International
Brazil ‘neutral’ in Russia-Ukraine conflict, Bolsonaro says
AFP
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday that South America’s biggest country will remain “neutral” over Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The far-right Bolsonaro, who undertook a controversial visit to Moscow on February 16 to meet with President Vladimir Putin just as Russian leaders were finalizing plans for their full-scale invasion, said his Russian counterpart confided some “secret” issues about Ukraine in their lengthy conversation.
Bolsonaro said he told Putin that Brazil will maintain a position of neutrality in the war, and that it remains “in favor of peace.”
“We are not going to take sides,” Bolsonaro told reporters. “We are going to continue our neutrality and help as much as possible in the search for a solution.”
Brazilians “want peace, but we cannot bring (the war’s) consequences here,” he added, recalling that Brazil is a major purchaser of Russian fertilizers.
Bolsonaro, who has expressed admiration for Putin, has largely avoided criticizing Russia over its aggression, even as Putin’s Ukraine operation has been broadly lambasted by the West.
Last Thursday he upbraided his own vice president, Hamilton Mourao, for saying Brazil did not agree with the invasion of Ukraine.
Bolsonaro on Sunday said Brazil actively worked to help water down a United Nations Security Council resolution that criticized Russia, referring to the change of the word “condemns” to “deplores” in the final version of the measure.
Brazil voted in favor of that resolution, which was vetoed by Russia. But Brazil did not sign a declaration by member countries of the Organization of American States in which they strongly condemned Russia’s invasion.
Bolsonaro’s trip to Moscow earned a firm rebuke by the White House, which described Brazil as being “on the other side of where the global community stands.
International
Merengue concert turns to mourning as Jet Set collapse claims 136 lives
Dominican rescue teams will end search and recovery operations on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Jet Set nightclubin Santo Domingo, where the building collapsed during a live concert.
Authorities estimate that the final 20 bodies will be recovered from the rubble today, bringing the official death toll to 136. This includes 12 additional bodies found overnight in the disaster zone, adding to the previously confirmed 124 fatalities.
Outside the collapsed nightclub, desperate relatives of the missing continue to gather, clinging to hope for news. Many also visited nearby hospitals and morgues in search of their loved ones.
A list of confirmed victims has been posted on a tent set up near the site, where the bodies are being transferred for identification.
The tragedy occurred during a performance by renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among the deceased.
Central America
Colombia to host fourth EU-CELAC Summit in November
The Fourth Summit between the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will take place on November 9 and 10 in Santa Marta, Colombia, according to a joint statement released Wednesday by the Colombian government and the European Council.
The summit will be co-chaired by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in his role as pro tempore president of CELAC, and European Council President António Costa, the statement added.
The last EU-CELAC summit took place in July 2023 in Brussels, when both blocs agreed to hold these meetings every two years.
The summit brings together the 27 EU member states and the 33 CELAC countries, representing 14% of the global population, 21% of global GDP, and one-third of the members of the United Nations, the communiqué noted.
International
Russia and US to Meet in Istanbul for Diplomatic Talks on April 10
The Kremlin confirmed today a forthcoming meeting with the United States to discuss the normalization of diplomatic relations, which will take place in Istanbul.
“Our participation will be through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Dmitry Peskov, the presidential spokesperson, during his daily telephone press conference.
Peskov was responding to a question about who would represent Russia in the new round of negotiations, which is supposedly scheduled for April 10.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the delegations will be led by the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Alexandr Darchiev, and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Sonata Coulter.
These are the same negotiators who met in late February in Istanbul, where the expert-level negotiation format was the same, according to the source.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said a few days ago that the next meeting would be held in the Turkish city, though he did not confirm a date.
Lavrov, who participated in only one of these meetings, clarified that the upcoming discussions would address the issues still dividing Moscow and Washington diplomatically, referring to the operations of both countries’ embassies.
The Kremlin asserted that Washington has not yet responded to Russia’s security concerns, preventing a ceasefire declaration on land, sea, and air.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed discontent with Russia’s recent attacks, including one last week that killed 20 people in Krivi Rig, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
So far, Russia has rejected a cessation of hostilities and only declared a 30-day ceasefire on March 18 against attacks on energy infrastructure, which was extended by Kyiv a week later.
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