South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brumadinho in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais climbed to 150 on Wednesday, the national civil defense agency said.

Another 182 people have been reportedly missing since the tailings dam owned by mining giant Vale collapsed on Jan. 25, burying entire neighborhoods in the town under meters of toxic mud.

A total of 192 people were rescued alive, said Flavio Godinho, spokesman for the Minas Gerais state civil defense agency.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 13 more years in prison on Wednesday on corruption and money laundering charges, judicial sources said.

Lula, who served as Brazil's president from 2003 to 2010, is currently serving a sentence of 12 years and one month on charges of accepting a luxury beachfront apartment from a construction firm in exchange for government building contracts.

BUENOS AIRES; 06 Feb 2019; AA: Hundreds of Argentinians held a demonstration Tuesday in the capital Buenos Aires against U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

Non-governmental organizations, trade unions and student clubs gathered at the University of Buenos Aires and marched to the U.S. embassy.

The crowd chanted slogans such as "End U.S. pressure on Latin America!” and “Establish dialogue and peace in Venezuela!”

CARACAS, February 5. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged Western states to remove sanctions on the South American country instead of sending humanitarian aid there if they want to help Venezuelans.

"At first they [Western states] block our billions of dollars and then they say that they want to send humanitarian assistance. If you want to help Venezuela, then stop the blockade and lift the sanctions," Maduro said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s Twitter.

CARACAS, February 6. /TASS/. The deep political crisis in Venezuela won’t spill into an armed conflict in the country and claims about that have been exaggerated, political analyst and consultant in Venezuela Dimitris Pantulas told TASS.

"Civil war between the opposition and Chavists [supporters of left-wing ideology of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - TASS] is highly unlikely," the expert said. The reason is very simple: the authorities are using only electoral support, let’s say, they don’t have a political movement that Chavez had."

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — President Jair Bolsonaro is taking his anti-leftist ideological war to Brazil’s classrooms and universities, causing angst among teachers and education officials who say the government wants to fight an enemy that doesn’t exist.

Bolsonaro and top officials have announced plans to revise textbooks to excise references to feminism, homosexuality and violence against women, say the military will take over some public schools and frequently bash Paulo Freire, one of Brazil’s most famous educators, whose ideas had worldwide influence.

CARACAS, 05 Feb 2019; AA: U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil company PDVSA will affect the global market negatively, the oil minister said Monday.

In an interview aired by private broadcaster Televen, Manuel Quevedo, also president of the oil company, commented on U.S. sanctions imposed last week on PDVSA and its U.S. subsidiary Citgo.

Quevedo said US sanctions and trade wars will affect oil prices in 2019.

04 Feb 2019; AFP: The toll from a dam collapse at a mine in southeast Brazil has risen to 134 deaths after more than a week of searches, with 199 missing, authorities said Monday.

The count showed the gradual recovery operation of bodies more than a week after the January 25 disaster at the dam, owned by Brazilian mining giant Vale, near the town of Brumadinho.

BRASILIA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's government on Monday announced it will submit an anti-crime bill to congress that stiffens penalties for serious crimes.

"The Brazilian government is declaring war on organized crime," president Jair Bolsonaro, who is recovering from surgery in hospital, said in a written message to lawmakers.

Crime in Brazil has "set records" due to the "weakening" of security forces and "too permissive" laws, said Bolsonaro.

CARACAS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's foreign ministry rejected on Monday several European countries' decision to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.

Those countries "are officially adopting the strategy of the U.S. administration to overthrow the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Such a decision "is in open violation of the principles and practices that govern diplomatic ties, setting a dangerous precedent for peaceful coexistence between nations," said the ministry.