International
Latin American leaders hold summit with Brazil back in the fold
January 24 | By AFP | Philippe Bernes-Lasserre / Mauricio Rabuffetti |
Fifteen Latin American heads of state and government meet Tuesday in Buenos Aires for a regional summit welcoming back Brazil as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva looks to rebuild bridges after his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro pulled out of the grouping.
The 77-year-old Lula, in Argentina for the first international trip of his third term, will participate in the seventh Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, bringing together 33 states from the region.
Lula was one of the founders of CELAC, during the first “pink wave” on the continent in the first decade of the century.
And now he brings Brazil back into the fold after Bolsonaro had suspended the country’s participation in the grouping.
Host Argentina this week hailed a “new climate in Latin America”, with the region ushering in a new wave of left or center-left governments since 2018, including Mexico, Argentina, Honduras, Chile, Colombia and Brazil.
A forum for consultation and cooperation, CELAC is not a regional integration mechanism with binding opinions.
And for all the importance underlined on Monday by Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Lula of “the need to integrate Latin America,” CELAC is struggling to unite members over successive regional crises, like Peru.
“Latin America is bankrupt from the institutional point of view (…) it has not succeeded in integrating collectively into the world,” Ignacio Bartesaghi, an expert in international relations at the Catholic University of Uruguay, told AFP.
At the very least, CELAC “remains a vast and diverse space of Latin American countries from which minimal agendas or common interests for the region can be established”, agreed Bernabe Malacalza, researcher in international relations at the Argentine national research center CONICET.
“There is not even certain basic consensus in Latin America, as on the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship,” Bartesaghi stressed.
“There are (at CELAC) presidents who do not even recognize each other,” he noted.
Like Paraguay’s Mario Abdo Benitez, whose country broke diplomatic relations with Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuela in 2019.
Lula meanwhile has pledged to reopen the embassies.
‘Rebuild Mercosur!’
Maduro at last minute called off his trip, citing “a risk of aggression” from “the neo-fascist right,” a possible reference to some Argentine opposition politicians calling for him to be arrested on arrival.
Other significant absentees in Buenos Aires include Mexico’s leftwing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, leader of the second largest economy in Latin America and host in 2021 of the last CELAC summit.
CELAC however remains the interlocutor of choice for China, or the EU to negotiate cooperation agendas with the region.
But even here, “The impossibility of holding an EU-CELAC summit since the last one in 2015 (in Brussels) illustrates (…), the absence of a solid biregional political dialogue,” Malacalza said.
In this sense, the return of Lula could give a boost to certain sub-regional issues, such as the free-trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur group which comprises Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The deal was finalized in 2019 but never ratified, due in particular to concerns about Bolsonaro’s environmental policy.
Lula has indicated a willingness to resume contacts.
“We are going to rebuild Mercosur!” Lula said Monday evening, referring to the customs union which has been torn in recent months over a free trade treaty with China.
“We will recreate Unasur!” he continued, referring to the moribund Union of South American Nations created in 2008 on the initiative of himself and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez.
Latin America is only the initial phase of the Brazilian president’s international push, with Lula heading to Washington in February and to China “after March.”
International
Trump defends $400M jet gift from Qatar, compares it to Statue of Liberty
U.S. President Donald Trump has defended his acceptance of a Boeing 747 jet from Qatar, comparing the gesture to France’s historic gift of the Statue of Liberty.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump shared an image of the Statue of Liberty edited to show a sign around its neck reading: “Gift from a foreign nation.” In the caption, he noted that the statue had also been a gift—from France to the United States.
The $400 million Boeing jet donation from Qatar to Trump has sparked legal and ethical scrutiny, drawing criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Some argue that accepting such a lavish gift violates the U.S. Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, while others see it as a troubling attempt by Qatar to buy influence.
Several of Trump’s own allies, including Senators Josh Hawley and Rand Paul, have publicly broken ranks with the former president over the issue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he would block all Department of Justice nominations on the Senate floor until further answers are provided regarding the aircraft donation.
International
Uruguayans mourn José Mujica as thousands gather at Legislative Palace
The public began entering Montevideo’s Legislative Palace on Wednesday afternoon to pay their final respects to former Uruguayan President José Mujica, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89.
After the arrival of Mujica’s coffin at the seat of the Legislative Branch around 1:15 p.m. local time (4:15 p.m. GMT), the wake was initially closed for a few hours to a select group of individuals.
Among those present were Mujica’s widow, Lucía Topolansky, as well as Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi and Vice President Carolina Cosse.
Around 3:00 p.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT), the general public—many of whom had formed a long line hours earlier—began entering through the Libertador Avenue entrance to say goodbye to the former leader. As they passed the coffin, many left offerings such as flowers and flags.
The wake will continue at the Legislative Palace until midnight on Thursday (3:00 a.m. GMT), when the building will temporarily close.
The doors will reopen at 8:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. GMT), though the total duration of the wake has not yet been confirmed. It has been officially announced, however, that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Chilean President Gabriel Boric will arrive in Montevideo on Thursday to attend the ceremony.
Earlier in the day, at 10:00 a.m. local time (1:00 p.m. GMT), a funeral procession departed from the Executive Tower toward the Legislative Palace, accompanied by thousands. Along the route, it passed the headquarters of the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, the Popular Participation Movement, and the Broad Front.
Pepe Mujica passed away on Tuesday in Montevideo, nearly one week before his 90th birthday, a year after being diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his esophagus.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our compañero Pepe Mujica. President, activist, leader, and guide. We will miss you dearly, old friend. Thank you for everything you gave us and for your deep love for your people,” President Orsi wrote on X.
On April 29 of last year, Mujica publicly revealed he had a tumor in his esophagus. Shortly after, he confirmed it was malignant and underwent radiotherapy in Montevideo. Earlier this year, he told local weekly Búsqueda that the cancer had spread to his liver.
International
Ecuador pays tribute to José Mujica, hailing him as a symbol of social justice
The Ecuadorian government extended its condolences to Uruguay on Wednesday following the death, on Tuesday, of former President José Mujica (2010–2015), whom it described as one of the “most emblematic” figures in the region.
“The Government of Ecuador, upon the passing of former President José Mujica, expresses its condolences to the people of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, as well as to his family and loved ones,” the Foreign Ministry stated on social media.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs added: “José ‘Pepe’ Mujica is one of the most emblematic figures in our region. His humility, wisdom, and deep commitment to social justice will remain an indelible legacy in the memory of our peoples.”
Mujica was known to have a close relationship with Rafael Correa, who governed Ecuador from 2007 to 2017 and now leads the opposition movement Revolución Ciudadana (RC).
Trump defends $400M jet gift from Qatar, compares it to Statue of Liberty
Uruguayans mourn José Mujica as thousands gather at Legislative Palace
Ecuador pays tribute to José Mujica, hailing him as a symbol of social justice
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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