International
Brazil rivals Lula, Cardoso hold anti-Bolsonaro meeting
AFP/Editor
Brazilian ex-presidents and longtime rivals Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Fernando Henrique Cardoso said Friday they had met to discuss their shared opposition to current far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
Leftist leader Lula (2003-2010), who is eying a run against Bolsonaro next year, confirmed on Twitter he and Cardoso, his centrist predecessor (1995-2002) and political enemy for decades, had met over lunch.
“The ex-presidents had a long conversation on Brazil, our democracy and the Bolsonaro government’s negligence in fighting the pandemic,” which has claimed nearly 450,000 lives in the country, Lula wrote.
He posted a picture of the pair exchanging a fist bump at the meeting last week in Sao Paulo, both wearing face masks — a protective measure Bolsonaro has often shunned, along with much of the expert advice on containing Covid-19.
Cardoso meanwhile said he was holding out hope his centrist PSDB party would reach the runoff in the October 2022 presidential race — but that if not, he would back “whoever is running against the incumbent, even Lula.”
“If you don’t have a dog, you hunt with a cat,” he tweeted.
Lula, 75, has not formally entered the 2022 race. But it is shaping up to be a polarizing battle between him and the man dubbed the “Tropical Trump.”
Lula leads Bolsonaro in the polls, and appears to be the only candidate with a chance to unseat him.
It would be the sixth presidential run for the former steelworker and union leader, who lost three elections, including two to Cardoso, before winning the presidency in 2002 and 2006.
Lula presided over a poverty-slashing boom for Latin America’s biggest economy, but lost much of his aura when he was jailed for corruption in 2018.
The Supreme Court recently invalidated his convictions, ruling there was bias on the part of the lead judge in the cases, Sergio Moro, who went on to become Bolsonaro’s justice minister.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
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Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
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