International
The federal president of Austria commissions the far-right Herbert Kickl to form a government
The federal president of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, commissioned on Monday the far-right Herbert Kickl, leader of the liberal party FPÖ, to form a new government after the collapse of negotiations between conservatives, social democrats and liberals.
After meeting this morning for an hour with Kickl, the head of state said that he has instructed him to negotiate with the popular party ÖVP on the formation of a government coalition.
“Mr. Kickl has the necessary confidence to find viable solutions within the framework of government negotiations, and he wants to assume this responsibility, so I commissioned him to enter into talks with the ÖVP on the formation of a federal government,” Van der Bellen said.
“I have not taken this step lightly, I will continue to ensure the correct compliance and observance of the principles and rules of our Constitution,” added the president, who in the past had been against a government led by Kickl.
It is the first time in the history of Austria that the far-right FPÖ, winner of the elections of last September 29 with about 29% of the votes, is commissioned to form a government.
“The ÖVP has reversed its categorical rejection of cooperation with Kickl. That’s the new situation,” Van der Bellen said about the change of position announced on Sunday by the new conservative leader, Christian Stocker.
He succeeded yesterday the hitherto federal foreign minister and conservative leader, Karl Nehammer, who had announced his resignation on Saturday after failing the negotiations for a tripartite government between the ÖVP and the social democratic party SPÖ and the liberal Neos.
Nehammer was against a coalition with the FPÖ under Kickl, which he accuses of being a danger to the country’s security for his xenophobic, pro-Russian and critical positions of the European Union (EU).
Who is Kickl?
Kickl is a former Minister of the Interior (2017-2019) in a government led by former conservative foreign minister Sebastian Kurz.
In June 2021, he assumed, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the presidency of the FPÖ and radicalized the tone and discourse of the party.
He not only rejects the measures taken by the then conservative-ecologist government against the coronavirus, but also Western support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the cooperation of neutral Austria with NATO, and is critical of the EU.
One of Kickl’s main allies is the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultra-nationalist Viktor Orbán, with whom he formed the “Patriots for Europe” faction, the third group of the European Parliament.
In addition, the FPÖ maintains close relations with Alternative for Germany (AfD), in which there are elements who are being investigated by the German justice as right-wing extremists.
The FPÖ is a party founded after World War II by former Nazi hierarchs and to this day brings together the most extremist and right-wing circles in the country.
International
ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota
U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.
The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.
However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
Internacionales
Rubén Gallego says U.S. policy may push for Cuba regime change under Trump administration
Democratic Senator Rubén Gallego said on Friday in Madrid that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has an “obsession” with Cuba and suggested that the administration of President Donald Trump is determined to change the Cuban government by any means necessary.
Speaking in Spanish during a meeting with journalists at the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, Gallego said he believes there could be an attempt to alter the Cuban government, potentially through military or other non-democratic means.
“I think there will be an attempt to change the government of Cuba, it could be through the military or in another way,” said Gallego, who is of Mexican-Colombian origin.
The Arizona senator argued that Cuba does not represent a threat to the United States, describing it as “a very poor island of nine million people.” However, he acknowledged the significant political influence of Cuban-Americans and of Secretary of State Marco Rubio within the current Trump administration.
Gallego also expressed opposition to U.S. military interventions aimed at overthrowing foreign governments, stating that such actions are unacceptable, particularly when their objective is regime change.
He noted that “almost 99% of Democrats” oppose any military intervention in Cuba.
The senator also referred to the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, stating that although Maduro is “a horrible and very corrupt man,” this does not justify overthrowing governments through force.
“If we start arguing that a president is a criminal, what prevents China from saying the same about Taiwan or other nations?” he warned.
Gallego further described the political transition process in Venezuela as a “failure,” arguing that little has changed in terms of governance outcomes.
“We went from one dictator to another, so from a geopolitical and strategic point of view it has been a failure, until we see whether Venezuela achieves a real democratic transition,” he said, referring to Maduro’s replacement by Delcy Rodríguez.
International
U.S. classifies CV and PCC as terrorist groups in major policy shift
The United States government announced on Thursday that it will add the Brazilian criminal organizations Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), a designation set to take effect on June 5, 2026.
The State Department justified the decision by stating that both groups are among the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil and accused them of coordinating violent attacks against police officers, public officials, and civilians.
The designation comes just days after Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro directly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to classify these groups as “narco-terrorist” organizations during a visit to the White House.
Bolsonaro, who is running in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October, has made tougher action against organized crime and prison-based gangs a central part of his campaign platform.
He is part of a political dispute with current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has opposed the U.S. classification, warning it could open the door to potential foreign military intervention in Brazilian territory.
The Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital emerged in Brazilian prisons during the 1970s and have since expanded their influence, now controlling extensive criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, smuggling, and other illicit operations.
According to security experts and Brazilian authorities, both organizations have tens of thousands of members and support networks spread across multiple states in the country.
The U.S. measure aims to increase financial and operational pressure on these groups by restricting funding sources, limiting international mobility, and expanding cooperation in security enforcement efforts.
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