended the case against Rupert
Murdoch's U.K. tabloids. That was before the trial had even started. Settling for a figure, legal sources say, runs into eight figures.
DAVID SHERBORNE, PRINCE HARRY'S LAWYER: News U.K. have admitted that The Sun, the flagship title for Rupert Murdoch's U.K. media empire, has indeed
engaged in illegal practices.
FOSTER (voice-over): The civil case alleged The Sun and the now shuttered News of the World newspapers had illegally obtained private information
about the prince and used it to sell newspapers. In court, NGN's lawyers apologized to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion into his private
life between 1996 and 2011. For unlawful activities carried out by its private investigators and for phone hacking.
Perhaps most notably, it apologized for its, quote, "extensive coverage and serious intrusion into the private life of his mother Princess Diana." The
tabloid obsession with the princess was well known, with almost every step documented by photographers. She died in 1997 in a car crash whilst being
chased by paparazzi in Paris.
But it wasn't just the royals who were alleged targets of the tabloids. Ordinary civilians say they were subject to claimed invasions of privacy,
sometimes using the same very questionable tactics. And in a criminal trial starting in 2013, one editor of the Murdoch-owned News of the World was
found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones. He was sentenced to 18 months. The real question now is what comes next.
[14:55:00]
EMMA JONES, HACKED OFF: This is here now for the police to investigate. You know, we've got a corporate culture of unlawful behavior. We've got an
admission of that. And the same people still working at that organization. For what reason would they not have to now investigate those practices and
say, you know, this has happened? The evidence is almost laid bare. And they've gone to huge lengths to avoid being scrutinized in the court.
FOSTER (voice-over): Prince Harry may have settled, but the legal battles may not be over for the tabloid press, with the prince calling for a new
police investigation, pressure is mounting. A spokesperson for The Sun said no staff at the newspaper were found culpable, and police have previously
found no criminal case.
Max Foster, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Max Foster for that report. Well, catching three flights in one day may sound like hard work, but for this passenger, it was
a complete cat-astrophe. Apologies for the pun there. Eight-year-old Mittens was only supposed to go from New Zealand to Australia, but when her
owners were waiting for her at the airport, they were told she had been left in the cargo hold and was already on her way to Christchurch. Mittens
was met on arrival and sent back to Melbourne for her third flight of the day. Luckily, she was unharmed and the owners say they are relieved to have
her back. I did hope -- I do hope she got some points, some miles out of that.
That does it for us for tonight. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. I'll see you tomorrow.
Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
