GENDER VIOLENCE Venezuelans protest femicide after three women murdered in a week Yesterdat 07:41 Hundreds of Venezuelans protested Saturday following the murders of three young women last week, in a rally against femicide in the troubled nation.
VIP VACCINATIONS Latin America’s vaccine scandal claims third health minister Yesterdat 07:09 Ecuador health minister resigned Friday, becoming the third top Latin American health official forced out in two weeks as outrage grows over the ability of the region’s richest and most powerful to obtain vaccinations before the rest of the population.
MERCOSUR BLOC Brazil again pushes for loosening of Mercosur trade deal rules 27-02-2021 08:21 Bolsonaro set to visit Buenos Aires for trade bloc’s next summit; Brazilian foreign minister accuses ‘interest groups’ using the environment as ‘pretext’ to block ratification of EU-Mercosur deal.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ‘Held to ransom’: Pfizer demands governments gamble with state assets to secure vaccine deal 27-02-2021 07:41 US pharma giant accused of “bullying” Latin American governments in Covid vaccine negotiations, even asking Argentina and Brazil to put up sovereign assets as guarantees against any future legal costs. by MADLEN DAVIES, IVÁN RUIZ, JILL LANGOIS & ROSA FURNEAUX, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
MINING China's appetite for copper provides Chile with opportunity 26-02-2021 13:08 With the price of copper reaching a 10-year high thanks in no small part to China's insatiable appetite, Chile faces a "unique" opportunity, according to experts.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Venezuela expels EU ambassador over fresh sanctions 24-02-2021 16:38 Venezuela on Wednesday expelled the European Union's ambassador to Caracas in response to new sanctions, giving the Portuguese envoy 72 hours to leave the country and raising the bloc's renewed ire.
TRANS RIGHTS Brazil trans twins undergo gender confirmation surgery together 24-02-2021 11:14 Growing up as identical twins, Mayla and Sofia always did everything together, and their decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery is no exception. Now, they have made the transition they long dreamed of together, in what their doctor calls a first.
Guayaquil At least 62 inmates dead in Ecuador prison riots 23-02-2021 21:52 At least 62 inmates died Tuesday and several were injured in riots blamed on gang rivalry at three jails in Ecuador's overcrowded prison system, authorities said.
International football Australia, Qatar pull out of 2021 Copa América 23-02-2021 21:01 Australia and Qatar have pulled out of the 2021 Copa América starting in June, South American football's governing body CONMEBOL confirms.
Alberto in Mexico Fernández, López Obrador demand fairer access to Covid-19 vaccines 23-02-2021 16:49 Alberto Fernández and Andrés Manuel López Obrador call for fairer distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in Latin America and across the world, with both in agreement that rich nations are monopolising jabs.
Global pandemic Vaccine delays threaten economies hardest hit by pandemic 23-02-2021 12:24 Latin America and the Caribbean, the region where the coronavirus caused the worst economic destruction and more than a quarter of the world’s deaths, is now falling victim to a slow inoculation campaign.
BRAZILIAN FIRM Oil giant Petrobras sheds US$19 billion in value over two days 22-02-2021 20:45 A sell-off in Brazil’s state-controlled oil firm Petrobras picked up on Monday after a group of analysts downgraded the stock within 24 hours, following Jair Bolsonaro's decision to replace the company’s chief executive officer.
ALBERTO IN MEXICO President arrives in Mexico for talks on business, vaccines 22-02-2021 14:05 Alberto Fernández landed in Mexico City today for an official visit geared towards “strengthening commercial ties” between two countries. President set to meet Mexican counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador, billionaire businessman Carlos Slim and visit an AstraZeneca vaccine laboratory.
Ecuador election 2021 Arauz, Lasso advance to Ecuador presidential run-off 22-02-2021 12:30 Leftist economist Andrés Arauz will face conservative Guillermo Lasso in the upcoming second round of Ecuador's presidential election, officials confirmed Sunday. Third-place finisher, indigenous leader Yaku Pérez, vows to appeal.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Bolsonaro calls for more changes after general goes to Petrobras 21-02-2021 08:25 Brazil leader says that more changes are underway after naming a former general to head Petrobras. Experts say Bolsonaro has chosen "economic populism."
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro appoints Army reserve general to head Petrobras 21-02-2021 08:12 Brazil's far-right president appoints Army reserve general Joaquim Silva e Luna to lead state-owned energy giant Petrobras, after criticising several successive increases in the price of fuel.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Covid-ravaged Argentina slump to defeat in SheBelieves Cup 20-02-2021 07:19 Albiceleste women’s side loses 4-1 to Brazil in opener. Preparations for the game were rocked just hours before kick off after four players tested positive for Covid-19.
