International
Brazil’s Sao Paulo carnival canned over Covid-19
AFP
Sao Paulo, Latin America’s most populous city, on Thursday cancelled its annual street carnival for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The cities of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia have also scrapped their carnivals as infection rates soared after Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and with the arrival of the Omicron variant in hard-hit Brazil.
“The Sao Paulo street carnival is cancelled due to the epidemiological situation,” mayor Ricardo Nunes of the city of 12 million told reporters.
Like Rio, Sao Paulo hopes to maintain the colorful parade by samba troupes in its “Sambadrome” outdoor venue, though strict virus-control protocols would apply.
Unlike the street parades, access to the Sambadrome can be regulated, and officials are weighing whether to make proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test an entry requirement.
Many Brazilian cities host street carnivals, with musical bands and dancers gathering hundreds of thousands of revelers every year.
In 2020, carnival celebrations injected some $1.4 billion into the Brazilian economy, before the pandemic struck, according to government data.
On Wednesday, Brazil reported 27,267 new infections in 24 hours — its highest rate since September last year.
Almost 620,000 people in Brazil have died of coronavirus, second only to the United States.
International
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
In February, the United States designated eight Latin American criminal organizations as “global terrorist” groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and the MS-13 gang. In July, it added the Cartel of the Suns to the list — a group Washington claims is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Last Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it from $25 million to $50 million, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on social media platform X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that labeling the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization allows for a strategic shift in dealing with the Venezuelan regime, as it is now also considered a direct threat to U.S. national security, according to El Espectador.
In an interview with The World Over on EWTN, Rubio said the designation enables the U.S. to “use intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, or any other element of American power to go after them.” He stressed this is no longer just a law enforcement matter, but a national security operation.
When asked at the White House whether he believes it is worth sending the military to combat Latin American drug cartels, Trump responded:
“Latin America has many cartels, a lot of drug trafficking, so, you know, we want to protect our country. We have to protect it.”
International
Three injured in early-morning New York City shooting
A shooting in New York City early Saturday morning left three people injured, a police spokesperson told AFP.
The incident occurred at around 1:20 a.m. local time (05:20 GMT) following a dispute. An 18-year-old woman sustained a scratch to the neck, while a 19-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were injured in the lower limbs.
The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
The alleged shooter was taken into custody at the scene, and a firearm was recovered. As of now, the suspect has not been formally charged.
Videos circulating on social media show scenes of panic among the crowd, though AFP has not been able to verify their authenticity. The incident comes just weeks after another shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper that left four people injured before the gunman took his own life.
International
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announces talks with clan del Golfo outside country
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Friday that his government has begun talks outside the country with the Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s main criminal group also known as the Gaitanist Army.
“We have started conversations outside Colombia with the self-called Gaitanist Army,” the president said during the handover of 6,500 hectares of land to farmers in the Caribbean department of Córdoba.
The president noted that his administration “has seized more cocaine than any other government” because it seeks to “cut off the finances (of criminal groups) that fuel violence in many regions of Colombia.”
“A bill has been introduced that I hope the Congress studies thoroughly, because it essentially elevates restorative justice even for serious crimes,” Petro said.
The initiative he referred to was presented by his Minister of Justice, Eduardo Montealegre, aimed at “the consolidation of total peace.”
According to the Ministry of Justice, the bill seeks to provide the government with clear regulations to achieve the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of illegal armed groups.
For groups such as the Clan del Golfo, a judicial submission process will be applied, which could bring possible legal benefits if they genuinely cooperate, surrender weapons, and dismantle their groups.
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
Three injured in early-morning New York City shooting
Nicaragua’s Telica volcano erupts four times, no damages reported
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoMassive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
-
Central America4 days agoFour honduran presidential candidates sign anti-corruption pact ahead of 2025 elections
-
International4 days agoFlorida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
-
Central America1 day agoNicaragua’s Telica volcano erupts four times, no damages reported
-
International1 day agoOver 240 guatemalans detained at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz await deportation
-
International4 days agoJapan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
-
International1 day agoColombian President Gustavo Petro announces talks with clan del Golfo outside country
-
International1 day agoMaría Corina Machado thanks OAS allies for condemning Venezuela’s growing repression
-
International18 hours agoThree injured in early-morning New York City shooting
-
International18 hours agoU.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million