International
Lula and Biden meet in Washington and pledge to “stand united” to protect democracy
February 13 |
The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the United States, Joe Biden, met this Friday in Washington to advance issues on the common agenda and open a new moment in bilateral relations, a meeting in which both leaders pledged to “stand united” to protect democracy.
The portion of the meeting that was open to the press passed in a relaxed atmosphere, in which both leaders were comfortable, cracked jokes and kept the conversation focused on common causes such as peace, democracy and the environment, away from sensitive issues such as foreign policy and their positions on China and Russia.
“The strong democracies of our two nations have been tested recently, have been really tested, and our institutions were also put in jeopardy,” Biden said as he welcomed Lula da Silva to the Oval Office.
The U.S. president alluded to the attack by supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on public institutions in Brasilia on January 8, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to Brazil and to maintaining the good relationship between the two nations.
“The United States and Brazil are the two largest democracies in the hemisphere,” Biden told Lula, while insisting that the two nations “reject political violence” and maintain a firm commitment to “stand together” to defend democratic values around the world.
Lula, for his part, thanked Biden for the support shown almost immediately after he won the elections, his “stance in defense of democracy in Brazil” and congratulated him for his State of the Nation address a few days ago.
The veteran ruler, who last January 1 began his third term as head of state in Brazil, criticized – without mentioning his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro – the state in which his country remained isolated in the international arena during the last four years.
“Brazil is a country that does not seek litigation with anyone, it is a country that loves peace,” he asserted.
This is Lula’s seventh visit to Washington as president of Brazil. The two leaders already knew each other and had spoken on several occasions by telephone since the Brazilian won the elections in October, but this is the first time they have met face to face since they assumed the presidencies of their respective countries.
International
Petro accuses top guerrilla leader of bribing officers to evade military strikes
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said Saturday that the country’s most wanted guerrilla leader is bribing members of the security forces to obtain advance information and evade military operations.
According to the government, Iván Mordisco, a dissident leader of the now-defunct FARC, is currently on the run in the जंगल following an الجيش bombardment last week that killed six of his closest collaborators in the department of Vaupés.
Authorities believe the guerrilla commander had been at the site shortly before the operation. “He buys off the commanders who are supposed to capture him; that’s how he escapes the bombings, but leaves his own people to die. He is warned before every strike,” Petro wrote on social media platform X.
The six individuals killed in the strike were part of Mordisco’s security ring, according to Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Local media reported that one of those killed was a woman known as “alias Lorena,” who was allegedly Mordisco’s partner and the mother of his child.
After failed attempts to negotiate peace, Petro’s administration has shifted to a more aggressive military strategy against the guerrilla leader. In recent months, three of Mordisco’s brothers have been captured and now face charges including homicide, kidnapping, and arms trafficking.
Central America
Costa Rica urges China to halt actions against Panama-flagged vessels
The government of Costa Rica on Saturday called on China to halt retaliatory actions against vessels flying the Panamaflag, amid escalating tensions over control of two strategic ports linked to the Panama Canal.
In a statement shared on social media, Costa Rica’s Foreign Ministry warned that the situation “puts global trade at risk” and expressed its “deep concern and strongest condemnation” over what it described as “arbitrary and unjustified delays and inspections in Chinese ports.”
The Costa Rican government urged “full respect for international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” while reaffirming its “unconditional support and solidarity” with Panama.
San José’s position aligns with growing international criticism from countries including Honduras, Peru, Paraguay, Israeland Ukraine.
Paraguayan authorities described the detentions as “unacceptable” and pointed to what they called “undue pressure” on the Panamanian government.
International
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
Mexico accounts for the highest number of urgent actions related to enforced disappearances worldwide, according to the latest report by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
The report, released by I(dh)eas, indicates that Mexico has accumulated 819 cases between 2012 and February 2026, representing 38% of the global total.
In the past five months alone, 40 new urgent requests have been recorded — more than one-third of all such actions worldwide during that period.
The report warns that this trend reflects a structural problem, as the urgent action mechanism — originally intended as an exceptional measure — has become routine in Mexico.
Although the Mexican state formally complies with response deadlines, the Committee identified significant shortcomings in the implementation of these measures. These include the lack of comprehensive search plans, delays in key investigative procedures such as video surveillance and phone data analysis, and insufficient inquiries into possible links involving state agents.
The report also highlights inadequate protection for relatives and individuals involved in search efforts, including cases of reprisals.
Among the most serious incidents documented is the disappearance of a father who had denounced alleged involvement of authorities in his son’s case in the state of Guanajuato.
The accumulation of cases could lead to the application of Article 34 of the Convention, which would allow for the launch of an international investigation into systematic enforced disappearances.
Geographically, the state of Chiapas accounts for 30% of the new urgent actions, many of them linked to collective disappearances of migrants.
Petro accuses top guerrilla leader of bribing officers to evade military strikes
Costa Rica urges China to halt actions against Panama-flagged vessels
Mexico leads global cases of enforced disappearances, UN report finds
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