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.

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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.

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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

Peruvian presidential candidate proposes death penalty amid crime surge

Peru is facing an unprecedented surge in crime ahead of its presidential election scheduled for April 12, with violence fueled by extortion networks and a wave of contract killings linked to organized crime.

Police data show that 2,200 homicides tied to organized crime were recorded in 2025, while extortion complaints increased by 19%, underscoring the growing security crisis in the South American nation.

Amid this backdrop, presidential candidate Álvarez has proposed reinstating the death penalty if elected, arguing that extreme measures are needed to curb the violence.

To implement the proposal, Álvarez said Peru would withdraw from the American Convention on Human Rights—also known as the Pact of San José—which the country signed in 1978. The agreement prevents member states that have abolished capital punishment from reinstating it.

Currently, Peruvian law only allows the death penalty in cases of treason during wartime.

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“We have to leave the Pact of San José and apply the death penalty in Peru because those miserable criminals don’t deserve to live,” Álvarez told AFP during a campaign stop at a market in Callao, the port city neighboring Lima.

“An iron fist against those criminals,” he added, proposing to declare hitmen as military targets.

During the campaign event, Álvarez walked through stalls selling vegetables, groceries, and fish, greeting vendors while musicians played cumbia music nearby.

The 62-year-old candidate, who spent more than four decades working in television as a comedian, is a newcomer to politics and is running for president under the País para Todos party.

Polls place him fifth in voter preference with nearly 4% support in a fragmented race featuring 36 candidates.

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“I am an artist who has taken a step into politics to bring peace to my country,” Álvarez told reporters while surrounded by supporters.

International

FBI: Man who attacked Michigan synagogue died from self-inflicted gunshot

The man who died during Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in the United States suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the FBI.

FBI agent Jennifer Runyan told reporters that the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Lebanese citizen Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, shot himself at some point during the confrontation.

“At some point during the shooting, Ghazali suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Runyan said during a press conference.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the suspect’s identity.

Authorities said Ghazali drove a truck into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, located in the state of Michigan, on Thursday.

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According to Michael Bouchard, sheriff of Oakland County, synagogue security personnel noticed the vehicle and confronted the suspect with gunfire.

Investigators said it would be premature to speculate about the motive for the attack, although reports indicate Ghazali recently lost relatives during Israeli strikes in Lebanon earlier this month.

“It would be irresponsible for me to speculate about his motive,” Runyan said.

Ghazali arrived in Detroit in 2011 on a spouse visa for U.S. citizens and obtained American citizenship in 2016, according to reporting by The New York Times.

He was the father of two teenagers, divorced from his wife in 2024, and had recently been working as a waiter.

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The newspaper also reported that Ghazali attended a memorial service in the nearby city of Dearborn for relatives killed in the recent conflict, alongside other grieving family members from the Lebanese town of Machghara.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the incident is being investigated as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.

A source from Michigan’s Lebanese-American community told CBS News that several of Ghazali’s relatives had been killed roughly ten days before the attack, leaving him deeply devastated.

International

Mexican Navy Ships Deliver Third Shipment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba

Two logistics support vessels from the Mexican Navy — the ARM Papaloapan and the ARM Huasteco — docked again on Friday in the bay of Havana carrying a third shipment of humanitarian aid for Cuba.

The vessels had previously arrived on the Caribbean island on February 28 with a second cargo that included 1,200 tons of food, sent to help alleviate the country’s ongoing crisis, which has worsened following the U.S. oil restrictions affecting fuel supplies to the island.

Cuba’s deputy foreign minister Josefina Vidal confirmed the new shipment in a social media post.

“Two ships carrying a third shipment of aid from the Government and the people of Mexico for the Cuban people are now arriving at the port of Havana. Thank you Mexico for your solidarity with Cuba,” she wrote.

Previous aid shipments

During the second shipment, the Papaloapan transported 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk, while the Huastecocarried 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of assorted food products collected by social organizations with support from the government of Mexico City.

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In recent months, Mexico has become the largest provider of humanitarian aid to Cuba, sending around 2,000 tons of supplies, mostly staple foods and hygiene products, in the two shipments prior to Friday’s delivery.

The first shipment alone included 814 tons of food.

Cuba praises Mexico’s support

Hours before the ships arrived, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel highlighted Mexico’s support during a televised appearance, describing the country as “a friendly and brotherly nation that has shown tremendous solidarity,”particularly praising Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Díaz-Canel also addressed reports suggesting that Mexican donations were being resold in state-run stores, dismissing them as a “disinformation campaign” promoted by right-wing groups.