President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulated António José Seguro on his victory in the Portuguese elections. On social media, Lula described the triumph as significant and called it a victory for democracy.

“An election that took place peacefully and represents the victory of democracy at such an important moment for Europe and the world. It also consolidates Portugal’s support for the Mercosur–European Union agreement,” Lula stated.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Mercosur–EU leaders sign agreement, defend multilateralism.
• Lula recalls coup attempt, says democracy must be protected.

In his post, he also said that Brazil will continue working in partnership with the president-elect and Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, to strengthen bilateral relations and promote multilateralism and sustainable development.

How the victory unfolded

The socialist António José Seguro was elected president of Portugal on Sunday (Feb. 8), surpassing three million votes. He defeated far-right candidate André Ventura in the second round.

The Brazilian government will support the candidacy of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet for secretary-general of the United Nations (UN).

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Bachelet’s candidacy was formally presented on Monday (Feb. 2) by the governments of Chile, Brazil, and Mexico.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Lula calls for permanent UN Security Council seats for Brazil, India.

In a social media post, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that after eight decades, it is time for the organization to “finally” be led by a woman.

According to Lula, Bachelet’s career is marked by a pioneering spirit. In his post, he highlighted her résumé, noting that she was the first woman to serve twice as president of Chile and the first to hold the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Health in her country. He also recalled her high-level roles in the multilateral system.

“Within the United Nations system, she played a decisive role in creating and consolidating UN Women as its first executive director, giving institutional scale to the equality agenda. As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she worked to protect the most vulnerable, advance recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and give voice to those who most need to be heard,” Lula wrote.

“Her experience, leadership, and commitment to multilateralism qualify her to lead the UN in an international context marked by conflict, inequality, and democratic setbacks,” the Brazilian president added.

Currently, Portuguese António Guterres heads the United Nations Secretariat. He was re-elected in 2021 for a second five-year term (2022–2026), after beginning his tenure in January 2017.

The new secretary-general will take office on January 1, 2027.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially submitted the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) to Congress on Monday (Feb. 2).

Brazilian lawmakers must approve the treaty for it to take effect, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks through votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil to monitor decision holding up Mercosur agreement.
• Mercosur–EU leaders sign agreement, defend multilateralism.

The agreement establishes the world’s largest free trade zone, with more than 720 million inhabitants. It was signed by representatives of both sides on January 17 in Asunción, Paraguay.

Under the approved terms, the treaty eliminates customs tariffs on most goods and services traded between the two blocs.

Mercosur will lift tariffs on 91 percent of European goods within 15 years, while the European Union will remove tariffs on 95 percent of Mercosur goods within 12 years.

Despite the formal signing between the two blocs, the agreement still needs to be ratified by the national congresses of each Mercosur country, as well as by the European Parliament.

In Europe’s case, however, submitting the agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for review - a decision made two weeks ago - has stalled the process and could delay the final stage by up to two years.

The Brazilian government expects that approval by the National Congress will put pressure on the European Parliament to advance the agreement.

The large city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the Brazilian state of Paraná, borders five cities in two countries – Ciudad del Este, Presidente Franco, Hernandárias, and Minga Guazú, in Paraguay; as well as Puerto Iguazú, in Argentina. “Home to roughly 1 million people, the region is truly cross-border in nature,” says international law professor Gustavo Oliveira Viera.

The team from Caminhos da Reportagem on TV Brasil – one of the channels owned by EBC – traveled to the triple border region where they spotted a case of international drug trafficking taking place in broad daylight. A 28-year-old man was carrying 3.6 kilograms of marijuana on a bus that had left Paraguay to cross the Brazilian border.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil to increase National Force presence on border with Venezuela.
• Argentina, Paraguay boost border security against Comando Vermelho.

More than 30 thousand people cross the Ponte da Fraternidade – or Fraternity Bridge –connecting Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, every day. In addition, 100 thousand people cross the famous Ponte da Amizade – Friendship Bridge – linking Brazil and Paraguay.

According to local authorities, the intense flow of people coming and going makes it impossible to check everyone’s documents. The solution is to invest in training and technology. “We have invested in intelligence and in training our staff in nonverbal language,” Federal Revenue Service auditor Daniel Messias Linck notes.

