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* Chilean police heavily repress student protest
* Over 600 detained as French students' protests spread
* Over 600 detained as French students' protests spread
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00:12In Bolivia, the government of Rodrigo Paz detained Attorney General Roger Mariaca,
00:16head of Serenero Cakes, investigation of alleged ties to drug trafficking.
00:25Chilean police forces took violent measures to suppress demonstrators who protest at the
00:29fountains allocated to public universities in the 2027 budget bill.
00:38Over 600 people were detained in France on Wednesday as high school protests over overcrowded
00:43classes and teacher shortages spread to universities.
00:51Hello, welcome from the south.
00:53I'm Bruce Alberto Matos from Adreso Studios in Caracas, Venezuela.
00:56We begin the news.
01:09In Bolivia, officials from the National Attorney General's Office reported the kidnapping of
01:14Attorney General Roger Mariaca overnight on Thursday.
01:17According to information provided by prosecutors and press officials, the Attorney General was
01:22reportedly apprehended on Wednesday night at Viru Viru Airport in Santa Cruz alongside
01:27the Departmental Attorney Alberto Ceballos.
01:32Prosecutor Mariaca was handling the case of Argentine National Fernando Cerimero, who was responsible
01:37for the disinformation and hoax campaign orchestrated by various representatives of the Ibero-American
01:44far-right.
01:45In addition, Mariaca recently got his visa revoked by the U.S. government under allegations of interference.
01:58Precisely, in his latest public statements on Tuesday, Bolivia's Attorney General Roger Mariaca
02:03vowed to continue investigating the Cerimero case.
02:11We also know that some investigations have implications that extend beyond national borders.
02:16The so-called Cerimero case, for example, has raised concerns and had reflections in various
02:22political spheres, but no political pressure.
02:25Whether national or international can become an obstacle to clarifying the facts, which must
02:37be investigated.
02:42I will not back down, not even a centimeter, from the investigations that fall under my administration.
02:48We will continue working on the Cerimero case.
02:51Our commitment to Bolivia and to the truth means we will not rest until the Bolivian people
02:56know, with the guarantee of due process, what happened, who was involved, and what responsibilities
03:01apply in accordance with the law and procedure.
03:12And following the alert issued by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Government
03:16of Bolivia reported on Thursday the detention of Attorney General Roger Mariaca and Santa Cruz
03:21Departmental Attorney Alberto Ceballos over alleged ties to drug trafficking.
03:25In a press conference, Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo confirmed an overnight operation
03:31resulted in 14 arrests, including four authorities.
03:34According to Oviedo, Mariaca and Ceballos were both transferred to La Paz and submitted to
03:38integration.
03:39The official informed that Mariaca is being charged for the crimes of a criminal organization,
03:44laundering of illicit proceeds, and illicit trafficking in controlled substances, and noted
03:49that investigations are ongoing to determine his responsibility.
03:58Also on Thursday, Luis Montaño has assumed the position of Acting Attorney General on a
04:03temporary basis.
04:04The information was announced by the official to the nation from the Public Prosecutor's
04:08Office in Santa Cruz in the eastern part of Bolivia.
04:11This appointment is going to be only temporary and will remain in effect until the pluronational
04:15legislative assembly appoints the new head.
04:17He has explained that his appointment to this position is intended to ensure the continuity
04:23of the Public Prosecutor's Office's functions and preserve institutional stability during
04:27this period.
04:28At the same time, Mabel Andrade became the Acting Prosecutor for Santa Cruz, replacing Alberto
04:34Ceballos, who was also arrested while meeting with the now former Attorney General Roger Mariaca
04:39and a third person also arrested, whose identity is unknown.
04:48In other topics, the Chilean Student Confederation called for a strike on Thursday in different
04:53regions of the country and a national day of protest.
04:55These demonstrations are taking place amid a debate over the fundings allocated to education
05:00in the 2027 budget bill, which threatens to cut a significant portion of funding for public
05:05universities and that will be discussed next Monday, October 5th.
05:09The call to mobilize was shared on social media by organizations that bring together Chilean
05:13University Federations and will be supported by the United Workers' Central, the Chilean
05:18Teachers Association, the Coordinating Assembly of Secondary Students and the 8M Feminist Coordinating
05:24Committee, as well as the National Federation of Education Workers and the National Federation
05:29of Associations of Education Officials, among others.
05:38In this context, Chilean police forces took valid measures to suppress the protesters who
05:43gathered at 10.30 a.m. local time in Santiago de Chile, the country's capital.
05:49These repressive forces fired tear gas at the protesters, suffocating civilians and also
05:54sprayed them with water mixed with different toxic chemicals, in addition to leaving several
05:59people injured and others arrested.
06:01These protests were accompanied by various clashes in front of Palacio de la Moneda, outside the
06:05University of Chile and at the National Institute on Alameda.
