International
Bolsonaro says he does not fear “any trial” after being accused of coup by ex-military
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said this Saturday that he was not afraid of “any trial” and declared himself a victim of a “persecution,” after the testimony of two former commanders of the Armed Forces who accused him of attempting a coup d’état to annul the 2022 elections.
“It could be very good in other countries, but I preferred to return to Brazil with all the risks it entails. I am not afraid of any trial, as long as the judges are impartial,” the far-right leader said at a political event in Rio de Janeiro.
The former governor (2019-2022) participated in the launch of the candidacy for mayor of Rio of Deputy Alexandre Ramagem, who was head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency during his Government and is in turn investigated in the Supreme Court for illegal espionage during that period.
Making a parallel with his difficult judicial situation, Bolsonaro told Ramagem: “There will be no shortage of people to chase you, to try to defeat you and to accuse you of the most absurd things, even to annoy a whale.”
The former head of state thus alluded to a case in which he is investigated for allegedly intentionally “annoying” a whale last year during an excursion on the coast of São Paulo.
Faced with this, Bolsonaro declared himself a victim of judicial “persecution”.
“But we are good citizens, we are the majority, we are the part that works the most in relation to the left,” he said.
Bolsonaro did not explicitly mention the revealing testimonies of the former heads of the Army and the Air Force, released on Friday by the Supreme Court and that place him at the center of the coup plot that sought to prevent the Government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking power on January 1, 2023.
Marco Antonio Freire Gomes and Carlos Baptista Júnior, former commanders of the Army and Aeronautics, declared to the Police that they met several times with Bolsonaro and his closest advisers, and that they proposed to join their plan to annul the 2022 elections and keep the far-right leader in power.
In those meetings, according to their testimonies, they were asked to activate various constitutional devices, such as a military intervention under the pretext of an alleged “serious disturbance of public order,” or a decree of the state of siege to investigate the legality of the electoral process that Lula won.
In this Saturday’s act, Bolsonaro, who barely appears as investigated in the case for coup d’ass, also questioned his eight-year disqualification dictated by the Superior Electoral Tribunal, which on June 30, 2023 condemned him for launching hoaxes and leading a discredit campaign against the institutions.
“Venezuela disqualified opponents, Nicaragua arrests them… And in Brazil, why was I declared ineligible, why?” he asked.
Despite this, he expressed his intention to “continue in politics” so that “no one outside the people decides who will be a candidate or not.”
In a more electoral tone, Bolsonaro criticized the policies of Lula’s government, which he accused of “threatening freedom,” “wanting to censor cell phones,” “increasing the tax burden” and putting restrictions on the sale of firearms for the civilian population.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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