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Christians Celebrate the Sacred Easter Holiday; Easter Mass at the Vatican; Putin's Easter Ceasefire; Netanyuhu Vows to Continue War in Gaza; Iran Nuclear Talks "Very Good Progress"; Anti-Trump Protests; Supreme Court Pauses Deportations; Easter Sunday at the Vatican; Ant Smuggling on the Rise. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired April 20, 2025 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I am Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Christians around the world celebrate the sacred Easter holiday. We'll head to the Vatican where many are hoping to see the pope during mass.

And Easter truce? Vladimir Putin declares a brief ceasefire, but Ukraine questions whether the Russian president is acting in good faith.

And wildlife trafficking isn't just big cats and exotic reptiles. Details on an attempt to smuggle thousands of prized insects out of Kenya.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: All around the globe. Christians are gathering today to celebrate Easter Sunday. Many in the midst of conflict. Worshipers welcome the arrival of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher. And this year, a rare calendar alignment for both Western and Orthodox branches of Christianity as Easter falls on the same day. So, we'll head to the Vatican later in the hour where cardinals will lead services in St. Peters Square and Catholics wait to see if pope Francis will make an appearance.

But first, in war-torn Kyiv, despite the fear of drone attacks, the faithful are still determined to celebrate the holiest day on the Christian calendar. Ukraine was supposed to get a break from fighting on Easter. That's because Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a holy -- a holiday ceasefire Saturday night, but instead of a truce, Ukrainians could hear emergency sirens ringing out in Kyiv on Saturday night as Ukraine said Russian attacks continued across the country.

President Zelenskyy says Ukraine has seen hundreds of artillery strikes since the ceasefire supposedly went into effect. And he says, Russia is trying to create the impression of a truce while attempting to advance in some areas. Some Ukrainians say they've never had much faith that Putin really meant to pause the conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TETIANA SOLOVEL, KYIV RESIDENT (through translator): You know this man is not capable to reach any sort of a deal. He does not know how to do that. He only knows how to get things done using force. He will never be up to reach an agreement the way we want it. He wants it the way he wants it. There will be no ceasefire unfortunately.

ANDRIL OLEFIRENKO, KYIV RESIDENT (through translator): I do not believe his statements because Russia is a terrorist country and they constantly lie to the International Community. They hoax and drag time to become stronger, to start military actions again with new strength. That's what I think. It's sort of a game to drag time in my opinion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Nada Bahir is keeping an eye on developments in Ukraine and she joins us now from London. Nada, take us through the latest.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Kim, that announcement by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday of a ceasefire lasting until midnight on Monday was met with skepticism. He said in his announcement that this decision was taken for humanitarian considerations. So, that also this would determine how serious Kyiv is about moving towards a lasting ceasefire deal and peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

But it's important to underscore, of course, the timing of this announcement, the temporary ceasefire for Easter announced by Vladimir Putin coming just after, of course, we heard those remarks from the U.S. president, Donald Trump, and his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, warning that the U.S. could take a step back from their mediation efforts and support for a ceasefire agreement in terms of their direct involvement.

If they don't see any serious progress or movement from either side, President Trump saying he wants to see an excitement and an enthusiasm to bring the war to an end from both sides soon. Marco Rubio saying that he wants to see progress in the coming days. And of course, that warning comes amidst continued discussions around the current peace proposal on the table, that broad framework, according to officials familiar with those discussions, of course, could also see a significant concession.

The U.S. saying that they would recognize Russian control of occupied Crimea. Of course, that would be a significant win for Russian President Vladimir Putin Following Russia's illegal annexation of the Ukrainian territory back in 2014. It would, of course, also be a significant concession for Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have previously described this as a non-starter.

[04:05:00]

And what we've been hearing now from Ukrainian officials as well as the Ukrainian [resident, Vladimir Zelenskyy, earlier this morning in an update is that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to give the general impression of a ceasefire. Vladimir Putin saying that there would be a total halt in hostilities during this brief truce period. But in fact, what we have seen, according to Ukrainian military officials, is the continuation of fighting. As you mentioned, they say they have recorded over 300 instances of shelling since that ceasefire supposedly came into effect. We've heard those air raid sirens, continued warnings from military officials of those continued acts of hostility.

So, this has really dampened any sort of hopes that this alleged temporary truth, as announced by the Russian president, could be expanded into a longer lasting peace agreement. And of course, this comes as we expect to see U.S. officials meeting with their European counterparts over the coming days to continue those discussions around a possible ceasefire agreement.

