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Bolivian President travels to Brazil for the Mercosur Summit

Photo: @LuchoXBolivia

December 5 |

Bolivian President Luis Arce arrived in Brazil to participate in the Summit of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and appointed the President of the Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, as interim head of the Plurinational State.

“Brother Andrónico, in the Year of Youth, we hand over the Presidency to a young Bolivian leader to take charge of our State”, he expressed at the moment of handing over the symbol of command to Rodríguez, in a ceremony at the Presidential Air Group, in the city of El Alto.

It should be recalled that President Arce leaves decision-making in the hands of Rodríguez while he represents Bolivia at the Mercosur meeting because Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca is in Rome, Italy, participating in the Inauguration of the International Year of Camelids at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

This would be the second time that Rodríguez assumes the interim presidency of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The first time he did it in September 2022 when Arce traveled to New York to participate in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the vice president, David Choquehuanca, fulfilled an agenda of activities in Europe.

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Arce will participate from Tuesday in the preparatory meetings of Mercosur, whose main meeting will be held in Rio de Janeiro on December 7.

The Bolivian presence is taking place shortly after the consolidation of its full adhesion to the southern economic bloc. The Brazilian Senate approved the Protocol of Accession of Bolivia to the bloc and sent it to the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for its promulgation.

On that occasion, Arce thanked the “efforts of brother President Lula and the Brazilian people for this historic milestone in Latin American integration”.

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International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist

The purse of Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, was stolen on Sunday night at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Fox News Digital confirmed through several agency sources.

The handbag, taken by a white male wearing a mask, reportedly contained $3,000 in cash along with personal documents, including her passport, keys, driver’s license, and DHS badge, according to an agency spokesperson.

“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren. She was celebrating her retirement by treating them to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” the spokesperson added.

Crime continues to be a significant issue in the U.S. capital, particularly theft. However, violent crime reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, according to the Office of the Attorney General at the time.

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International

Pope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw

When then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the reestablishment of diplomatic relations in December 2014—after decades of hostility—there was a third figure present in both speeches: Pope Francis.

This thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations—later reversed by Donald Trump—was the result of behind-the-scenes negotiations personally encouraged by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, just over a year after becoming head of the Catholic Church.

Upon learning the news of the breakthrough, the pontiff humbly stated, “This was made possible thanks to the ambassadors and to diplomacy,” which he called “a noble, very noble job.”

In 2015, months after the announcement, Raúl Castro visited the Vatican and met with the pope. Over time, Castro developed a fondness for Francis that he never had for his predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II. “If the Pope continues talking like this, sooner or later I’ll start praying again and return to the Catholic Church—and I’m not joking,” said the younger Castro, who, like his brother Fidel (1926–2016), had been educated by Jesuits—the same order to which Pope Francis belonged.

Pope Francis visited Cuba later that year. Just days before his arrival, the Cuban government announced the pardon of 3,522 common prisoners as an act of clemency.

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While in Havana, the pope met with Fidel Castro, who gave him a first edition of the book Fidel and Religion by Brazilian friar and liberation theologian Frei Betto.

Criticism from the Opposition

Francis’s diplomatic approach also drew criticism from parts of the Cuban opposition. In a 2022 interview with Univision, the pope revealed he had “a human relationship” with Raúl Castro.

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International

Dominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning starting Tuesday following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta.

In an official decree, Abinader highlighted the pope’s legacy “as a global leader who promoted significant reforms within the Catholic Church and was known for his humility, openness to dialogue, and commitment to peace among nations.”

During the mourning period, the national flag will be flown at half-staff at military facilities and public buildings.

According to a statement from the Office of the Presidency, although Pope Francis never visited the Dominican Republic during his papacy, he maintained a close relationship with the country. He expressed solidarity and empathy during difficult times, including offering prayers for the victims of the recent tragedy at a Santo Domingo nightclub on April 8, which claimed 232 lives and left more than 180 injured.

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