International
Two new explosions reported in Cuenca, Ecuador, without casualties

September 1|
The National Police (PN) and the Fire Department of Ecuador reported that this Thursday two new explosions were recorded in the city of Cuenca, located in the center-south of the country, with no fatalities.
The first explosion was reported in the structure of a bridge near the parish center of the town of Sayausí, northwest of Cuenca, leaving damage to pipes and asphalt.
The second event was caused by the detonation of an explosive device inside a vehicle in the town of Totoracocha, in the east of the city.
After the events, authorities were deployed throughout the territory to support the work of the National Police and the Armed Forces in search of the perpetrators of the explosions.
These events are in addition to the detonation of two car bombs in Quito, the capital of the country, on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, without leaving people injured.
The PN reported on Wednesday that six people have been detained, allegedly related to the explosive attacks that occurred in Quito.
Ecuador’s unified command post, together with the PN, the Armed Forces and the National Service of Integral Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI), took a series of decisions to recover order in the penitentiary system.
In a statement, the government of Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said that until Thursday night seven police officers and 50 prison security and surveillance officers were being held in six detention centers.
He reported that the event would be a response of criminal groups to the interventions of public forces in prisons in the country, whose purpose is the seizure of prohibited objects that are used in violent acts.
In a message published on the social network X, formerly Twitter, Lasso said that “the measures we have taken, especially in the penitentiary system, have generated violent reactions from criminal organizations that seek to intimidate the state”.
“But we are firm and we will not back down in our objective of capturing dangerous criminals, dismantling criminal gangs and pacifying the country’s prisons,” added the president.
This week, some 2,200 police and military personnel arrived at the Latacunga prison, located in Cotopaxi province, south of Quito, and seized some 49 bladed weapons and two bulletproof vests, among other prohibited objects.
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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