Connect with us

International

Bolsonaro ex-minister arrested for ‘influence peddling’

AFP

A Brazilian former education minister accused of influence peddling, allegedly at the request of President Jair Bolsonaro, was arrested Wednesday, police and a defense lawyer said.

Milton Ribeiro resigned in March over allegations that he channeled public funds to allies of two influential Evangelical pastors at Bolsonaro’s “special request.”

Newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo revealed an audio recording of Ribeiro saying he gave priority in deciding school-funding requests to municipalities governed by “friends” of the pastors.

One mayor reportedly said he had been asked for a kilo of gold in exchange for having his school-funding request cleared.

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

The claims triggered calls from opposition lawmakers for Ribeiro and Bolsonaro to be investigated. 

Bolsonaro, a conservative Catholic, won the presidency in 2018 with solid backing from Brazil’s powerful Evangelical Christian movement. 

He is keen to keep the Evangelical vote as he seeks reelection in October, trailing in the polls to leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. 

Bolsonaro and Ribeiro, himself a Presbyterian pastor, have denied wrongdoing.

“Based on documents, testimony and the final report of the preliminary investigation… possible indications of criminal practice in the granting of public budgets were identified,” Brazilian police said in a statement. 

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

Ribeiro’s arrest, it said, was the result of an operation across four Brazilian states Wednesday morning to dismantle a criminal network, with officers armed with five arrest warrants and 13 search warrants. 

He risks a sentence of between two and five years for influence peddling and two to 12 years for corruption, the police said. 

Ribeiro’s lawyer Daniel Bialski in a statement described his client’s arrest as “unjust” and “indisputably unnecessary.”

The Ministry of Education confirmed its premises were searched on Wednesday and said it intended to cooperate with investigators. 

In March, Bolsonaro defended Ribeiro and called the claims “cowardly.” 

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

On Wednesday, the president appeared to distance himself from his former minister. 

“Let him answer for his actions, I pray to God that he has no problem. But if he does, it shows that I have no influence on the police,” the far-right president told the Itaitiaia radio station. 

“I have 23 ministers, about a hundred secretaries of state… If someone does something wrong, will they blame me?” he added.

Ribeiro, 64, took office in July 2020 — the third education minister in the cabinet of Bolsonaro, whose government was shaken by an avalanche of resignations and dismissals. 

Advertisement
20250701_dengue_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Continue Reading
Advertisement
20250701_dengue_300x250_01

International

Justice Department Misses Deadline as Millions of Epstein Files Remain Under Review

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday that it is continuing to review more than two million documentspotentially linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Last month, the department began releasing records from its decades-long investigation into Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors.

However, the Justice Department failed to meet the legal deadline established by the so-called Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required all related documents to be made public no later than December 19.

In a letter sent Monday to a federal judge, the department stated that more than two million documents remain “at various stages of review.”

According to the filing, authorities have so far released approximately 12,285 documents totaling more than 125,000 pages, in compliance with the law. Those materials, however, represent less than 1 percent of the total volume currently under review.

Advertisement

20250701_dengue_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

Continue Reading

International

Beijing Says International Support Strengthens Its Position on Taiwan Sovereignty Issue

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, stated at a regular press briefing that several dozen countries have expressed support for China’s actions following recent countermeasures and military drills concerning the Taiwan region. These comments were made as Beijing continues to defend its stance on Taiwan after large-scale military exercises by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) near the island

According to the official statement, countries including Russia, Cuba, Serbia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and others publicly reaffirmed their commitment to the one-China principle, reiterated their opposition to external interference in China’s internal affairs, and voiced support for China’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Lin emphasized that these countries specifically noted that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” and that “the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair,” adding that any form of Taiwanese independence must be rejected. He also praised these nations for their firm diplomatic support.

The spokesperson reiterated China’s position that it will remain steadfast in defending its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and warned that any provocations concerning the Taiwan question would be met with a firm response.

Continue Reading

International

Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez sued in Florida over alleged kidnapping, torture and terrorism

U.S. citizens have revived a lawsuit in Miami against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following his capture, as well as against Vice President and now acting leader Delcy Rodríguez and other senior Chavista officials, whom they accuse of kidnapping, torture, and terrorism.

The plaintiffs — including U.S. citizens who were kidnapped in Venezuela and two minors — filed a motion over the weekend before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida asking the court to declare the defendants in default for failing to respond to the lawsuit initially filed on August 14, 2025, according to court documents made public on Monday.

The case, assigned to Judge Darrin P. Gayles, accuses the Venezuelan leaders of violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), the Florida Anti-Terrorism Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

In addition to Maduro and Rodríguez, the lawsuit names Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López; Attorney General Tarek William Saab; Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello; former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno; and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

The complaint also lists the state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and former Electricity Minister Néstor Reverol as defendants.

Advertisement

20250701_dengue_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

According to the filing, Maduro “committed flagrant acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens,” citing the criminal case in New York in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court for the first time on Monday following their arrest on Saturday.

The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “were held captive by Maduro” with “illegal material support” from the other defendants, whom it identifies as members of the Cartel of the Suns, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization last year.

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News