Conservative Ecuadorean president Guillermo Lasso took office on Monday promising to revive an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic and create jobs for a population weary from years of painful austerity measures. The 65-year-old former banker in April beat out socialist economist Andres Arauz, who had promised to restore the …
Read More »Mexico’s president sees central bank controlling inflation
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday he was confident the country’s central bank will act to control inflation as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexican annual inflation accelerated slightly faster than expected in April to 6.08%, its highest level since December 2017.
Read More »Bolivian police find and destroy three crack cocaine ‘mega-factories’
Bolivian authorities said they struck a significant blow against cocaine producers in the country after the discovery and destruction of three “mega-factories” that they stated could produce up to 910 kg of crack a day. Police found the tarpaulin-covered, makeshift factories hidden in forestry reserves and national parks in eastern …
Read More »Chile-Bolivia train route being re-established after 16 years
Rail line operators are re-establishing a train system to carry Bolivian exports to Chile’s Pacific ports for the first time in 16 years, holding out hope of an increase in regional trade. The freight train route has been defunct since the rail line was scuttled by floods in 2003. But …
Read More »Mexican drug cartel shows off uniformed troops with military weapons and armoured vehicles in video
Mexico’s top security official has said authorities are investigating a video which showed dozens of uniformed troops with military-grade weapons and armoured pickup trucks apparently connected to a major drug cartel. The video, which circulated on social media on Friday, appeared to be a show of power by members of …
Read More »Brazil becomes the second country in the world to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases
On Friday night, Brazil became the second country in the world to surpass 1 million cases of the coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The nation is on track to overshadow the U.S. for the most coronavirus deaths in the world by the end of July, according to …
Read More »Ten shot dead in attack on Mexican drug rehab center
Ten men were killed on Saturday when gunmen opened fire on a drug rehabilitation center in the Mexican city of Irapuato, the government of Guanajuato state said. Guanajuato, a region in central Mexico, has become one of the principal flashpoints of surging gang violence which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador …
Read More »Paris denies that Guaido is hiding in French Embassy in Caracas as Venezuela demands he be handed over
France has rejected allegations that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been holed up inside the nation’s diplomatic mission in Caracas. Venezuelan authorities earlier labeled Guaido a “fugitive from justice.” “Juan Guaido is not at the French residence in Caracas. We have repeatedly confirmed this to the Venezuelan authorities,” French …
Read More »Trump denies role in Venezuela incursion
US President Donald Trump has rebuffed suggestions the US was behind what appears to have been a bungled incursion into Venezuela to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro. “If I wanted to go into Venezuela I wouldn’t make a secret about it,” he told Fox News. Venezuela foiled what it said was …
Read More »Another Mercenary Surrenders Himself to the Venezuelan Authorities
For the third time in the last 72 hours, a mercenary has been arrested by the Government of Venezuela. A mercenary turned himself into the Venezuelan authorities on Wednesday, following the arrest of several terrorists working on behalf of foreign entities. The mercenary, Romel Mendez, confessed on camera that he …
Read More »Video: Venezuela announces more arrests of US-backed mercenaries
Venezuelan authorities have detained two U.S. citizens working with a U.S. military veteran who has claimed responsibility for a failed armed incursion into the oil-producing country, President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday. In a state television address, Maduro said authorities arrested 13 “terrorists” on Monday involved in a plot he …
Read More »VIDEO | Brazilian street artist paints mural promoting unity amid virus pandemic
Eduardo Kobra, a Brazilian artist internationally known for his colorful murals but who is now off the streets due to the lockdown over the coronavirus, paints a mural that preaches faith and promotes solidarity in his native city Sao Paulo amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More »Meteorite explodes, crashes into Brazil
An observatory in Brazil captured the moment meteorite speed across the night sky before exploding and crashing. According to reports, the meteorite exploded in Brazil’s Hortensias Region in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Professor Carlos Fernando Jung from the Heller & Jung Space Observatory reported the meteorite entered the …
Read More »Brazil justice minister resigns, accuses Bolsonaro of meddling
Brazilian Minister of Justice Sergio Moro announced his resignation on Friday in a public address accusing President Jair Bolsonaro of political interference in law enforcement. Moro said Bolsonaro had insisted on firing federal police chief Mauricio Valeixo without agreeing to a replacement of a similar technical profile. Valeixo was an …
Read More »Hunger protests in Colombia as millions denied access to food
Hunger protests are increasing across Colombia as millions of people find themselves unable to obtain food due to the anti-coronavirus lockdown. In the capital, Bogota, scores of people demonstrated outside the office of Mayor Claudia Lopez on Wednesday, demanding that the authorities urgently deliver aid that has been promised to …
Read More »Brazilian COVID-19 victims buried in MASS GRAVES as fatalities mount (VIDEOS)
Authorities in the Brazilian city of Manaus have begun burying people who died from COVID-19 in mass graves after the number of people falling victim to the virus dramatically increased. In a somber statement, Manaus City Hall said that the number of burials in public cemeteries spiraled significantly over the …
Read More »Brazil’s president criticized for joining anti-lockdown protests
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has come under criticism for joining protesters demanding that restrictions on movement introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus be lifted. Mr Bolsonaro has clashed in recent weeks with state governors who have imposed lockdowns, denouncing the measures as “dictatorial”. As of Sunday, Brazil had more …
Read More »Colombian coal mine blast results in multiple fatalities
Eleven people were killed and four injured in an accidental explosion at a Colombian coal mine in Cucunuba, near Bogota, on Saturday, according to the local fire department. The victims were miners who were working despite the health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Most Colombians are quarantined by government …
Read More »US charges Venezuelan president with drug crimes
The US has charged Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, and other senior officials in the country with drug trafficking crimes. The move, which will increase tensions between the two nations, was announced by Attorney General William Barr. The US also offered a $15m (£12.5m) reward for any information leading to Mr. …
Read More »Prison riots sparked by coronavirus fears leave 25 dead
Coordinated riots across Colombia’s prison system over the weekend left 23 inmates dead at one Bogota jail and two in a maximum security facility 100 miles northeast of the capital. Inmates started fires and protested violently against overcrowded and unsanitary conditions that leave them vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic. No …
Read More »