South America

BRASILIA, March 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week, where he hopes to reinforce trade, discuss international mediation in Ukraine, and
reclaim his country’s role in global geopolitics.

After a period of isolation under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula is wasting no time in renewing ties with allies.

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian government watchdog voted Wednesday to give former President Jair Bolsonaro five working days to return to authorities a set of jewels he received from Saudi Arabia in 2021.

All nine members of the government watchdog voted in favor of requiring Bolsonaro to turn the jewels over to the state-owned Caixa Economica Federal bank in the capital city of Brasilia.

The five days start counting as soon as Bolsonaro’s lawyers are officially notified, which had not happened, according to the government watchdog.

CARACAS, March 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s oil minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on Monday after prosecutors opened a corruption investigation into officials at the state oil company PDVSA.

Anti-corruption police on Sunday arrested two people closely linked to El Aissami: top PDVSA official Antonio Perez Suarez, and Joselit Ramirez, who manages oil industry funds through cryptocurrencies.

BOGOTA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A Colombian military helicopter crashed on Sunday, killing four soldiers in Quibdo, the capital city of Choco department, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said.

"There were no survivors in the plane crash in Quibdo," Petro said on social media, extending condolences to the families of the victims.

The helicopter was delivering supplies when the tragedy occurred, he added.

Farlin Perea, the governor of Choco department, said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident.

QUITO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that hit the Ecuadorian province of Guayas has risen to 14, Ecuadorian authorities said Saturday.

Another 381 were injured following the earthquake, according to the Ecuadorian Secretariat of Risk Management.

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Juan Vera lost three relatives when a strong earthquake that shook parts of Ecuador and Peru on Saturday brought down his niece’s home. The government has offered to pay for the woman’s funeral and those of her baby and her partner, but Vera wonders why local authorities allowed his relatives to live in such an old home to begin with.

18 Mar 2023; AA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will pay a state visit to China later this month following an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry in a statement said Lula, who will be in China from March 26-31, is scheduled to meet Xi, Prime Minister Li Qiang and President of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji in the capital Beijing.

BUENOS AIRES, March 17 (NNN-XINHUA) — Argentina will hold the general election for the 2023-2027 presidential term on Oct. 22, the National Electoral Chamber announced.

Mandatory primary elections are scheduled for Aug 13. Political parties can present one list of primary candidates and voting is mandatory for citizens.

Primary candidates must obtain at least 1.5 percent of the total votes in order to be eligible for the October election.

SAO PAULO, March 17 (NNN-XINHUA) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated a call to revive Unasur (Union of South American Nations), the South American integration bloc.

Accompanied by his Paraguayan counterpart Mario Abdo Benitez, Lula made the remarks during a speech in the southern city of Foz do Iguacu to mark the entry of economist Enio Verri as the new Brazilian director of the Itaipu binational hydroelectric plant, which was built 50 years ago by the two neighboring countries.

BRASILIA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Eight died after a landslide occurred in the eastern part of Manaus, capital of the State of Amazon in northern Brazil, early Monday.

Bodies of the victims have been removed from the disaster site, including four children, reported local media, adding that the remains of a mother and daughter were found hugging under the rubble.

The local fire department said that during the landslide, nine houses were attacked by mud from the landslide. Firefighters and nearby residents are still searching for survivors.