for margaret. this is g.w. news a live from far away and the united states new president joe biden gets to work reversing the policies of his predecessor remember that really the learning rejoined the earth farmer the courage to. be taking his place in the oval office signing a string of executive orders and making key appointments to put his agenda into action. and what is germany expect from the new u.s. president from military bases to oil pipelines we look at how the 2 countries might

have shot the shaky relationship. oh and by richardson welcome to the show joe biden has become the united states of 46 presidents and he's already gone down to work reversing some of the policies of the previous administration shortly after entering the oval office president biden signed a stack of executive orders among them rejoining the paris climate accord and reversing an immigration ban on people from several muslim countries has also stepped up measures to fight the coronavirus and announced key appointments while his democratic party has taken control of congress. on tuesday biden took the oath of office promising to bring together a divided nation i was in a sea change in u.s.

politics. this is america's day this is democracy day. a day of history and hope are no unresolved. through a crucible for the ages america has been tested a new america has risen to the challenge. in his inaugural speech as president of the united states joe biden appealed to americans to overcome their divisions without mentioning his predecessor by name he sounded the beginning of a new era in which he said truths would prevail. recent weeks and once taught us a painful lesson there is truth and our lives lies told for power and for profit and age of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens as americans and especially as leaders leaders who

have pledged to honor our constitution to protect our nation to defend the truth and defeat the lies. what made this day truly extraordinary in the history of the us was the swearing in of tamanna harris the 1st black american the 1st asian american the 1st woman to hold the office of vice president. it's. knocking on was her predecessor mike pence unlike donald trump he had come to the ceremony to honor the new administration. of former presidents george w. bush and bill clinton were there. and so to barack obama and biden served as vice president the star power was intensified with lady gaga singing the national anthem.

i am jennifer lopez with a medley of this land is your land and america the beautiful was. and country singer garth brooks asked everyone to join in amazing grace. but the future was heralded by 22 year old poet amanda goldman who took up the themes of biden's and or group speech in a poem addressing the problems of the divided nation and offering hope for there was always light if only were brave enough to see it if only were brave enough to be it. and joe biden $46.00 president of the united states is taking our challenge. and the reporter states and our friends and joins me now in the studio for more stacy it's been a busy 1st day for u.s. president biden tell us what he's been up to well he was able to set his

administration apart from the previous one and set a new tone no longer are we with the america 1st america go it alone policy so he issued executive orders that rejoined the paris climate accord and keeps the united states in the w.h.o. when the world health organization in addition he issued executive orders that show how he's committed domestically to having a more compassionate united states so he's rescinded the travel ban on majority muslim countries and he stopped building the wall that donald trump was so crazy about that devised mexico in the united states so we're seeing and a new united states well certainly in his inaugural address he emphasized unity as being one of the main points for his administration but with the nation so deeply divided will he really be able to get republicans on side to put forward his agenda we'll see but democrats and president biden are hopeful that everybody can coalesce around the fight against cove it getting that under control so he has

a big budget that he sent over to the congress with with all of his plans about how to help americans through this tough of an economic time and so i think that they're hopeful that you know democratic governors are. publican governor's working along with the federal government can ease the burden of people and then he can win some goodwill among republican lawmakers and republican voters and it will be goodwill that is badly needed with more than 400000 americans now are dead since the start of the pandemic well it is also of course has been a historic day for come on harris the 1st woman to she's the 1st person of color simply home of vice president of the united states what will her role be in the biden administration will still be a strong support system for the the new president she'll be a fighter for him and also she will be very key when it comes to the senate so when decisions are close and it's

a $5050.00 split which it is 50 republicans 50 democrats if there is something that needs a tie breaking vote she beats she would cast the vote so she's important to the administration now where does the impeachment trial of donald trump go from here now that he has left office that's what everybody wants to. know for her the house of representatives and the speaker nancy pelosi has not sent over the articles of impeachment to the senate if she were to do that quickly they would be able to resume to start the trial the next afternoon but there's no rush for the biden administration i mean when he's asked this question when his communications person was asked about this kind of kick the football down the road it was like oh we're going to leave that to congress and allow congress to. to allow the senate to figure out how it's going to handle its constitutional responsibility republicans are also split some of them are interested in hearing what the democrats have to put forward in the trial and other republicans are saying that this trial will do

