International

The risky business of Amazonian tree climbers

AFP

A botanist looks up at a man dangling 20 meters (yards) above ground in a tree that belongs to an endangered species in Brazil’s Amazon.

“Cut another branch, Zelao,” she cries out.

Brandishing telescopic pruning clippers, 42-year-old Jose Raimundo Ferreira, known as Zelao, expertly manipulates the tool and a branch of the itauba, whose wood is prized for use in making boats, falls at the scientist’s feet.

Zelao is one of the few people able to climb these Amazonian trees in a matter of seconds.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Botanist Marta Pereira, who is delighted to have secured his services, says there are only about 20 people who can do what he does.

“For us, they’re vital… without them we wouldn’t have any samples,” said Pereira, a researcher at the Amazon state university.

These tree climbers are even more important in an area where scientists believe they know only about 30 percent of the biodiversity.

Dressed in just a T-shirt and Bermuda shorts, Zelao climbs five or six times a day up trees that can reach 50 meters (some 164 feet) in height.

He collects fruit, leaves or cuts branches.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

He also installs cameras on tree tops to film birds and monkeys.

For security he has a harness, a rope and thick rubber-soled boots. Sometimes he clambers from one tree to another.

“It is very risky and requires a lot of technique, a lot of physical preparation,” said Zelao, adding that he has already undergone surgery four times on damaged ligaments.

Even so, he has no intention of slowing down.

“It’s very difficult to find a climber. My schedule is booked until December 20,” he said.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Even though his profession is highly sought after, these tree climbers have no job security.

They are paid by the day, with no contracts and no social security.

“Their work should be regularized as field technicians and they should get training,” said Pereira.

Despite the risks, Zelao intends on passing on the baton to his 19- and 21-year-old sons once his body says stop.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.