International
Mexico to maintain shaky ties with Peru

| By AFP |
Mexico on Wednesday ruled out cutting diplomatic ties with Peru despite the Andean country expelling its ambassador amid diplomatic tensions over the ousting of president Pedro Castillo, who is backed by the North American nation.
The government in Lima, which felt slighted by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s support for fellow leftist Castillo, on Tuesday declared the Mexican ambassador persona non grata.
It gave the envoy, Pablo Monroy, 72 hours to leave the country.
Mexico had offered asylum to Castillo’s family. Castillo and his wife Lilia Paredes face multiple accusations of corruption.
On Wednesday, Lopez Obrador said the Mexican foreign ministry “has decided not to break relations” with Peru.
This was to “give protection to the Mexicans who live in Peru,” the president told reporters.
“We will not expel anyone,” he added.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday called Peru’s decision “unfounded and reprehensible.”
Mexico City said it was recalling Monroy, “in order to ensure his safety” even as the mission in Lima continues to operate as normal.
Peru had agreed to give safe passage to Paredes and the couple’s two children, who arrived in Mexico on Wednesday morning, said Lopez Obrador.
“We will always defend the right to asylum,” the president said. “It is part of our foreign policy.”
Lopez Obrador has been one of Castillo’s most fervent foreign supporters, along with the fellow leftist leaders of Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia.
Embattled Castillo was impeached and arrested on December 7 after seeking to dissolve Congress to rule by decree.
Castillo’s short tenure was plagued by instability as he fought rabid political opposition and investigations into numerous graft claims.
Castillo is the subject of six separate criminal probes.
Lopez Obrador insisted Wednesday that Castillo was the legitimately elected president of Peru, and accused Lima of repressing demonstrations against his ouster.
Officials say 21 people have died in clashes, and hundreds, including police officers, have been injured.
Lopez Obrador also accused “the so-called political class — the groups with economic and political power” of fomenting the crisis in Peru “for their personal ambitions and their economic interests.”
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.”
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.
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