more damage than good and about the by the country even more meanwhile democrats are unified in saying that you cannot have a unity and still there is accountability and justice for what happened on january 6th and search. in the capital now biden does have such a far reaching agenda are there concerns that focusing on the impeachment trial of donald trump in the senate could distract attention from those policies that they really want to be spending that time making especially in biden's 1st 100 days of office they are hoping that congress can do like people around the world to manage family jobs that they can walk and chew gum at the same time so part of what they're looking at is how as dividing up the days so that part of that deals with biden and his nominees selection and the other part of the day the senate will work on trying to agree on the code bill for example so some of these dividing their time multitasking you can say all right save it stacey bivins the reporter thank

you so much for that. and we'll be talking about the reactions to biden taking office in just a minute but 1st let's take a look at some other headlines from around the world security forces in mali used to cheer gas to disperse the dozens of demonstrators in the capital bamako on wednesday police also use roadblocks and a motorbike of convoys to stop people gathering protestors were rallying against the ongoing presence of the french military france has deployed over a 1000 troops in mali since 2013 on an anti terrorism operation. at least 3 people have died after an explosion ripped through a building in central madrid one building partially collapsed and the residents of a neighboring nursing home were evacuated the city's mayor says initial investigations suggested that a gas leak caused the blast. hospitals in the u.k.

are under pressure as daily coronavirus deaths rise to record levels over $1800.00 people died of the virus on tuesday this comes as a variant of the virus believed to be more contagious spreads across the country health trusts have converted cathedrals into massive vaccination centers as the vaccine roll out continues. and health officials in chile have given emergency approval to a vaccine it made by a chinese company sinopec authorities said the crow have actually only be given to chileans under the age of 60 and older people that's after recent trial data raised questions about the drugs affect us. and returning now to our top story joe biden's inauguration as the new u.s. president has been welcomed around the world the european union and nato are hoping his administration will make the united states a reliable ally once again you spoke to the president of the european commission or so the funded lion here's what she had to say. when he said i will but there's fear

i am so pleased that we once again have a friend in the white house come on i'm also very pleased that in common the harrison we have the 1st woman vice president of the united states of america or not it is certainly the case that we have much in common begin by an independent that begins with the task of managing the pandemic. of combating climate change as well as digitalisation but there are other issues where we have differences of opinion for example on the question of additional tax on big tech and digital platforms there will certainly be tensions there but the good thing is if we are friends if we are like minded then we can have welcome discussion of these issues and we can hold them fairly openly and above all reliably and then develop a common approach together talking i'm done undermines them and. we can. and german chancellor angela merkel for her part has heralded

a new chapter of german american a friendship with president biden several times former president donald trump had ordered a reduction of u.s. troops at american military facilities in germany such as the shanghai dahlan airbase locals there now hope the new commander in chief will scrap those plans when the some u.s. troops will leave the. base has been the topic of conversation and the local bakery for months with biden now in office hopes a girl and that they'll stay. we've grown so close together that it's natural they're here they just belong here. about $4000.00 troops are stationed at spangdahlem base trump wanted to withdraw fighter jet squadron and half of the soldiers along with it the locals fear what that could mean for their jobs in the economically weak region.

dave scholarship for example news of a looming troop withdrawal burke in selma amid the car washes construction. of our torn half my we were shocked when we had the news americans our costs are being right to wash and take care of their cars so to some extent we were lying on them for business. so this entire film without our lives and. the troop withdrawal is just one example of the damage german american relationship trump also imposed last minute sanctions on a company involved with the north stream to gas pipeline to russia germany's foreign minister hiker massa's hopeful for more dialogue after all he said there are too many unresolved conflicts in the world. is that steve chabot full we're counting on the us to return to the international stage and to do so responsibly biden says he wants to be good partners for peace and security.

and for climate change to biden has rejoined the paris climate agreement he also wants to get the u.s. away from its heavy reliance on fracking and burning fossil fuels climate activists heard his promises turn into action. if biden succeeds combined with the push for innovation in renewable energies renewable technologies and nature conservation it will give huge momentum to international climate protection. germany can also expect to pay more germany's defense minister says the country and europe should be ready to invest more in security. until now there was the possibility to hand of the old difficult tasks to the us that weren't happen any more we'll have to do ourselves and germany can't say we're happy to pay france can do it france will expect us to be there and take responsibility. back near the spangdahlem at base the locals have hopes in the new

u.s. president not just because of bakery sales. that's a news update at this hour coming up next is g w documentary about the maras central america is it the tory games to get you to look at the latest news on our web site at ski w dot com and play richardson in berlin from the entire news team thanks so much for watching. hi i'm neal and i'm game did you know that 17 trillion land animals are killed worldwide but it's not just one of those little suffering the school environment if you want to know how a way flick to the priest and the huntress changed just as anything because listen to our podcast on the green funds.

