Latin America

‘These events are extremely serious and must be investigated diligently, independently and impartially,’ Amnesty International says. Colombian authorities unlawfully detained, tortured, and used lethal weapons against peaceful protesters during the demonstrations that have swept the country since April, said a new report from Amnesty International. Through an “exhaustive digital verification” …

Paraguay seized more than 3,400 kilos of cocaine near the capital city of Asuncion as it was being stashed in a load of sugar for international shipment, police said on Wednesday, calling it the country’s biggest-ever drug bust. National Police Commander Luis Arias told reporters that the illegal stimulant, made …

Former teachers’ union leader faces challenges of forming a government, tackling the COVID-19 crisis, and uniting the nation. Peru has sworn in new President Pedro Castillo, a leftist former teachers’ union leader who already faces mounting challenges to build his government, tackle the coronavirus crisis and unite a deeply polarised …

Police in Haiti have arrested the late President Jovenel Moise’s security coordinator as a suspect in the case of his assassination earlier this month. “I can confirm that Jean Laguel Civil was arrested Monday by police as part of the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moise,” national police …

Relentless rainfall in the Caribbean region caused at least two deaths amid severe flooding and major infrastructure damage in northern and eastern Costa Rica, authorities said on Monday.

Cuba has blamed the United States for an attack on its embassy in the French capital of Paris, saying Washington encourages such violent actions against the Latin American country. The Cuban Embassy building was attacked by Molotov cocktails in the French capital on Monday. According to firefighting officials, “the devices, …

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that he was aiming to begin a dialogue with the country’s political opposition next month in Mexico facilitated by Norway, a process he hoped the United States would embrace. In May the opposition changed strategy and indicated its willingness to return to negotiations to resolve …

Protesters took to the streets in several Brazilian cities on Saturday to demand the impeachment of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose popularity has fallen in recent weeks amid corruption scandals against the backdrop of the pandemic. This week, news broke that Brazil’s defense ministry told congressional leadership that next year’s …

Venezuela has accused the US military of violating its airspace along the South American country’s border with Colombia, pledging to “respond forcefully” to any maneuver it deems an act of aggression. The Venezuelan Armed Forces said in a statement on Friday that a C-17 plane from the US air force …

Two Russian military aircraft have been sent to deliver food and personal protective equipment to Cuba, the Russian Defence Ministry said Saturday. “At Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin’s request, military transport aircraft are delivering humanitarian aid to Cuba. Two An-124 Ruslan aircraft of the Russian Defence …

The sound of gunfire has interrupted the funeral of the late Haitian President, Jovenel Moïse, who was shot dead two weeks ago. The US and other delegations left early after the shooting rang out as the event got underway. Protesters blamed some of those at the service for the leader’s …

Police in Colombia have detained 70 people in new anti-government protests that drew thousands of people to the streets across the South American country and left dozens of people wounded. Back in April, protests broke out in Colombia in opposition to a proposed tax hike. The rallies soon tuned into …

The president of Mexico has vowed to open an investigation into reports that members of the previous government had bought Israeli spying software and had used it to spy on the country’s current socialist leader, among others. In a speech on Tuesday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador labeled allegations that …

Jovenel Moise had tapped Ariel Henry to replace Claude Joseph as prime minister in the days before the president was shot dead in his home in Port-au-Prince in the early hours of July 7. Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who has run the country following the assassination of president …

The United States has barred former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa and his wife from entering the country due to their alleged involvement in significant acts of corruption, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on 20 July. “The United States is designating former Honduran President Porfirio “Pepe” …

Peru’s electoral authority on Monday named socialist Pedro Castillo as the country’s next president, has officially won the June 6 runoff against right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, who accepted the result but said she had been cheated. The official result had been delayed by appeals from Fujimori aimed at annulling some …

Britain’s highest court was this week set to consider who the UK government recognizes as president in economically crippled Venezuela in a case that could determine the fate of gold worth $1.0 billion. A UK legal battle lasting more than a year has ended up at the Supreme Court in …

Haiti’s designated Prime Minister Ariel Henry will replace the country’s interim prime minister to honor the wishes of the country’s slain president, an official told The Associated Press on Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who has been leading Haiti with the backing of …

Former Haitian justice ministry official Joseph Felix Badio may have ordered the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise, a Colombian police chief said on Friday, citing a preliminary investigation into the murder. Moise was shot dead when assassins armed with assault rifles stormed his private residence in the hills above …

Fair elections in Haiti cannot be held for at least a year after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise due to the influence of violent gangs and a compromised electoral council, a senior opposition leader said in an interview. The brazen killing of Moise last week by a suspected hit …