International
Former Peruvian president asks to be released from prison for cancer treatment

November 4 |
Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo requested Friday his release from prison to receive treatment for cancer, in his first intervention in the trial he faces for allegedly having received millions in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
“I ask you please, it has to do with the issue of my health, I ask you to let me defend myself in freedom (…) I have cancer,” pleaded Toledo, 77, his voice cracking as he addressed the court.
Toledo even suggested to be prosecuted “under house arrest” if he does not regain his freedom, according to the hearing broadcast by the Judicial Power channel, to which the press has no access.
The former governor (2001-2006) gave as an example the legal situation of two other former presidents who succeeded him, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala, who are defending themselves in freedom in other trials derived from the Odebrecht mega-scandal in Peru.
Toledo remarked that it is “vital” to have access to a clinic to treat cancer. However, he did not specify what type of cancer he suffers from, although he pointed out that for the last 15 years he has been suffering from “serious illnesses” that were treated in the United States.
The former president has been held since April 23 in a small prison for former presidents east of Lima, where he is serving 18 months of preventive detention, after being extradited by the United States. Also in the prison are former presidents Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) and Pedro Castillo (2021-2022).
Toledo began his trial on October 17 for allegedly receiving a bribe of US$35 million. The prosecution has requested 20 years and 6 months in prison for the alleged crimes of collusion and money laundering to the detriment of the State.
According to the indictment, the bribe allowed Odebrecht to win a concession to build a section of the Interoceánica Sur highway between Peru and Brazil.
Toledo denies the charges since in 2016 Brazilian Odebrecht revealed before the US justice system a corruption scheme at regional level to obtain public works.
The Odebrecht corruption scheme splashed four former Peruvian presidents. In addition to Toledo, prosecutors investigated Alan García (2006-2011), who committed suicide in 2019 before being arrested, Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018).
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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