The Week in Review Stories that caught our eye: March 27 to April 1 Yesterday 20:28 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
Currency & markets Milei’s peso bucks EM losses on shale, agriculture boom Yesterday 16:58 Gains are being driven by a seasonal surge in agricultural exports, rising energy shipments from the Vaca Muerta shale basin and a wave of dollar borrowing by local companies.
RACISM ALLEGATIONS Brazil court allows Argentine lawyer accused of racism to return home Yesterday 15:15 Twenty-nine-year-old lawyer Agostina Páez granted permission to return to Argentina after paying bail of US$18,500; Despite release, she will face trial on charges of racial defamation.
PRIVATISATION PUSH Milei pushes ahead with Belgrano Cargas privatisation tender 31-03-2026 07:58 Milei government pushes privatisation timetable with Belgrano Cargas freight tender; Government’s ‘open access’ rail model unsettles investors as exporters and Grupo México weigh bids
NEW ERA IN CHILE Kast's Chile axes plans to give papers to almost 200,000 migrants 30-03-2026 11:55 President José Antonio Kast's government also announces it will reverse expropriation of Pinochet-era torture centre.
GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET Oil surge elicits tough love from Trump’s Latin American allies 29-03-2026 10:23 The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is rippling beyond Asia. Though Latin America is far from the key oil and gas artery that’s been mostly choked off by Iran, it’s still heavily exposed to oil price volatility.
The Week in Review Stories that caught our eye: March 21 to 27 27-03-2026 18:44 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
VENEZUELAN LEADER IN COURT Maduro appears in US court as legal team fights narco-terrorism case 26-03-2026 15:48 Ousted Venezuelan leader pleads not guilty, declares himself a "prisoner of war," as legal team calls for dismissal of case.
FOREIGN POLICY & SECURITY Argentina designates Mexico's CJNG cartel a ‘terrorist organisation’ 26-03-2026 15:23 Milei government adds Jalisco New Generation Cartel to registry of terrorist organisations, following in footsteps of Washington, and reaffirms “commitment to fight against organised crime.”
MULTILATERALISM Argentina votes against UN resolution on transatlantic slave trade 25-03-2026 15:52 UN General Assembly designates transatlantic African slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity" in majority vote, but Argentina, Israel and United States vote against.
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Flavio Bolsonaro inches ahead of President Lula in Brazil election poll 25-03-2026 12:18 Son of of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, would take 47.6% of the vote compared to Lula’s 46.6% in a run-off, according to new AtlasIntel survey.
RACE FOR UN SECRETARY GENERAL New Chile President Kast withdraws support for Bachelet's UN chief bid 24-03-2026 20:41 New hard-right President Jose Antonio Kast says promoting Michelle Bachelet's candidacy would entail "a significant cost" for Chile and pulls backing.
HUMAN RIGHTS Paris campus steps in after Argentine residence removes dictatorship plaque 23-03-2026 18:57 Paris university campus to install dictatorship victims plaque after dispute; Cité Internationale Universitaire will install its own memorial amid concerns over politics and neutrality at Maison de l’Argentine.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL EU-Mercosur trade deal to apply provisionally from May 1 23-03-2026 13:34 EU authorities say sweeping free-trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc will provisionally enter into force on May 1; Pending court ruling could still throw spanner in the works.
ECONOMY / LATIN AMERICA Paraguay, underdog Trump ally in Latin America, becomes an investor magnet 20-03-2026 10:19 Entrepreneurs flock to Paraguay from across the region as sleek towers rise above the once-sleepy capital and its conservative president cozies up to the US.
CRISIS IN CUBA Trump vows to 'take' Cuba as island reels from oil embargo 16-03-2026 19:23 "I do believe I'll be...having the honor of taking Cuba," Trump tells reporters at the White House.
VENEZUELAN ECONOMY Venezuela’s 600% inflation undercuts Trump’s boasts of revival 16-03-2026 10:17 Life has only gotten harder for Venezuelans in the two months since Trump removed Maduro from power.