one of mahler's one of the most dangerous countries in the world. around the capital one of the city gangs of young people known as moderates spread fear and terror among the population of. a dozen hours a day sit down behind you pull out a gun and shoot you in the head you've been seeing a lot about. the gains control entire neighborhoods engaging in extortion prostitution and drug trafficking in women they do they come and demand money when we pay they disappear again these are. after weeks of negotiations we've been allowed into their world. view of the world that are you know bush years boys or death can the kids are out. with the

police failing to stop the games. citizens are taking matters into their own hands . to. look at the consol turnaround on the 1st one. doesn't want to mala faces an ongoing fight against the merciless violence of the modern us. we're 2 french filmmakers who've come to be in the way of life just south of guatemala city to find a way inside the world of the modern. this is a poor area plagued by gang crime. after long negotiations one gang member agrees to meet with us. you know they are

told by the day and by spoke with a colleague yesterday and he told me that they wanted to kill him just because he was getting on their nerves that one trusts what other bit. pedro as a husband and father and the local leader of barrio 181 of the most brutal youth gangs in the country. pedro was this neighborhood with an iron fist. to open up with all the good going to the mostly i need the money today you have to pay on time it's you i'll send someone to collect the money was simply no police right. because you know that if something happens to one of my guys it'll be your fault of. theirs and that means you die so you know that right they'll miss it at

the end but. the local butcher hasn't paid his protection money on time. pedro's youngest employee christiane is being sent to collect it it's his 1st assignment. so i go to the shop and put the money in the bag. yeah and you have to go to 3 places today in the 1st to the one grocery store then to the other one and finally the butchers and then you come back. we get into a car with tinted windows and follow christiane from a distance as he makes his way through the neighborhood. his 1st stop is one of the stores. they get me to sit downs personally and when

the storekeeper has been expecting christiane without a word he puts the money in a bag and hands it over. on to the next door. you know i'll have a box of matches so they're going to do. that to the butcher who is behind on his payments every day get me a piece of meat and put the money in the same bag. and then it's as. if it is some piece of meat you sent number yeah i'll have 5 like that and put the money in the bag. just. each king has its own symbols they nabl members to create a common identity and distinguish themselves from enemy gangs they're proud to show

their affiliation. but those at the same time as above if they don't do these tattoos represent about 18 percent the most i'd better go to wherever we go we represent our gang. it's not what these dots here mean those who know that there is this in this biters web is also our heart it shows that we're spreading out further and further. and this one is lovely the loca it's you know the handcuffs i mean you've been to prison it doesn't mean. many of the top gang leaders are serving life sentences their status is illustrated by facial tattoos. but prison doesn't put a stop to their life of crime. from their cells the madrassas hoarder murders throughout the country. one of mahler's one of the poorest

nations and latin america. for small republicans 17000000 inhabitants. until january 2020 the country was led by former comedian and t.v. star jimmy morales. his agenda fighting corruption. is the saviors of the empty. need of their own. but morales didn't keep his election promises. instead the president himself was accused of illegal campaign financing. 2019 he found himself in the sights of a u.n. anti corruption task force. what are they said the investigators expelled from the country. what amal is riddled with corruption and violence. the murder rate is 20 times higher than in most european countries.

intervene in the way of inhabitants feel the wrath. the paper of the local boss of the barrio 18 getting. his lieutenant christiane has returned from the weekly protection money roundup. he collected 900 get solace from residents. the equivalent of about $110.00 euros. christiane receives a 10 euro share. pedro 20 with the remaining 80 going to the senior gang leaders for. protection rackets are the main source of income for the madrassas ahead of drug dealing and prostitution. is so low they move their money. here in my neighborhood alone in mind that we collect around $5000.00 per week and that's only in my neighborhood. and the other parts of the favela gang takes in between 708-0000. sometimes more than 150 grand in

a week i mean so. in 21000 extortion rose by almost 40 percent across the country. the victims are mostly the poorest citizens who have no choice but to give in to the gangs. if people don't pay you kill them so yes. grew up in poverty the 4th child in a family of 13 when he was just a boy he left home and moved to the capital in search of a better life. he quickly found himself part of barrio 18 and he spent 20 years fighting his way up the game's hierarchy. hello those who earn your sympathy i started when i was 12 years is doing small jobs like being a lookout and. yes i spent more time with the gang

and then they made me a soldier. from there i became what i am today. i did my 1st mission when i was 14. how many people do you remember killing. i've lost count. i honestly i don't know. i stopped counting after a team. after 18 murders a gang member is given the title speak out of your hit man. peter shows no remorse in front of the camera he may be a father of 4 but remains committed to the task. because how do you feel when you kill someone who has a family because this is. not

