International
Lula slams far-right ‘terrorism’ as Brazil clears protest camps
January 9th | By AFP | Ramon Sahmkow |
Brazilian security forces cleared protest camps Monday and arrested 1,500 people as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned “acts of terrorism” after a far-right mob stormed the seat of power, unleashing chaos on the capital.
Hundreds of soldiers and police mobilized to dismantle an improvised camp outside the army’s headquarters in Brasilia, where some 3,000 supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro had set up tents — used as a base for the sea of protesters who ran riot inside the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court for around four hours Sunday.
Lula, who took office on January 1 after a bitterly divisive election win over Bolsonaro, returned to work in the pillaged presidential palace, where AFP reporters saw the wreckage that remained of the previous day’s havoc: trashed artwork and offices, shattered windows and doors, broken glass strewn across the floor, and furniture dragged into a reflecting pool.
Lula, the 77-year-old veteran leftist who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, met with the leaders of both houses of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and joined them in condemning what many called the South American country’s version of the Capitol riots in Washington two years ago.
“The three powers of the republic, the defenders of democracy and the constitution, reject the terrorist acts and criminal, coup-mongering vandalism that occurred,” they said in a joint statement.
Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost the October elections, was meanwhile hospitalized with abdominal pains, his wife said.
Media reports said the ex-president was admitted to hospital in Orlando, Florida, where the politician dubbed the “Tropical Trump” traveled on the second-to-last day of his term — snubbing Lula’s inauguration, in a break with tradition.
It was the latest in a series of health problems stemming from a stabbing attack that nearly claimed Bolsonaro’s life during his winning 2018 presidential campaign.
Bolsonaro, 67, took to Twitter Sunday night to condemn the “pillaging” in Brasilia, but rejected Lula’s claim he incited the attacks, and defended the right to “peaceful protests.”
‘Traces of Trumpism’
Large contingents of riot police deployed to lock down the capital’s Three Powers Square, home to the iconic modernist buildings that serve as the headquarters of the three branches of government.
Many Brasilia residents were still in shock as they returned to their normal workday routines.
“People have the right to express their opinions, but not destroy our national heritage,” 43-year-old resident Ionar Bispo told AFP.
Condemnation continued to pour in from around the world, with Pope Francis criticizing the unrest as a sign of “weakening of democracy” in the Americas.
In a joint statement ahead of summit talks in Mexico City, US President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attacks and said they “stand with Brazil as it safeguards its democratic institutions.”
Many drew the inevitable comparison to January 6, 2021, when supporters of then-US president Donald Trump invaded the Capitol in a violent, failed bid to stop Congress from certifying his election loss.
Spain’s foreign minister said the attacks in Brasilia bore “traces of Trumpism,” and echoed condemnation from the United Nations and European Union.
But Brazilian Justice Minister Flavio Dino said there were “two key differences” between the attacks on Brasilia and Washington: “we had zero deaths, and more people were arrested.”
Investigation begins
Lula, who was in the southeastern city of Araraquara visiting a flood-hit region when the riot started, signed a decree Sunday declaring a federal intervention in Brasilia, giving his government special powers over the local police force to restore law and order in the capital.
His government vowed to find and arrest those who planned and financed the attacks.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes suspended Brasilia Governor Ibaneis Rocha, a Bolsonaro ally, from his post for 90 days, on grounds of “criminal negligence.”
The ruling came just after Rocha himself fired the capital’s public security chief, Anderson Torres, who previously served as Bolsonaro’s justice minister.
The attorney general’s office said it had asked the Supreme Court to issue arrest warrants for Torres “and all other public officials responsible for acts and omissions” leading to the unrest.
Moraes also ordered the security forces to disperse anti-government protests outside military bases nationwide.
Hardline Bolsonaro supporters have been protesting outside army barracks calling for a military intervention to keep Lula from power since his election win.
Following the ruling, soldiers and police broke up camps in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, as well as Brasilia.
Lula narrowly won the October 30 runoff election by a score of 50.9 percent to 49.1 percent.
Bolsonaro has alleged he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by Brazil’s courts and electoral authorities.