US IN LATIN AMERICA Ecuador launches two weeks of US-backed anti-drug operations 16-03-2026 10:07 Two-week crackdown deploys 75,000 troops as Washington deepens security partnership;
RACE FOR UN SECRETARY GENERAL Another Argentine diplomat, Virginia Gamba, enters race to be UN chief 13-03-2026 17:35 Veteran diplomat Virginia Gamba enters race to succeed António Guterres as next UN secretary general; She joins fellow Argentine Rafael Grossi and Chile ex-president Michelle Bachelet in the running
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Insta-savvy churches are propelling Brazil’s Gen Z to the right 13-03-2026 09:33 From Instagram to TikTok, young Brazilians are posting Bible verses, attending religious services and proudly identifying as evangelical or Catholic. And with that is emerging a growing alignment with right-wing politics, imbuing a cohort that represents a third of the electorate.
FEATURE Oil expats desperately needed in Venezuela don't want to go home 12-03-2026 11:20 Expats are torn between a desire to rebuild their homeland and preserving the hard-won prosperity they’ve achieved abroad, for themselves and their families.
NEW ERA IN CHILE Chile’s new President Kast to signal swift alignment with Trump 11-03-2026 14:21 Kast’s new administration plans to sign broad agreements with the United States to boost cooperation on critical minerals and security matters.
NEW ERA IN CHILE José Antonio Kast, Chile's most right-wing president since Pinochet, takes office 11-03-2026 12:02 José Antonio Kast's rise comes amid a conservative wave sweeping Latin America and after Trump's re-election in the United States.
ENERGY, FINANCE & GEOPOLITICS Milei reactivates dams, consolidating strategic rapprochement with China 11-03-2026 09:36 Argentina’s government has confirmed that work on the hydroelectric complex on the Santa Cruz river – which has been paralysed since Javier Milei came to power – has resumed. The project, integrally financed by Chinese banks and implemented by the Gezhouba company, returns to the agenda amid an uptick in the relations between Buenos Aires and Beijing. by Carlos Burgueño
Foreign policy & diplomacy Milei reaffirms alliance with Trump at ‘Shield of Americas’ summit 08-03-2026 11:01 Milei in attendance at international meeting in Florida; Trump offers Latin America’s leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels, calls for tougher action on organised crime, hints at Cuba action.
SECURITY IN AMERICAS Trump urges Latin America to use military against cartels 08-03-2026 10:23 Trump tells a group of Latin American leaders at security summit in Miami that Washington "will not tolerate the lawlessness in our hemisphere any longer."
TRUMP & THE AMERICAS Trump convenes Latin American leaders to curb crime, immigration 07-03-2026 08:21 Summit at Trump's golf club in Doral, Florida, marks the latest instance of the president moving ahead with his so-called "Donroe Doctrine" of asserting expanded US authority in the Western Hemisphere.
GEOPOLITICS Trump’s Latin American allies face a dilemma over China, Iran war 06-03-2026 13:11 Donald Trump is gathering his top allies from Latin America at a moment when a new US military conflict is putting even his best friends in the region under newfound pressure.
GEOPOLITICS Trump-LatAm conservative summit to discuss democracy 06-03-2026 08:43 Donald Trump will host a dozen transcontinental allies this weeekend, many of whom he has backed or helped put into office.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW Stories that caught our eye: February 28 to March 6 06-03-2026 07:33 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
Foreign policy & diplomacy Milei departs for Trump-hosted security summit in Miami 06-03-2026 07:20 Several Latin American leaders aligned with Washington’s agenda invited; Milei to travel to Miami, before travelling on to New York for Argentina Week.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL Brazil ratifies EU-Mercosur trade deal 05-03-2026 08:46 Brazil's Senate ratifies deal between the Mercosur bloc and the European Union; European Commission announced last week that it would provisionally implement the mammoth deal.
FREED GENDARME Freed Border Guard Nahuel Gallo alleges 'psychological torture' in Venezuelan prison 05-03-2026 08:21 Freed Border Guard Nahuel Gallo says he suffered ‘psychological torture’ while jailed in Venezuela.
FREED GENDARME Nahuel Gallo: ‘I’m trying to rejoin society’ 04-03-2026 19:10 Security officer returns to Argentina after negotiations facilitated by AFA; Calls on Caracas to release foreign political prisoners at press conference with Quirno and Monteoliva.
