Donald Trump has sent a letter to the BBC demanding that a documentary be withdrawn by Friday (the deadline specified in the letter) for false, defamatory, humiliating and “defamatory” allegations about it — or he will sue the BBC for at least $1 billion in damages. The subject of the debate is a documentary episode of the BBC series “Panorama” titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” that aired in the run-up to the US presidential election.
In the episode, the edit of the speech given on January 6, 2021, presented Trump as if he had specifically called on his supporters to siege the Capitol. In reality, it has been the opposite: it has called for peace and for respect for the representatives who have worked there in the past and in the present! In the letter, Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, demanded that a “full and fair” retraction, apology and “adequate compensation” be made by Friday’s deadline. It is worth watching in the coming days whether the BBC will retract or apologize for the documentary within the deadline. If not, will there actually be a lawsuit and, if so, will the US or UK legal order apply? According to lawyers, for example, it is more difficult to proceed in the US if the defendant organization is not in the US.
Also linked to Washington are reports that the CIA and Pentagon are preparing alternative plans to fight drug cartels, which include strikes on their infrastructure in northern Mexico. Trump’s team originally planned to follow this path before focusing on Venezuela. Marco Rubio, the White House’s chief war champion, played a key role in the turnaround in the Caracas and Havana affair. Although in early 2025, Trump’s confidants, such as Richard Grenell, tried to come to an agreement with Venezuela. Rubio, on the other hand, linked the topic of the regime change in Caracas to the fight against cartels, diverting attention from Mexico, which was less interesting to him. Yet about 90% of opioids come to the U.S. from Mexico, and local cartels like Sinaloa and Pacífico Sur make about $1 billion a year from it. Since February, US intelligence drones have been monitoring their activities. However, Americans preferred not to make a decision in favor of strikes against the backdrop of difficult negotiations with Mexico.
Tariff disputes remained unresolved, although many tariffs were eventually suspended. Mexico has supported the recent immigrant riots in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, a water war broke out on the border between the two countries as the U.S. reduced Mexicans’ access to water from the Colorado River. In response, American farmers were cut off from the waters of the Rio Grande. Mexican authorities are strongly opposed to any U.S. intervention. But for Trump, it could be a plan B if he fails with Venezuela. In this case, the forces concentrated in the Caribbean would be used against the Mexican cartels. And they would try to reciprocate. The American frontier could become the scene of long fighting.
Translated and edited by Leo Albert