So, clearly, real questions as to the seriousness of the Russian president with regards to moving forward on those proposals on the table currently.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Nada Bashir, thank you so much. Israel's prime minister is vowing to continue the war in Gaza. Opposition grows at home. In a prerecorded video on Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to Hamas' recent ceasefire rejection as a reason for a continued bombardment. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYUHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I have ordered the IDF to respond firmly and further increase the pressure on Hamas. We are in the war of rebirth, the war on seven fronts. This war has very heavy prices because any such loss is a world in and of itself. But we, as people who desire life, have no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence until victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Netanyahu's address comes amid growing protests against the war. Recent polling shows many Israelis feel a hostage deal is a priority, even if it means ending the war. A late March poll by Israeli media indicates nearly 70 percent of Israelis support the idea.

Now, the prime minister also mentioned Iran during his statement just hours after Washington and Tehran finished another round of nuclear talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYUHU (through translator): I am committed to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. I will not give up on this. I will not let it go and I will not back down, not by a millimeter. What's most amusing to hear is the criticism of all those who opposed my doing over the years to harm Iran's nuclear plan. Without my doings, Iran would've had nuclear weapon 10 years ago.

As for Iran's proxy in Gaza, if we will not finish the job with Hamas, the next October 7th and kidnapping is only a matter of time. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, the U.S. and Iran are moving forward with negotiations over to Tehran's nuclear program. Both countries expressed optimism following a second round of indirect talks in Rome on Saturday. White House officials says they made, quote, "very good progress." As CNN's Ben Wedeman reports, they agreed to meet again next weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a productive meeting as how Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi described the second round of indirect U.S.-Iranian talks held Saturday in Oman's embassy here in Rome. The talks lasted about four hours with Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, shuttling between the two delegations inside the embassy.

Afterwards, the Iranian foreign minister announced technical talks will be held at the expert level next Wednesday in Oman, and that the two senior delegations will meet for a third time next Saturday also in Oman.

Iranian officials have complained that the Trump administration is sending mixed messages. President Trump, after earlier bellicose language has indicated his preference is a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff. Recently, The New York Times reported President Trump had rejected a plan put forth by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct a day's long multi-pronged attack on Iran's nuclear facilities that would have required direct American involvement.

The details on the Rome talks remain scarce, yet it does appear the atmospherics were positive. The long-feared showdown over Iran's nuclear program may yet be averted.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Anti-Trump protests erupted around the United States Saturday. Americans and dozens of cities turned out to demonstrate against the president and his policies. We'll have the story coming up later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: Returning now to one of our top stories. Ukraine was supposed to get a break from fighting on Easter after Russian President Vladimira Putin declared a holiday ceasefire Saturday night. But instead, of a truce, Ukrainians heard emergency sirens ringing out in Kyiv on Saturday night as Ukraine said, Russian attacks continued across the country. For more, we're joined by Inna Sovsun, a Ukrainian Parliament member, and she's speaking to us from Kyiv. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, not much of a truce by the sounds of things. What do you make of this supposed show of peace by Moscow?

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Well, yes, indeed, that piece never happened because even here in Kyiv, we could hear the air raid alert last night. It's morning here in Kyiv. And also, I reached out to the people I know on the frontlines, and they all confirmed that the next hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take place. The Russians were shelling the Ukrainian positions with artillery. And then, by the morning, as you must have heard from President Zelenskyy as well, they have started the assault attacks.

[04:15:00]

So, that never -- they never even pretended that the real ceasefire has actually taken place. They just made a big announcement and then continued things as they were. And I think that does speak to the extent to which you can actually trust. And I think that the Russians are saying, I think they're just trying to make it look one way, but they don't even try to make an effort to actually change their own behavior.

BRUNHUBER: Looking now at the broader idea of a peace plan, we've been reporting that the Trump administration appears ready to recognize Russian control of occupied Crimea as part of the U.S. peace proposal, which, as you know, has always been a non-starter for Ukraine. So, what's been the response there in Kyiv?

SOVSUN: Well, I think we all, at this point, trying to keep it calm and to understand what is behind that idea. And we very much hope that this will not be the official position of the United States because that will -- of course, will change everything because that will mean that United States does recognize the capture of the territory of one country by another country. And that, of course, undermines the whole global world order as it is, as right now.