great but we don't have any other option. of course we feel for the family but it's our duty. we can't refuse to do it even if there's a family needed even if i have a family myself orders are orders or. if pedro refused an order he'd be killed himself it's a life of constant fear including for his wife. always horse. as a wife and a mom what do you think of your husband's work. but in mine well it's very bad it's horrible who are we to take away someone else's life. but it's his work i can only watch listen and keep my mouth shut. that's just how it is. bill as his wife i'm afraid something will happen to him and i'll end up

alone on. a the road is 32 years old which is not far short of a miracle rarely 2 gang members survive past the age of 25. the moderates have their roots in the united states in the 1970 s. and eighty's with civil wars raging in 100 us el salvador and guatemala young people there have very few prospects many fled north to california where criminal gangs were at the peak of their powers. and they were happy to recruit these new migrants into their ranks. at the end of the 1990 s. when the situation in central america had become more stable the us government sent back criminals undocumented immigrants. some

of those deported then imported l.a. style gang life into their home countries. well. and in many places in guatemala it is they who now control the streets. in 2019 the country saw more than 3500 homicides with the police and the judicial system unable to contain gang related violence. at the entrance to the below us by below is a makeshift fortified building the local police headquarters. 54 officers work shifts here day and night to protect 75000 residents it's an impossible task. the men live sleep and work and 3 shipping container shacks.

marco antonio has been stationed here for 6 years. in this most of these houses for us policeman. much time do you spend here. we work 11 full days and then have 6 days off so we spend more time here than we do with our families. i mean yes. every time we go home we thank god because some of us don't make it home they go to work and they never come back. it's hard to deal with but that's the way it goes does he feel it he said even though. the guatemalan fight against gang crime has a high price in 20 tina lone 78 police officers were killed in. the high risk comes with a good salary the equivalent of $565.00 euros per month twice the average salary

guatemala. and it's the money the officers desperately need for equipment. you. need about 125 for the want you to see going to go and 94 nights. later. if you. at the end of the month the police station becomes a marketplace for weapons and other accessories. a former arms dealer sells the officers everything that isn't provided by the authorities on the job their job well and good careful. are not to cope with no make the long run. by over again for me bulletproof fasts belts holsters for their guns. includes ammunition to all of us is no more users with their own money yes even for their uniforms would you put

a miss. the main thing is. the policeman lack vital safety equipment when preparing for a mission only one of the man is fully kitted out. and this is a bullet proof fast. but if he gives me protection but what is it important sure it's very important places. but not everyone gets one limb and. you're the only one who has one yeah. normally the 54 officers have one bullet proof vest and one machine gun to go around. this off road vehicle has been waiting to be repaired for 2 years.

the unit has only one functioning vehicle. making the old regime will. be a lot of the season expected carlos i'm on my way to the bus terminal they weren't there like in the bangle. inspector carlos is in charge today. but i was let's me by lima ok at the location ok florian. what's happening. there we've been informed that a 14 year old has a firearm. ever caused but apparently he's already fired at this morning that. could kill someone so we're looking for him and. like many criminals in the city the shura still a minor inspector carlos receives a tip off about the boy's address although you know it's an area that locals call

like you stuck in the heart of the fabulous. it's an extremely rundown area controlled by the barrio gang. from. the fear that that the 3rd house. that. this one here will. get out of here you know here. coming up. the house is a half collapsed corrugated iron heart with clear signs that people live here. there's no trace of the armed boyo. the police call off the operation.

it seems the boy go to way we think he was in the house with a ditch running alongside it. that's where he must have fled. but whatever happens we'll keep searching for him and we'll get him eventually. ok. despite the unit being undermanned and under equipped inspector carlos remains optimistic. better be in a cemetery in guatemala city the scene of a never ending series of funerals. i. was the least works here for him the somber perceptions are just

a part of the day to day routine. which is a good thing there are 20 or 25 funerals every day. one burial directly follows the next most of the deceased were minors as evidenced by the young faces adorning the gravestones. the range of their young 14161819 year old boy child is in there yeah you. see this you rarely bury old people here. these are young people just kids get lead lives. every year several 100 murders are committed by young gang members in guatemala. the victims are mostly rivals from other groups. but ordinary citizens are also

killed if they refuse to pay protection money. one group particularly at risk are bus drivers i. i. i. i. just got to work sing one of all a city. for 12 years he's been driving the bus route from the last 40 down neighborhoods to the center of the city. the buses on time. every time he gets behind the wheel he's afraid. that when we leave the house in the morning we pray it's a very dangerous job. best believe us that. it's ok he turned off. good to be there but in this field we look in the wing mirror whenever a motorbike gets close they run up to the front of the bus and then bang. they'll

