International

Brazil’s Lula meets Fernandez as begins first international trip

Photo: LUIS ROBAYO / AFP

January 23 | By AFP | Mauricio Rabuffetti |

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires on Monday as he began a first foreign trip since his election by meeting with Argentine counterpart Alberto Fernandez.

The two leaders are due to discuss strategic bilateral “gas integration” and a “common South American currency” for financial and trade flows, the Argentine presidency said in a statement released on Sunday night.

Lula, 77, arrived at the Casa Rosada in central Buenos Aires at 11:00 am accompanied by his wife Rosangela da Silva. He was greeted by Fernandez and First Lady Fabiola Yanez.

Brazil is Argentina’s largest trade partner, according to official figures published last week by the INDEC national statistics institute.

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Brazil is the top destination for Argentine exports, amounting to 14.3 percent and $12.7 billion in 2022.

Close to 20 percent of Argentina’s imports are from Brazil, worth just over $16 billion last year.

“Argentina is the most important country in our diplomatic relations,” Feliciano de Sa Guimaraes, academic director for the Brazilian Center for Diplomatic Relations, told AFP.

Likewise, Fernandez’s government “depends a lot on Brazil”, not least in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with whom Argentina has a $44 billion debt.

Following the bilateral meeting with Fernandez, Lula was due to hold talks in the afternoon with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro.

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However, that meeting was canceled and Brazilian sources told AFP that Maduro had called off his trip to Argentina.

Maduro’s expected presence in Argentina had caused a stir, with civil organizations filing a complaint against the Venezuelan leader for human rights abuses, and some opposition politicians demanding he be arrested on arrival.

‘Rebuilding bridges’

On Tuesday, Lula will take part in a Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit.

His far right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro suspended Brazil’s participation in CELAC, alleging the body “gave importance to non-democratic regimes such as those of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.”

Lula is also due to meet Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Buenos Aires before heading to Montevideo on Wednesday for talks with Uruguay President Luis Lacalle Pou.

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Brazil Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told the Argentine Telam news agency on Saturday that Lula was looking to “rebuild bridges” with the international community after four years of Bolsonaro’s populist leadership.

“What we will do in Buenos Aires and Montevideo is speak without partners about the situation we inherited and possible paths to follow,” said Vieira.

One challenge Lula will face is a crisis within the Mercosur trade group that comprises Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay over Montevideo’s decision to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with China without the consent of its regional partners.

Lula begins his visit to Argentina just two days after sacking army commander Julio Cesar de Arruda due to a a lack of “confidence” following the storming of the seats of power in Brasilia earlier this month by Bolsonaro supporters.

Lula has said he suspects the security forces may have been involved in the riots.

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International

Exclusive Tucson Neighborhood Shaken by Disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s Mother

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of well-known U.S. journalist Savannah Guthrie, has shaken the exclusive Catalina Foothills neighborhood in northern Tucson, Arizona. For the past eleven days, the area has become the focus of an intensive investigation and constant media attention.

The 84-year-old woman was last seen on January 31, when she returned home after a family dinner. Since then, authorities have released few details about the suspected abduction.

“It is worrying that an elderly person could be the victim of a crime like this in her own home; we are a community of retirees,” Mario Ruiz, a resident who lives near the property, told EFE.

He explained that neighbors in the area tend to respect each other’s privacy, and many homes do not even have fences, surrounded only by the desert landscape about 110 kilometers from the Mexican border.

Support for the family is visible in an improvised altar set up outside Guthrie’s house. Flowers, candles and a message written on a stone — “Please pray, bring her home” — reflect the concern felt by the community.

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During a visit to Catalina Foothills on Wednesday, a strong presence of FBI agents could be seen patrolling nearby roads and neighborhoods in search of any clue that might help locate Guthrie.

Officers have been checking bushes, trash containers and surrounding areas near the residence, which is located in one of Tucson’s most exclusive districts, close to shopping centers, private golf courses and resorts.

International

Over 50 Civil Groups Urge House to Impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

More than 50 civil society organizations, including Latino collectives and migrant advocacy groups, on Tuesday urged the U.S. House of Representatives to open impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whom they accuse of leading a migration policy that is “violent, reckless, and contrary to the Constitution.”

The request was submitted through a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson and other legislative leaders. In the document, the organizations argue that Noem has encouraged repressive practices that have left multiple victims and have “intentionally undermined the mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”

Among the signatories are Voto Latino, Freedom for Immigrants (FFI), Hispanic Federation, UnidosUS, and the Latino Victory Project. The groups emphasized that at least 187 lawmakers already support the impeachment initiative introduced in January by Representative Robin Kelly for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The accusations include the alleged obstruction of congressional access to migrant detention centers and the excessive use of force, with at least 14 people shot since July 2025. They also cite three documented deaths, including those of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The organizations further criticized the detention of migrant children, pointing to the case of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, arrested in Minnesota last month, which sparked nationwide controversy.

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They also denounced that operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have resulted in due process violations, unlawful detentions of Indigenous citizens, and disregard for court orders. According to the signatories, Noem has “dismantled” civil rights protections within the DHS and has shown a lack of understanding of constitutional principles such as habeas corpus.

Central America

Guatemala to Phase Out Longstanding Medical Cooperation Agreement with Cuba

Guatemala’s government announced on Tuesday that it will end this year a cooperation agreement with Cuba that has brought doctors from the Caribbean nation to work in the Central American country.

Guatemala’s Health Ministry told EFE that the program, which has been in place for nearly three decades, will be phased out progressively throughout 2026.

According to the same source, there are currently 412 Cubans in Guatemala under the agreement, including 333 physicians.

Cuban medical brigades assigned to Guatemala have traditionally been deployed to various regions of the country to provide primary health care to local communities.

“The decision follows a technical assessment aimed at strengthening the sustainability of the national workforce and consolidating the public health system’s own capacities,” the Guatemalan ministry said.

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Earlier this week, lawmaker Sonia Gutiérrez, from the left-wing Winaq party, warned that the move “could be an inhumane act that threatens the health and lives of the country’s most vulnerable populations,” given the historic importance of Cuban doctors in providing medical care.

For that reason, the legislator summoned Health Ministry authorities to Congress, as permitted by law, to provide further details about the decision.

Former human rights ombudsman Jordán Rodas Andrade also weighed in on social media, recalling that “for 27 years Cuban doctors have been the backbone of health care in Guatemala’s most neglected areas,” and stressing that “ending this agreement is an act of ingratitude that leaves the most vulnerable unprotected.”

President Bernardo Arévalo’s government told EFE that, in order to guarantee continued care, it will implement a gradual replacement plan that includes hiring national personnel.