International
Salvadoran stands out among hundreds of university students in Beijing

Latinos at the prestigious Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) can be easily counted. Even scarcer are the Salvadorans in this study center, one of the best in the People’s Republic of China and the most outstanding in Biological Engineering, which is the career chosen by Rodrigo Ventura.
Ventura, originally from Soyapango, wanted to become a biologist from his adolescence and first thought of studying Medicine in El Salvador and then specializing in genetics. But that path would take too many years and, even so, he could not fully fulfill his dream.
So he decided to start looking for more options. 18-year-old, he focused on studying in China because, as he told “Diario El Salvador,” here “technology is superior in all laboratories and in support of science.”
China is a global benchmark in technological and scientific advances. Ventura was aware of this from a young age. He sought scholarships sponsored by the Chinese embassy in El Salvador with the support of the Agency for Cooperation (ESCO). He applied in a higher education center in Beijing, in Shanghai and another in Wuhan.
It was chosen in the Chinese capital, none other than by a center that trains high-level chemical talents to work for science and technology. The BUCT has three campuses, east and west, located on Beisanhuan Donglu Street in Chaoyang, and the Changping campus.
Currently, Ventura, 21, is part of the team of 25 students from different branches who represent his university in the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition), the most important contest in the world in synthetic biology and where international faculties participate.
iGEM started in 2003 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Current competitions include graduates, high school and community laboratories from about thirty countries.
The multidisciplinary team of young people representing the Beijing University of Chemical Technology chose the name of Broccoli Masters because they seek to synthesize the sulforaphane molecule – which is found in this plant. The molecule is anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This experiment has already been achieved with the “Escherichia coli” bacterium, but never in this way.
An alternative treatment to fight cancer would be achieved, more accessible and with lower costs. This is also one of the central principles of biosynthesis, explains Ventura, who is in his second year of study.
The competition is difficult and most of the participants are Chinese. There are about 200 teams, and only twenty of these are from Latin America. Two dozen others were scored in Beijing alone. It consists not only of the scientific part, but they must take the knowledge outside the Laboratory of Biosynthesis and Efficient Separation of Natural Active Ingredients. Young people will also visit communities to make it known.
Biosynthesis is also more environmentally friendly than other conventional methods of producing substances. Yu Linwei, 23, studies the third year of the same career as Ventura and coordinates the competing team of iGEM. Yu emphasizes that chemical engineering leaves a strong footprint of pollution on the environment. Colleagues agree that China supports this type of project with students to promote better care of the planet, a fundamental part of the government policies of the socialist country.
The iGEM final will be in October in Paris, France. Ventura also went through an interview process to be part of the team that represents the university. “I want to do my bit for the promotion of Salvadoran science,” he says.
The young man arrived in China in October 2022, when there were still strong restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. He had to do three weeks in quarantine, while starting virtual classes.
In addition, it participates in the national competition of university students of life sciences, in the Beijing competition for saving water, energy and reducing carbon resources, and in the national contest for outstanding work in renewable energies; all focused on encouraging students to contribute to a greener world.
In these three competitions his project is the generation of green hydrogen using bacteria. These consume less energy to solve current needs, such as the purification of aquifers. “These projects can be occupied in El Salvador,” says Ventura.
“I don’t want to be alone here, but to return to my country and apply everything I’ve learned. What’s the point of coming here and I have all the knowledge to myself. In addition, it is a way of saying thank you to my country and China for the opportunities. They trusted me to take on this challenge. Doing one of these projects in the country is like saying thank you,” he adds.
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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