During the conflict, Brazil recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv for consultations and regarded the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine inacceptable.
After the ceasefire was communicated, the ministry went on to point out that Brazil’s ambassador in Israel, Henrique da Silveira Sardinha Pinto, is to return to Tel Aviv right after the consultations for which he was summoned are over.
Ebola Epidemic
In response to the request for international cooperation made by the World Health Organization, Brazil’s Health Ministry sent five supply kits to Sierra Leone in an attempt to bring the ebola epidemic under control. A single kit can keep 500 people served for three months.
Products total 48 items weighing 1.2 tons altogether, and include 30 types of medication, among which antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, as well as 18 first-aid tools, like gloves and masks.
The Brazilian government started offering aid to countries facing an ebola outbreak in June, with the donation of four kits to Guinea. Five more kits are expected to be shipped to Liberia.
New OEI Secretary-General
The Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) appointed Brazilian Paulo Speller as its secretary-general for 2015-2018. OEI is made up of 19 Latin-American nations, plus Spain, Portugal and Andorra.
Paulo Speller is a psychologist with a PhD in political science. He was the president of the University of International Integration of African-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB) from 2010 to 2013, and is currently Secretary for Superior Education at Brazil’s Ministry of Education.
Speller’s nomination as OEI Secretary-General was unanimously approved. He is to take the place of Spaniard Álvaro Marchesi, who has occupied the position for the last eight years. During the meeting, Mexico’s Education Secretary Emilio Chuayffet was named head of OEI’s board of directors for the same period. Mexico was chosen to host the next general assembly, slated for 2018.