International
Lula doesn’t want to rub against Argentina or Venezuela: “Let them choose the presidents they want”
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said this Friday that he sees no reason to “fight” politically with “Venezuela, Nicaragua or Argentina” because what matters is the relationship between States, beyond the Governments.
“Why am I going to fight with Venezuela, Nicaragua or Argentina? Let them choose the presidents they want. What interests me is the relationship from State to State,” Lula said in an event to announce investments in infrastructure, in São José dos Campos, in the interior of São Paulo.
In his speech, the progressive president stressed that “everyone likes Brazil and that everyone has to like Brazil.”
“We have no litigation with anyone,” the Brazilian head of state proudly said.
Lula also wanted to distance himself from the previous government presided over by the far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), a time during which Brazil was “a kind of international pariah”, in his opinion.
“We went through a period in which no one wanted to come here and no one wanted to receive it,” he said in allusion to his predecessor in the Presidency and greatest political adversary, without mentioning his name.
Lula’s statement comes at a time of tension in diplomatic relations between Brazil and Argentina, as a result of the deep divergences he maintains with his counterpart, Javier Milei.
Brazil’s ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, traveled to Brasilia this week to meet with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and meet with Lula, in order to discuss how to “take the relationship in the best way” with the Government of Milei.
About two weeks ago, Milei made his first visit to Brazil since he took power in Argentina, last December, although the reason for it was not to meet with Lula or any member of the Government, but for a far-right congress organized in the city of Balneário Camboriú, where he met with Bolsonaro.
On the other hand, Lula has publicly distanced himself from the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who aspires to re-election in the elections on July 28.
The Brazilian leader has always advocated for elections within the consensus of the Barbados Agreements, with the full participation of the opposition and with results that are recognized by all.
At the same time, he has defended the wide presence of international observers and expressed his “concern” about the veto of María Corina Machado, which received a response in harsh terms from the Venezuelan Government.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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