But we are negotiating. We are trying to explain why this is a very bad idea and we very much hope that the position of the administration will change on that issue. Because, of course, that is a no go, as you said for Ukrainians.

BRUNHUBER: But I mean, the Trump administration has famously said Ukraine has no cards to play. So, what would you say to those who would argue that it's unrealistic that Ukraine hold onto 100 percent of its territory as part of any deal?

SOVSUN: Well, look, we are realists here as well and we are the ones who are suffering most of all from the war, and it's not like we want the war to continue. However, I do think there is a difference between effective control of the territory, and probably that is something that is not possible in the near future, at least not with the level of military support that we're getting as of right now. But recognizing it legally as not part of Ukraine, giving up on those territories, giving up on the people who are living there, that's a completely different story. So, I think there should be a differentiation made between recognizing that probably we cannot control them in the near future. Again, not with the level of support we are getting. Things might change if Ukraine gets more weapons, then we actually can retake our own territory. But recognizing that this is not part of our territory, then the question will be, OK, so, if we recognize that, if the world recognizes that, then where will the world stop? What if next day Putin wakes up and says, oh, I also want Kharkiv region? And where is that red line? Where is the territory behind which I will say, OK? But that's a real no go.

There is -- the real red line are the Ukrainian borders as defined by an international law, as recognized by other countries. And I think we should stand by that. Not to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty but also the global world order as it is right now.

BRUNHUBER: The comments from the Trump administration on negotiations haven't been very encouraging from a Ukrainian point of view. On Friday, President Trump said, if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, the U.S. could, quote, "take a pass." And then, we heard earlier from the secretary of state saying that the U.S. would -- could decide in a matter of days to move on from trying to end the war.

So, do you get a sense that this is a negotiating tactic or that they just don't have the patience for a complicated negotiation, especially given the fact that Trump promised to end the war quickly?

SOVSUN: Well, of course, I don't know what the reality is. I might imagine that it might be different things for different people on the American side who are involved in the negotiations process. So, some people are just looking for a way out. They never wanted to help Ukraine in any way. There are some people who are really stuck and they don't understand how to move forward from that because it appeared to be a much more complicated conflict than they expected that to be.

But one thing that is amazing for me is the extent to which they're continuing to pretend that the problem is with both Ukraine and Russia. That is both Ukraine and Russia, who just want to -- who just like to fight and want to continue the fight. The reality is that the only one they should be putting pressure on is Vladimir Putin. He's the one who started this war. He's the one who wants to continue killing Ukrainians. And he's the one that should be pressured.

Yet, as of right now, I haven't seen the U.S. administration putting any pressure on him. Instead, they're putting pressure on Ukraine who is the victim of that aggression. So, I wonder if there is a way to achieve anything if they don't try to pressure the person who is directly responsible for the hostilities, for the killings, for the sufferings that are going on.

[04:20:00]

And there is none. If you don't want to put pressure on Putin, then, of course, you cannot really stop this war under any circumstances.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I'm afraid you might be right. I really appreciate getting your analysis on all this know. Inna Sovsun, thank you so much.

SOVSUN: Thank you so much.

BRUNHUBER: Demonstrators marched Saturday in dozens of cities across the United States to protest President Donald Trump and his policies. Have a look here. This was the scene in Washington, D.C. Participants chanted and carried signs condemning the administration's immigration cracked down, assault on civil liberties, and the gutting of U.S. agencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to say, stop the crime.

CROWD: Stop the crime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Organizers say protests were held in more than 80 cities and towns across the country. The National Day of Action also included food drives and donation campaigns to help those impacted by Trump's policies.

Now, here in Georgia, the capitol was one of the many cities that saw demonstrations on Saturday. Marchers gathered in Atlanta's midtown neighborhood. CNN's Rafael Romo was there and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People are chanting things like regulate guns, not women. No mass deportations. America has no kings. Defend our constitution. Save the CDC and resist fascism and white supremacy.

We are standing at the corner of 10th Street and Pitman Avenue here in Atlanta. This is a protest that started around noon. It's still going on. These people earlier today started marching north here in the Midtown neighborhood, towards Pitman Park, the historic Pitman Park. They went as far north as 14th Street where the Peace Monument is located. They say they want to put an end to some of the things that they're seeing from the Trump administration.

They were very specific that they do not agree with the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and they say that he should be brought back to this country. A lot of the protestors here are expressing feelings of friendship, feelings of camaraderie, as you have seen.

