
José Antonio Kast will be sworn in as Chile’s president on Wednesday with a pledge to lead an “emergency government” focused on security, the economy and migration control, as he seeks to turn his electoral mandate into early, visible action. His team has drafted a first 90-day roadmap combining administrative measures, regulatory changes and an initial batch of bills meant to show movement from the outset.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled a planned trip to Chile to attend José Antonio Kast’s inauguration on Wednesday and will instead be represented at the ceremony by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. Brazilian officials said the change was due to “scheduling reasons.”

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has arrived in Chile to attend Wednesday’s ceremony in which Gabriel Boric will hand over the presidency to José Antonio Kast, in a visit that also includes an event with Venezuelan residents in Santiago and several public appearances in the capital. She is among the international guests invited to the transfer of power, where Kast will formally take office at Congress in Valparaíso.

The United States and Israel launched what the Pentagon and witnesses in Iran described on Tuesday as the heaviest day of bombing since the war began, while Washington widened operations around the Strait of Hormuz and said it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels. The move further increased risks around the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has authorized Darren Beattie, a Trump administration adviser focused on Brazil, to visit former President Jair Bolsonaro in prison on March 18, in another sign of how far Bolsonaro’s legal case has spilled into the international arena. The decision was issued by Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the cases related to the attempt to overturn the 2022 election and Bolsonaro’s conviction for plotting against the democratic order.

Argentine President Javier Milei said in New York that he is “the most Zionist president in the world,” reaffirming his alignment with the United States and Israel during an appearance at Yeshiva University, one of the main stops on a U.S. trip that also included investor meetings as part of “Argentina Week.” The university said the event was part of a three-day visit focused on economic leadership and support for Washington and Israel in the war against Iran.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned Monday that the country must be prepared to defend itself against potential external threats, as global geopolitical tensions intensify, during a joint appearance with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Brasília.

The Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly marked Commonwealth Day 2026 on Monday with a public statement highlighting the Territory’s links to the wider Commonwealth network and the role of local democratic institutions. In the release issued on March 9, the Assembly said the Commonwealth flag was flown alongside the Falklands flag on Victory Green, reflecting “our pride in being part of the Commonwealth family of nations.”

We join together on this Commonwealth Day at a time of great challenge and great possibility. Across our world, communities and nations face the increasing pressures of conflict, climate change and rapid transformation. Yet it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth is most clearly revealed.

The United States continued deporting migrants to Iran and Venezuela while increasing military and diplomatic pressure on both countries, according to official records, agency reports and data from organizations tracking removal flights. In Iran’s case, Washington resumed deportation flights to Tehran in September 2025 after decades without carrying out such transfers, in a shift that coincided with a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations.