The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, made this Monday a call for reconciliation, hope and joint work to build a more just and supportive country, in his annual Christmas message.
“This is the time to renew our hope. Hope in a fairer country. A Brazil without hunger, where every woman and every man has a decent job and time to see their children grow up,” Lula said.
In a brief message broadcast live on television, radio and social networks, Lula said that the basis of everything his Government does is in the dialogue and joint work it carries out with civil society and regional governments, “in the harmony” between the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary and in the “uncompromising” defense of democracy.
“We still have huge challenges ahead of us. But today Brazil has a strong economy, which continues to grow. An efficient government, which invests where it matters most: in the quality of life of the Brazilian population,” emphasized the Brazilian president in reference to the forecast that the country will end the year with a growth of 3.5%, above the 3.2% recorded in 2023.
The Brazilian president, however, stressed that although the fruits of what was sown in his first two years of management is already beginning to be harvested, “there is still much to do” and “we must continue to sow.”
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In 2025 “we will redouble our efforts for sowing. And may the harvest be increasingly generous,” he said.
In a country still politically polarized, Lula took the opportunity to defend reconciliation between the brothers and that families can celebrate Christmas together.
With the Panama hat that he has been using to hide the wounds of his recent surgery, the progressive leader also thanked the messages of affection and solidarity he received from the Brazilian population.
“Thanks to this chain of solidarity I am even more firm and strong to continue making Brazil work,” he said.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
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The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