shoot from the front through the window or the door as it was 9 a hole they come in a pen a guy and a girl sit in the back they take out a gun and shoot you in the head. to read about this you know you've been feeling like i was. 2900 member shot dead 73 boston taxi drivers in guatemala. got himself narrowly escaped that fate. in 2015 he was targeted on his way to the bus depot. was mean i goes out and was walking around the house. when i got to the corner i still thought. i was right here. i saw this guy pull out a gun. he looked at me and then boom shot me 6 times in

a he shot me another 5 times in the back. i was able to shield my head. then i collapsed i go. 11 shots in total. miraculously he survived. but not everyone is so lucky. you know you'll get what. you want your whole mess where they showed me on a saturday the the following monday they shot another driver out the door that he didn't make it he died on his way to work and in the movie. time and time again bus companies find themselves in the modest sights. if the firms refuse to pay protection money it's not long before the gangs take action. osgar was attacked because his boss refused to be blackmailed. not get how's

it going. i'm not done yet. you have to take care here ok do whatever it takes to have it back on the street today it is it's only the buses have to be up and running and they're going to know that you're going to be in the meantime to be a little beast runs this bus company which has a fleet of 14 vehicles she took over the business after her husband was murder. but he too was killed because he didn't pay the gangs on time. and elementary 5 years ago my husband lost his life in an attack. the message the situation in guatemala is really very serious he come we do what i love you lisette going to the violence is getting extreme so to be the. beast now does pay the protection money to keep our driver safe every month it's the same for the look of the.

human. and say i can look at this is how it works a person we've never seen before comms and hands over a piece of paper with the price that's it we're not the most in the boy it is one month we pay $10.00 euros then 20 and then 30 it changes all the time and buy a bus in those are no i'm not going to become a body out if we don't pay it gets complicated very complicated they ask where their money is. what is complicated mean. death. c.n.n. we're not yes an ambush and in some cases death one of the. legal gun sales in guatemala have increased by about 20 percent in one year. there's often a line outside the local arms control office people of all ages stand in wait to apply for a permit. the requirements are lax. cyclical

visit one out of radio way by law to be able to buy a new gun buy it you need a receipt for the gun in the bag and i deal with that clear on the criminal record and electricity bill as proof of address issues but i get anything except that many bills that i see this little day when. people take advantage of the flexible regulations with one in a quantum all it's now carrying a gun. some take things a step further forming vigilante groups to enforce law and order. this is the bottom of the neighborhood to be in the way of us not far from the capital. in the local soccer stadium allen's whistle has the final say on his turf. he's a referee responsible for the regional championship. all.

i. over on the touchline is this trusted companion a 9 millimeter pistol. the 34 year old doesn't leave home without it. he has the gun to protect his family. spell it. for 16 years allen has been fighting the threat from the city's gangs. the father of ford leads a vigilante group in his neighborhood. so it was one of them he said as we got together when the mass started extorting children i get it but every child starting at school was threatened as well and i opened it was

a overnighters agreed that if we saw any modern us we'd kill them it was the idea whether. today not just 40 or 50 people in this neighborhood there are 500 of us. the moderates have been terrorizing the streets of bias in our streets for years but since the vigilantes mobilized the gangs have barely ventured into the neighborhood. highlands wife johannes relieved. what the now in other areas they even larger poor people but not here thank god there are lots of stores everything safe so his son let me say i where like the kids often play outside. and they go to school and come home without us having to worry seems to make it they also want. to keep us children safe alan goes out of control every evening. i'm going to

put on your mosques. 'd 'd twice a week he takes his sons with him alan junior is 13 and yorick 15. ringback ready. for their armed and masked in order to prevent reprisals. they then set out on their 4 hour patrol. shop i don't. it's 9 o'clock in the evening they meet fellow vigilantes from the neighborhood. they're. not. the group is made up of shopkeepers office workers and even schoolchildren. you try out the walkie talkie i 'd tell you where you go you sure you tell you tell

you. what i don't think from what i we're going to patrol on the other side. some of the men carry guns. letter after 5 minutes they reach a central square. that. i don't because i was already doing over there in london along with a lot of hands up turn around this is where the parents or friends are were rooting for the families of. this and. that are available in canada and someone got to go search their pockets. check their shoes or look at them. through the father who are not on their own or rather go to the front of. the boys had drugs on the. it's part of the one. where did you get i saw her. look a beauty of.