Latin America Rising > Another Bolsonaro could win in Brazil; Mexico investigating Narco extermination site

 

Thousands protest Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, fearing far-right return

Thousands of people joined a student march in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to protest against presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil's October 25 presidential runoff. Bolsonaro led Sunday's first-round vote, prompting demonstrators to rally behind incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and oppose the far right's return to power.

Thousands of people joined a student march Wednesday in downtown Rio de Janeiro to protest against election favorite Flavio Bolsonaro and the prospect of the far right's return to power in Brazil, as the campaign for a runoff election swung into action.

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, son of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, came out in front in Sunday's first-round election, sending shockwaves through Brazil's left which is scrambling to claw back votes ahead of an October 25 runoff.

READ MOREFlavio Bolsonaro: In the name of the father, sons, and holy ideology

With drums, fireworks, and spirited chants, thousands of students spilled into downtown Rio de Janeiro declaring "Never Again Bolsonaro" and calling for votes for leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"I'm here because I believe in democracy. Because I'm scared," said Alice Carneiro, 25, an administrator in maritime shipping, crying as she expressed fears about a possible backlash against her wife, who is transgender.

Protesters evoked life under Jair Bolsonaro, who was in office from 2019 to 2022 and is remembered for his government's handling of the Covid pandemic, which he dubbed a "little flu" and which claimed more than 700,000 lives in Brazil, the second-highest death toll in the world after the United States.

"I remember my family's lives being at risk during the pandemic... I remember the vaccine denial," said Carneiro.

The march was strikingly more crowded and animated than Lula's rally at the same spot on Friday before the election, after a campaign many had criticised as lackluster.

WATCH MOREBrazil 'has moved to the right progressively over the last two decades', expert says

Fears of social spending cuts 

Flavio Bolsonaro has vowed sweeping budget cuts, using a pair of scissors to echo the chainsaw of libertarian Argentine President Javier Milei, whose economic reforms he has praised.

Brazil is battling soaring public debt exacerbated by high interest rates, and the election result saw the Sao Paulo stock exchange rally to record highs.

Amid uncertainty over what cuts Flavio will make, protesters recalled those made by Jair Bolsonaro to federal universities, research scholarships and the government-subsidised Farmacia Popular program, which provides free or discounted medicines.

READ MOREHow Lula’s successes in Brazil may have paved the way for his presidential defeat

"It's pointless for me to pass the entrance exam only to end up at a university that lacks funding," said Emmanuel Araujo, 19, who is preparing to take university entrance exams and described the rise of the far-right as "very sad".

Iara Pinheiro, 16, who voted for the first time, carried a placard reading: "No to the father, no to the son." 

"I am a Black woman and I think we'll lose our rights if things continue the way they are and we elect Bolsonaro again. I think we will end up losing our democracy."

Some protesters expressed concern about Flavio Bolsonaro's plans to seek amnesty for his father, currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his 2022 election loss.

"Granting amnesty for coups gives the green light for new coups," read another placard.

Several other pro-democracy rallies are planned in the coming days.

Campaign reset 

Both Flavio Bolsonaro and Lula are shaking up their campaigns to prepare for the runoff.

Flavio Bolsonaro has focused on building coalitions and doubled down on his plans to shrink the state and modernise the tax system. He also promised to use the right's new dominance in Congress to make constitutional reforms.

Lula, who at almost 81 years old is seeking a fourth term in office, has hit reset with a major focus on social media – where the right has long held the advantage – posting a video selfie on Wednesday for the first time.

READ MOREBrazil’s Lula gears up for ‘last dance’ with run for fourth presidential term

"Come on, folks, let's hit the streets; let's go talk to people," he said in the video posted to Instagram and TikTok.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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The Debate

Return of the Bolsonaros: Why the far-right surge in Brazilian elections?

AMERICAS

Brazil presidential election heads to run-off as Flavio Bolsonaro leads Lula

AMERICAS

Mexico sends forensic experts to alleged cartel 'extermination site'

By Macarena Hermosilla

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday the government has sent a specialized forensic team to reinforce search operations at a rural property in the western state of Nayarit. File Photo by Sashanka Gutierrez/EPA

Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The Mexican government has sent a specialized forensic team to reinforce search operations at a rural property in the western state of Nayarit, where state prosecutors reported discovering an alleged "extermination site" linked to organized crime.

During her morning news conference Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she instructed the Interior Ministry, through the National Search Commission, to contact state authorities and send experts to Nayarit.