06:16This is a savage crackdown, brutal, absurd and completely unjustified against those who are
06:21marching peacefully.
06:22A march that was authorized by the presidential delegation.
06:25Look, they fired tear gas at us, were completely suffocating.
06:28Some people even fainted.
06:29This is brutality, simply brutality.
06:32This is pure fascism.
06:36Let's now take our first break.
06:37Remember, you can join us on TikTok at Telesur English, where you'll find news in different
06:40formats, news updates and more.
06:43We're going to be five bucks.
06:44Stay with us.
07:07Welcome back.
07:08As we have been reporting over the week, Brazil is preparing for a milestone election next
07:13Sunday, October 4th for general elections that will elect the president, but also with
07:17renewed governorships and seats in the Senate.
07:19To debate more on the importance of this electoral data and to analyze deeper the circumstances
07:24that are surrounding the electoral campaign that reaches the final days, let's welcome international
07:29analyst and writer Ergon Kuller, who has a post-graduate degree from USP, a master's degree from FGB and
07:36a specialization from the University of Barcelona.
07:39He is also a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Barrao de Itarare Center for Alternative
07:44Media Studies, and he's with us to discuss about these final days of advertising and TV campaigns
07:50and the influence of AI.
07:51So welcome Ergon to From the South.
07:53Thank you for your time here with us today.
07:59Welcome and thank you.
08:00It's a pleasure.
08:01Ergon, my first question, we have seen in campaigns, electoral campaigns that usually in the traditional
08:07sense would take place in in-person rallies, the TV ads that run in the TVs in the country,
08:14but lately we have seen that social media are having a greater impact when it comes to campaigns
08:20and especially with something that has been denounced recently even by President Lula and
08:24by many heads of states in the last UN General Assembly, the use of AI and its influence that
08:29it can have on social media, on voter persuasion.
08:34So from your perspective, how has these electoral campaigns been taking place from in social medias
08:40and in digital spaces?
08:44It's an excellent question because here in Brazil, basically we have two sides.
08:48By one side, we have the President Lula on the left wing, when we have a lot of difficulties
08:54to take about this subject of communication on social media.
09:00But by the other side, we have the experience since 2018 during the presidential elections
09:08that have elected Jair Bolsonaro, where we had a lot of cases of disinformation being spreaded,
09:15especially on WhatsApp.
09:16So it's important to point that because by one side, we have the traditional communication way
09:22to present the ideas on the left wing, but on the right wing, now represented by Flávio Bolsonaro,
09:30we have a lot of experience, not only in open-end social medias like Instagram, Facebook and contents
09:36potentialized by algorithms, but also and specifically on closed communities like WhatsApp and Telegram.
09:44And in that situation, we have the influence of social media because more than only getting the contents
09:52on the smartphone and place it on the reality of each case that we have in Brazil, because each person
09:59has a different perspective of different characteristics of algorithms, for example, when receive some content.
10:06But more than that, we have like an organic system that spreads a lot of content during the entire process
10:14of the elections.
10:15And in a case that we have the far wing more potentialized on the social media, but specifically
10:22on the closed communities, the result is that we have a lot, of course, of disinformation based on the case
10:30that we have more access on WhatsApp and we have not too much access on the fact-checked possibilities,
10:37for example.
10:38So the impact is directly accased by the fact that we have a lot of access, but low possibilities
10:47to check the information.
10:50And as you were saying, with low possibilities to check the information and to fact-check everything,
10:55how can institutions protect voters from this?
10:59How can they adapt and face these disinformation campaigns to protect the sovereignty of an electoral
11:05system?
11:08That's an important question because sovereignty is the key point during these elections.
11:13We have a lot of discussions based on how Donald Trump was trying to influence the elections
11:19here also.
11:20It's important to remember also that in March this year, during the morning presentations that
11:26Claudia Sheinbaum's on Mexico has presented discussions about communications and with popular
11:33keyword creators, for example, we had a case that a guy saying that he was aborted by the White
11:43House to align narratives and to present the ideas of the United States on Mexico during the
11:50electoral process.
11:51Here in Brazil, more recently, we had a similar case when we have some far-right creators being
11:58invited to go to the embassy here in Brazil of the United States to align also the narrative
12:04and the discussions with the White House.
12:07But I'm saying that because more than the algorithms, more than the rules that we have, more than the bills,
12:14more than the
12:15regulation, we have also influenced the influence who is caused by the White House.
12:21But specifically, when we talk about the legislation, the rules here in Brazil, we have now innovations
12:29based by the TSE, who is our, like our Supreme Court, who talks about elections here in Brazil,
12:36who have transformed it in forbidden to have AI manipulation during the electoral process, who
12:43has presented the rules about to not spread this information.
12:47But, of course, the reality is too far distance from the legislation.
