Marcos Estrada learned at an early age how to be a caregiver for his two brothers as well as his mom amid a rough childhood. That helped him develop a nurturing streak that seemed at odds with his macho personality.

But Estrada, co-owner of Valor Jiu-Jitsu in Orland Park, has found a way to mesh those two diverse traits through martial arts.

He and friend Edgar Figueroa, both who are black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, opened the Orland Park facility in September and have attracted a clientele of all ages.

“I enjoy seeing these kids grow and the adults as well,” said Estrada. “When I see boys learn humility, empathy and kindness, it shows me we’re going in the right direction.”

His parents separated when Estrada was 3 and divorced when he was 5, though his dad was still in and out of their lives. He and his two brothers and mom were broke much of the time.

Estrada said his experience in caregiving was spurred by his father, whose occasional visits were sometimes accompanied by violence, particularly toward his mother. One run-in left his mother, who died a few years ago, with two broken legs, he said.

“I took care of her, brought her a bed pan,” Estrada recalled. “I remember it like it was yesterday, doing laundry in the bathtub.

“Growing up we were pretty much in survival mode at an early age. We were kind of subject to a lot of stuff.”

The three boys were lucky to have kind neighbors near their Little Village home, who were raising five kids.

“When our dad was whipping on our mom, we ran to their house,” said Estrada. “We associated that house with safety, love and security.”

He also got to know one of their sons, named Albert, who was in the Marines. Though Albert played rough with them, he also elicited admiration and a sense of adventure in Estrada.

In high school, Estrada loved wrestling, which has similarities to the martial arts, emphasizing control, strength and respect.

But as a teen he fell in with the wrong crowd and was arrested twice and charged with felonies, though he was never convicted.

Then in 1991, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of joining the Marines and served until 2012.

Macros Estrada, stands outside Valor Jiu-Jitsu, which he opened in September with his friend Edgar Figueroa, in September. (Janice Neumann/for the Daily Southtown)

“It shaped me in a lot of ways, partially contributing to my moral shift,” said Estrada. “I had a lot of qualities that had not been harnessed. Putting me in a positive environment helped me redirect this.”

He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, also participating in counter-piracy off the coast of Somalia, in addition to other stints.

“These were some of the best times of my life,” said Estrada. “Little boys are hardwired by our creator to do specific things and protect is one of them. There’s a certain adventurous side to boys and I got to play that out in real life.”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Roosevelt University and an MBA from the University of Illinois Chicago.

After retiring from the service, Estrada worked as a consultant at various security and defense firms. He did corporate security at Walgreens for a while.

In addition to overseeing the business side of the gym, Estrada does various consulting jobs and teaches enhanced marksmanship and conceal and carry courses. He’s also hoping to start a pilot class in women’s self-defense with a local police department.

He lives in Lemont with his wife, Christina. They have three adult children: a son, Marcos Jr. and daughters Arianna and Gabriella, as well as a grandchild and another one the way.

Edgar Figueroa, left, co-owner of Valor Jiu-Jitsu, oversees a training session recently at the martial arts facility in Orland Park. (Janice Neumann/for the Daily Southtown)

He has friends from his time in the Marines and others who enjoy martial arts, including co-owner Figueroa, who he met at Uflacker Academy Chicago when the two were brushing up on their jiu jitsu.

“Anybody who really loves something … if you enjoy it enough, you grow into an individual who wants to see others enjoy it in the same way,” he said. “The passion comes from the observation and first-hand accounts of seeing people develop, mature and grow.”

At Uflacker he also met Andrew Shadel, who helps out teaching children at the gym. Shadel’s young sons train there, too.

“We’re all family men, we value male responsibility and raising a family in the community in a very positive way,” said Shadel. “You can have that kind of ferocity on the mat and still be a good husband and good father.”

Shadel said Estrada was a perfect example of how martial arts lovers could shine a positive light on the sport.

“I’m not sure you’ll meet a less angry person than Marcos,” said Shadel. “I think it’s reflected very much in his family.”

