International
Lula asks for severe sanction if the guilt of general arrested for coup is proven
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that reserve general Walter Braga Netto, accused of leading an attempted coup d’état in 2022, has the right to the presumption of innocence, but must be severely punished if his guilt is proven.
The head of state referred to the arrest of Braga Netto in a brief comment that he slipped during the interview he gave after being discharged from the hospital where he was admitted on Monday and in which he underwent surgery to treat an intracranial hemorrhage.
“About what happened this week with the arrest warrant issued against General Braga Netto… I’m going to show you that I have more patience and that I’m democratic. I think he has every right to the presumption of innocence. I didn’t have it, but I want them to have it,” he said in reference to his imprisonment for two corruption processes that ended up annulled.
But, he added, “if those people did what they tried to do, they have to be severely punished.”
The arrest of Braga Netto
The former Minister of Defense and the Presidency in the Government of the far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro was arrested this Saturday at his residence in Rio de Janeiro by order of the Supreme Court after the Federal Police accused him of obstructing the investigation of the coup plot.
The Army reserve general, who was a candidate for vice president as Bolsonaro’s running mate in the 2022 elections, is accused of being the main articulator of an attempted coup d’état to prevent Lula’s investiture and an alleged plan to assassinate the progressive leader.
“It is not possible for us to admit that, in a generous country like Brazil, there are people of high military grade plotting the death of the President of the Republic, plotting the death of his vice president and plotting the death of a judge who was president of the Supreme Electoral Court,” Lula said in reference to the accusations against Braga Netto.
The defendants
Both the detained general and Bolsonaro are among the 37 defendants to whom the Federal Police requested that charges be opened for having planned a coup to prevent Lula’s investiture in January 2023.
Despite these accusations, Braga Netto arrested him preventively because, according to the Federal Police, he had been making steps to hinder the investigation and prevent the collection of evidence.
Magistrate Alexandre de Moraes, a member of the Supreme Court responsible for the case and for the arrest warrant, said in his sentence that the investigations “revealed the very serious participation of Walter Braga Neto in the facts investigated and his true role as leader, organizer and financier.”
The reserve general was taken to the headquarters of the First Army Division on the same Saturday, in the so-called ‘Military Villa’ in Rio de Janeiro, where he was placed in the custody of the Armed Forces for having the right to remain in a special cell in a military barracks.
International
Trinidad and Tobago Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian dies in house fire with her children
The Minister of Education of Trinidad and Tobago, Lisa Morris-Julian, tragically passed away in a fire at her home early Monday morning, along with her two children, local authorities reported.
Police stated that Morris-Julian died alongside her 25-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter after they were trapped as the fire engulfed their home in the Arima district, the main city in eastern Trinidad. Her husband and two other family members who were present at the time of the fire were injured and are currently under observation in the hospital.
“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago expresses its deepest condolences to her family, loved ones, and constituents at this time, and we keep them in our collective thoughts and prayers,” the government said in a statement.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley and other government officials visited the scene of the fire as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, police said.
Morris-Julian, who was also a Member of Parliament, had planned to seek re-election next year.
International
Nearly 40 dead in Istanbul after consuming contaminated alcohol in six weeks
Almost 40 people have died in Istanbul in the past six weeks after consuming adulterated alcohol, local authorities announced on Monday.
In total, “37 people lost their lives, 77 people were poisoned, with 17 still undergoing treatment due to the consumption of contaminated alcohol since November 1, 2024,” stated the Istanbul governor’s office on social media platform X.
At least 14 people have been arrested for distributing the illicit alcohol, authorities added. Alcohol poisoning is common in Turkey due to the surge in illegal production driven by rising taxes on alcoholic beverages.
In late 2021, at least 25 people died in several provinces within a few days. The previous year, around 40 people lost their lives from the same cause.
Rakı, the national alcoholic drink, costs around 1,300 Turkish liras ($37) per liter in supermarkets, in a country where the minimum wage is 17,000 liras ($489).
International
At least 12 injured in shooting at abundant life christian school in Wisconsin
Over 10 people have been injured following a shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin, United States, according to international media reports on Monday afternoon.
The shooting took place at Abundant Life Christian School. So far, local authorities have confirmed 12 individuals affected, according to major news outlets.
The scene is still being processed by the State Police. It has also been reported that the shooter has been neutralized, though no details about their identity have been released. Authorities mention that the school caters to students from Kindergarten through Middle School.
Trinidad and Tobago Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian dies in house fire with her children
Nearly 40 dead in Istanbul after consuming contaminated alcohol in six weeks
At least 12 injured in shooting at abundant life christian school in Wisconsin
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
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
-
International4 days agoDismembered bodies of five found in Guanajuato pickup truck
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador anticipates 125,000 international tourists during holiday season
-
International2 days agoFrance will send a diplomatic delegation to Syria after 12 years without official representation
-
Central America4 days agoMassive fire destroys 100 shops in Honduras capital market
-
Central America4 days agoEl Salvador intensifies monitoring of Conchagua seismic activity
-
Central America4 days agoPresident Bukele expresses condolences over tragic Los Chorros collapse
-
Central America3 days agoHonduras Seizes Over 26 Tons of Cocaine in 2024, Marking Major Drug-Fighting Achievements
-
Central America1 day agoEl Salvador’s $9.663 billion budget for 2025 focuses on key sectors with no new debt issuance
-
Central America3 days agoCosta Rica takes step toward full membership in Pacific Alliance to Stimulate Trade and Jobs
-
International1 day agoChrystia Freeland resigns as Canada’s deputy PM over dispute with Trudeau on U.S. Tariff Threats
-
International1 day agoAt least 12 injured in shooting at abundant life christian school in Wisconsin
-
International3 days agoGustavo Petro visits the Galápagos Islands for bilateral talks with Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa
-
International1 day agoVenezuela announces 179 new releases in post-election violence cases
-
International1 day agoMilan’s Via MonteNapoleone overtakes Fifth Avenue as world’s most expensive retail destination
-
International2 days agoMaría Corina Machado says that Nicolás Maduro is “cornered” inside and outside Venezuela
-
International1 day agoEl Salvador’s bitcoin reserves soar in value as cryptocurrency’s bullish surge continues
-
International3 days agoMayor Brandon Johnson Vows to Protect Chicagoans from ICE Actions
-
International3 days agoEcuador police intercept major drug shipment destined for Europe
-
International1 day agoTrinidad and Tobago Education Minister Lisa Morris-Julian dies in house fire with her children
-
International2 days agoNetanyahu: “Israel’s policy in Syria will depend on the emerging reality”
-
International3 days agoVenezuelan opposition in Argentine embassy urges Brazil to expedite safe passage
-
International2 days agoThe new Syrian authorities plan to end compulsory military service
-
International2 days ago
The Constitution of Venezuela, a quarter of a century later
-
International1 day agoNearly 40 dead in Istanbul after consuming contaminated alcohol in six weeks