International

Brazil burns boats in crackdown on wildcat Amazon gold miners

AFP

Brazilian authorities burned more than 60 river-dredging boats in a crackdown on wildcat miners drawn to a major Amazon tributary by rumors of a gold find, the government and Greenpeace said Sunday.

Justice Minister Anderson Torres said 69 vessels were destroyed Saturday, and he published photos and video of them on fire on the banks of the Madeira River.

“Minister, congratulations on the operation,” right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro tweeted.

At least 300 dredging boats lined up side-by-side on the Madeira last week following rumors that gold had been discovered.

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As images spread of this gold rush, the authorities prepared an operation to end the flurry of illegal mining.

By Saturday, many boats had dispersed to other areas nearby, said Greenpeace Brazil, which also published photos of dredging boats on fire.

“This operation shows that Brazil has the capacity to confront illegal activity and ensure the protection of our rivers, rainforests and traditional peoples,” Greenpeace said. “All it takes is political will.”

While clandestine gold mining is commonplace in the Amazon, this precious metals rush, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the city of Manaus, attracted special attention, Greenpeace said last week.

The group demanded greater speed from the authorities to stop what it called an environmental crime.

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Greenpeace said images from the river showed that the “garimpeiros,” as wildcat miners are known in Brazil, were dominating the area and operating “without fear.”

A report by the Federal University of Minas Gerais together with Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed last July that just 34 percent of the 174 tons of gold exploited in Brazil between 2019 and 2020 had a proven legal origin.

Environmentalists have accused Bolsonaro’s government of pursuing anti-environmentalist policies and weakening protections.

Since Bolsonaro assumed power in January 2019, Amazon deforestation has surged, mainly due to illegal mining and cattle ranching.

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International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

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International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.