International

Lula asks Argentines to vote for a president who likes democracy

Photo: EFE

November 15 |

The President of Brazil, Luis Inázio Lula da Silva, called on Tuesday on the Argentine population to vote this coming Sunday for a president who “likes democracy”, although he did not directly support any of the candidates who will run in the ballot, Sergio Massa (Unión por la Patria) and Javier Milei (La Libertad Avanza).

According to the head of state, Argentina is Brazil’s main trading partner in South America and whatever choice the Argentines make, it has an important socioeconomic repercussion for its neighbors.

“Brazil needs Argentina and Argentina needs Brazil. The jobs that Brazil generates in Argentina and the jobs that Argentina needs in Brazil, the trade flow between the two countries and how much we can grow together,” stated Da Silva.

Lula added that Argentina’s next president must be someone who “respects the institutions, who likes Mercosur, who likes South America and who thinks about creating an important bloc.”

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“I just wanted to ask the Argentine people at the time of voting, to think about Argentina. Your vote is sovereign, but think a little bit about the kind of South America you want to create, the kind of Latin America you want to create and the Mercosur you want to create. Together we will be strong, separated we are weak”, he said.

This Sunday, November 19, Milei and Massa will face each other at the polls in a divided election with no clear voting intention on the part of the electorate.

Milei’s statements regarding Brazil include breaking diplomatic relations with that country, since he considers Lula as a “socialist with a totalitarian vocation”, as well as eliminating the Southern Common Market (Mercosur).

On the other hand, Massa has shown himself in favor of strengthening integration and Mercosur, and promoting again the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), among other projections that would boost multilateralism and confidence in his country among the international community.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”