#BRAZIL: Former Pres. Hopes To Run Again In 2026

[world politics news]

Brazil's former president is hoping to make a comeback in the 2026 presidential election, if he can overcome the significant hurdle of being banned from running until 2030, that is.

Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party is banking on Congress passing a constitutional amendment that would overturn the court order banning him from running for office until 2030.

"Bolsonaro's charisma is amazing. People turn out in droves. Some cry when he appears in public," he said in an interview.

Brazil's electoral authority declared Bolsonaro ineligible to seek office again for eight years due to his baseless attacks on the country's electronic voting system. He is also under investigation for allegedly plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election to leftist President Luis Inacio Lula de Silva, which he denies.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: High Court Orders Some Twitter Accounts Blocked; Musk Defies

[world politics news]

At 5:52 pm Eastern Time, April 6, 2024, X corporation, formerly known as Twitter, announced that a Brazilian court had forced it to “block certain popular accounts in Brazil.” 

Then, less than one hour later, the owner of X, @ElonMusk announced that X would defy the court’s order, and lift all restrictions.

“As a result,” said Musk, “we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit.”

At any moment, Brazil’s Supreme Court could shut off all access to X/Twitter for the people of Brazil.

Musk attacked the judge in a post on X: "Those requests violate Brazilian law. This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ARGENTINA: Pres. Milei's Reform Bill Passes Lower House

[world politics news]

Argentina’s lower chamber of deputies has given overall approval to libertarian president Javier Milei’s sweeping “omnibus” reform bill in a vote on Friday after days of debate, paving the way for a decisive vote in the Senate.

The controversial reform package was approved on a vote of 144 votes in favor and 109 against.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: AI Writes Environmental Ordinance

[world politics news]

A groundbreaking event recently occurred in Brazil’s city of Porto Alegre, where lawmakers unknowingly passed an experimental ordinance entirely crafted by artificial intelligence (AI). 

City councilman Ramiro Rosário revealed that the ordinance, aimed at preventing charges to taxpayers for stolen water consumption meters, was written by OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT. 

The proposal was shared with Rosário’s peers without any alterations, raising questions about the role of AI in public policy.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ARGENTINA: Amid 142% Inflation, Voters Bring Amarchist Libertarian To Power

[world politics news]

Libertarian outsider Javier Milei swept to victory in Argentina's presidential election Sunday, vowing to halt decades of economic decline in a country reeling from triple-digit inflation.

The self-described "anarcho-capitalist" pulled off a massive upset by ousting the populist Peronist coalition which has long dominated Argentine politics.

With 55.7 percent of the vote, Milei thumped his rival, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who won 44 percent of the vote and rapidly conceded defeat.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

ECUADOR: Center-Right Candidate Noboa Defeats Leftist In Pres. Election

[world politics news]

Center-right candidate Daniel Noboa, the 35-year-old son of a banana tycoon, will become Ecuador’s next president, and the nation's youngest, following an election driven by concerns over rising violence and a worsening security situation in the Latin American nation.

Noboa won 52.3% of the votes. His main political rival, leftist candidate and first round front-runner Luisa González, obtained 47.7% of votes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: Court Bars Frmr. Pres. Jair Balsonaro From Running Again in 2026, Backs Wife's Candidacy

[world politics news]

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's hopes of reclaiming the presidency in 2026 may be over. But that doesn't mean there won't be a Bolsonaro running in three years' time.

Brazil's federal electoral court (TSE) on Friday froze Bolsonaro's political career, barring the fiery nationalist from public office until 2030 for spreading baseless claims about the country's voting system in last year's election.

The ruling represents a devastating setback for the 68-year-old career politician who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man.

But it may not spell the end for the Bolsonaro clan.

Speaking on Thursday shortly after landing in Rio de Janeiro, where he was greeted with shouts of "criminal" and "coup-monger," Bolsonaro backed his wife Michelle for president in 2026.

"Of course, I would support a Michelle candidacy," he said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PARAGUAY: Conservative Peña Wins Presidential Election

[world politics news]

Santiago Peña has won Paraguay’s election, returning the conservative Colorado Party to government after a tightly-contested campaign that had threatened to end its seven-decade hold on power.

The 44-year-old economist and former finance minister had 42.7 percent of the vote with more than 99 percent of ballots counted, a more than 15-point lead over centre-left rival Efrain Alegrem a 60-year-old lawyer from the Concertacion coalition, according to the electoral body.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

China Seeks Free Trade Deal In "America's Backyard"

[world politics news]

A proposed free-trade agreement between China and a group of South American nations, which includes Argentina and Brazil, will benefit all sides economically, but will further increase competition between Washington and Beijing in the so-called backyard of the United States, according to analysts.