And so far, they have not blocked any streets. They have not blocked any of the sidewalks. We earlier saw Atlanta police come to this location, but only to keep an eye on things because it has been peaceful. One thing I have to say though is that this protest is considerably smaller than what we saw here a couple of weeks ago when thousands upon thousands of people march from this area here near Pitman Park, several miles to the Georgia State Capitol.

But they say this is only the beginning. They're talking about resisting the current government and they say they are here to stay. Again, something that has been mirrored in other cities. There was a protest today also in Washington, D.C. and other places around the country.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. is still trying to deport a group of Venezuelans detained in Texas, despite a Supreme Court ruling blocking their removal under the Alien Enemies Act. On Saturday, the Trump administration asked for authority to deport the group under other laws while litigation proceeds. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more on the legal wrangling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In an overnight order issue this weekend, the Supreme Court paused the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport a group of immigrants in Texas who said that the Trump administration was working to quickly remove them from the United States. Attorneys for the Venezuelan migrants in the case filed an emergency appeal to the high court and said that this group was facing an immediate threat of deportation and then not had efficient time to challenge those deportations.

We did reach out to the White House for a response to the Supreme Court's order, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt drew attention to the lawsuits in her statement. Saying in part, quote, "We are confident in the lawfulness of the administration's actions and in ultimately prevailing against an onslaught of meritless litigation brought by radical activists who care more about the rights of terrorist aliens than those of the American people.

Now, in the rare overnight Supreme Court order handed down around 1:00 a.m. Saturday, the court wrote, quote, "The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court."

Now, the order drew descents from Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. At the center of all of this, the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th century law that was used just about a month ago to deport hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.

[04:25:00]

And this is not the first time that Trump's use of the authority has landed before the Supreme Court. In fact, just last week, the court ruled that Trump could use the act, but that migrants that were subject to being removed by the act should receive notice and then should have an opportunity to have their removal reviewed in court.

Reporting in Washington, I'm Julia Benbrook. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Protestors are oppressing the Trump administration to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongfully deported last month. They gathered outside the White House on Saturday, angry over his deportation to El Salvador. The protestors say it was a violation of due process and the Constitution. The Supreme Court has ordered the White House to facilitate his return.

On Thursday, Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia told the senator that he's traumatized by his time in the notorious CECOT mega-prison.

The White House is working to portray Abrego Garcia as a member of the gang, MS13. He says he left El Salvador more than 10 years ago to escape threats from gangs. Now, his former neighbors say they're sharing what they remember about him. CNN's Merlin Delcid spokes with them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MERLIN DELCID, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is Los Nogales, a quiet middle class neighborhood southeast of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. It was on the streets where Kilmar Abrego Garcia grew up before moving to the United States.

DELCID (voice-over): Our team has been around four hours here speaking with six neighbor who say that they were familiar with his family, which had a small business selling tortillas out of their home. All six says, they didn't recall that he was involved in any gang activity when he lived there as a young person.

But two of them say that they remember Abrego Garcia as a teenager who was sometime involved in arguments or even physical altercation with other teenagers. While others say that they remember him as a one of the teenagers that play soccer and basketball on this small concrete court at the end of the one of the blocks.

Many of the people with who we talk identify a house as Abrego Garcia's family home. They tell us that his family move out of there in a point during the thousand (ph). But didn't know demos behind their move. According to the United States court records, Abrego Garcia left Los Nogales when he was a teenager around 2011. The neighbor here say they didn't want to speak on camera or to be identified because they didn't want to be involved with Abrego Garcia's case.

DELCID: But they did say they are aware of the controversy over his deportation in arrest in El Salvador from the media reports.

Merlin Delcid, CNN. San Marcos, El Salvador.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, it's Easter Sunday and Christians have gathered in Vatican City to celebrate their holiest day of the year. Coming up a live look as the mass in St. Peter Square is getting underway. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Well, it's the holiest date of the year for Christians. Easter Sunday celebrating what believers say is Jesus' defeat of death through his resurrection after his crucifixion. Priests, cardinals, and other celebrants have just filed towards the altar in St. Peters Square as the mass is now underway. But there's no sign of Pope Francis. Thousands of worshipers are there hoping to see him.

The ailing pontiff is recovering from double pneumonia. It sent him to hospital for 38 days. And now, he's unable to speak in public for extended periods. As a result, he's designated cardinals to preside over today's service. Still, the Vatican says the pope is determined to be visible and it is prepared for any last-minute appearances.

