International

“Israel’s goal is to destroy memory,” says former Palestinian Minister of Culture

The writer and former Palestinian Minister of Culture Atef Abu Saif said that Israel’s goal is to destroy memory, eliminate Palestinian history and any evidence that unites the Palestinian people with their land.

“They are destroying museums, theaters, cultural centers… They try to eliminate our history,” said in an interview with EFE the author of ‘I want to be awake when I die: diary of the genocide in Gaza’ (2024), who traveled to Brazil to participate in a literary fair.

Cultural losses for Palestine due to Israeli attacks

The latest report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported that, of the 120 sites it monitors through satellite images in Palestine, 69 were damaged since October 7, 2023, the day of the radical group Hamas attack on Israel that started the war.

Among them are religious sites, buildings of historical and/or artistic interest, deposits of cultural property, monuments and archaeological sites.

One of the key losses for the Palestinian people, says Saif, was the destruction of the Central Archive of Gaza City, which contained historical documents more than 150 years old, in December 2023.

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The politician, who dedicated himself to writing stories from a very young age, pointed out that in Palestine “culture is not luxury and entertainment,” but “a tool of struggle and resistance,” and stressed that currently the residents of the Strip have their lives on pause.

“You live little by little, second by second. You’re fine now, but that doesn’t mean it will be like that in the next minute. It’s a constant fight against death,” he laments.

For Saif, this historical event will be remembered as “the first genocide of the 21st century” and the moment in which “the international community was silent.”

‘I want to be awake when I die’, his latest book

The author, a native of the Yabalia refugee camp, believes that it is a responsibility to talk about the suffering that the people of Palestine are going through.

“Of course I would like to talk about love, life, hopes and dreams. But I can’t avoid, for example, when I describe my characters, the fact that none of them can leave Gaza through the border posts. I would love not to talk about it, but what normal life can you have if no one is qualified to leave a place?” Saif wonders.

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From that notion is born his latest book, ‘I want to be awake when I die: diary of the genocide in Gaza’, a story of his days in the Gaza Strip after October 7.

The book was translated into ten languages and its Portuguese version was recently presented at the Paraty International Literary Festival (Flip), the largest event of letters in Brazil.

Saif was in Gaza with his son for work when the Israeli offensive began and was trapped for three months with his relatives and more than 2 million inhabitants, so he saw no other way out than writing to tell stories.

“War is a machine that reduces us to just numbers. We are not numbers, we are stories, we are lives, we are part of a family. We are past, present and future,” said the author, who is displaced from his home.

“When people ask me where I live, I don’t know what to answer. Sometimes I say that I live in the world while I wait for the war to end so I can return to Gaza.”

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Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.

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International

Macron meets Machado, stresses need for democratic transition in Venezuela

Emmanuel Macron met on Monday at the Élysée Palace with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, where they discussed the importance of advancing a democratic transition in Venezuela.

In a message shared on social media, Macron highlighted Machado’s commitment to freedom and stressed the need to achieve a transition that is peaceful and respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

“I received María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Together, we discussed her commitment to freedom and the importance of achieving a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela that respects the will of its people,” he wrote.

For her part, Machado expressed her “deep gratitude” to Macron and to France for their support of democracy and freedom in Venezuela.

“We have gone through a long and painful journey, and we are now very close to freedom. Venezuela will become a nation of free and equal men and women—prosperous, safe, and united,” she said.

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International

Trump says Iran seeks new talks after failed negotiations in Pakistan

Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran has reached out to United States to resume negotiations, following the collapse of recent talks held in Islamabad.

“We’ve been contacted by the other side,” Trump told reporters, adding that Iran is eager to reach a deal “at all costs.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he reiterated that his main objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons and warned that he will not allow Iran to “blackmail” the international community.

After negotiations between Washington and Tehran ended without agreement on Sunday, Trump announced that the U.S. would move to block the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade.

The waterway had already been disrupted by Iran in response to a U.S. and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, causing significant shocks to the global economy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump further warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the strait would be “eliminated immediately.”