International
Lula presents a plan to support black youth with a strong anti-racist discourse
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, presented a plan to support black youth with a strong speech against racism, which he described as a “scount” that must be fought in the country and in the world.
“We have to put an end to that structural racism that offends, beats and kills,” and with “the reality that, every day, black people are victims of multiple violations of rights” that “can no longer be accepted,” he declared in front of hundreds of young people.
“It is necessary to understand that, when we see a black person, we are not seeing a color, we are seeing a human being who has feelings, desires, who wants to live with dignity and who must be respected,” he said.
According to Lula, “at all times, somewhere in Brazil there is a person suffering verbal or physical aggression only because of the color of their skin, or being the victim of a stray bullet, who almost always finds a black body” in some poor community in the country.
“We cannot believe that this is normal and we cannot be apathetic in the face of that extermination,” the president said, reiterating his desire for Brazil to “be a country with more social justice, less inequality, and without any type of discrimination.”
He also maintained that racism is a “worldwide” problem and cited the case of soccer player Vini Júnior, of whom he said that despite being “one of the most important in the world and playing in a club of the most important in the world,” such as Real Madrid, he is insulted by the color of his skin.
He added that this happens in Spain, “a country considered rich, civilized, but in which the issue of racism still seems not to have come out of the head of a white society, which has the fixed idea that the supremacy of everything is white and that black is a second-class citizen.”
At the ceremony, Lula announced new programs to support black youth, which include various actions to promote greater inclusion, focused on the areas of education, health, culture, sport and security, among many others.
According to official data, black citizens of Brazil are the majority among the poorest and among the prison population, as well as having difficulties with access to employment and education.
They are also the biggest victims of violence, to the point that they represent about 79% of the people killed every year in the country.
International
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
The Vatican reportedly attempted to negotiate an offer of asylum in Russia for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before his capture by U.S. forces last Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
The U.S. newspaper reported that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch about a supposed Russian proposal to grant Maduro asylum. A source familiar with the offer said that what was proposed “was that he would leave and be able to enjoy his money,” and that part of the plan involved Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteeing Maduro’s security.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, the United States carried out a military operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture and detention, along with his wife Cilia Flores, who are now being held in New York on narcoterrorism charges.
The Washington Post also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump may have invited Maduro to Washington for in-person discussions about safe conduct, an offer that Maduro reportedly declined.
International
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
“War is becoming fashionable again, and war enthusiasm is spreading.” Pope Leo XIV delivered a somber assessment of international politics on Friday, sharply criticizing the growing reliance on force by nations at a time when his country of birth is increasing military displays.
While offering New Year’s greetings to the diplomatic corps, the U.S.-born pope — who also holds Peruvian nationality — delivered one of his strongest speeches to date, denouncing the “worrying weakening of multilateralism” and the emergence of what he described as “war enthusiasm.”
From the outset of his address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, delivered in English, the pontiff lamented the rise of a “diplomacy of force, by individuals or groups of allied states,” at the expense of dialogue, warning that such trends threaten the global order established after World War II.
“Peace is no longer sought as a gift or as a good desirable in itself, or as the pursuit of ‘the establishment of an order willed by God, one that entails greater justice among human beings.’ Instead, it is pursued through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominance,” the head of the Catholic Church said, without directly naming any country.
His remarks come amid ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Gaza Strip, and against a broader international backdrop marked by European concerns over a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, a scenario that could threaten the cohesion of NATO.
International
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
The incident occurred at around 4:10 p.m. local time in the Carabanchel neighborhood, in the southwest of the Spanish capital, according to a spokesperson for emergency services.
One person, whose identity was not disclosed, was killed, and nine others sustained minor injuries, the spokesperson said.
When asked about the possible cause of the explosion, emergency services did not provide any details.
Images shared by authorities on their official X account show a partial collapse of the building’s façade.
In October 2025, the collapse of a building under renovation in central Madrid left four people dead.
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
One Dead and Nine Injured After Explosion in Southwest Madrid
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