International
Lula da Silva says that Bolivia “can’t fall into the trap again” of coups d’état
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said on Tuesday that Bolivia “cannot fall back into the trap” of the coups d’état, in reference to the military uprising that occurred on June 26 at the presidential headquarters in La Paz.
Da Silva is in Bolivian territory as part of a two-day official visit, in which he held meetings with his Bolivian counterpart, Luis Arce, to sign bilateral integration agreements.
“On the eve of celebrating its bicentennial, in 2025, Bolivia cannot fall into this trap again. We cannot tolerate authoritarian dreams or coups d’état,” Lula da Silva said in his official statement, after the signing of several agreements and meeting with Arce, in the eastern city of Santa Cruz.
The ruler of Brazil thanked his Bolivian peer for receiving him in the midst of a situation in which Bolivia demonstrated “its courage in the face of a serious threat,” after the armed uprising more than two weeks ago.
“We have the enormous responsibility to defend democracy in the face of attempts to push it back,” said Lula da Silva.
Military personnel under the command of the ousted Army commander Juan José Zuñiga took the headquarters of the Executive in La Paz for a few hours, on June 26.
After the military had a confrontation with the Bolivian president, he withdreted along with tanks and soldiers. Hours later he was arrested and is currently in pre-trial detention in a prison in the center of the country.
The president of Brazil said that his visit not only means the resumption of a friendship, but also represents “the communion of two countries whose trajectories have important parallels.”
Lula mentioned what happened in his country in 2022, when Brazil celebrated its bicentennial. “Instead of celebrating it, we were invaded by a wave of extremism that ended on January 8 with an attempted coup,” he recalled.
He affirmed that, like Brazil, Bolivian democracy “has prevailed after a long journey dotted with coups d’état and dictatorships.”
“All over the world, the disunity of democratic forces has only served the extreme right,” said the Brazilian president.
With Lula da Silva’s visit to Bolivia, bilateral relations were strengthened with the signing of 10 agreements in different areas such as health, migration, energy, security, mining and agriculture, among others.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
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
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