Tag Archives: Latin America

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on like-minded countries to join forces against the “blackmail” of Western sanctions during a visit to Venezuela as part of his tour of Latin America. “It is necessary to join forces to counter the attempts of blackmail and illegal unilateral pressure of the …

China and Brazil have reached a deal to trade in their own currencies, ditching the US dollar as an intermediary, the Brazilian government said, Beijing’s latest salvo against the almighty greenback. The deal will enable China, the top rival to US economic hegemony, and Brazil, the biggest economy in Latin …

The American authorities would act “decisively” if Russia deployed its military to Latin America, the White House said on Thursday, following suggestions that Moscow could station some of its troops in Venezuela or Cuba. United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called the idea “bluster in the public commentary” and …

Legendary Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez, an emblematic figure of ranchera music, died on Sunday at the age of 81, according to a message posted on his official Instagram account. Fernandez died at 6:15 a.m. local time, the post said. He had been suffering medical complications after a fall at his …

Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gathered in major cities on Tuesday to back the far-right leader in his dispute with the Supreme Court, exacerbating a conflict that has rattled Latin America’s largest democracy. Bolsonaro has urged his supporters to turn out in record numbers, hoping for an overwhelming display …

The United States needs to invest in development, not just migration restrictions, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday. Mexico will always seek to have a good relationship with the United States, Lopez Obrador said at a regular news conference in response to a question about the U.S. …

The swearing in of the architects of Chile’s new constitution got off to an inauspicious start on Sunday after protests outside and inside the venue, and clashes with police forced a delay to the event. Problems arose after marches organised by independent, left-wing and indigenous groups fielding delegates for the …

A giant ring of flames erupted on the ocean’s surface in the Gulf of Mexico Friday — setting social media ablaze as stunning aerial footage of the “eye of fire” went viral. The bright orange fire west of the Yucatan Peninsula was sparked by a leak from an underwater pipeline, …

Authorities in Nicaragua have arrested two more potential presidential challengers to veteran leader Daniel Ortega in elections later this year. Felix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro have been accused of terrorism and plotting against Nicaragua’s sovereignty and independence. They were held under a controversial new security law passed in December …

The death toll from COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean passed 1 million people on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic worsening in the part of the world with the highest per capita death rate. From the dusty highlands of Bolivia to the Brazilian metropolis of …

Panama will temporarily close its border with Colombia beginning Thursday to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and tighten security, its government said, after Colombia reopened the land and maritime crossings on the border. Panama’s government said Colombia’s decision to reopen the borders “puts at risk the significant progress” that Panama …

The US State Department lists several politicians and officials in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador ‘credibly alleged to be corrupt. A US State Department report on Central American officials “credibly alleged” to be corrupt includes five Salvadoran officials (PDF) with ties to President Nayib Bukele, six sitting Honduran lawmakers, and …

Chileans began to vote on Saturday in a mega-election in which they will pick mayors, governors, councilors, and critically, the 155 men and women who will draft the country’s next constitution. Changing the constitution was a central demand to emerge from fierce social protests that erupted over inequality and elitism …

Peru’s polarized presidential election race is tightening further, an opinion poll showed on Friday, with socialist candidate Pedro Castillo’s lead being trimmed by right-wing opponent Keiko Fujimori just weeks before the June 6 ballot. Castillo, whose sudden ascendancy has sparked jitters among investors and copper miners, was shown with 42% …

Union members, students, pensioners, and workers marched in anti-government protests around Colombia on Wednesday, as President Ivan Duque urged citizens to reject violence and stereotypes about demonstrators and police alike. The sometimes deadly demonstrations were initially fueled in late April by outrage at a now-canceled tax plan. But protesters’ demands …

Health officials in the Brazilian Amazon, still reeling from health system collapse, fear a third wave is on the way. When Rosa Dos Anjos was admitted to a COVID-19 intensive care unit in the Amazonian capital of Manaus for 15 days in January, she thought her fortunes could not possibly …

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque said issues raised by young demonstrators would be included in national discussions meant to curb nearly two weeks of anti-government protests, as he made a brief visit to Cali, the scene of violence over the weekend. Duque will meet later on Monday with strike leaders in …

Coronavirus cases in Latin America for the first time have surpassed the combined infections in the United States and Canada, a Reuters tally showed on Sunday, amid a surge of infections in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina. The quickly growing number of cases makes Latin America the region most …

Iran has sent its sixth cargo ship to the sanctions-hit South American nation, due to reach its destination on Sunday. Unlike previous vessels, which were carrying gasoline, this one is set to deliver food to Venezuela. The ‘Golsan’ is set to moor at one of Venezuela’s ports on June 21, …

Anti-government demonstrations broke out in several Brazilian cities on Sunday as President Jair Bolsonaro suffers growing backlash against his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters carrying signs in defense of democracy and against racism gathered in Brazil’s largest cities despite medical recommendations of social distancing, many encouraged by U.S. demonstrations …