All right. Joining me now to discuss this live from Rome is CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb. So, Christopher, take us through what we're expecting here as so many people are gathered, hoping to see the pope.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, the mass for Easter Sunday is now underway. It's being presided at by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, a senior cardinal delegated by Pope Francis to lead the mass.

As you said, the pope is not presiding at this liturgy, but the expectation is that he will make an appearance for the Easter Sunday blessing. Now, that's the Urbi et Orbi Blessing to the City of Rome to the world. It's a very important blessing that only the pope can give, and in the order of service given out by the Vatican, it does say that the pope is going to offer that blessing.

Now, of course, the pope is recovering from double pneumonia. He's been ordered to have a two-month period of convalescence. He can't speak for long periods of time. So, we're not expecting him to talk or give a longer message, but there is an expectation of a blessing.

Now, although he hasn't been leading the main services over Holy Week and Easter, he has been determined to make an appearance. And on Thursday, before Easter, he went to a prison in Rome for a surprise meeting there with inmates. He then, on Saturday evening last night, was in St. Peter's Basilica.

So, whilst he can't be present and leading the services as he would normally do on Easter Sunday and over these Easter -- this Easter weekend, he is determined to participate where he can. And of course, we are expecting him to be in the square in St. Peter's for this Easter Sunday blessing. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And, Christopher, I understand this is the first time that Pope Francis hasn't presided over this ceremony. Is that right? It must be a big disappointment for him personally, obviously.

LAMB: Yes, that's right. It is the first time the pope has not presided at an Easter Sunday mass since his election as pope in 2013. So, that will be a disappointment. But Francis is a determined individual, quite a stubborn person who is trying his best despite his illness, despite the difficulties that he has to continue to lead the church, continue to participate in what is the high point of the church's year Easter, where we Catholics remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. So, he's trying his best to adapt. But of course, it will be disappointing for him not to be able to preside at the services as he normally would.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, we'll keep tabs on this and see whether we do actually see the pope make an appearance as you suggested later on today. Christopher Lamb in Rome, thank you so much.

Last month, Ecuador experienced one of the worst oil spills in its recent history. Thousands are still without access to clean water and having to breathe toxic fumes. CNN's Ana Maria Canizares has traveled to Esmeralda, that's the heart of the spill, where residents say they're already bracing for the next environmental disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA MARIA CANIZARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A sheen of oil dolls the rivers of Esmeralda, known as the Green Province of Ecuador.

SELSO NASARENO, FARMER (PH) (through translator): I said, my God, I don't know what's happening. I couldn't comprehend seeing the water completely dark, black. It was all crude oil.

DELCID (voice-over): Local farmer Selso Nasareno says, 25,000 barrels of oil gushing into the town of Quininde is decimating the community. The oil sweeping over 86 kilometers, completely killing his crops.

This pipeline has been operating since the 1970s and transports oil from the Amazon to the coast. A section ruptured after a landslide. Quininde's mayor says it's one of the largest environmental catastrophes in the past 30 years.

RONAL MORENO, MAYOR OF QUININDE (through translator): We don't know when this river will have fish or shrimp again, when the flora and fauna of the river banks will come back.

CANIZARES: This is round zero for what authorities believe is one of the worst environmental disasters.

CANIZARES (voice-over): The other is strong, and the temperatures are high. In a race against time, crews work to clean at least three contaminated rivers.

MORENO (through translator): To these areas, the river is their identity. It is their very life. Killing the river is killing the life of this beautiful area of Quininde.

CANIZARES (voice-over): Residents now face a shortage of water to drink, cook, and wash. Their health also suffering.

KAREN VELEZ, IMPACTED BY OIL SPILL (through translator): The smell because it's very strong. We feel dizziness. Nausea.

JORGE GONZALEZ, IMPACTED BY OIL SPILL (through translator): We have felt dizziness, vomiting, stomach illnesses, even the children very severely.

CANIZARES (voice-over): Residents say they're already bracing for another spill. The World Wildlife Fund says over 1,500 spills have been reported in the area since 2012.

A state company Petroecuador manages the pipelines and (INAUDIBLE) is working to contain this one. They didn't answer when CNN asked what are they doing to prevent future disasters?

Eduardo Rodrigo (ph), a marine biologist says it's been impossible to determine how many animal species have been lost. The U.N. estimates 113,000 people have been affected, fishermen among them.

