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How a scandal engulfing Brazil’s top court could return the Bolsonaros to power

13 October 2026 at 06:00

The judge who helped convict Jair Bolsonaro is caught up in a crisis that could benefit his son and damage Lula

Thundering to a crowd of thousands of far-right supporters in São Paulo on 7 September, Brazil’s Independence Day, the senator Flávio Bolsonaro focused less on his opponent in the presidential election, the leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, than on someone who is not running at all.

“Whoever votes for Lula is voting for Alexandre de Moraes,” Bolsonaro shouted, referring to the shaven-headed supreme court justice once described as “Voldemort” by Elon Musk.

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© Photograph: Lucas Landau/AP

© Photograph: Lucas Landau/AP

© Photograph: Lucas Landau/AP

Latin American organised crime ‘may operate in 16 European countries’

13 October 2026 at 03:00

Cocaine seizures in Europe are up more than fivefold in 10 years as a host of cartels take root. A four-month Guardian investigation reveals the true scale of a continent-wide shift

A four-month investigation by the Guardian has revealed that the surge in cocaine trafficking to Europe is directly linked to the expanding presence of Latin American criminal networks in Europe, where they have forged close ties with local mafia organisations.

The investigation, utilising databases, police and intelligence agencies, along with interviews with judges, prosecutors and experts from eight countries, shows that cartels and factions from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and the US are active in at least 12 European countries. Between 2014 and 2024, there was a 471% rise in the quantity of cocaine seized and more local laboratories processing cocaine derivatives were dismantled.

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© Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images

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