International
Brazil opposition slams Bolsonaro over remarks on young Venezuelans
AFP
Brazil’s opposition slammed President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday as “depraved” for suggesting a group of Venezuelan girls that he visited in their home were prostitutes, as the country gears up for a presidential run-off.
Bolsonaro will face left-wing former president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in the second round of a presidential election on October 30, with the expectation of a close contest pushing both sides to intensify their attacks in the run-up.
Local media aired an interview with Bolsonaro about the situation in Venezuela in which he recalled a visit last year to a poor neighborhood in Brazil’s capital where he met a group of Venezuelan girls.
The president said he had asked a group of “three or four very pretty 14 or 15-year-olds” if he could “come in your house”, where he found “15 or 20 girls” getting ready “to earn a living.”
The leader of Lula’s opposition party, Gleisi Hoffmann, quickly slammed Bolsonaro’s comments as “depraved” and “criminal,” while Senator Randolfe Rodrigues, coordinator of Lula’s campaign, expressed “disgust.”
Bolsonaro has repeatedly said that Brazil would suffer the same fate as Venezuela if Lula wins the election.
According to polling organizations, Lula has a lead over the president.
In the interview, Bolsonaro said: “I parked my motorcycle on a street corner, took off my helmet and started looking at the girls, three or four very pretty 14 or 15-year-olds, dressed up as you might be on a Saturday in a neighborhood community.
“There were 15 or 20 girls (in the house), all Venezuelans aged 14, 15, getting ready on a Saturday. Why? To earn a living,” he said.
“That’s what you want for your daughter?”
Bolsonaro has responded to the criticism, saying he had entered the house with other people and in the presence of a film crew.
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Brazilian President and presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro speaks to his supporters during a rally in Fortaleza, Ceara state, Brazil on October 15, 2022. - Leftist front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's lead over far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro remains steady at six percentage points ahead of Brazil's October 30 presidential runoff election, according to a poll released on October 14. (Photo by JL ROSA / AFP)
International
Maduro accuses U.S. of aggression over Caribbean military drills
The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced on Sunday what it called a “military provocation” following the start of joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago off the coast of Venezuela.
Caracas reacted to the arrival of the U.S. warship USS Gravely in Trinidad and Tobago — a small Caribbean archipelago located just off Venezuela’s coast — as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up pressure on his Venezuelan counterpart.
The Venezuelan government also announced the capture of a group of alleged mercenaries it claims were linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
According to AFP journalists in Port of Spain, the U.S. destroyer was visible off the coast of the Trinidadian capital on Sunday morning.
In an official statement, Caracas asserted that the maneuvers “are not defensive exercises, but rather a colonial military operation aimed at turning the Caribbean into a space for lethal violence and U.S. imperial domination.”
International
Argentina’s Milei secures strong victory and calls for dialogue after election surge
Argentine President Javier Milei secured a surprising and resounding victory in Sunday’s legislative elections, vowing to push forward with his ultraliberal reform agenda during the second half of his administration.
The result brought relief to the government after weeks of intense pressure on the Argentine peso, which had forced Milei to seek financial assistance from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had reportedly made his support contingent on the outcome of the vote.
“Today we passed the turning point; today begins the construction of a great Argentina,” Milei declared in his victory speech, where he entered to rock music but adopted a more measured and conciliatory tone once at the podium.
The ruling party, La Libertad Avanza (LLA), won 40.8% of the vote, outperforming the Peronist (center-left) coalition, which garnered 31.6% across its various factions.
In third place came Provincias Unidas, a bloc promoted by provincial governors seeking to break the country’s political polarization, with 7.1% of the vote, according to preliminary data from the National Electoral Directorate, with over 90% of ballots counted.
With this outcome, the ruling coalition expanded its presence in Congress, approaching the one-third threshold needed in both chambers to uphold presidential vetoes on contested bills. However, Milei will still need to forge alliances to advance deeper structural reforms that require broader majorities.
“We will undoubtedly have the most reformist Congress in Argentina’s history,” Milei predicted from his campaign headquarters, adopting an unusually conciliatory tone as he called for dialogue with governors and other political forces.
International
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on Saturday with the Emir and Prime Minister of Qatar during a stopover on his trip to Asia, officials reported. Qatar plays a key role in maintaining the fragile peace agreement in Gaza.
The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One at the end of the day when it lands for refueling at Al Udeid Air Base, the regional headquarters of U.S. military forces, a White House official said.
This marks Trump’s first trip to Asia since taking office in January. His agenda includes two regional summits, a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and planned encounters with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In Qatar, the previously unannounced meeting will also include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently returned from Israel after working to maintain the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Qatar has been a key mediator in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the conflict began and is one of the guarantors of the peace deal alongside the United States, Turkey, and Egypt.
This week, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss critical next steps in the agreement, including the establishment of a security force in Gaza and the future of Hamas. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a central negotiator since the outbreak of the war following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Maduro accuses U.S. of aggression over Caribbean military drills
Argentina’s Milei secures strong victory and calls for dialogue after election surge
Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Asia Stopover to Discuss Gaza Peace
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