International
Lula defends opening peace negotiations in the war in Ukraine during a summit with Russia
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended “avoiding an escalation and starting peace negotiations” in the war in Ukraine during his participation, by videoconference, in the BRICS summit, which holds its plenary session this Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also said that “the time has come to move forward” in the creation of an alternative payment system that allows emerging countries not to use the dollar in their exchanges.
“Avoiding an escalation and starting peace negotiations is also crucial in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” Lula said in the final words of his speech.
Middle East and Ukraine, at the summit
The Brazilian ruler, who together with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, promotes a peace initiative that Ukraine has already rejected, made that brief reference to the conflict on European soil after talking about the war that Israel is fighting against the Palestinian armed group Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbula.
“When we face two wars with the potential to become global, it is essential to rescue our ability to work together for common objectives,” stressed the Brazilian leader.
Lula canceled his trip to Russia on medical recommendation, after suffering a fall on Saturday at his residence, which caused a small cut on the back of his neck that required five stitches.
Xi Jinping asks for de-escalation
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an early de-escalation in Ukraine and the cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
“It is necessary to contribute to a prompt de-escalation in Ukraine (…) and achieve a cessation of hostilities and murders in Gaza and Lebanon as soon as possible,” Xi said during his speech at the summit.
Jinping held a meeting in the Russian city of Kazan with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he asked that China and India “resolve their conflicts and differences,” in the first formal meeting that both have in four years.
Xi indicated that both China and India “are ancient civilizations, large developing countries and important members of the Global South,” according to a statement published by the Chinese state network CCTV.
Iranian president calls for a ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon
For his part, the President of Iran, Masud Pezeshkian, “demanded” “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine and Lebanon,” on the first occasion that an Iranian president participates in a plenary session of the BRICS summit.
In addition, the Iranian president called for “the complete withdrawal of the troops of the occupying regime (Israel) from the occupied areas and immediate aid to the population of Gaza and to the displaced in Lebanon.”
Condemns Israeli bombing of Lebanon
The countries of the BRICS group condemned in the final declaration of the Kazan summit the Israeli bombings against the territory of Lebanon and against humanitarian centers in the Gaza Strip.
“We condemn the death of civilians and the enormous damage caused to civilian infrastructure as a result of Israeli attacks on civilian areas in Lebanon,” says the document released at the end of the meeting of the nine members of the BRICS in the Russian city of Kazan, a text that also condemns the Israeli attacks against centers, activities and humanitarian personnel in Gaza.
The BRICS call for an “immediate” end to hostilities in both Gaza and Lebanon.
“We highlight the need to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and create conditions for a political-diplomatic solution in order to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East,” the text says.
The joint statement warns that “a further escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip threatens with increased tensions, extremism and extremely harmful consequences at the regional and global level.”
The BRICS summit
The Kazan summit is the first to be held by the emerging economies group after its expansion from five to nine members last January.
“Now, in a limited format, we propose to consider the most relevant aspects of the global agenda, to exchange views on the issue of cooperation between the BRICS States at the international level, including the resolution of acute regional conflicts,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the opening of the meeting.
Once the meeting is concluded in a small format, the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia – will sit down at a table with representatives of about twenty States invited to the event, including Turkey, Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
At the end of the summit, BRICS leaders will approve a joint statement on a number of global issues, including conflict in Ukraine.
What is the BRICS group
The BRICS group, founded in 2006 and held its first summit in 2009, integrates countries with a third of the world economy and more than 40% of the population.
Analysts point out that with this summit Putin tries to show the world that Russia is not as isolated as the West intends, while paving the way for the forging of a new world majority that challenges the hegemony of the United States.
Putin and Maduro will meet today on the sidelines of the summit
Vladimir Putin will also meet with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, who arrived this Tuesday in the Russian city of Kazan to participate in the XVI Summit of the BRICS emerging economy group to which the country intends to join, the Kremlin reported.
The Kremlin’s advisor for International Affairs, Yuri Ushakov, added that Putin and Maduro will talk about “bilateral affairs and cooperation within the framework of the BRICS.”
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
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