NERIS TORRES, FISHERMAN AFFECTED BY OIL SPILL (through translator): The export of the fish happened here.

CANIZARES (voice-over): Neris Torres is one of the thousands of fishermen working in the Port of Esmeralda, the largest in the country. The day we met him, he had only cooked three fish.

TORRES (through translator): Everything shut down for us. Our source of income closed. We can't find the fish.

CANIZARES (voice-over): Neris and Selso say their future is uncertain. More than half of the population of Esmeralda's depends of agriculture and fishing.

TORRES (through translator): If we catch fish, we make money. If we don't bring fish that day, we have nothing.

CANIZARES (voice-over): They hope the government keeps its promise to reimburse the community for this. The third poorest province of Ecuador now living in an environmental emergency.

Ana Marra Canizares, CNN, Esmeraldas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Some small creatures are making a big splash in the world of illegal animal smuggling, Ahead, why alleged traffickers had thousands of these ants and test tubes. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: Kenyan authorities are warning of a shift in illegal wildlife trafficking. Two Belgian teens were caught with thousands of ants packed in these test tubes. And you can see the ants inside the test tubes in this video here. The teens said they were collecting giant African harvester ants for fun and didn't know it was illegal. Kenyan officials say the answer worth nearly $8,000 on the black market.

David Akana is the director of programs for Mongobay Africa Bureau, and he joins us live from Gainesville, Virginia. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So, you know, when you heard these people were arrested for smuggling ants, I mean the -- you know, the jokes kind of write themselves, you know, ants in your pants and so on. It sounds funny. But were you surprised to hear this? I mean, it's not the type of thing you think of when you think of animal smuggling.

DAVID AKANA, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS, MONGOBAY AFRICA: Absolutely, Kim. I actually laughed it out as well and actually had a quick text message with one of my correspondents or one of our correspondents who works from Nairobi. And he said, you know, he was a little bit surprised about that as well. That's because most of our reporting a standard focus on, you know, large mammals, iconic species such as, you know, maybe lions, elephants, rhinos, you know, parrots, pangolins, et cetera, et cetera. But this was totally different.

And of course, I guess that's one of the reasons why we are talking about that today, because as a matter of fact, you know, maybe wildlife trafficking remains, you know, something that's happening in East Africa, but across most of Africa and other key geographies across the entire world. So, yes, it is -- it was a surprise for us as well.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And, you know, there are literally about 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, about 2.5 million ants for every human on the planet. So, you know, who cares about a few ants?

AKANA: Well, ants have different sorts of, you know, value across different ecosystems and geographies. They have ecological value, that's for sure. That's because, you know, they play such a significant role in terms of, you know, ecosystem balance. And that's one of the reasons why I think you might have seen that the Kenya Wildlife Service, in this particular case, has been very hard in terms of making sure that it is actually moving this to the different coast to ensure that, you know, this particular case is heard.

[04:45:00]

But it's beyond that. There's also the economic value. There's the financial value. Of course, for those who are demanding this, meaning that most of the wealthy individuals sitting in, you know, wealthy countries across the world, that's -- whether that be in Europe or maybe in Asia or maybe even the United States, there is demand for it. And of course, what that --

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Let me jump in because I -- you know, we're sort of looking at this case, but I mean, it's just one case, but the reason why we're talking about this is because it seems to be a sign of a trend, the shift from these high-profile mammals that you were talking about earlier, you know, lions, elephants, and so on, pangolins, to lesser-known animals. Explain what you've been seeing.

AKANA: Well, most of our reporting, if you do a content analysis of wildlife poaching or illegal wildlife trade across our content in the last 10 years, what you're basically going to see is mostly around, you know, some of the iconic species that I just talked about, you know, pangolins, you know, elephants, rhinos, et cetera, et cetera.

However, this is really unique because what we are seeing here, of course, and I think the Kenyan Wildlife Service did say that, it could be a trend. It could be a trend, because what we are seeing is that increasingly the -- there is an excessive demand for, you know, what you may call a, you know, pet trade across the world, that demand is increasing. And that's because partly facilitated by social media, influencers who, of course, you know, move along and carry along these different pets, and people see it as being a trend.

And so, there's a likelihood that because maybe the rules and regulation is pretty hard in terms of this iconic species. Now, you might see smugglers and networks start to focus on small ants, like in the case of the messor cephalotes, which is the small ants that was apprehended at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. We only have like 30 seconds left, but I did want to ask you this. So, obviously, enforcement is needed here, but the Trump administration has frozen millions of dollars in funding for anti- poaching efforts and international conservation. So, how will that impact the effort to stop things like this?