New leftist Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that the proposed deal between China and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), which also includes Uruguay and Paraguay as full members, will modernise and open up the South American trade bloc to other regions.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: Supreme Court To Investigate Ex-Pres. Bolsonaro's Role In Violent "Capitol Riot"

[world politics news]

Brazil’s Supreme Court said it will investigate former president Jair Bolsonaro for inspiring the far-right mob that invaded and ransacked the country’s Congress, Supreme Court and presidential offices this week, a swift escalation in the probe that shows the former leader could soon face legal consequences for an extremist movement that he helped build.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: Violence Continues As PM Seeks Confidence Vote

[world politics news]

A three-day mourning period began in southern Peru on Tuesday after 17 more people were killed in the most violent day of protests since they began in December over the ousting of former President Pedro Castillo.

The mourning period in the southeastern region of Puno came as Prime Minister Alberto Otarola was set to appear in the opposition-dominated Congress, seeking a vote of confidence in his cabinet - a constitutional requirement to lead a new government.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: As Leftist Lula Sworn In As President, Bolsonaro Boycotts, flees to Florida

[world politics news]

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected, took the reins of the Brazilian government Sunday in an elaborate inauguration, complete with a motorcade, music festival and hundreds of thousands of supporters filling the central esplanade of Brasília, the nation’s capital.

But one key person was missing: the departing president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Without him, there was no ceremonial passing of the presidential sash ,  an important symbol of the peaceful transition of power in a nation where many people still recall the 21-year military dictatorship that ended in 1985.

Instead, Bolsonaro woke up Sunday 6,000 miles away, in a rented house owned by a professional mixed-martial-arts fighter a few miles from Disney World. Facing various investigations from his time in his office, Bolsonaro flew to Orlando on Friday night and plans to stay in Florida for at least a month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: Parliament Calls Early Election Amid Turmoil

[world politics news]

Peru has been gripped by nationwide unrest since the impeachment and arrest of President Pedro Castillo on December 7. The demonstrators protest against Castillo's disempowerment and demand the resignation of his successor Boluarte.

They are also demanding that Parliament be dissolved and that new elections be held immediately. More than 20 people were killed during the protests. The snap elections now scheduled by parliament for May, 2024 are an attempt to contain the crisis.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: President Removed From Office, Arrested

[world politics news]

Peru's Congress voted to oust President Pedro Castillo in an impeachment trial on Wednesday, shortly after he attempted to dissolve the legislative body and install an emergency government.

[Full story HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: Demonstrators Demand Embattled Leftist President Resign

[world politics news]

Pedro Castillo — the subject of six corruption investigations — cannot be prosecuted while he is Peru's president. He also has no intentions of resigning.

Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets across the country on Saturday demanding his resignation.

The leftist leader, who took office in July of 2021, has already politically survived two attempts to impeach him. There are currently six corruption cases against him, an unprecedented number in the context of Peruvian politics. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: Leftist Lula Defeats Incumbent Bolsonaro

[world politics news]

Brazil’s incumbent president, Jair Bolsonaro, has fallen silent after his election defeat to his leftist rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

A stream of world leaders have stepped forward to recognize Lula’s stunning political comeback, including the US president, Joe Biden, the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, and China’s Communist party chief, Xi Jinping.

Leftist media throughout the world reveled in the victory of the former president who had been jailed at one point, and spread the theory that Bolsonaro would actively contest the defeat.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BRAZIL: Bolsonaro Defies Polls, Forces Runoff With Leftist Lula

[world politics news]

Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (known as "Lula") may have come out ahead with 48.4 percent of the vote in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, but the winner of the night might still be incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. With 43.2 percent of the ballot, the far-right leader comfortably beat pre-election polls and is now on course to face off with his leftist rival in a nail-biting run-off that few observers saw coming.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

##COLOMBIA: Former Marxist Guerrilla Elected President

[world politics news]

When he takes office on August 7th Gustavo Petro will become the country’s first left-wing president. He offers a radical departure from two decades of right-wing and center-right rulers. Petro’s running-mate, Francia Márquez, a 40-year-old environmental activist, will become the country’s first black vice-president.

Petro won by 50.4% to 47.3%, a wider than expected margin, in a run-off against Rodolfo Hernández, a property tycoon. His 11.3m votes, helped by a record turnout of 58%, mark the highest tally in Colombia’s electoral history. Petro is a former mayor of Bogotá and once belonged to m19, a leftist guerrilla group.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#COLOMBIA: Runoff For Presidential Election Between Leftist And Populist

[world politics news]

Leftist senator Gustavo Petro and right-wing populist businessman Rodolfo Hernández will face off in Colombia's presidential runoff next month.

The success of the two anti-establishment candidates is a major blow to Colombia's political class, say political observers.

Petro led with just over 40% of the vote late Sunday, while Hernández was in second with about 28%. A candidate needed more than 50% to avoid a runoff.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: Pres. Castillo Imposes 24-Hour Curfew After Fuel Price Riots

[world politics news]

 

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo announced a curfew for Tuesday in the capital Lima and neighboring port city Callao, after demonstrations across the country over fuel prices caused roadblocks and alleged "acts of violence."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.