International

Judge says Brazil was governed by groups with paramilitary ties

February 3^rd |

Justice Gilmar Mendes, dean of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, denounced today that during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) the South American country was “being governed by people in the shadows” with the support of paramilitary groups in Rio de Janeiro.

“What it shows is that we were being governed by people in the shadows. This is a fact of reality, people from the militia (paramilitary groups) of Rio de Janeiro with a leading role in national politics,” Mendes said today in declarations to journalists in Lisbon in the framework of the Portuguese-Brazilian business forum LIDE.

The magistrate was referring to statements made yesterday, Thursday, by Brazilian senator Marcos do Val, who accused Bolsonaro of trying to convince him to stage a coup d’état and not recognize the victory in the elections of leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who assumed the presidency of Brazil last January 1.

“We lowered the scale of political degradation,” the magistrate added.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

He also advocated reforming the area of public security and the Armed Forces, since, during the attacks perpetrated in Brasília last January 8 on the headquarters of the three branches of government by radical Bolsonaristas, “there was a breakdown of the security system”.

The forum, which began today and concludes tomorrow, Saturday, in a Lisbon hotel, was attended by former Brazilian President Michel Temer, as well as members of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Electoral Court, among others, who have defended that normality is being restored in the country.

Among the participants was the president of the Brazilian Court of Auditors, Bruno Dantas, who defended before journalists that those responsible for the attacks of January 8 have to answer to Justice.

“History teaches that leniency is not the best way to deal with criminals. The criminal needs to be punished with the rigor of the law,” he argued.

He clarified that the damages caused by these protests are still being analyzed and that, once quantified, those responsible for the vandalism will be identified through their tax records and fined.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

“It is a job that is in charge of the police, the identification of people, but when we have the list of vandals, we will hold them responsible”, measures that may even include the blocking of patrimony, he asserted.

So far, they have more than 18 million reais (about 3.2 million euros) blocked from the assets of these people.

On the other hand, Temer acknowledged that he does not believe that protests like those that occurred last January 8 will be repeated, and predicted that “absolute tranquility” will return to the country in the next few days.

“I think there was a movement that was not useful for the country. It created an image that was even negative, but, in the face of the very fast action of the Brazilian justice system, I think it is also being overcome with extraordinary speed,” he said.

Temer told EFE that Brazil “has already gone through many political, economic and social crises and overcame them all (…). A few days from now, the country will be in absolute tranquility”.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.