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Former Democratic senator Bob Menéndez is sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption

Former Democratic senator for New Jersey Bob Menéndez, one of the most prominent Latino politicians in the United States, was sentenced today to eleven years in prison for corruption, in a sentence communicated this Wednesday by a federal judge in New York.

Judge Sindey Stein found Menéndez, 71, guilty of accepting bribes in the form of gold bars, a luxury car and briefcases full of money while presiding over the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate, where he amassed immense power and became an almost necessary channel for Latin American politics.

Menéndez led a whole plot of corruption fueled by the governments of Qatar and Egypt, the latter country from which his wife Nadine is originally, also accused in the same plot.

An FBI agent secretly recorded Nadine while offering her services as an intermediary to a senior Egyptian official.

When the FBI raided his home in New Jersey, he found 13 gold bars hidden in a safe in his room, as well as half a million dollars in bills scattered throughout the house and hidden even inside boots or in the pockets of the suits.

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“You have been at the top of our political system,” the judge told you today when reading the sentence, “But somewhere along the way, you lost your way,” reported the media present at the hearing.

Visibly affected, Menéndez replied with a broken voice: “I have sat in this court for nine weeks, but you do not know me,” and went on to relate his childhood as a Cuban immigrant. “This is who I am, a man dedicated to serving others. I have lost everything that mattered to me, and for someone dedicated to public service, every day is a punishment.”

A historic member of the Democratic Party, Bon Menéndez carved out his career in his feud in New Jersey, a state he represented as a senator between 2006 and 2024; his own son Robert Menéndez is also a Democratic congressman.

Menéndez clung to his position as senator until last July, when his position became unsustainable when he was found guilty by a jury of the corruption crimes for which he was convicted today.

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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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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.

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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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