"Until the Search Commission arrives and carries out its work, we cannot officially say what was found at this site," Sheinbaum said.

The Nayarit state prosecutor's office and groups of mothers searching for missing relatives reported Wednesday the discovery of an alleged "incineration and extermination site" in La Curva, a community in the municipality of Xalisco.

An anonymous tip led search groups and state prosecutors to the property, where authorities found clothing, a makeshift furnace, charred remains and a grave containing recently buried bodies, according to Mexican newspaper El Universal.

Criminals allegedly used a metal drum containing a mixture of diesel, gasoline and soap, with the soap intended to help the fuel adhere to skin and clothing. After burning the bodies, they allegedly dumped the charred remains into a nearby stream to destroy evidence.

The property, known as "El Dragón," is suspected of being linked to operations by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Forensic experts began formally processing the site Oct. 3, according to Mexican news outlets Aristegui Noticias and La Jornada.

Nayarit Attorney General Ludmila Heredia compared the alleged methods used at the property to those reported at Rancho Izaguirre in Teuchitlán, Jalisco. In March 2025, the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco search collective discovered more than 1,300 pieces of evidence at the property, including hundreds of items of clothing, backpacks, shoes, altars dedicated to Santa Muerte (Saint Death) and notebooks containing lists of names and nicknames.

Federal authorities previously identified that compound as a site used by the CJNG for training, forced recruitment and extermination.

Given the scale of the discovery, experts from the National Search Commission will reinforce search operations, expedite the forensic examination of remains and coordinate assistance for groups representing families of missing people in the region.

The discovery in Nayarit also brought to light an alleged plot to attack Gov. Miguel Ángel Navarro and the state's attorney general.

According to Navarro, escalating violence and direct death threats followed the breakdown of previous collusive arrangements between local police and drug cartels.

Federal troops have been deployed across the municipality to protect forensic operations and prevent retaliation by criminal groups operating in the area through a violent network of competing local cells.

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Latin America Rising > FARC leader killed in Colombia; A century of war - 137k Colombians missing; Mexico seizes 210 smuggled guns

 

Colombian president touts killing of alleged FARC dissident leader

By Don Jacobson    

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Sunday announced the killing of a top "narco-terrorist" allegedly belonging to a rebel dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. File Photo by Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- A notorious member of a Colombian rebel dissident group was killed by the army in a military operation, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Sunday.

An early morning offensive against a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in the Valle de Cauca resulted in the death of a man known by the aliases of Felipe or Arcadio, the president said in a social media post.

The man was identified as the leader of a FARC dissident column allegedly responsible for multiple attacks against police stations in Dagua and El Queramal using explosives launched from drones.

De la Espriella's statement was accompanied by a video showing a man's body inside a white plastic bag lying on the ground next to the seized ammunition.

"In January, [Felipe] reportedly participated in an attack against an Army unit in El Danubio that left seven professional soldiers injured," he said.

Felipe was also allegedly connected with the bombing of the busy highway between Cali and Buenaventura in April in which 20 people were killed, as well as with extortions, threats and other criminal actions in Dagua.

An M4 rifle, three magazines, 85 rounds, and a telescopic sight were seized during the operation.

De la Espriella, who was elected in June on promises of cracking down on narco-terrorist groups, issued a warning that his government is "closing the net.

"Those who attack our soldiers and police, use drones with explosives, and terrorize the population must know that we are on the offensive and we're coming for them," he declared. "Any bandit who does not surrender will end up in a body bag, like this wretch we took down."

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Colombia's armed conflict leaves at least 137,000 people missing

By Macarena Hermosilla    

According to data released by Colombia's Search Unit for Missing Persons, known by its Spanish acronym UBPD, at least 137,000 people have been reported missing in connection with the country's armed conflict since 1921. Photo by Mario Caicedo/EPA

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- When Tobías Borda Cepeda disappeared in rural Colombia in 1921 amid local land disputes, his family could not have foreseen that his case would mark the beginning of a tragedy that would span a century.

According to data released by Colombia's Search Unit for Missing Persons, known by its Spanish acronym UBPD, at least 137,000 people have been reported missing in connection with the country's armed conflict since that year.

Marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on Sunday, the agency said 48.5% of all cases occurred during the 2000s, with the highest concentration between 2001 and 2003.

Disappearances during the first decade of the 21st century represent a dark chapter in Colombia's recent history. Between 2000 and 2010, the country experienced an escalation in violence marked by fighting among right-wing paramilitary groups, left-wing guerrillas and state forces in a war waged on multiple fronts.