This is how the Brazilian Revenue Service attempts to prevent yet another crime – human trafficking. “These cases tend to follow a pattern. Generally, these are people who cannot say exactly where they are going and who appear extremely frightened,” he goes on to say.

Combating child trafficking, in turn, requires a multidisciplinary approach. After joining forces, public agencies and society have reaped the rewards of the task force at the border. In Paraguay, reporter Flavia Peixoto spoke with a missionary couple to understand how the work is done. 

“We help families with food, education, and medicine because when they’re well, they’re not as susceptible to trafficking,” says Jacob Schaafsma, from the Netherlands. “We want to prevent this situation with vulnerable or dysfunctional families. We have had cases of parents and grandparents selling children,” Venezuelan Nathaly Schaafsma points out.

TV Brasil’s production team discovered that the lack of documentation is a goldmine for criminals. Such is the case of the granddaughter of housewife Cândida Sanabria. The child was not legally documented until she was almost three years old, after she was adopted by the family. “Abigail means everything to me. She’s my companion and my joy,” she says.

Crimes considered less serious, such as smuggling (when the goods are prohibited in Brazil) and embezzlement (when the goods are permitted, but the tax was not paid upon entering Brazilian territory), are the most common in Foz do Iguaçu.

“Smuggling and embezzlement are closely associated with organized crime and money laundering. They’re nearly inseparable. Members of organized crime realized long ago that embezzlement is perhaps even more profitable than drug trafficking. Some cell phone shipments here are worth up to BRL 5 million,” Federal Revenue Service auditor Carolina Morimoto reports.

Awards

On air since 2008, Caminhos da Reportagem is one of the most prestigious Brazilian journalistic productions among audiences and critics. In this first episode of the 2026 season, the theme is Foz do Iguaçu – crimes on Brazil’s busiest border. At the end of 2025, the show surpassed the milestone of 100 awards received. Since 2010, when the count began, accolades have reached 101. Episodes can be watched on TV Brasil’s YouTube page, in several languages.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Tuesday (Jan. 27) he will travel to the US in March for a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump. The meeting will take place at the White House, in Washington, D.C.

Lula confirmed the trip upon arriving in Panama, Central America, where he is participating as a special guest at the International Economic Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean, at the invitation of the host country. The event takes place Wednesday (28).

Notícias relacionadas:

• Lula and Macron discuss Trump’s Peace Council in phone call.
• Lula urges changes to Peace Council in call with Trump.

“In early March, I’ll travel to Washington because the US and Brazil are the two main democracies in the West, and I believe that two heads of state need to talk face to face so that we can discuss the good relations between Brazil and the US,” said the president in a brief conversation with journalists upon arrival at his hotel in Panama City.

“I’m convinced that we’ll return to normal soon, that we will strengthen multilateralism, and that we will get the economies growing again, because that’s what the people expect from all of us,” he added.

Lula and Trump spoke by phone on Monday and discussed a number of issues, including the situation in Venezuela, the peace plan for the Gaza Strip, and the fight against organized crime, according to an official statement from the Planalto presidential palace.

In Panama, the Brazilian leader was also asked about the crisis in Venezuela as well as the US military presence in the Caribbean. He said he spoke twice with the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, in the days following the US military invasion in Caracas, adding, however, that he will call Nicolás Maduro’s successor again.

“I spoke twice with President Delcy, but I didn’t go into detail because she was very concerned about the events, which were really recent. I’ll speak with President Delcy again soon. I hope she can get the job done. It’s important that President Trump allows Venezuela to take care of its sovereignty democratic interests. We’ll see what happens. It’s all really recent, and I think we have to be a little patient because the Venezuelan people themselves will find a solution for the Venezuelan people,” he declared.

Lula said he has been talking to different international leaders in defense of multilateralism, citing the conversation he had on Monday with France’s Emmanuel Macron, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Trump himself the day before.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron spoke Tuesday morning (Jan. 27) about the proposed Peace Council. The council was conceived, created, and is chaired by the US president in order to, according to Donald Trump, pacify and rebuild the Gaza Strip.