12:53And in the case of a lot of rules, a lot of legislation, we have the lights going much faster
13:00than the
13:01legislation and the regulation.
13:03So, of course, we have innovation during this election based on TSE's rules.
13:09But more than that, we have difficulties caused by generative AI content.
13:16Because in the last elections, if we see this case, we had the difficulty to spread this information.
13:22You had to have, like, a lot of cell phones.
13:24You had to have a lot of infrastructure.
13:27You had to have a lot of people, for example, creating content.
13:31But now, in these elections, with the popularization of AI content and the tools to generate AI content,
13:39we have, like, the popularization of the possibility also to spread this information.
13:44So, summarizing the discussion here about legislation and rules, of course, we have a better scenario
13:51with dot rules, but we have a lot of difficulties because more than just contents, we have AI contents
13:58who nobody can take care of, of all of them, during the electoral process, of course.
14:06Eragon, you were referring to the need.
14:09You were referring about the lack of regulation in terms of AI and how quickly it is moving forward
14:14and it is difficult for the institutions, for authorities to catch up to be able to respond
14:20to the AI.
14:21So, I'm wondering how will this election on Sunday, the possible results, will affect how
14:27Brazil tackles the AI issue?
14:29We have already seen President Lula denouncing AI and also establishing, trying to pass legislation
14:36in terms of banning of prohibited AI, for example, in betting schemes, in sports and things
14:41like that.
14:41So, how will this election affect the AI ecosystem in the future, depending on the results?
14:50See that, here in Brazil we have a lot of influence by the big tech.
14:56So, we have tried to regulate the social media, we have tried to discuss about this, but during
15:04the entire process we had a lot of influence, saying also that Brazil is trying to put censorship
15:12in the entire internet, you know.
15:14So, we have the difficulty to discuss it here in Brazil because they have made a lot of propaganda
15:21against the regulation here in Brazil.
15:24But, even with that situation, in the last year we have discussed some specific legislation, for example, to
15:31child and vulnerabilities, for example, like violence against women.
15:37So, we have a new legislation here in Brazil that is protecting the population, but it's
15:44so weak if we see the potentiality that we have during the elections.
15:49And in that case, that discussion about the impact of AI during the electoral process is
15:56so important.
15:57I believe that after this process we have more possibilities to discuss that point, but it's
16:02important to remember who is winning and having more power during this process.
16:08Of course, who has the power is using AI, and who has the power is also on the parliament.
16:14So, we have this difficulty because we are trying to regulate something who is taking the position
16:21in a better way to those who are running the powers.
16:25So, we have to discuss, of course, but I believe that we have the possibility to show the deepfake
16:31situations, to show the AI manipulations, the information that we have during this entire
16:36process, to org that we need to have a more safe place during the elections, but specifically
16:44before the elections.
16:45Because you know that the communities, you know that the network, you know that the entire
16:51ecosystem that we have in the internet is not created during the elections.
16:55It's created daily and every time during the discussion about the information and conspiracy
17:01theories, of course.
17:02So, we have not to promote censorship, of course, but we have to take place that the internet
17:08and the social media network should be more safe to have the informational integrity to
17:15have better decisions during the elections.
17:18Thank you very much, Erlon Culler, for your points and your time here in From the South.
17:29It's a pleasure, and I'm here for more opportunities.
17:33It was a pleasure to have you.
17:34Well, we were speaking with Erlon Culler, who was addressing the issue of AI, which is a
17:38hot topic in recent months, and we will continue to talk more about that in upcoming times, I'm
17:43sure of it, but let's continue in Brazil, but on this occasion, let's go with the different
17:49denunciations of foreign interference that are taking place and have been taking place
17:51throughout the electoral campaign and are shaping the pre-relation landscape.
17:55So, for that, let's welcome our special envoy, Belém de los Santos, who is live in Rio.
17:59Welcome, Belém, from the South.
18:02Hello, Luis.
18:03How are you?
18:03Yes, I was listening closely to your interview right now.
18:07So many topics to really understand what is happening in Brazil, and also, as we have been
18:12saying this time and time again, the importance that this election also has in the region because,
18:19of course, of the significant relevance of Brazil in terms of the economy, for example,
18:24the way it has in terms of positioning the whole region politically as well.
18:31Let's recall that we're not talking about the largest country in terms of its economy in the region,
18:38but also an important player at the world scene, being an important country within the BRICS, for example.
18:45So, everything is interconnected here, and we wanted to talk a little bit more about the role that the United
18:51States is playing in this election as well.
18:53You know that just in the last seven days, the congressmen and women from the U.S.,
19:01particularly Democrat congressmen and women, issued two letters that were addressed to the Secretary of State,
19:07first of all, denouncing the different mechanisms in which the United States was leading, as they said it,
19:15a campaign of pressure and destabilization in the midst of the Brazilian elections, and they were targeting this at the
19:24administration of Trump,
19:26just listing a series of evidence and also demanding answers and explanations for why this is the case.