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/valor-jiu-jitsu-orland-park/ 

Sudden Change Of Heart By Colombia’s Petro: ‘Good Call’ With Trump Leads To Planned WH Meeting

Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/08/2026 – 09:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/sudden-change-heart-colombias-petro-good-call-trump-leads-planned-wh-meeting 

Por STEVE DOUGLAS

Era lo último que Thomas Frank necesitaba.

Mientras el asediado técnico del Tottenham caminaba por el Vitality Stadium tomando un espresso antes del partido de su equipo en la Liga Premier contra Bournemouth el miércoles, poco sabía que la bebida estaba en una taza adornada con el logotipo de Arsenal.

Sí, ese Arsenal, el acérrimo rival de Tottenham y el último equipo en visitar el estadio de Bournemouth.

“Definitivamente no me di cuenta”, afirmó Frank. “Es justo decir que no estamos ganando todos los partidos, así que sería absolutamente, completamente estúpido de mi parte tomar una taza con el emblema de Arsenal”.

Por muy tonto que sea —y Frank expresó su tristeza de que se destacara tal incidente— fue un gran error de relaciones públicas y podría convertirse en una imagen que defina una gestión que se está sumiendo en el caos.

Tottenham encajó un gol en el tiempo de descuento para perder 3-2 en Bournemouth y caer al puesto 14 en la liga de 20 equipos. Los Spurs han ganado solo dos de sus últimos 12 partidos de liga y la presión está aumentando sobre Frank y sus jugadores, quienes no parecen estar manejando bien la situación.

Después del partido, Micky van de Ven fue uno de los jugadores que se acercó a los descontentos aficionados del Tottenham que viajaron y se le vio gesticulando y discutiendo con uno de ellos en un acalorado intercambio.

Más tarde, el argentino Cristian Romero —compañero de Van de Ven en el centro de la defensa— publicó en Instagram un largo mensaje en el que se disculpó con los aficionados por los resultados. El recio zaguero también criticó duramente a personas no especificadas en el club.

“En momentos como este, deberían ser otras personas las que salgan a hablar, pero no lo hacen, como ha estado sucediendo durante varios años”, escribió Romero. “Solo aparecen cuando las cosas van bien”.

“Nos quedaremos aquí trabajando, manteniéndonos unidos y dando todo para cambiar las cosas. Especialmente en momentos como este, mantener la calma, trabajar más duro y avanzar todos juntos, es parte del fútbol”, añadió.

Los aficionados de Tottenham están cada vez más descontentos con el estilo de juego pragmático bajo Frank, quien llegó en la pretemporada en reemplazo de Ange Postecoglou tras desvincularse de Brentford, otro club de la Premier.

Postecoglou llevó a Tottenham al título de la Liga Europa —y por lo tanto de vuelta a la Liga de Campeones— pero el 17º lugar en la liga provocó que perdiera su trabajo.

Es el papel de mayor perfil asumido por Frank, de 52 años, en una carrera como entrenador que incluye posiciones con las selecciones juveniles de Dinamarca y el club Brøndby. En Brentford, pudo trabajar en gran medida fuera del foco de atención y ganó elogios y respeto por el trabajo que hizo, manteniendo al equipo en la Premier y complicándole la vida a los clubes más grandes de Inglaterra con su habilidad táctica.

Sin embargo, la presión en los Spurs es mucho más intensa.

Frank reconoció que la última derrota fue “muy, muy difícil, realmente dolorosa”.

“Por supuesto que la gente está frustrada, eso es natural”, dijo. “Es muy difícil estar aquí ahora mismo y no pudimos sacar nada de lo que en general fue una buena actuación”.

___

Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/tottenham-en-crisis-tras-error-de-frank-y-publicacin-de-romero-en-redes-sociales/ 

Denmark has welcomed a meeting with the U.S. next week to discuss President Donald Trump’s renewed call for the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island of Greenland to come under American control.

