International

Spain and Mexico evoke 85 years of republican exile: “A great day for democracy”

Spain and Mexico remembered this Thursday the 85th anniversary of the arrival of the “Sinaia”, the first ship with Republican exiles that arrived on the Mexican coasts in 1939, as a transcendental milestone in the “fraternal community” between the two countries and a celebration of “democracy.”

“The Sinaia was the first ship of exile, the first ship of hope (…) Today is a great day for democracy,” said the Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, in his speech.

The event, held at the residence of the Spanish ambassador to Mexico, Juan Duarte, coincided with another June 13, 1939, when the ship arrived on the coast of Mexico in Veracruz with more than 1,500 people on board fleeing the dictatorship of Francisco Franco at the end of the civil war, between 1936 and 1939.

The ceremony was attended, in addition to the Spanish Minister Torres, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Government, Alicia Bárcena; the Mexican politician and son of President Lázaro Cárdenas (1934-1940), Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, as well as diplomats and representatives of the Spanish exile in Mexico.

It was precisely under the initiative of President Cárdenas that Mexico led to the arrival of Spanish Republicans, and it is estimated that in the period 1939-1942 between 20,000 and 25,000 Spaniards entered Mexico.

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“Beyond the pain that has never gone, the exile brought very beneficial elements. He enriched Mexico and Mexico was enriched with the exiles,” said 90-year-old Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas.

The Mexican politician received one of the first diplomas of tribute and recognition given by the Spanish Government during the ceremony for the “indefatigable” work of his father and mother, Amalia Solórzano.

For his part, Bárcena stressed that the “face” of the exiles “was, is and will be fruitful” and consolidated that Spain and Mexico became “a fraternal and supportive community.”

The chancellor also narrated that the ship that left France with 1,598 passengers reached the coasts of Veracruz (Mexico), three weeks later with 1,599 with the birth of a baby on the crossing who was named Susana Sinaia, in memory of the boat and symbol of hope.

Remarking that his was the first visit of a minister of Democratic Memory to Mexico, Torres stressed “the length of exile.”

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“How many suitcases bought, how many suitcases thrown away,” he lamented.

In addition to a historical drama, Torres said, it was “a huge loss of talent,” by citing among the figures who arrived in Mexico fleeing the Franco dictatorship the poets León Felipe, Manuel Altolaguirre and Luis Cernuda; as well as the philosophers María Zambrano and José Gaos.

Precisely, among the diplomas given to relatives were the Altolaguirre and Gaos and even some who traveled on board those first Spanish ships when they were barely boys and girls, such as the writer Angeline Muñiz Haberman, who read an emotional poem about the persistence of exile.

As part of the commemoration activities, the Spanish Government designated the historic Spanish Athenaeum of Mexico on Wednesday as the first Place of Memory abroad.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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International

Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.