International
Lula slams far-right ‘terrorism’ as Brazil clears protest camps
January 10 | By AFP | Ramon Sahmkow|
Brazilian security forces cleared protest camps Monday and arrested 1,500 people as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned “acts of terrorism” after a far-right mob stormed the seat of power, unleashing chaos on the capital.
Hundreds of soldiers and police mobilized to dismantle an improvised camp outside the army’s headquarters in Brasilia.
There, some 3,000 supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro had set up tents — used as a base for the sea of protesters who ran riot inside the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court for around four hours Sunday.
Lula, who took office on January 1 after a bitterly divisive election win over Bolsonaro, returned to work in the pillaged presidential palace, where AFP reporters saw the wreckage that remained of the previous day’s havoc: trashed artwork and offices, shattered windows and doors, broken glass strewn across the floor, and furniture dragged into a reflecting pool.
Lula, the 77-year-old veteran leftist who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, met with the leaders of both houses of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and joined them in condemning what many called the South American country’s version of the US Capitol riots in Washington two years ago.
“The three powers of the republic, the defenders of democracy and the constitution, reject the terrorist acts and criminal, coup-mongering vandalism that occurred,” they said in a joint statement.
Lula accepted an invitation to meet with President Joe Biden next month in Washington, US officials said.
Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost the October elections, meanwhile said on Twitter that he had been hospitalized in Florida with abdominal pains stemming from a near-fatal knife attack when he was campaigning for the presidency in 2018.
Bolsonaro has alleged he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by Brazil’s courts and electoral authorities.
The ex-president, dubbed the “Tropical Trump,” traveled to Orlando on the second-to-last day of his term — snubbing Lula’s inauguration, in a break with tradition.
Bolsonaro, 67, took to Twitter Sunday night to condemn the “pillaging” in Brasilia, but rejected Lula’s claim he incited the attacks, and defended the right to “peaceful protests.”
‘Traces of Trumpism’
As the nation continued to come to grips with Sunday’s stunning violence, hundreds of people gathered along a major avenue in downtown Sao Paulo to defend Brazilian democracy and demand punishment for the people who stormed the halls of power a day earlier.
“I have not endured what I have in this life to see what I saw yesterday — my people, my country, divided in such a way,” said Edi Valladares, a 61 year old teacher.
The demonstrators included young people, entire families, labor union activists, anti-racism advocates and others, with banners reading “We are with Lula and for democracy” and “Respect for the people’s vote.”
Earlier in the day, large contingents of riot police deployed to lock down the capital’s Three Powers Square, home to the iconic modernist buildings that serve as the headquarters of the three branches of government.
Condemnation continued to pour in from around the world, with Pope Francis criticizing the unrest as a sign of “weakening of democracy” in the Americas.
In a joint statement ahead of summit talks in Mexico City, Biden, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attacks and said they “stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions.”
In a show of firm support, Biden spoke with Lula by phone Monday and invited him to visit the White House in early February. The Brazilian leader accepted, the White House said.
Biden told Lula of his support for “the free will of the Brazilian people as expressed in Brazil’s recent presidential election, which President Lula won,” the White House said in a statement.
Many drew the inevitable comparison to January 6, 2021, when supporters of then-US president Donald Trump invaded the Capitol in Washington in a violent, failed bid to stop Congress from certifying his election loss.
Investigation begins
Lula, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara visiting a flood-hit region when the riot started, signed a decree Sunday declaring a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers over the local police force to restore law and order in the capital.
His government vowed to find and arrest those who planned and financed the attacks.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes suspended Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha, a Bolsonaro ally, from his post for 90 days, on grounds of “criminal negligence.”
Moraes also ordered the security forces to disperse anti-government protests outside military bases nationwide.
Hardline Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting outside army barracks calling for a military intervention to keep Lula from power since his election win.
Following the ruling, soldiers and police broke up camps in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, as well as Brasilia.
Lula narrowly won the October 30 runoff election by a score of 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoDeadly crash in Santa Bárbara leaves eight victims as campaign activities conclude
-
International5 days agoTatiana Schlossberg reveals aggressive leukemia diagnosis in personal New Yorker essay
-
International5 days agoTrump attacks Europe and Biden on Truth Social ahead of talks on Ukraine peace plan
-
International3 days agoTrump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
-
International5 days agoPeru’s president says he is open to entering mexican embassy to arrest Betssy Chávez
-
International5 days agoZelensky hails ‘important steps’ in Geneva talks but says more needed for real peace
-
International5 days agoWhite House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas to pressure Maduro
-
International3 days agoBolsonaro misses appeal deadline, faces imminent prison order by Brazil’s Supreme Court
-
International3 days agoMan pleads not guilty in Liverpool parade incident that injured more than 130
-
International5 days agoSnapchat begins age verification for australian teens ahead of strict social media ban
-
Central America2 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
International3 days agoMacron to announce new voluntary military service amid rising security concerns in Europe
-
International5 days agoInvestigations continue after mexican naval vessel’s deadly collision with bridge in New York
-
Central America2 days ago
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
International2 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America2 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
Central America19 minutes agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
International16 minutes agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication