Lula and Trump declare bilateral relationship reset after three-hour meeting at the White House
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The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the United States, Donald Trump, held a meeting of close to three hours at the White House on Thursday in which both leaders declared an end to one of the most severe bilateral crises in two centuries of relations between the two largest economies in the Americas. The encounter, formalized as a working meeting, unfolded in a climate of personal fluency and allowed for the agreement to establish bilateral channels to address commercial, security, and regional cooperation matters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new package of sanctions against the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), the conglomerate linked to the Cuban Armed Forces that controls approximately 40% of the island's economy, in a fresh escalation of the economic pressure deployed by the Trump administration against the Havana regime. The measure is part of the implementation of Executive Order 14404, signed by President Donald Trump on May 1, which authorizes sanctions against those responsible for political repression and threats to US national security.
The first ballots counted in the local elections held on Thursday across the United Kingdom confirmed the advance of the far-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, in territories historically dominated by Labour in the north of England and triggered the first public expressions of discontent within Prime Minister Keir Starmer's own party, in what various analysts already describe as one of the most adverse electoral nights for the ruling party since taking office in July 2024. The vote, in which more than 5,000 municipal seats across 136 local authorities and the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales were contested, opened the door to a potential internal crisis over Starmer's leadership.
The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and its consequences for the global supply of oil and other derivative products have not bypassed the Falkland Islands, which, as one local lawmaker put it, sit "at the tail end of global distribution."
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was received on Thursday by his American counterpart Donald Trump at the White House, in his first official visit to Washington since his return to power in 2023 and the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, following a brief 45-minute encounter on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur last October. The meeting, formalized as a working session rather than a state visit, seeks to consolidate the fragile bilateral truce reached after one of the most severe diplomatic crises in two centuries of relations between the two most populous democracies in the Americas.
British voters head to the polls on Thursday, May 7, in an election that will see the renewal of more than 5,000 seats across 136 local councils in England, six directly elected mayoralties, and the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales, in what various analysts and pollsters describe as the toughest electoral test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer since he took office in July 2024. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. local time and will close at 10:00 p.m., with most results expected by Friday afternoon.
C´reditos MercoPress
São Bernardo do Campo, SP Brasil
23 de março de 2020
Caro Miguel Díaz-Canel,
Presidente da República de Cuba
Estou escrevendo para falar sobre a emoção que senti quando vi a imagem dos médicos cubanos chegando na Itália, para ajudar as vítimas da pandemia de coronavírus naquele país.
Mais uma vez, o governo e o povo de Cuba dão ao mundo um exemplo de solidariedade, superando todas as barreiras, sejam de natureza econômica, geográfica ou política.
É em momentos de crise que encontramos os verdadeiramente grandes. E nessas horas as pessoas daquela ilha são sempre gigantescas diante do mundo. A solidariedade ativa, militante e revolucionária de Cuba já foi evidente em várias partes do planeta, em uma resposta altiva e soberana àqueles que tentam impor o bloqueio econômico e o isolamento político.
O povo brasileiro ficará eternamente grato pelo papel que desempenhou em nosso programa Mais Médicos, em uma cooperação que salvou inúmeras vidas e ensinou muito aos nossos próprios profissionais de saúde.
Essa cooperação foi brutalmente interrompida por um governo mesquinho com o povo e cegada por uma ideologia individualista e desumana.
Nestes momentos de crise devido ao coronavírus, infelizmente de uma maneira mais dolorosa para o nosso povo, todos estão tendo que reconhecer a falta que os colegas médicos cubanos nos fazem aqui.
Peço a você, querido colega Díaz-Canel, que transmita aos cubanos, especialmente aos cientistas e profissionais de saúde que estão nesta dura luta pela vida em todo o mundo, o reconhecimento, a admiração e a gratidão do povo brasileiro.
Estaremos juntos, sempre, até a vitória
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
(Traduzido da versão espanhola publicada no Granma)
