International
Lula and Biden meet in Washington and pledge to “stand united” to protect democracy
February 13 |
The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the United States, Joe Biden, met this Friday in Washington to advance issues on the common agenda and open a new moment in bilateral relations, a meeting in which both leaders pledged to “stand united” to protect democracy.
The portion of the meeting that was open to the press passed in a relaxed atmosphere, in which both leaders were comfortable, cracked jokes and kept the conversation focused on common causes such as peace, democracy and the environment, away from sensitive issues such as foreign policy and their positions on China and Russia.
“The strong democracies of our two nations have been tested recently, have been really tested, and our institutions were also put in jeopardy,” Biden said as he welcomed Lula da Silva to the Oval Office.
The U.S. president alluded to the attack by supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on public institutions in Brasilia on January 8, and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to Brazil and to maintaining the good relationship between the two nations.
“The United States and Brazil are the two largest democracies in the hemisphere,” Biden told Lula, while insisting that the two nations “reject political violence” and maintain a firm commitment to “stand together” to defend democratic values around the world.
Lula, for his part, thanked Biden for the support shown almost immediately after he won the elections, his “stance in defense of democracy in Brazil” and congratulated him for his State of the Nation address a few days ago.
The veteran ruler, who last January 1 began his third term as head of state in Brazil, criticized – without mentioning his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro – the state in which his country remained isolated in the international arena during the last four years.
“Brazil is a country that does not seek litigation with anyone, it is a country that loves peace,” he asserted.
This is Lula’s seventh visit to Washington as president of Brazil. The two leaders already knew each other and had spoken on several occasions by telephone since the Brazilian won the elections in October, but this is the first time they have met face to face since they assumed the presidencies of their respective countries.
International
Regional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera
Regional Mexican music is mourning the death of Giovanni Vera, lead vocalist of the band Banda Gota de Oro, who was among the victims of an armed attack that occurred on Sunday, December 28, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
The incident took place inside a residence located in the Los Presidentes neighborhood, in the municipality of Irapuato.
According to preliminary reports, several people were gathered at the house when armed men burst in and opened fire on those present. The attack left five people dead, including the singer.
Hours after the shooting, Banda Gota de Oro confirmed Vera’s death through its official Instagram account. In one of the posts, the group expressed its grief with an emotional message: “Today, the sky is dressed for a celebration because you are singing up there. Your voice and your joy will live on forever within us.”
Messages of support and condolences from fans and fellow musicians quickly flooded social media, paying tribute to the artist and expressing solidarity with his family and bandmates.
International
One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Cree Nation in Saskatchewan
One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting reported early Tuesday in the Big Island Lake Cree Nation, in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, according to local media.
Police said they were alerted to the incident in a remote area located approximately 392 kilometers northwest of the city of Saskatoon. Authorities issued a dangerous persons alert for two suspects, who were described as armed.
Saskatchewan police urged residents to seek shelter immediately, lock their doors, and avoid the area while the situation remains under investigation. Officers are working to determine whether the shooting was a targeted attack or a random act of violence.
As a precautionary measure, seven health-care facilities in the surrounding area were placed under lockdown, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a post on X.
International
Mexico’s President Visits Victims After Train Derailment Kills 13 in Oaxaca
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum visited on Monday the victims injured in a train accident that left 13 people dead in the southern state of Oaxaca and announced financial assistance for those affected by the derailment of the Interoceanic Train, which was inaugurated in 2023.
The train, carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members, derailed on Sunday while traveling along the Interoceanic Corridor, a major infrastructure project that connects the Pacific coast with the Gulf of Mexico across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The corridor was one of the flagship initiatives of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration (2018–2024).
Sheinbaum visited three hospitals in the neighboring towns of Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz, where around 20 injured passengers remain hospitalized. She also went to a funeral home to accompany the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
According to Mexico’s Navy Secretary, Raymundo Morales, the accident occurred when one of the locomotives derailed, causing all four railcars to leave the tracks.
Regional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera
One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Cree Nation in Saskatchewan
Mexico’s President Visits Victims After Train Derailment Kills 13 in Oaxaca
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Regional mexican music mourns the death of Banda Gota de Oro singer Giovanni Vera