During that period, armed groups used enforced disappearances to conceal the large number of victims, terrorize local communities and facilitate the illegal seizure of millions of acres of rural land.

Valle del Cauca, Antioquia and Meta have recorded the highest number of cases, according to the UBPD.

The concentration of cases in those regions reflected the broader strategic objectives of armed groups seeking to control key corridors for drug trafficking and arms smuggling, as well as natural resources and rural border areas.

"This is a crucial date to remember that disappearances have not stopped," Luz Janeth Forero, director general of the UBPD, said in a statement.

Forero said records from the International Committee of the Red Cross show that another 2,659 people have disappeared since the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, signed a peace agreement in 2016.

The Red Cross warned Friday that at least one person has disappeared every two days this year as a result of Colombia's armed conflict, with 99 cases recorded between January and July.

The international organization said in a statement that 36 of those reported missing were children and adolescents.

On Saturday, Colombia's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, ended negotiations with several illegal armed groups that had been launched by his predecessor, Gustavo Petro. He revoked the appointments of government representatives and withdrew recognition of the opposing delegations involved in talks under the so-called Total Peace plan.

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Mexico seizes 210 guns smuggled from Texas

By Mar Puig

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Mexican authorities arrested three people and seized 210 firearms smuggled from Texas during a highway operation in Nuevo Leon state, bringing the total number of weapons confiscated under President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration to more than 30,000, officials said.

The seizure took place on the Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey highway near Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, according to Animal Politico. Agents with the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) carried out the operation in coordination with the Defense Ministry, the Navy, the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (SSPC) and the National Guard.

Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch announced the arrests Monday on social media, saying the three suspects were transporting the weapons from Texas to Mexico for delivery to criminal groups. The confiscated arsenal included 195 long guns and 15 handguns, along with ammunition magazines, Garcia Harfuch said.

Garcia Harfuch wrote that the operation stemmed from intelligence and investigative work aimed at identifying and dismantling routes used to smuggle weapons into the country, and that more than 30,000 firearms have now been seized during Sheinbaum's government.

UNO TV reported that the weapons were of large caliber and destined for organized crime, and that Garcia Harfuch framed the seizure as part of what Mexican officials call "shared responsibility" between Mexico and the United States on security matters.

"Shared responsibility demands stopping the trafficking of drugs toward the United States, but also stopping, with the same firmness, the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico," Garcia Harfuch said.

The bust comes weeks after U.S. authorities announced charges against a weapons-trafficking network supplying a Mexican criminal organization. Federal prosecutor Timothy Courchaine and Phoenix-based Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Albert Gibes said Aug. 4 that 21 people had been arrested in connection with the network, according to Animal Politico.

U.S. officials said the network used straw buyers to purchase firearms legally from licensed gun dealers across Arizona, spreading the purchases among multiple stores in Maricopa County and elsewhere to avoid detection. Investigators also traced weapons recovered at crime scenes to establish links between cases, officials said.

Gibes said the investigation targeted people exploiting legal firearms sales for criminal purposes, not the purchases themselves. All 21 people named in arrest warrants were taken into custody, he said. The investigation involved the Homeland Security Task Force, the ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Patrol, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation division, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexican authorities, according to Animal Politico.

Courchaine said most licensed firearms dealers cooperate with such investigations by maintaining sales records and conducting background checks, though he acknowledged some dealers have been implicated in irregularities.

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Latin America Rising > Ecuador raises Colombia tariffs to 100%, ambassador recalled; Formosa nuclear plant to be revived with funding from American company; Mexico shifts policy on energy development

 

Ecuador hikes tariffs to 100% on Colombia; Petro recalls envoy

By Mar Puig

   

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the immediate return of his ambassador from Quito after Ecuador decided to raise tariffs on Colombia to 100% on May 1. Photo by Mauricio Duenas Castaneda

April 10 (UPI) -- Ecuador raised tariffs to 100% on imports from Colombia, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the immediate return of his ambassador from Quito.

This represents a new escalation of the diplomatic and trade crisis between the two countries, according to an Ecuadorian statement and remarks from both leaders.

Ecuador said it will implement the tariff increase May 1, according to the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade and Investment. It argued that Colombia has not taken concrete steps to curb drug trafficking and organized crime along the shared border.

"It is not possible to reach agreements with someone who does not have the same commitment to fighting narco-terrorism," Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said Thursday night.

