International
Lula slams far-right ‘terrorism’ as Brazil clears protest camps
January 10 | 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.
There, 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 US 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.
Lula accepted an invitation to meet with President Joe Biden next month in Washington, US officials said.
Bolsonaro, who narrowly lost the October elections, meanwhile said on Twitter that he had been hospitalized in Florida with abdominal pains stemming from a near-fatal knife attack when he was campaigning for the presidency in 2018.
Bolsonaro has alleged he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by Brazil’s courts and electoral authorities.
The ex-president, dubbed the “Tropical Trump,” traveled to Orlando on the second-to-last day of his term — snubbing Lula’s inauguration, in a break with tradition.
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’
As the nation continued to come to grips with Sunday’s stunning violence, hundreds of people gathered along a major avenue in downtown Sao Paulo to defend Brazilian democracy and demand punishment for the people who stormed the halls of power a day earlier.
“I have not endured what I have in this life to see what I saw yesterday — my people, my country, divided in such a way,” said Edi Valladares, a 61 year old teacher.
The demonstrators included young people, entire families, labor union activists, anti-racism advocates and others, with banners reading “We are with Lula and for democracy” and “Respect for the people’s vote.”
Earlier in the day, 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.
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, 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.”
In a show of firm support, Biden spoke with Lula by phone Monday and invited him to visit the White House in early February. The Brazilian leader accepted, the White House said.
Biden told Lula of his support for “the free will of the Brazilian people as expressed in Brazil’s recent presidential election, which President Lula won,” the White House said in a statement.
Many drew the inevitable comparison to January 6, 2021, when supporters of then-US president Donald Trump invaded the Capitol in Washington in a violent, failed bid to stop Congress from certifying his election loss.
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.”
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.
International
Haitian authorities mobilize nationwide as gangs threaten confrontation with police
Haiti’s National Police (PNH) declared a state of maximum alert after the leader of the Viv Ansanm armed coalition, Jimmy Chérizier — known as “Barbecue” — urged the population to stay indoors amid the prospect of clashes with security forces carrying out an offensive against gang groups.
The threats came days after the PNH, the Haitian Armed Forces (FAD’H), and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) launched a large-scale operation against the 400 Mawozo gang, which for years has controlled and kidnapped residents in Tabarre and Croix-des-Bouquets, north of the capital.
The police announced the suspension of all vacations and leave for officers “in order to mobilize all police personnel, with the goal of ensuring optimal security for the population and responding to any eventuality.” Authorities reported that operations will continue specifically in Croix-des-Bouquets, territory controlled by 400 Mawozo under the command of Lanmò Sanjou.
In recent days, security forces located and raided several hideouts used by criminal groups, managing to kill or force the retreat of gang members from strategic areas. Police Director General Vladimir Paraison visited the barracks of the units involved in the operations to express his “appreciation for the courage and commitment of the police in their relentless battles to restore order and uphold the law.”
Chérizier — for whom the United States has offered a $5 million reward — urged citizens on Sunday to remain in their homes so the gangs could confront police forces and “avoid becoming victims.”
“The time has come, Haitian people, to unite to liberate this country,” he declared in a message shared on social media.
International
U.S. House poised to approve bill requiring declassification of Epstein files
A group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday that a bill requiring the Department of Justice to declassify documents related to the case of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein is expected to pass with “overwhelming” support.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, the sponsor of the proposal, urged the Senate not to allow delays or amendments. “I expect it to pass by an overwhelming majority in the House. I don’t want politicians playing games with this. They need to pass it in the Senate without changes,” he said from Capitol Hill, joined by Republicans Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and several Epstein victims.
The vote is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. local time, after 218 lawmakers from both parties forced House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the measure to the floor.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been criticized by Democrats for his past friendship with Epstein, stated that he would sign the bill if it passes both chambers of Congress. His support came after a shift in his position, following his name appearing in leaked documents.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a frequent ally of the president, publicly confronted Trump in recent days over the issue. Standing alongside several Epstein victims, she defended her backing of the bill despite Trump calling her a “traitor.” “These women have fought the most horrible battle that no woman should ever have to fight (…) even against the president of the United States,” she said.
Taylor Greene added that the “real test” will be whether the Department of Justice complies with releasing the documents once the bill is enacted. “Or everything will remain sealed under the pretext of ongoing investigations,” she warned.
Haley Robson, one of the victims, also spoke during the press event. “I’m traumatized, I’m not stupid,” she said firmly, arguing that attempts by certain sectors to delay the process have caused tremendous emotional harm. “This is not political. This is America. This is the land of freedom,” she stated.
International
Five mexicans detained in North Carolina immigration raids, Sheinbaum confirms
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Tuesday that five Mexican citizens were detained during immigration raids carried out over the weekend in North Carolina, United States. She indicated that the federal government is already providing assistance and consular protection to those affected.
“There are five Mexican nationals in custody, and the Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh is in communication with them to provide assistance and consular protection,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. She reiterated that protecting Mexicans abroad is a priority for her administration, and that the Foreign Ministry will closely follow the case.
The announcement comes after an operation known as Charlotte’s Web, conducted by U.S. immigration authorities in the city of Charlotte, the state’s financial hub. The raid resulted in at least 81 arrests, including Mexican and Honduran nationals.
The operation focused on targeting “illegal aliens with criminal records,” according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which cited more than 1,400 outstanding arrest warrants that have not been executed due to so-called sanctuary policies in certain cities.
However, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein stated that “the vast majority” of those detained do not have criminal records. Stein urged the public to document immigration operations and protest peacefully, as already witnessed in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland.
One of the most widely shared cases online is that of Willy Aceituno, a U.S. citizen born in Honduras, who reported being violently detained by immigration agents despite having valid documentation. DHS responded by accusing him of “erratic behavior” and claiming that an agent was injured after a civilian crashed their vehicle during the operation.
Haitian authorities mobilize nationwide as gangs threaten confrontation with police
U.S. House poised to approve bill requiring declassification of Epstein files
Five mexicans detained in North Carolina immigration raids, Sheinbaum confirms
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
-
International3 days agoSinger seriously injured after knife attack in Tokyo’s Akasaka District
-
International4 days agoOmbudsman confirms deaths of six minors in bombing targeting FARC dissidents
-
International1 day agoArmed Men Kidnap 25 Schoolgirls in Northwestern Nigeria, Police Report
-
International1 day agoTrump: “I Don’t Rule Out Anything” When Asked About Troops for Venezuela
-
International1 day ago79-Year-Old ICE Detainee Faces Hearing as Family Warns His Health Is Rapidly Deteriorating
-
International1 day agoArmed Civilians Block Roads in Michoacán Amid Operation Targeting Criminal Leader
-
International20 hours agoFive mexicans detained in North Carolina immigration raids, Sheinbaum confirms
-
International20 hours agoU.S. House poised to approve bill requiring declassification of Epstein files
-
International20 hours agoSheinbaum to Trump: Cooperation yes, U.S. military intervention no
-
International20 hours agoPeru pauses safe-conduct decision as dispute over political asylum deepens
-
International20 hours agoChile’s glaciers to lose half their water supply capacity by 2100, study warns
-
International20 hours agoHaitian authorities mobilize nationwide as gangs threaten confrontation with police