International
President of Brazil arrives in Portugal on official visit
April 21 |
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arrived this Friday in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to begin an official visit to that country that will last until the 25th of this month.
The president was received at the Figo Maduro military airport, in the outskirts of the main city, by the leader of the Portuguese Parliament, Augusto Santos Silva, and a delegation that includes seven of his ministers, among them those of Culture, Defense, Transport and Health.
The announcement of his arrival provoked a political controversy in the European nation due to the rejection of the right wing for his participation in the events of April 25, commemorating the anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, and not coinciding with his position on the situation in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Santos downplayed the differences between the positions of Lula and the Portuguese government on the Eastern European country’s conflict with Russia.
“Portugal and Brazil have extremely close relations and have a bilateral summit tomorrow and there they will be able to exchange points of view on the most diverse issues”, assured the parliamentarian.
The Brazilian president will begin his official agenda this Saturday with this meeting, which will address issues related to migration and trade agreements between the European Union (EU) and the countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Likewise, in his profile in the social network Twitter, he assured that he intends to sign at least 13 agreements.
After his stay in Brazil, the head of state will travel to Madrid on an official visit. According to the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Lula has chosen Portugal and Spain as the first territories he will visit in Europe during his new mandate because for his nation they are the “natural gateways” to the continent, and because of the close cultural and political ties that unite it with the Iberian Peninsula.
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.
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.
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.
Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint
U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning
EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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