International
Police reinforce the suspicion that Bolsonaro was illegally spying on his adversaries
The Federal Police reinforced the suspicion that former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro maintained an illegal espionage network, with resources from the State, to monitor his political adversaries while he was in power, according to documents declassified this Thursday by the Supreme Court.
The documents are part of an investigation initiated last year and reveal that illegal espionage reached parliamentarians, members of the Judiciary, journalists and governors, among many others considered adversaries of the leader of the far-right.
The decision to disseminate those documents was made by Judge Alexandre de Moraes, responsible for the investigation in the Supreme Court, on the same day that the Federal Police arrested four alleged members of that illegal network, among whom is a former official of the press office of the Presidency during the Bolsonaro Government (2019-2022).
According to the Federal Police, among those monitored was the current president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, despite the fact that at the time he was considered close to Bolsonaro, and at least four of the eleven members of the Supreme Court.
On the network, also according to the Police, the press office of the Presidency and the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), whose director at the time, Alexandre Ramagem, would have been in charge of that illegal espionage, operated together.
The documents also renew the suspicion that Ramagem, now a deputy for the extreme right, would also have used that network to spy on the Police itself in relation to proceedings taking place in the courts against three of Jair Bolsonaro’s sons.
The former president faces various processes in Justice, but so far he has only been charged in two, in which he appears as suspected of illegally appropriating gifts received during his term, which should be delivered to the State acquis, and in which he is accused of having used an illegal network to obtain a false certificate of vaccination against COVID-19.
In the most serious of the open processes, it is about having planned a coup d’état to prevent the investiture of the current president, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in the 2022 elections.
After the dissemination of the documents, Bolsonaro made no comments on the matter, at least immediately, but he had already completely rejected the existence of that alleged espionage network.
Last February, when the residence of his son Carlos Bolsonaro, a councilor in Rio de Janeiro, was raided within the framework of this investigation, the leader of the far-right reacted angrily and assured that there is “no proof” of that espionage to his opponents.
As he said at that time, everything would be part of the “persecution” that he says he suffers since Lula came to power and only has as a basis “a lot of ‘fake news’” that will be “disassembled” by his lawyers.
Central America
Argentina Falls to Lowest Rating in Global Workers’ Rights Index Under Milei Administration
Argentina and Panama have joined Ecuador among the world’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights, according to a report released Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The three Latin American nations appear alongside Belarus, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Turkey in the latest edition of the Global Rights Index, which evaluates the protection of labor rights around the world.
According to the ITUC, Argentina entered the list this year after being downgraded to Category 5, marking its second consecutive year of declining ratings.
“Argentina joins the list of the 10 worst countries for workers this year after falling to Category 5, following a second consecutive year of deterioration in its rating,” the organization stated.
The report argues that working conditions and the environment for trade unions have become increasingly restrictive under the administration of President Javier Milei.
“Conditions for workers and trade unions have become increasingly repressive and hostile under the far-right government of President Javier Milei,” the study said.
The ITUC also highlighted Argentina’s implementation of an anti-blockade protocol aimed at maintaining public order during road blockades. According to the report, the measure authorizes what it describes as the indiscriminate use of police force.
The organization noted that Argentina’s rating has worsened for a second consecutive year, placing the country in Category 5, the lowest level assigned in the index and the worst rating Argentina has ever received.
“This represents an abrupt and unprecedented decline from Category 3 to Category 5 in just two years,” the report stated.
Category 5 includes countries where workers’ rights are considered “not guaranteed.” According to the ITUC, the downgrade reflects a shift from recurring labor rights violations to a situation in which workers are no longer assured basic protections.
The annual index assesses issues such as freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, the right to strike and legal protections for workers and trade unions.
The report’s findings place renewed international attention on labor conditions in several countries, particularly in Latin America, where Argentina, Panama and Ecuador now rank among the most challenging environments for workers’ rights.
International
OAS Election Mission to Monitor Claims of Political Interference by Colombia’s President
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) has pledged to follow up on allegations regarding the alleged involvement of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in political campaigning ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.
The announcement was made by presidential candidate Claudia López after a meeting with the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández.
According to a statement released by López’s campaign, the OAS mission listened to the concerns raised by the candidate and committed to monitoring the complaints she has submitted to both national and international organizations.
The mission also reiterated its commitment to overseeing the electoral process to help ensure that the will of Colombian voters is respected throughout the election.
“We have turned to international forums and technical observation missions to warn that Colombian democracy cannot be left at the mercy of fear or undue pressure,” López, the former mayor of Bogotá, said following the meeting.
López has repeatedly expressed concerns about what she describes as political interference in the electoral process and has called on national and international institutions to closely monitor the conduct of the campaign.
The OAS observation mission is one of several international bodies deployed to Colombia to monitor the presidential election, which is taking place amid heightened political tensions and intense competition among candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
The election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as Colombians choose whether to continue with the country’s first left-wing administration or shift toward a new political direction.
International
Colombia Votes in Pivotal Election as Left Seeks to Retain Power
Colombians headed to the polls on Sunday in a crucial presidential election that will determine whether the country continues under its first left-wing government in modern history or shifts back toward the political right.
The election campaign has been marked by deep political divisions, with armed violence and economic concerns emerging as the dominant issues for voters.
A total of 11 candidates remain in the race following the withdrawal of three presidential tickets. The central question is which candidate will advance to a likely runoff election alongside ruling-party senator Iván Cepeda, who has led opinion polls for months with his platform of “democratic revolution” but is not expected to secure enough votes to win outright in the first round.
On the right, Senator Paloma Valencia of the Democratic Center party, the political movement founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, has lost momentum as support has grown for far-right attorney Abelardo de la Espriella. Known as “The Tiger,” De la Espriella has campaigned on a tough-on-crime agenda targeting criminal organizations and guerrilla groups, drawing comparisons to the security policies of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Political analyst Sandra Borda, a professor at the University of the Andes, argues that Colombia is experiencing not simply greater polarization but a broader political landscape.
“The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC opened significant space for the left. Inevitably, it also created opportunities for the right,” Borda told CNN. The political scientist, who ran for the Senate in 2022 with the New Liberalism movement, believes the current election presents a more challenging environment for the left than four years ago.
According to Borda, left-wing candidates can no longer campaign solely as agents of change who have never had the opportunity to govern or who remained untouched by traditional politics.
“They can no longer make that argument. They have already governed and are no longer immune from criticism associated with political power,” she said.
The election is being closely watched across Latin America as voters weigh the record of the outgoing administration against promises of change from candidates across the political spectrum.
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