BORDER GUARD FREED Venezuela releases Argentine border guard Nahuel Gallo 01-03-2026 21:32 Nahuel Gallo released and is travelling back to Argentina; Board Guard, who was imprisoned in Venezuela for some 450 days, was released on Sunday following a "humanitarian" intervention by AFA football association.
MINING & GLACIERS US$40-billion copper boom hinges on revamped glacier law 27-02-2026 20:25 Argentina’s Senate voted on Thursday on Javier Milei's bill that would allow governors – many pro-mining – to overrule federal protections on glaciers and their surrounds, known as periglacial areas.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW Stories that caught our eye: February 20 to 27 27-02-2026 18:21 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL EU advances with Mercosur trade deal in ‘provisional’ step 27-02-2026 17:53 French President Emmanuel Macron, a critic of the EU-Mercosur deal, calls the decision a “bad surprise” at an event in Paris.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL EU says it will provisionally apply contested Mercosur trade deal 27-02-2026 08:31 European Union announces it will implement provisionally its mammoth trade deal with the Mercosur trade bloc while waiting for a top court's ruling on its legality.
POLITICS IN BRAZIL Flavio Bolsonaro’s rapid rise in Brazil presidential polls surprises sceptics 27-02-2026 08:12 Flavio Bolsonaro, who two months ago wasn’t considered a strong contender despite hailing from an influential family, has a real chance to become Brazil’s next leader.
latin america IDB: Uber drivers in Latin America are educated men earning US$7/hour 26-02-2026 08:25 Uber drivers in Latin America and the Caribbean are overwhelmingly male, most have a high rate of university education and tend to take on the work part-time.
CRIME & INSECURITY 76 years in prison for alleged masterminds behind Marielle Franco’s murder 25-02-2026 18:14 Brazil Supreme Federal Court sentences Brazão brothers for ordering murder of councillor slain in 2018, a milestone of political violence and militia power in Rio de Janeiro.
LITERATURE Argentine and Brazilian writers among finalists for International Booker Prize 25-02-2026 11:53 Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s 'Las niñas del naranjel' (“We Are Green and Trembling”) nominated for slot on the 2026 shortlist; Chaco-based novel revisits colonial history through a bold and unsettling lens.
ANALYSIS Trump takes anti-China crusade to Chile ahead of Latin America summit 23-02-2026 17:35 Chile for decades finessed the geopolitical rivalry between China, its top trading partner, and the US, its leading foreign investor. Those days seem to be over.
HUMAN RIGHTS More than 200 political prisoners in Venezuela launch hunger strike 22-02-2026 22:59 More than 200 Venezuelan political prisoners go on hunger strike to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of them.
BEYOND THE HEADLINES Hidrovía – time and tide 21-02-2026 06:05 A pro-market government keener on export-led than consumer-led growth and committed to opening up Argentina is nevertheless singularly indifferent to the infrastructural pillars of growth, sacrificed to an obsessive fiscal surplus. by Michael Soltys
EU-MERCOSUR AGREEMENT EU-Mercosur deal: Europe puts brakes on, Argentina pushes pedal to the metal 20-02-2026 19:29 Europe claims to defend free trade but is legislating automatic braking mechanisms for its ill-at-ease farming sector. European multilateralism has a rhetorical conviction but also electoral memory. by Eduardo Reina
INTERVIEW Paraguay’s Peña backs Trump’s new Monroe Doctrine in Latin America 20-02-2026 01:03 Latin America stands to benefit from Donald Trump’s greater involvement in the region, says Paraguayan leader.
CUBA CRISIS How Latin American countries are responding to Cuba's oil crisis 19-02-2026 00:01 US oil embargo on Cuba has drawn varied responses across Latin America, ranging from offers of aid and political support to silence.
UNREST IN PERU Peru set for eighth president in a decade after fresh impeachment 18-02-2026 18:32 Congress impeaches interim president after four months in office; José Jeri accused of irregular hiring; Motion to oust him on claims of influence-peddling received the backing of dozens of lawmakers.
TRAVEL & TOURISM Open skies policy lifts Argentina to top of regional air traffic rankings 18-02-2026 17:52 Country records region’s fastest growth as passenger numbers jump 13.2 percent; Passenger numbers hit 33.3 million last year amid expanded international routes.
PRESIDENT ON TOUR Milei travels to US for Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting 18-02-2026 17:47 President will attend the first edition of new Trump-led council that aims to resolve conflict in the Middle East.