“This is the dialogue that is needed, as requested by the government together with the Greenlandic government,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Wednesday a meeting about Greenland would happen next week, without giving details about timing, location or participants.

“I’m not here to talk about Denmark or military intervention. I’ll be meeting with them next week, we’ll have those conversations with them then,” Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Greenland’s government has told Danish public broadcaster DR that Greenland will participate in the meeting between Denmark and the U.S. announced by Rubio.

“Nothing about Greenland without Greenland. Of course we will be there. We are the ones who requested the meeting,” Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt told DR.

The island of Greenland, 80% of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people.

Vance criticizes Denmark

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Denmark “obviously” had not done a proper job in securing Greenland and that Trump “is willing to go as far as he has to” to defend American interests in the Arctic.

In an interview with Fox News, Vance repeated Trump’s claim that Greenland is crucial to both the U.S. and the world’s national security because “the entire missile defense infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland.”

He said the fact that Denmark has been a faithful military ally of the U.S. during World War Two and the more recent “war on terrorism” did not necessarily mean they were doing enough to secure Greenland today.

“Just because you did something smart 25 years ago doesn’t mean you can’t do something dumb now,” Vance said, adding that Trump “is saying very clearly, ‘you are not doing a good job with respect to Greenland.’”

Right to self-determination

Vance’s comments came after Rubio told a select group of U.S. lawmakers that it was the Republican administration’s intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force.

“Many Greenlanders feel that the remarks made are disrespectful,” Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two Greenlandic politicians in the Danish parliament, told The Associated Press. “Many also experience that these conversations are being discussed over their heads. We have a firm saying in Greenland, ‘Nothing about Greenland, without Greenland.’”

She said most Greenlanders “wish for more self-determination, including independence” but also want to “strengthen cooperation with our partners” in security and business development as long as it is based on “mutual respect and recognition of our right to self-determination.”

Chemnitz denied a claim by Trump that Greenland is “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

Greenland is “a longstanding ally and partner to the U.S. and we have a shared interest in stability, security, and responsible cooperation in the Arctic,” she said. “There is an agreement with the U.S. that gives them access to have bases in Greenland if needed.”

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has denounced the “law of the strongest” that is making people “wonder if Greenland will be invaded.”

In a speech to French ambassadors at the Elysee presidential palace on Thursday, Macron said: “It’s the greatest disorder, the law of the strongest, and everyday people wonder whether Greenland will be invaded, whether Canada will be under the threat of becoming the 51th state (of the United States) or whether Taiwan is to be further circled.”

He pointed to an “increasingly dysfunctional” world where great powers, including the U.S and China, have “a real temptation to divide the world amongst themselves.”

The United States is “gradually turning away from some of its allies and freeing itself from the international rules,” Macron said.

Surveillance operations for the US

“Greenland belongs to its people,” Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, said on Wednesday. “Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland. They have the full solid support and solidarity of the European Union.”

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the U.K. joined Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday in defending Greenland’s sovereignty in the wake of Trump’s comments about Greenland, which is part of the NATO military alliance.

After Vance’s visit to Greenland last year, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen published a video detailing the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the U.S.. Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island, Rasmussen said, to the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest with some 200 soldiers today. The base supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.

The 1951 agreement “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland,” Rasmussen said. “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”

‘Military defense of Greenland’

Last year, Denmark’s parliament approved a bill to allow U.S. military bases on Danish soil. The legislation widens a previous military agreement, made in 2023 with the Biden administration, where U.S. troops had broad access to Danish air bases in the Scandinavian country.

Denmark is moving to strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic.

Last year, the government announced a $2.3 billion agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another self-governing territory of Denmark, to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”

The plan includes three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command, headquartered in Nuuk, is tasked with the “surveillance, assertion of sovereignty and military defense of Greenland and the Faroe Islands,” according to its website. It has smaller satellite stations across the island.

The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, an elite Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, is also stationed in Greenland.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/denmark-us-greenland/ 

WASHINGTON — The Senate is expected to vote on a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, setting up a test for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.