Petro described the tariff increase as "a monstrosity" and announced immediate measures.

"Our ambassador to Ecuador must return immediately," he wrote on X, where he also called for a Cabinet meeting at the border between the two countries.

The Colombian president also defended his anti-drug policy.

"The president of Ecuador insults the Colombian government that has seized more cocaine than in the entire history of the world," he said.

Ecuador's decision marks a new critical point in a dispute that has intensified in recent months and is affecting bilateral trade, energy cooperation and diplomatic channels, according to local media reports.

Please continue reading on UPI at:

Negotiations between the two countries 

U.S. firm to invest $230 million-plus in Argentine nuclear fuel plant

By Banyeliz Muñoz

   

Nano Nuclear Energy corporate representatives pose in August with Dioxitek S.A. directors after the signing of a memorandum of understanding intended to lead to completion of the nuclear fuel plant in Argentina. Photo by NANO Nuclear Energy Inc.

BUENOS AIRES, April 10 (UPI) -- U.S.-based Nano Nuclear Energy announced a $230 million-plus plan to restart a nuclear fuel facility owned by Argentina's state-run Dioxitek, with a goal of boosting domestic capacity and opening export opportunities in a tight global market.

The initiative, unveiled this week, focuses on the so-called New Uranium Plant, or NPU, situated in Formosa province in northern Argentina. Construction of the facility has been stalled since 2014. The project dates to the final years of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's administration.

Contacts between Dioxitek and Nano Nuclear Energy began in August with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. That agreement allowed both sides to assess Argentina's nuclear sector and the capabilities of the state-owned company.

Discussions gained momentum during Argentina Week, an investment forum held in March in New York, where Argentine officials promoted opportunities in strategic sectors. There, the company finalized a formal proposal that is being reviewed by the Economy Ministry.

The plan would allow the U.S. firm to participate as a production partner, while Argentina would retain ownership. The arrangement would mark a shift in Argentina's nuclear policy, which has historically been fully controlled by the public sector.

The investment is structured in two phases. The first aims to complete construction and bring the plant online to produce uranium dioxide, a key input for nuclear power generation. The second phase would add a facility to convert that material into uranium hexafluoride, which is required for further processing.

If approved, the project could become the first nuclear initiative under Argentina's Large Investment Incentive Regime, known as RIGI, a framework that offers tax and foreign exchange benefits to attract major investments.

Isidro Baschar, former director and training manager at Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, said the RIGI is a tool promoted by President Javier Milei's administration to draw investment into sectors where the country holds competitive advantages.

"So far, initiatives have focused mainly on oil, gas and mining, so its application to the nuclear sector is a new development," Baschar told UPI.

He said the Dioxitek effort is part of a broader strategy to bring private financing into unfinished projects, such as the Formosa plant. The investment aims to secure domestic uranium dioxide supply and, in a second stage, develop export capabilities linked to the nuclear fuel cycle.

Please continue reading on UPI at:

Beyond the domestic scope

Mexico's Sheinbaum defends energy shift to cut reliance on U.S. gas

By Macarena Hermosilla

   

“Mexico must guarantee its sovereignty. And a fundamental part of sovereignty is energy sovereignty,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated. Photo by Isaac Esquivel/EPA

April 9 (UPI) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum signaled a major shift in the country's energy policy aimed at reducing its dependence on natural gas imports from the United States, including a possible reopening of hydraulic fracturing under stricter controls.

"Mexico must guarantee its sovereignty. And a fundamental part of sovereignty is energy sovereignty," Sheinbaum said Thursday during a press conference.

The president said her administration is exploring new domestic production pathways, including using fracking, a technique she previously opposed due to environmental concerns.

Sheinbaum described the move as a "responsible decision" to be carried out under "strict scientific oversight" with the support of a specialized committee.

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The proposal centers on creating a technical and scientific panel of experts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Polytechnic Institute.

The group will have two months to develop a protocol for extracting unconventional reserves, while minimizing environmental impact and prioritizing using treated or non-potable water.

The initiative marks a departure from the policy of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who maintained a strict ban on fracking on environmental grounds.

Mexico currently imports about 75% of the natural gas it consumes, mostly from Texas, exposing the country to price volatility and geopolitical risks that could affect the National Electric System.

"We cannot achieve energy sovereignty if we depend on a valve that can be shut outside our borders," Sheinbaum said.

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Government projections estimate gas demand could rise by about 30%