19:33The evidence went from the imposed sanctions and tariffs related to internal affairs, for example,
19:40the pressure regarding the current process and the term in prison that the former President Jair Bolsonaro is facing at
19:49this moment,
19:49but also, for example, the designation as foreign terrorist organizations for the Comando Vermelio and another criminal organization.
19:59And this is being put and placed as a way of interfering directly in an internal matter so crucial as
20:08security is in Brazil.
20:09For example, more of this, if we add it and we put it in the context of the United States
20:15using the excuse,
20:18the pretext of drug trafficking or alleged drug trafficking as a way of increasing its intervention and its position in
20:27the region.
20:28So, of course, for example, in terms of this designation, it was clearly motivated and requested by the Bolsonaro's side.
20:36It was actually announced just hours away from a visit that Flavio Bolsonaro had to President of the United States,
20:46Donald Trump.
20:46And it was a way of not only showing support to one side, but also showing a particular interest of
20:52the United States interfering in the way that Brazil handles such a crucial topic as is the one of security.
21:01So all of these points were listed in this letters that once again were not issued from Brazil, but from
21:09the congressmen and women from the United States themselves that were addressing their own government and saying,
21:14hey, this goes against the normal policies of how states should behave in the face of the electoral process of
21:23another country.
21:24Why is this happening? And we are concerned that this could lead to destabilization process.
21:31Let's recall as well that we have to take into consideration the precedence both in Brazil and the United States
21:40when after Donald Trump lost his election after his first term and after Bolsonaro lost his reelection after his first
21:49term,
21:50both movements rejected the results and assaulted the electoral institutions calling for fraud.
21:59So what people are seeing in international analysts is we are in a new context in which if such a
22:05situation were to be repeated,
22:08now Brazil has the backing factor of the major power with Donald Trump in the White House,
22:14sort of leading this this speech and actions against the Brazilian institutions.
22:20This is important. It's not just a way of it's not a formality of international law, the respect of electoral
22:27process.
22:28It also has to do with the United States using once again an electoral process in the region in order
22:35to further their political agenda.
22:39It's clear because we don't have time for much. The denunciation of foreign interference has been a recurring theme in
22:45this electoral process.
22:46How are you seeing the Brazilian electoral institutions and authorities tackling this issue and protecting the sovereignty of the electoral
22:53process in Brazil?
22:56Of course. Well, again, it's a very complex matter because what do you do when a foreign power is just
23:03directly intervening and saying what they would like the outcome to be,
23:06what economic consequences that could have or not, imposing sanctions in one way or another?
23:12What can the internal institutions do? Well, for this time, what they're doing is they're strengthening the need to support
23:19the Brazilian own institutions,
23:21the electoral court in this matter, the importance of maintaining the legitimacy of the national institutions.
23:28And for example, the the all abroad call to respect the results. And that that is going to be the
23:35call for legitimacy for the entire democratic process.
23:38That is very important. And that is what people are concerned that this intervention from the United States could undermine.
23:45Thank you, Belen, for your information coming from Rio de Janeiro on the Brazilian electoral process.
23:51We're going to stay in touch in upcoming news, of course, to have more details of what is happening in
23:54Brazil.
23:55Let's now continue with our topics very quickly. On Thursday, high school protests in France spread to universities as students
24:02demanding more funding,
24:03smaller classes and the replacement of absent teachers continued blockades across the country.
24:08Authorities informed that some 340 demonstrations were underway outside high schools by mid-morning on Thursday, with more than 160
24:17schools closed as a result.
24:18The protests disrupted public transport in several cities, while Prime Minister Sebastián Lacornu convened a crisis meeting as the government
24:26sought to contain the demonstrations.
24:28Students are protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classes, heavy timetables and deteriorating conditions in schools.
24:34The protests have been repressed by police in several locations, with authorities reportedly arresting 625 people on Wednesday alone.
24:48And the European Parliament hosted a debate event entitled Cuba Yes, Blockade No.
24:53The meeting brought together members of the European Parliament, experts and international guests in Brussels
24:59to conduct an in-depth analysis of the severe damage caused by the US blockade against Cuba.
25:05Participants openly denounced the suffocating impact of these unilateral coercive measures on the Cuban population,
25:10describing them as a systematic violation of human rights that hinders the economic development of the Caribbean nation.
25:17Attendees and speakers strongly reaffirmed the central message of the event that Cuba is not a threat,
25:22the blockade is calling from the European legislative seat for a firm response from the international community
25:27in the face of US coercive policies.
25:37And with this information, we have come to the end of this news brief.
25:39Remember, you can find more on our website at telestoolenglish.net,
25:42and you can also join us on our social media here on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and more.
25:47For Luis Telestoolenglish, I'm Luis Alberto Matos.