The war powers resolution would require Trump to get congressional approval before striking Venezuela again, and it comes after the U.S. military seized the president of the South American country, Nicolás Maduro, in a surprise nighttime raid and as Trump’s administration is seeking to control Venezuela’s oil resources and its government.

Democrats have failed to pass several such resolutions in the months that Trump escalated his campaign against Venezuela. But lawmakers argued that now that Trump has captured Maduro and set his sights to other conquests such as Greenland, the vote presents the Republican-controlled Congress with an opportunity.

“It’s time for Congress to assert its control over military action of this kind, and it’s time to get this out of secrecy and put it in the light,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who forced the vote.

Republican leaders have said they had no advance notification of the raid early morning Saturday to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, but mostly expressed satisfaction this week as top administration officials provided classified briefings on the operation.

The administration has used an evolving set of legal justifications for the monthslong campaign in Central and South America, from destroying alleged drug boats under authorizations for the global fight against terrorism to seizing Maduro in what was ostensibly a law enforcement operation to put him on trial in the United States.

Republican leaders have backed Trump.

“I think the president has demonstrated at least already a very strong commitment to peace through strength, especially in this hemisphere,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “I think Venezuela got that message loudly and clearly.”

Lawmakers’ response to the Venezuela operation

Before the vote on the resolution, several Republicans said they were carefully considering their decision, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who have previously voted against similar measures.

“We have a history of going in, liberating and leaving. I’m interested in the leaving part,” Tillis said.

Asked whether he would support putting troops on the ground in Venezuela, he responded: “Not without congressional authorization.”

A vote on a similar resolution in November narrowly failed to gain the majority needed for passage. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans voting in favor.

Paul, an outspoken proponent of war powers resolutions, acknowledged that Maduro is seen as a “bad guy” and “a socialist and an autocrat.” But, Paul added, “The question is about who has the power to take the country to war?”

Some progressive Democrats have suggested inserting language in a defense appropriations bill to limit certain military actions, but that idea met resistance from more pragmatic members of the caucus. Democratic leaders have tried to cast Trump’s foreign ambitions as a distraction from the issues that voters face at home.

“The American people are asking what the hell is going on in Venezuela and why is this president, who campaigned on ‘America First,’ now spending all his time and energy on escapades overseas?” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a floor speech.

The rarely enforced War Powers Act

Congress was once again left in the dark during the military operation in Venezuela, with Trump later confirming that he talked to oil executives but not leaders on Capitol Hill. That reflects a broader pattern in Trump’s second term, unfolding under a Republican-controlled Congress that has shown little appetite for reasserting its constitutional authority to declare war.

Under the Constitution, Congress declares war while the president serves as commander in chief. But lawmakers have not formally declared war since World War II, granting presidents broad latitude to act unilaterally.

Congress attempted to rein in that authority after the Vietnam War with the War Powers Resolution, passed over Republican President Richard Nixon’s veto. The law requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying forces and to end military action within 60 to 90 days absent authorization — limits that presidents of both parties have routinely stretched.

Democrats argue those limits are being pushed further than ever. Some Republicans have gone further still, contending congressional approval is unnecessary altogether.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally who traveled with the president aboard Air Force One on Sunday, said he would be comfortable with Trump taking over other countries without congressional approval, including Greenland.

“The commander in chief is the commander in chief. They can use military force,” Graham said.

Greenland may further test the limits

Graham’s comments come as the administration weighs not only its next steps in Venezuela, but also Greenland. The White House has said the “military is always an option” when it comes to a potential American takeover of the world’s largest island.

While Republicans have cited Greenland’s strategic value, most have balked at the idea of using the military to take the country, instead favoring a potential deal to purchase the country.

Democrats want to get out in front of any military action and are already preparing to respond. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego said he is working on a resolution “to block Trump from invading Greenland.”

“We must stop him before he invades another country on a whim,” Gallego wrote on X. “No more forever wars.”

Kaine also said Wednesday that a resolution on Greenland would soon be filed, in addition to Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Nigeria.

