International

Trudeau warns that Trump returns to power with “clearer ideas” of what he wants to do

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Monday that Donald Trump’s second term will be more difficult because the Republican leader’s team has “clearer ideas of what they want to do immediately” and that the threat of tariffs to Canada and Mexico is “serious.”

Trudeau, who on November 30 traveled unexpectedly to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump, explained at an event in the city of Halifax (Canada) that in relation to the first presidency of the Republican leader (2017-2021), “this time it will be different.”

“It’s going to be a little more difficult. They arrive with clearer ideas of what they want to do immediately than last time,” he said.
He also pointed out that Trump’s threat to immediately impose 25% of tariffs on Canada and Mexico must be seriously considered and that it would be “devastatinging” for the Canadian economy.

Trudeau, concerned about possible Trump measures

“But they would also pose real problems for Americans. The United States buys 65% of its oil from Canada, large amounts of electricity and all natural gas exported by Canada. They depend on our steel and aluminum, as well as a variety of agricultural imports,” he said.

The Canadian ruler added that all those products would be more expensive for Americans and that Trump won the presidential election in November “with the commitment to improve the lives of Americans and make it more affordable.”

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Canada would also impose tariffs

Finally, Trudeau said that if Trump imposes tariffs, Canada will do the same and in products chosen to harm the president-elect, a strategy that already worked during the first term of the American.

“Of course, as we did eight years ago, we will respond to unfair tariffs in various ways. We are looking at the appropriate way to respond but last time, our reaction to unfair tariffs on steel and aluminum ended up eliminating them,” he said.

“It was the fact that we put tariffs on bourbon, Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), ketchup and other things that were carefully chosen for their political impact on the president and his colleagues. But we know that when Donald Trump says something, he is serious. And at the same time we know that his approach will be challenging to destabilizing,” he concluded.

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.”

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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.