International

Venezuela’s attorney general accuses Lula and Boric of ties to CIA

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Chile, Gabriel Boric, of being the “two spokespersons” for the Latin American left “captured” by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States, in an interview broadcast this Sunday.

The head of the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office) claimed that it is “proven” that the Chilean president is a “CIA agent,” and, according to Saab, the Brazilian president “has now also been captured.”

Furthermore, Saab, who said he had known Lula personally, remarked that the president of the South American giant “is no longer the same, neither in his appearance nor in the way he speaks,” compared to the Lula who “founded and rallied Brazil’s labor movements.”

Additionally, the attorney general rejected the statements made by both leaders regarding Venezuela’s situation following the presidential elections of July 28. The results announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE), which declared Nicolás Maduro the winner, have not been recognized by Lula and Boric.

“Who are you, Boric, who are you, Lula, (…) to interfere in Venezuela’s internal affairs and now act as the CNE?” Saab said during an interview on the Venezuelan television channel Globovisión.

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Lula has emphasized the possibility of continuing to seek joint mediation by Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico to promote dialogue between his Venezuelan counterpart and the opposition, which alleges “fraud” and claims the “victory” of its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, who is now exiled in Spain.

For his part, Boric recently called the Venezuelan government a “dictatorship” and urged that González Urrutia’s “victory” be recognized.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.