Greenland belongs to a NATO ally, Denmark, which has prompted a much different response from Republican senators than the situation in Venezuela. Paul said Republicans discussed Trump’s plans for Greenland at their Wednesday luncheon and he heard “zero support” for taking military action to seize it.

Tillis, a co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, used a Senate floor speech to criticize White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller for comments this week that the U.S. should take control of Greenland. Tillis said such remarks were “amateurish” and “absurd.”

“This nonsense on what’s going on with Greenland is a distraction from the good work he’s doing,” Tillis said of the president. “And the amateurs who said it was a good idea should lose their jobs.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/senate-limiting-trumps-war-powers-venezuela-raid/ 

Trae Young’s tenure in Atlanta is over, with the Hawks agreeing to trade the high-scoring and frequently criticized guard to the Washington Wizards for a package including veteran CJ McCollum, a person with knowledge of the move said Wednesday night.

Corey Kispert is also headed from Washington to Atlanta, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not received the required league approval. The person said the league’s trade call will not take place before Thursday. Typically, teams cannot discuss pending trades until they are approved by the league.

“I know you all have questions for me that right now I’m not at liberty to talk about or answer,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, unprompted, at the start of his postgame news conference Wednesday night following Atlanta’s win over visiting New Orleans.

NBA reporter Marc Stein was first to disclose that the sides were closing in on a deal, and ESPN first reported that the agreement was in place.

The Wizards held McCollum and Kispert out of their loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday night, and Young was on the bench in street clothes for Atlanta. He left the bench area in the fourth quarter, then returned and left again for the final time with about 30 seconds left — slapping hands with a few fans as he headed toward the locker room.

He leaves Atlanta as the Hawks’ career leader in assists (passing Doc Rivers) and 3-pointers (passing Mookie Blaylock). He’s fourth on Atlanta’s free throws list and sixth in points.

Hawks power forward Mouhamed Gueye said he didn’t know during Wednesday’s game that the trade news had gone public. He had nothing but high praise afterward for his time with Young.

“That’s T.Y. That’s Trae Young,” Gueye said. “When I first got here, he was one of the first guys that texted me, welcoming me to the city, gave me a lot of advice. Obviously, playing with Trae, as a big, is like a dream come true. I love him as a guy, I love him as a teammate. … An Atlanta legend.”

Young is 10th in points, 12th in points per game, first in assists and first in assists per game since entering the NBA as the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft.

He is one of five players to rank in the top 10 in both points and assists since he entered the league; the others are Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Clippers’ James Harden and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.

Jokic has won a championship and is a three-time MVP. Doncic is considered an MVP candidate, Harden is a member of the 75th anniversary team, and Booker is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Young doesn’t get the level of respect those players have earned. He’s a four-time All-Star — two of those nods coming through voting, two of them coming when Commissioner Adam Silver added him to the roster as an injury replacement.

But the Hawks, this season anyway, have been better without Young. Atlanta was 2-8 this season when Young played; the Hawks are 16-13 without him. Over his career, the Hawks won 49% of their games when Young wasn’t in the lineup — as opposed to 45% when he played.

He has a player option for about $49 million for next season and is eligible for a three-year extension with the Wizards.

McCollum averaged 18.8 points in 35 games with Washington this season and is a 19.6-point scorer for his career. The Hawks will become his fourth team; he also played for Portland and New Orleans.

Kispert has been a backup for the bulk of his five NBA seasons, all with Washington. He’s averaged 10.9 points for his career while shooting 38% from 3-point range.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/trae-young-trade-hawks-wizards/ 

China Set To Approve Nvidia H200 AI Chip Purchases As Soon As This Quarter

Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/08/2026 – 09:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/china-set-approve-nvidia-h200-ai-chip-soon-quarter 

Por CLAUDIA CIOBANU

Dinamarca ha acogido con satisfacción una reunión con Estados Unidos la próxima semana para discutir el renovado llamado del presidente Donald Trump para que la estratégica y rica en minerales isla ártica de Groenlandia pase a estar bajo control estadounidense.

