International
“Milei de Floripa”, the Brazilian candidate who joins the chainsaw trend
Ademar Rodrigues Meireles went down the stairs of his house rented for a few days in São Paulo completely dressed as if he were the Argentine president, Javier Milei, and, at times, his way of expressing himself was identical, even speaking in another language.
Better known as the ‘Milei de Floripa’, Ademar is a candidate for municipal councilor for the Liberal Party (PL) of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro in Florianópolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina, in the elections of October 6.
A place of almost 8 million inhabitants in the south of the country that shares the border with the Argentine province of Misiones and, as the politician indicated, “is full of Argentines.”
The first time he saw the Argentine economist he was shocked by his “theatrical and dramatic figure”, then one day he decided to wear his wig and noticed that his image caused a furor in the streets and people stopped him to take pictures.
That’s how he began to attend all the demonstrations personified as Javier Milei, adding a garment for the occasion: first his wig, then his characteristic sideburns, a chainsaw with phrases and even the presidential band with the Albiceleste flag.
Laughing and with a Buenos Aires tone he said “there is no water” – referring to the famous “there is no money” – and looked at one of his advisors as a sign of complaint. He wanted to conduct the entire interview in Spanish since he considered that this way he “transmitted greater emotion.”
Ademar decided, before retiring, to throw himself fully into politics. According to him, to defend “the ideas of freedom” and fight a cultural, social and political “war” that is being lived in the world.
“It is necessary that we make the decision to be in all places as the left has done that for many, many years was taking the university, the culture, the artists (…) One thing is certain: those who are not in politics are dominated by those who are,” he said.
But his clothing, criticized by many people, hides a greater meaning: “In my private life I am Ademar, for me that is very clear. But this is a theater, a political theater. All politicians do theater. Politicians in elections pretend to be poor but they are not.”
And he continued: “It’s a cultural war, I’m dressed in the ideas and what Milei represents, like an icon, like an idol of the right. (…) We are going to use the same weapon that the left uses, which is art.”
Like his political idol, the Brazilian is an economist and said that he has two dogs, although he only highlighted his Rottweiler whom he referred to as “the guardian” of the hacienda.
With his chainsaw next to it, which has the inscription in Spanish ‘cut of expenses’ on one side, the ‘cosplayer’ candidate said that “Brazilian social contracts are broken” and raised the need for a new “liberating” constitution in Brazil since the current “has been very disrespectful.”
Last Friday, for an hour, Paulista Avenue, the most important in São Paulo, collapsed with cars and vans plotted with his face in a caravan celebrating his arrival in the city, where he went to participate in a demonstration called by Bolsonaro a day later.
Some passers-by laughed when they saw him, others threw an insult, while many greeted him fervently shouting “long live freedom, fuck.”
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.”
Thousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
UN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America5 days agoPetro questions Ecuador’s vote, cites reports of military control and arrests
-
International4 days agoArsenal stun Real Madrid at the Bernabéu to reach Champions League semifinals
-
International3 days agoDominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
-
Central America3 days agoNicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
-
International4 days agoBogotá residents line up for yellow fever vaccine amid national alert
-
International4 days agoDeSantis’ immigration crackdown sparks alarm in Venezuelan Communities in Doral
-
International1 day agoACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
-
International4 days agoMexico refuses to restore ties with Ecuador while Noboa remains in office
-
Central America1 day agoUN complaint filed against Costa Rica over detention of migrant children
-
International5 days agoColombia: Search continues for missing limb of italian scientist found dismembered
-
International6 hours agoThousands rally nationwide against Trump’s threat to U.S. democracy