AKANA: Well, definitely it's a setback in part because already with all the resources, many were struggling, many jurisdictions, many countries were struggling to implement the different rules and regulations. So, this is only going to make it a lot harder.

But it's also because, you know, for as much as, you know, some of them are well intentioned, it often happens that there is lack of political will, there are so many other reasons why sometimes the rules are not implemented. And so, there's a likelihood that this is going to only, you know, maybe, you know, make -- facilitate the illegal trait of these different species from one geography to another.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. Well, listen, now, we'll have to leave it there. We really appreciate having you on to talk about this. David Akana, thank you so much.

AKANA: You are welcome.

BRUNHUBER: And we'll be right back.

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[04:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: In South Korea, everyday photos of ordinary women are twisted into explicit images by men they don't know. Now, women are fighting back against this latest wave of online abuse. CNN's Mike Valerio reports from Seoul.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a reckoning across South Korea. Real lives, photos of real people twisted and exploited through A.I.

You're looking at protests against those who go on social media, find profile pictures, just everyday images of women and cruelly change them into what looks like real explicit material. They are deepfakes, A.I. manipulations.

RUMA, DEEPFAKE VICTIM: There were lots of terrible images, and then my face edited onto them.

VALERIO (voice-over): This is Ruma. She asked us to use her alias and silhouette, her interview to protect her safety and privacy. Ruma is a former student at the prestigious Seoul National University, and she told us how she found out on her phone that this kind of A.I. crime happened to her.

RUMA: I think I was having lunch with my mom and then my phone started ringing. The burst of messages and photos. You know, I was like bombarded with all these images that I had never imagined, like in my life.

VALERIO (voice-over): Ruma says she saw that fake nude photos of herself were shared on the messaging app Telegram. They were in a chat room where A.I., deep fakes were encouraged by dozens of anonymous users.

RUMA: My whole body started shaking so bad.

VALERIO (voice-over): Ruma went to the police, but she also went to cyber activists and journalists Won Eun-ji. Won is renowned in South Korea for investigating cybercrimes, and Ruma asked Won to find who made the explicit deep fakes. Won asked us to pixelate her face so she can keep working undercover.

WON EUN-JI, ACTIVIST AND JOURNALIST (through translator): In my opinion, in Korea, acquaintance humiliation or degrading acquaintances has been viewed as a sort of game.

VALERIO: Do you find that depressing beyond words that people think this is a game?

EUN-JI (through translator): It's a serious issue, especially the perpetrators post photos of women they know, along with their names, ages, schools, workplaces, and places they live on social media.

VALERIO (voice-over): Won posed as a man on Telegram and helped lead police to arrest two former Seoul National University students who exploited Ruma. Ruma said she barely knew those students at all. Seoul's Central District Court sentenced one of the former students to 10 years in prison and the other four years imprisonment. They were convicted of violating a law, covering sexual protection of children and adolescents.

Seoul National University said, quote, "The school will strengthen preventative education to raise awareness among the members of the university about digital sex crimes, and do its best to protect victims and prevent recurrence.

KIM NAM-HEE, MEMBER, SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: The deepfake crime is very serious in Korea, but it's not taken seriously in Korean society.

VALERIO (voice-over): Kim Nam-hee is one of South Korea's lawmakers who passed stronger penalties in September to fight the crimes. The maximum prison time is now seven years up from five years for anybody convicted of creating non-consensual deepfake explicit images with the intention of distributing them.

[04:55:00]

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VALERIO: Do you think that that's strong enough?

NAM-HEE (through translator): Personally, I don't think increasing sentences is the only solution. What's been problematic is that investigations and punishments have been passive until now. Only 20 percent of those indicted for deepfake crimes have actually received prison sentences.

VALERIO (voice-over): Telegram announced its moderators are removing explicit deepfakes, and the app is sharing data with authorities to remove and target illegal activity. In a breakthrough, Seoul police said help from Telegram led to the recent arrest of a man who allegedly masterminded the exploitation of more than 200 people since 2020.

For the victims and how they recover, Ruma tells us, deepfakes reshaped how she sees the world and how she sees herself.

RUMA: My whole like personality changed, I think. I was much more outgoing, much more sociable, but after the incident, I had to kind of retreat to myself and -- to feel safe.

VALERIO (voice-over): Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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