“Este es el diálogo que se necesita, tal como lo solicitó el gobierno junto con el gobierno groenlandés”, dijo el ministro de Defensa danés Troels Lund Poulsen a la emisora danesa DR el jueves.

El secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, indicó el miércoles que la próxima semana se llevará a cabo una reunión sobre Groenlandia, pero no ofreció detalles sobre el momento, la ubicación o los participantes.

“No estoy aquí para hablar sobre Dinamarca o intervención militar. Me reuniré con ellos la próxima semana, tendremos esas conversaciones con ellos entonces”, dijo Rubio a los periodistas en el Capitolio.

El gobierno de Groenlandia ha informado a la emisora pública danesa DR que Groenlandia participará en la reunión entre Dinamarca y Estados Unidos anunciada por Rubio.

“Nada sobre Groenlandia sin Groenlandia. Por supuesto, estaremos allí. Somos nosotros quienes solicitamos la reunión”, afirmó la ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Groenlandia, Vivian Motzfeldt, a DR.

La isla de Groenlandia, el 80% de la cual se encuentra por encima del Círculo Ártico, es hogar de unas 56.000 personas, en su mayoría inuit.

Vance critica a Dinamarca

El vicepresidente estadounidense JD Vance, dijo el miércoles que Dinamarca “obviamente” no había hecho un trabajo adecuado en asegurar Groenlandia y que Trump “está dispuesto a llegar tan lejos como sea necesario” para defender los intereses estadounidenses en el Ártico.

En una entrevista con Fox News, Vance repitió la afirmación de Trump de que Groenlandia es crucial tanto para Estados Unidos como para la seguridad nacional mundial porque “toda la infraestructura de defensa antimisiles depende parcialmente de Groenlandia”.

Añadió que el hecho de que Dinamarca haya sido un fiel aliado militar de Estados Unidos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y la más reciente “guerra contra el terrorismo” no significaba necesariamente que estuvieran haciendo lo suficiente para asegurar Groenlandia hoy.

“El hecho de que hicieras algo inteligente hace 25 años no significa que no puedas hacer algo tonto ahora”, resaltó Vance, agregando que Trump “está diciendo muy claramente, ‘no están haciendo un buen trabajo con respecto a Groenlandia’”.

Derecho a la autodeterminación

Vance hizo sus declaraciones luego que Rubio dijera a un grupo selecto de legisladores estadounidenses que el gobierno republicano tiene la intención de comprar eventualmente Groenlandia en lugar de usar la fuerza militar.

“Muchos groenlandeses consideran que los comentarios hechos son irrespetuosos”, declaró Aaja Chemnitz, una de las dos políticas groenlandesas en el Parlamento danés, a The Associated Press. “Muchos también sienten que estas conversaciones se están discutiendo por encima de sus cabezas. Tenemos un dicho firme en Groenlandia, ‘Nada sobre Groenlandia, sin Groenlandia’”.

Agregó que la mayoría de los groenlandeses “desean más autodeterminación, incluida la independencia”, pero también quieren “fortalecer la cooperación con nuestros socios” en seguridad y desarrollo empresarial siempre que se base en “respeto mutuo y reconocimiento de nuestro derecho a la autodeterminación”.

Chemnitz negó una afirmación de Trump de que Groenlandia está “cubierta de barcos rusos y chinos por todas partes”.

Groenlandia es “un aliado y socio de larga data de Estados Unidos y tenemos un interés compartido en la estabilidad, la seguridad y la cooperación responsable en el Ártico”, subrayó. “Hay un acuerdo con Estados Unidos que les da acceso para tener bases en Groenlandia si es necesario”.

El presidente francés Emmanuel Macron ha denunciado la “ley del más fuerte” que está haciendo que la gente “se pregunte si Groenlandia será invadida”.

