International
Bolsonaro says he suffers “endless persecution” after a new judicial setback
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro affirmed that the alleged political persecution he suffers has no end, after the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of Brazil rejected an appeal that he filed against a conviction that was imposed on him and that left him ineligible for eight years.
“Endless persecution. They maintained the electoral disqualification and the fine of 425,000 reais (about 85,000 dollars or 78,370 euros),” said the leader of the far right in Brazil in a message he posted on his social networks after the new judicial setback was known.
The captain of the Army reserve thus reacted to the decision of the president of the High Electoral Tribunal (TSE), magistrate Alexandre de Moraes, who rejected the appeal filed by Bolsonaro’s defense against one of the two convictions that prevent him from running for any public office until 2030.
In a decision that was published in the Official Journal of Justice, the magistrate denied the request of Bolsonaro’s defense for that conviction to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
The leader of the far right seeks to reverse the sentence of October last year in which the Electoral Tribunal, by 5 votes in favor and 2 against, concluded that Bolsonaro and his candidate for vice president in the 2022 presidential elections, Walter Braga Netto, abused his economic and political power during the electoral campaign.
The magistrates considered that the two candidates turned the official commemorations for the Bicentennial of the Independence of Brazil, held in September 2022 and financed and organized by the State, into an act of electoral proselytism from which they tried to benefit.
Moraes, in his sentence, said he rejected the appeal of the former president’s defense for procedural inconsistencies and affirmed that Bolsonaro was not curtaied of the right to proper defense nor was he violated any constitutional right that justifies the case to be brought to the Federal Supreme Court.
The defense, which can still file an appeal before the highest court for it to analyze the case even without the endorsement of the electoral court, announced that this will be its next step.
“We deeply respect the decision of the electoral court, but, because we do not agree with its content, we will present the appropriate appeal at the right time,” the lawyers said in a statement.
In addition to this conviction, Bolsonaro was also declared ineligible for eight years by another decision of the electoral court, in June 2023, in which he was found guilty of abuse of political power and misuse of state media.
This conviction was for a meeting he convened with ambassadors from different countries, broadcast on state television, in which he questioned the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting system.
International
Uruguay’s Lower House votes to legalize euthanasia amid broad public support
The Uruguayan Lower House voted Wednesday to legalize euthanasia, following the examples of Cuba, Colombia, and Ecuador, marking a significant social shift in a predominantly Catholic region.
The bill to decriminalize assisted death was approved 64-35 in the 99-seat Chamber of Representatives after an emotional night-long debate. The legislation will now move to the Senate, which is expected to pass it into law before the end of the year.
Under the new law, mentally competent adults suffering from terminal or incurable illnesses will be able to request euthanasia.
A key amendment appeared to help convince lawmakers who opposed the original 2022 proposal, requiring that a medical board review a case if the two attending doctors disagree.
Representative Luis Gallo, who opened the debate, recalled patients whose struggles inspired the bill.
“Let us not forget that the request is strictly personal: it respects the patient’s free and individual will, without interference, because it concerns their life, their suffering, and their decision not to continue living,” said Gallo of the center-left governing coalition, Frente Amplio.
Public opinion polls indicate broad support for euthanasia, from President Yamandú Orsi downward. Uruguay has also been a pioneer in legalizing same-sex marriage, abortion, and cannabis use.
International
Trump deploys National Guard as Pentagon plans quick-reaction force for civil disturbances
The Pentagon is considering creating a task force of hundreds of soldiers to be rapidly deployed anywhere in the country in the event of domestic civil unrest, according to The Washington Post, which reviewed Defense Department documents on Tuesday.
The proposed unit, tentatively named the “Rapid Civil Disturbance Response Force,” would consist of 600 soldiers on “constant alert”, capable of responding to incidents within just one hour.
According to the report, the force would be split into two equally sized units: one stationed at a military base in Alabama in the eastern U.S., and the other in Arizona in the west.
Internal documents indicate that if approved, the initiative could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly if troops are kept on 24-hour readiness and transported via military aircraft.
While the National Guard already maintains a rapid response unit, this new military formation would go further, potentially moving soldiers between states whenever necessary.
The plans remain preliminary, with funding potentially starting in fiscal year 2027 at the earliest.
This report emerges just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard for the second time since returning to the White House in January. On Monday, Trump instructed this volunteer force, which supports the Army and Air Force in emergencies, to move to Washington D.C. to combat crime and remove homeless individuals from the streets—a third deployment to the capital.
International
Colombian president Gustavo Petro warns against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela
Colombian President Gustavo Petro defended his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro after the U.S. administration labeled him as the leader of the “Cartel of the Suns” and authorized the Pentagon to use military force against drug cartels, which could lead to an intervention on Venezuelan soil to combat these criminal groups. Petro stated that any military operation without the approval of Colombia or Venezuela would represent an “aggression.”
Petro responded over the weekend following reports on Friday from U.S. media about President Donald Trump’s order to confront designated global terrorist organizations such as the Cartel of the Suns, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Tren de Aragua, including operations on foreign soil. Furthermore, the U.S. State Department increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture from $25 million to $50 million.
“I publicly convey my order given as commander of the Colombian armed forces. Colombia and Venezuela are one people, one flag, one history. Any military operation without the approval of the brother countries is an aggression against Latin America and the Caribbean. It is fundamentally contradictory to our principle of freedom. ‘Freedom or death,’ Bolívar shouted, and the people revolted,” Petro posted on his social media, clearly expressing his disagreement with potential U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview on The World Over program on Friday that controlling these terrorist groups is decisive. He added that, for the U.S., these gangs are no longer just local street gangs but well-organized criminal enterprises spreading from Mexico, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
“We cannot continue treating these guys as local street gangs. They have weapons like terrorists, in some cases they have armies. They control territories in many cases. These cartels extend from Maduro’s regime in Venezuela, which is not a legitimate government,” Rubio told the audience.
Uruguay’s Lower House votes to legalize euthanasia amid broad public support
Trump deploys National Guard as Pentagon plans quick-reaction force for civil disturbances
Six officials detained for misusing municipal funds in Honduras, luxury goods found
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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