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.”

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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.

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International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.