Over the course of the hour-long phone call, Lula and Macron advocated the strengthening of the United Nations (UN) and agreed that initiatives on peace and security should be aligned with the mandates of the Security Council and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. The content of the conversation between the presidents was disclosed by the Planalto presidential palace.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil to monitor decision holding up Mercosur agreement.
• Lula and Macron commit to further dialogue on Mercosur‑EU deal.

Lula was one of the leaders invited to take a seat on the council, but has not yet responded to the invitation. Last week, at an event in the city of Salvador, he criticized the proposal to create the council, stating that Trump wants to create a new UN for him to control. France was also invited but has already declined the invitation.

In recent weeks, Lula has made and received calls from important world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

On Monday (26), Lula even spoke with President Trump. The Brazilian leader suggested that the Peace Council include a seat for Palestine and limit itself to discussing issues related to the Gaza Strip.

Venezuela

During the conversation, Lula and Macron also exchanged views on Venezuela. According to the Planalto Palace, both condemned the use of force in violation of international law and agreed on the importance of peace and stability in both South America and the world.

On January 3, the US bombed Venezuela and kidnapped the nation’s president, Nicolás Maduro, as well as his wife, Cilia Flores. The two were taken to the US, and Venezuelan vice-President Delcy Rodriguez took over the country on an interim basis.

Mercosur–EU Agreement

The leaders of Brazil and France also discussed the free trade pact between Mercosur and the European Union. Lula reaffirmed his view that the partnership is positive for both blocs and “constitutes an important contribution to the defense of multilateralism and rules-based trade.”

The agreement was signed on January 17 this year, after 26 years of negotiations. However, on January 21, the European Parliament decided to ask the Court of Justice of the European Union for a legal assessment of the trade partnership with South America. In practice, the measure paralyzes the agreement’s implementation process. The court usually takes about two years to issue an opinion.

France is one of the countries opposing ratification on the grounds that the accord threatens local agriculture by creating “unfair competition” with cheaper imports from Mercosur.

Brazil and the European Union (EU) have signed a mutual recognition agreement on standards for processing and protecting personal and corporate data between the two territories.

The ceremony formalizing the measure took place on Tuesday (Jan. 27) at the Planalto presidential palace and was attended by acting President Geraldo Alckmin and European Union (EU) Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Data protection: X network required to clarify AI platform.
• Personal data protection now a right under Brazil Constitution.

“It will bring more legal certainty, make life easier for people and companies, reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and stimulate reciprocal investments. A study shows that digital commerce could grow from 7 percent to 9 percent and lead to even greater service complementarity, bringing the European Union and Brazil closer together,” Alckmin said during the event.

The vice president emphasized that the EU is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner, after China, and one of the country’s largest direct investors. Alckmin also noted that this is Brazil’s first bilateral agreement on data protection. At the ceremony, he represented President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is on an official trip to Panama.

The decision indicates that the European Commission recognizes that Brazil provides an adequate level of personal data protection. At the same time, through the National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), the Brazilian government certifies that the European Union maintains standards equivalent to those established in the General Personal Data Protection Law (LGPD).

For the European Commissioner, the mutual agreement recognizing equivalence in data protection creates a common area of trust for more than 670 million people, the combined population of both territories.

“This mutual adequacy decision is really very comprehensive, as it covers both the public and private sectors and will pave the way for the free flow of data, benefiting trade, citizens, and organizations everywhere. I am confident that your data, no matter where you are in Europe, will be protected,” said Michael McGrath.

Responsible for enforcing data protection legislation in Brazil, ANPD considers the measure a historic milestone for personal data protection, the digital economy, and the consolidation of fundamental rights in an increasingly data-driven world.

ANPD President Waldemar Gonçalves Ortunho Júnior explained that mutual recognition allows international transfers of personal data between Brazil and the European Union to occur directly, securely, and simply, without the need for additional data transfer mechanisms.

“The adequacy decision ensures that the personal data of Brazilians, when transferred to the European Union, are afforded protection equivalent to that guaranteed to European citizens,” he assured.

The adequacy decision is an instrument provided for in the LGPD that allows the international transfer of data when the destination country or international organization offers a level of protection deemed adequate.

According to ANPD, the measure does not apply to data transfers conducted solely for public security, national defense, state security, or criminal investigation purposes.