International
Bolsonaro exalts the tycoon Elon Musk for defending freedoms, in front of a crowd in Rio
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) received a large show of support during the march he convened in Rio de Janeiro to defend democracy and freedom of expression, in the middle of a dispute between the Justice of his country and the tycoon Elon Musk over censorship and disinformation.
The far-right leader was accompanied by thousands of followers who gathered in front of Copacabana beach dressed in green and yellow T-shirts, the colors of the Brazilian flag, raised as a symbol of patriotism by the bolsonaristas.
However, the appointment in the capital of Fluminense, Bolsonaro’s main political fortress, was visibly smaller than the one held two months ago in São Paulo, where about 185,000 people accompanied him on Avenida Paulista.
The leader of the Brazilian far-right arrived confident at the meeting for the tensions caused by the billionaire owner of the social network X after the criticism of Alexandre de Moraes, the magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice who leads the investigations against him.
The judge, who has Bolsonaro in his sights for his alleged participation in the coup attempt that sought to overthrow the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in January 2023, was accused by the billionaire of censoring social networks.
It was precisely that issue that focused the speech of the leader of the Brazilian far-right, who defended freedom of expression and exalted Musk, of whom he said he had “the courage to show with some evidence” where the country’s democracy was heading.
In his speech, the former president posed as a victim of “the persecution” and “cowardice” of those who want to see him far from the political cause, and rantled against Lula’s government, whom he accused of being a “lover of the dictatorship.”
As he did in São Paulo, the far-righter again defended himself from the accusations that fall on him for “inciting” his followers to violently invade the headquarters of the three powers on January 8 of last year and asked for amnesty for those who participated in the acts, although he avoided explicitly mentioning Judge De Moraes or the highest court of justice.
That work was left in the hands of Silas Malafía, the influential evangelical pastor allied to Bolsonaro, who ranted about the Supreme Court, called De Moraes “dictator of the toga” and even charged the military.
In Copacabana, Bolsonaro was accompanied by his wife, three of his children and several political allies.
In the crowd, between the flags of Brazil and Israel, they chanted “no to the dictatorship,” “freedom for Brazil” and “Lula thief, prison.”
International
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday (April 19, 2025) in major cities like New York and Washington, as well as in small communities across the United States, in a second wave of demonstrations against President Donald Trump. The crowds denounced what they view as growing threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
In New York City, demonstrators of all ages rallied in front of the Public Library near Trump Tower, holding signs accusing the president of undermining democratic institutions and judicial independence.
Many protesters also criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies, including mass deportations and raids targeting undocumented migrants.
“Democracy is in grave danger,” said Kathy Valyi, 73, the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She told AFP that the stories her parents shared about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1930s Germany “are happening here now.”
In Washington, demonstrators voiced concern over what they see as Trump’s disregard for long-standing constitutional norms, such as the right to due process.
International
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday asked two federal judges to block the U.S. government under President Donald Trump from deporting any Venezuelan nationals detained in North Texas under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, arguing that immigration officials appear to be moving forward with deportations despite Supreme Court-imposed limitations.
The ACLU has already filed lawsuits to stop the deportation of two Venezuelan men held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center, challenging the application of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The organization is now seeking a broader court order that would prevent the deportation of any immigrant in the region under that law.
In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan detainees of being members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang. These accusations, the ACLU argues, are being used to justify deportations under the wartime statute.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times in U.S. history — most notably during World War II to detain Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration has claimed the law allows them to swiftly remove individuals identified as gang members, regardless of their immigration status.
The ACLU, together with Democracy Forward, filed legal actions aiming to suspend all deportations carried out under the law. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed deportations to resume, it unanimously ruled that they could only proceed if detainees are given a chance to present their cases in court and are granted “a reasonable amount of time” to challenge their pending removal.
International
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
A man identified as Rafael Rosario Mota falsely claimed to have rescued 12 people from the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo—a tragedy that left 231 people dead—but he was never at the scene.
Intelligence agents in the Dominican Republic arrested the 32-year-old man for pretending to be a hero who saved lives during the catastrophic incident, authorities announced.
Rosario Mota had been charging for media interviews in which he falsely claimed to have pulled survivors from the rubble after the nightclub’s roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8, during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“He was never at the scene of the tragedy,” the police stated. The arrest took place just after he finished another interview on a digital platform, where he repeated his fabricated story in exchange for money as part of a “media tour” filled with manipulated information and invented testimonies.
“False hero!” read a message shared on the police force’s Instagram account alongside a short video of the suspect, in which he apologized: “I did it because I was paid. I ask forgiveness from the public and the authorities.”
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