International
President Lula presented a group of actions to ensure the rights of Brazilian women

March 8th |
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva presented a package of actions to ensure the rights of Brazilian women, on the occasion of today’s International Women’s Day.
The Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, also participated in the announcements and among the measures disclosed is the sending to the National Congress of a bill that seeks to guarantee the payment by the employer of equal salaries for men and women who exercise the same function.
“When we accept that women earn less than men in the same job, we perpetuate a historical violence against women,” said Lula.
He specified that “the project has only one word that makes the difference, one single word. That magic word is called obligatory payment”, he remarked.
He warned that there will be many people who “do not want to pay (equal salaries), but for that the justice system will have to work”.
The above, she continued, in order to force “the employer who does not want to pay what the woman deserves for her work capacity”.
This point is foreseen in the current legislation and, according to the Government, the text foresees measures to make companies more transparent and to strengthen the control and fight against wage discrimination.
The announcement was made at the Planalto Palace, seat of the Executive Power, in the presence of the First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, government ministers and representatives of public banks.
The founder of the Workers’ Party also defended that the process to equalize rights be accelerated and, if it depended on the government, inequality would end “by a simple decree of the president”.
For Lula, “women played a leading role in several key moments of our recent history: redemocratization, amnesty, Directas Ya and the Constituent Assembly”.
He insisted that “respect for women is a non-negotiable value in all spheres of the Federal Executive. We have 11 women at the head of ministries, but all the ministries and each member of this government is co-responsible for policies and actions aimed at women”, she emphasized.
Gonçalves, for her part, pointed out that the government decided to mark March 8 with public policies to confront violence against women and promote gender equality, economic autonomy and women’s integral health.
The fight against the various forms of violence is a priority in Brazil on International Women’s Day.
According to the Elas Viver report, published by the Network of Security Observatories, the South American giant recorded 2,423 cases of violence against women in 2022, among them 495 resulted in femicides, which translated into one aggression every four hours and one murder per day.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima

Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima

Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
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