International
Top U.S. Military Commander Meets Interim Venezuelan Leaders After Maduro’s Capture
The commander of the United States Southern Command, Marine Francis L. Donovan, visited Venezuela on Wednesday, holding meetings with interim leaders following the recent capture of former President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. The visit, confirmed by both U.S. and Venezuelan officials, marked a significant diplomatic and security engagement in Caracas.
Donovan, accompanied by senior U.S. officials including acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph M. Humire and top diplomat Laura Dogu, met with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and key members of her cabinet, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
According to official statements, discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation on regional security issues, including efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking, terrorism, and migration. Both sides reiterated a commitment to pursuing diplomatic engagement and shared security goals for Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere.
The meetings also discussed progress on a three-phase plan supported by the United States to help stabilize Venezuela, following Maduro’s removal from power and subsequent detention in the U.S. on drug-related charges. This agenda reflects expanding U.S. engagement with Venezuela’s interim government amid broader efforts to restore diplomatic relations and address regional challenges.
The visit concluded on Wednesday, underscoring a growing U.S. focus on cooperation with Venezuelan authorities in the aftermath of major political developments earlier this year.
International
Bayly Says Trump ‘Gets Along Better With Dictators’ and Criticizes U.S.–Venezuela Policy
Peruvian author and journalist Jaime Bayly said Tuesday in Madrid that U.S. President Donald Trump “gets along better with dictators than he does with democrats” and that his administration is experiencing “a honeymoon with the Venezuelan dictatorship,” according to a report on his remarks during the launch of his new novel Los golpistas (Galaxia Gutenberg).
Bayly made the comments while presenting the book, which reconstructs the turbulent three days in April 2002 when Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez briefly lost power. He also sharply criticized the current Venezuelan leadership, saying that Delcy Rodríguez should be recognized as a dictator and “a continuation of Maduro’s dictatorship.”
The writer lamented that the failed 2002 coup — which he described as carried out by “amateurs” — did not lead to free elections that might have restored democracy to Venezuela. He argued that, even now, U.S. policy under Trump seems more focused on securing access to Venezuelan oil than on supporting Venezuelans’ freedom. “Venezuela could have chosen a free, clean and legitimate government — which we still impatiently await despite Trump, who only seems interested in freeing Venezuelan oil, not Venezuelans,” Bayly said.
Bayly also claimed that “every day that passes, Trump seems more enchanted with Delcy,” suggesting that Washington might leave Venezuelan leaders in power so long as they cooperate on economic interests.
A U.S. citizen who has lived in Miami for decades, Bayly said he is proud never to have voted for Trump, whom he described as “servile with the powerful and cruel with the weak.” He also criticized U.S. immigration enforcement as abusive.
Regarding the book’s creative process, Bayly said he combined extensive documentation and interviews with historical events, weaving fictional dialogue and narrative into real episodes without altering core facts. Los golpistas explores why the April 2002 coup attempt against Chávez failed and how key figures such as Chávez and Cuban leader Fidel Castroshaped modern Venezuelan history.
International
Maduro and Cilia Flores Receive Consular Visit in U.S. Jail Ahead of March 26 Hearing
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is detained in the United States, and his wife, Cilia Flores, received a consular visit from a Venezuelan government official on January 30 while they remain in a New York jail awaiting their next court appearance, scheduled for March 26, 2026, according to a court filing.
The notification, submitted to the judge by prosecutors and the defense and now part of the digital case file, states that Maduro and Flores were visited by “an official representing the Republic of Venezuela to help facilitate any services the accused needed.”
The document also notes that U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered the U.S. prosecutor’s office at the couple’s first court appearance on January 5 to ensure they had access to consular services and to inform the court when such access was provided.
Their next hearing was postponed by the court from an original date of March 17 to March 26 at 11:00 a.m., after prosecutors, with the consent of the defense, requested extra time to gather evidence, allow the defense to review it, and determine which pretrial motions they will file, the filing says.
Maduro has denied wrongdoing, calling himself “innocent” of the narcotics charges authorities have brought in federal court.
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