International
A military judge sends the Supreme court trial against colonels accused of coup in Brazil
A military judge sent this Monday to the Supreme Court a process against four Army colonels accused of coup in Brazil for considering that the case is related to others already investigated by the highest court on the attempted coup d’état against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The federal military judge responsible for the case, Alexandre Augusto Quintas, considered that, because they are common crimes already investigated by the Supreme Court, the Military Justice has no competence in the process, the Military Court of Justice of the Union reported in a statement.
The four officers were accused of having written a letter at the end of 2022 to try to pressure their superiors, especially the Army command, to take measures to prevent the investiture of Lula, winner of that year’s presidential elections.
At the time, thousands of followers of the then Brazilian president and defeated in the elections, the far-right Jair Bolsonaro, camped in front of the barracks throughout the country with the intention of pressuring the Armed Forces to promote a coup.
The Army opened a military police investigation against the colonels for the authorship of the document, which concluded with the request for the opening of a trial against them for the crimes of incitement to disobedience and indiscipline.
According to the note, the process “noted that the officers participated in the authorship and review of the document, which consisted, in summary, of a public criticism of authorities and institutions, especially the commander of the Brazilian Army.”
According to Quintas, the facts investigated by the Military Justice have a connection with several investigated by the Federal Police in processes instructed by Magistrate Alexandre de Moraes, of the Supreme Court.
Such cases include the assaults against the headquarters of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court on January 8, 2023 in which thousands of Bolsonaroists tried to force a coup d’état, and the alleged conspiracies of some members of the government of the far-right leader to try to prevent Lula’s investiture.
As part of one of such processes, the Federal Police requested last December the opening of a trial against 40 accused of plotting a coup d’état, including Bolsonaro and former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, who has been imprisoned since December.
According to the military judge, three of the colonels accused of drafting the coup letter are among the 40 investigated in the process for attempted coup d’état in Brazil, violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and association to commit crime.
Quintas cited in his decision a sentence in which the Supreme Court determined as its competence to prosecute and judge all crimes related to coup acts, regardless of whether those investigated are civilians or military.
“Therefore, there is no competence of the Military Justice of the Union to prosecute or judge military personnel of the Armed Forces for the practice of crimes that occurred on January 8, 2023, especially those provided for in the Criminal Code such as terrorist acts, threat, persecution, incitement to crime, criminal association, violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and coup d’état, all already under the appreciation of the Supreme Court,” the magistrate concluded.
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
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