En un discurso a embajadores franceses en el palacio presidencial del Elíseo el jueves, Macron dijo que “es el mayor desorden, la ley del más fuerte, y todos los días la gente se pregunta si Groenlandia será invadida, si Canadá estará bajo la amenaza de convertirse en el 51er estado (de Estados Unidos) o si Taiwán será rodeado aún más”.

Señaló un mundo “cada vez más disfuncional” donde las grandes potencias, incluidos Estados Unidos y China, tienen “una verdadera tentación de dividir el mundo entre ellos”.

Estados Unidos “gradualmente se está alejando de algunos de sus aliados y liberándose de las reglas internacionales”, dijo Macron.

Operaciones de vigilancia para EEUU

“Groenlandia pertenece a su gente”, sostuvo Antonio Costa, el presidente del Consejo Europeo, el miércoles. “Nada puede decidirse sobre Dinamarca y sobre Groenlandia sin Dinamarca, o sin Groenlandia. Tienen el pleno apoyo y solidaridad de la Unión Europea”.

Los mandatarios de Canadá, Francia, Alemania, Italia, Polonia, España y el Reino Unido se unieron a la primera ministra de Dinamarca, Mette Frederiksen, el martes para defender la soberanía de Groenlandia tras los comentarios de Trump sobre Groenlandia, que es parte de la alianza militar de la OTAN.

Después de la visita de Vance a Groenlandia el año pasado, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores danés Lars Løkke Rasmussen publicó un video detallando el acuerdo de defensa de 1951 entre Dinamarca y Estados Unidos. Desde 1945, la presencia militar estadounidense en Groenlandia ha disminuido de miles de soldados en más de 17 bases e instalaciones en la isla, dijo Rasmussen, a la remota Base Espacial Pituffik en el noroeste con unos 200 soldados hoy. La base apoya operaciones de advertencia de misiles, defensa antimisiles y vigilancia espacial para Estados Unidos y la OTAN.

El acuerdo de 1951 “ofrece amplias oportunidades para que Estados Unidos tenga una presencia militar mucho más fuerte en Groenlandia”, indicó Rasmussen. “Si eso es lo que deseas, entonces discutámoslo”.

“Defensa militar de Groenlandia”

El año pasado, el Parlamento de Dinamarca aprobó un proyecto de ley para permitir bases militares estadounidenses en suelo danés. La ley amplía un acuerdo militar previo, pactado en 2023 con el entonces gobierno de Joe Biden, donde las tropas estadounidenses tenían amplio acceso a bases aéreas danesas en el país escandinavo.

Dinamarca se moviliza para fortalecer su presencia militar alrededor de Groenlandia y en el Atlántico Norte más amplio.

El año pasado, el gobierno anunció un acuerdo de 14.600 millones de coronas (2.300 millones de dólares) con partes que incluyen a los gobiernos de Groenlandia y las Islas Feroe, otro territorio autónomo de Dinamarca, para “mejorar las capacidades de vigilancia y mantener la soberanía en la región”.

El plan incluye tres nuevos buques navales árticos, dos drones de vigilancia de largo alcance adicionales y capacidad satelital.

El Comando Ártico Conjunto de Dinamarca, con sede en Nuuk, tiene la tarea de la “vigilancia, afirmación de soberanía y defensa militar de Groenlandia y las Islas Feroe”, según su sitio web. Cuenta con estaciones satelitales más pequeñas en toda la isla.

La Patrulla de Trineos de Perros Sirius, una unidad naval danesa de élite que realiza reconocimientos de largo alcance y hace cumplir la soberanía danesa en la naturaleza ártica, también está estacionada en Groenlandia.

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Seung Min Kim en Washington y Sylvie Corbet en París contribuyeron a este despacho.

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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/08/dinamarca-ve-conversaciones-con-eeuu-como-oportunidad-para-dilogo-necesario-sobre-groenlandia/ 

Defense Stocks Blast Off As Trump Seeks Budget Boost To Defend Western Hemisphere

Tyler Durden
Thu, 01/08/2026 – 08:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/defense-stocks-blast-trump-seeks-budget-boost-defend-western-hemisphere