The Week in Review Stories that caught our eye: February 6 to 13 13-02-2026 21:16 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
POLITICS & CONGRESS Peronism split as lower house backs EU-Mercosur deal 13-02-2026 16:28 Ruling party secures lower house backing for sweeping trade deal between Mercosur and European Union; La Libertad Avanza wins approval with support from allied blocs and dissident Peronist deputies.
MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA Argentine media magnate enters Ecuador with 'El Universo' deal 12-02-2026 18:49 Florida-led group backed by former Menem minister José Luis Manzano acquires Ecuador’s largest daily, ending more than a century of Pérez family control dating back to 1921.
FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY Trump to host Latin American leaders, including Milei, in Miami on March 7 12-02-2026 14:57 Trump to host the leaders of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras and other Latin American nations in Miami for a March 7 summit.
SECURITY & IMMIGRATION Milei government steps up rhetoric against illegal immigrants 11-02-2026 22:38 Echoing the rhetoric of the Trump administration, Argentina’s Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva announces tougher immigration controls nationwide, warning that anybody committing crimes or trying to enter/stay illegally will be expelled.
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE Scientists say climate change fuelled conditions for Chile, Argentina wildfires 11-02-2026 08:37 Scientific study finds human-driven climate change and La Niña combined to create unusually dry conditions.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Latam-GPT: a Latin American AI to combat US-centric bias 10-02-2026 07:39 Chile set to launch Latam-GPT, an open-source artificial intelligence model designed to combat biases built by the primarily US-centric industry.
POLITICS & IMMIGRATION Argentina’s ICE? Milei government advances immigration agency plans 07-02-2026 06:22 President Javier Milei’s government is moving forward with its plan for a new national immigration agency with expanded powers, despite internal disputes, a shift in rhetoric and false data circulating on social media. by Giselle Leclercq
THE WEEK IN REVIEW Stories that caught our eye: January 31 to February 6 06-02-2026 18:00 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
POLITICS IN VENEZUELA Venezuela amnesty bill excludes gross rights abuses under Chávez, Maduro 06-02-2026 11:26 Venezuela's National Assembly starts weighing amnesty law; Bill is an initiative by interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who stepped into the shoes of Nicolas Maduro after he was deposed in US military operation one month ago.
COURTS & HUMAN RIGHTS Argentine court requests Maduro’s extradition from the United States 04-02-2026 15:57 Court seeks extradition of Venezuela ex-president over crimes against humanity, using principle of universal jurisdiction.
CRIME & SECURITY Peru agrees to extradite main suspect in triple homicide case 03-02-2026 23:17 Peruvian government greenlights transfer of Tony 'Pequeño J' Janzen Valverde Victoriano, who will face trial in Argentina for the brutal murder of three young girls in Greater Buenos Aires last September.
GEOPOLITICS IN AMERICAS China courts Uruguay as Argentina’s Milei embraces Trump 03-02-2026 16:12 Uruguay and China signed more than dozen agreements in areas such as investment, trade, and scientific cooperation following Beijing meeting between Yamandú Orsi and Xi Jinping.
REGIME CHANGE IN VENEZUELA Venezuelan interim president announces mass amnesty push 31-01-2026 09:03 Delcy Rodríguez says said she will propose a "general amnesty law covering the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present."
Analysing Argentina Between a Rocca and a hard place 31-01-2026 06:34 Screaming that a company should go bankrupt because its quotation was 40% higher than an Indian firm’s is wonky politics for a president. by Marcelo J. García
FOREIGN POLICY Argentina advises against travel to Cuba due to ‘deteriorating conditions’ 30-01-2026 18:03 “In view of the deterioration in living conditions in Cuba, Argentine citizens are advised to avoid or postpone tourist travel to the island,” says Foreign Ministry.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW Stories that caught our eye: January 23 to 30 30-01-2026 17:00 A selection of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.
VENEZUELA OIL INDUSTRY US eases Venezuela sanctions after oil sector reforms 30-01-2026 09:11 Venezuela adopts reform package that will open up its nationalised oil sector to private investment; Delcy Rodríguez moves to appease the United States and Donald Trump following the toppling of leader Nicolas Maduro.