Poverty and taxation Wealth tax: inequality solution for Latin America? 19-02-2021 12:52 The income chasm between the rich and poor in Latin America has led to efforts to tax the wealthy – though the reception has been uneven across various countries.
Global Pandemic Venezuela to begin Covid immunisation programme with Sputnik V 18-02-2021 12:44 President Nicolás Maduro announces healthcare workers, legislators, members of the Armed Forces and authorities will start to receive Covid-19 vaccines, with mass immunisation campaign is planned for April.
Ecuador election 2021 Ecuador suspends recount in presidential election 17-02-2021 13:36 Ecuador's National Electoral Council suspends recount in first round of the presidential election requested by left-wing indigenous candidate Yaku Pérez, who has alleged fraud denied him a place in the run-off.
BLOOMBERG Bankrupt Venezuela cedes control of companies 16-02-2021 18:14 Dozens of confiscated firms have been transferred – but not sold – to private operators in so-called strategic alliances.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Bolsonaro further relaxes gun laws in Brazil 16-02-2021 14:49 Four decrees, issued late Friday, increase the number of firearms Brazilians can own from four to six – or up to 60, for those who practice recreational sport shooting – and authorise them to carry up to two guns in public.
Coronavirus Pandemic Vaccine shortage forces Rio to suspend Covid jabs 15-02-2021 16:44 Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro is forced to suspend its vaccination programme due to shortages, fuelling further frustrations with President Jair Bolsonaro's government.
Coronavirus Pandemic Two Peruvian top officials resign amid Covid-19 vaccine scandal 15-02-2021 16:15 Public resentment over officials receiving vaccinations — despite there being no date for a wider immunisation drive — has seen at least two government officials resign.
ELECTION IN ECUADOR Two presidential candidates in Ecuador demand election recount 13-02-2021 09:38 Guillermo Lasso, a career banker who wants close ties with Washington, holds a razor-thin margin over Yaku Pérez, an environmentalist who opposes big mining projects.
FOOTBALL Uruguayan striker Santiago García’s death confirmed as suicide 13-02-2021 09:35 Godoy Cruz striker Santiago 'Morro' García was found dead last Saturday at his home; Courts confirm Uruguayan, a fan’s favourite, took his own life.
Coronavirus Pandemic Pandemic has hit LatAm women's employment hard, says report 11-02-2021 16:43 According to a UN report published on Wednesday, the pandemic could set women back ten years in terms of employment rate.
Covid-19 vaccine Argentina approves Indian Covishield coronavirus vaccine 10-02-2021 10:46 Argentina announces it has approved the emergency use of the Indian-made Covishield jab, as Peru begins vaccination programme.
bilateral relations Fernández to visit AMLO in Mexico later this month 09-02-2021 21:44 President Fernández will travel to Mexico to visit counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador this month.
Coronavirus Pandemic New coronavirus strains enters Argentina from Brazil 09-02-2021 17:19 Argentina has detected two new coronavirus variants brought into the country by passengers arriving from Brazil, announced Health Minister Ginés González García has revealed.
BLOOMBERG IMF’s woes in Latin America set to grow after Ecuador vote 09-02-2021 17:01 IMF risks having to renegotiate its second multi-billion dollar loan in Latin America in as many years following Ecuador’s presidential election.
BLOOMBERG IMF warns surging virus threatens to curb Latin America rebound 08-02-2021 22:16 Latin America’s economic recovery faces risks from failure to stop the spread of the coronavirus and the need for new lockdown measures, says the IMF.
Ecuador Election Ecuador: leftist candidates Arauz and Pérez head to run-off 08-02-2021 18:59 With just under 90 per cent of the total ballots counted, two leaders from the left are set to compete for the presidential role in a run-off vote: economist Andrés Arauz and indigenous activist Yaku Pérez.
Lava Jato Brazil's watershed 'Lava Jato' graft probe ends with a whimper 08-02-2021 15:20 One of the biggest corruption investigations in history wraps up after falling into scandal itself.
FOOTBALL Crespo quits Defensa y Justicia after Copa Sudamericana title 08-02-2021 15:12 Former Argentina striker Hernán Crespo has left his role as coach of Defensa y Justicia after leading the club to the Copa Sudamericana title last month.
Global pandemic Covid patients asphyxiate as Latin America battles oxygen shortage 08-02-2021 14:55 According to the World Health Organisation, about one in five people with Covid-19 requires oxygen therapy to relieve respiratory distress.
Brazil Brazil's Vale to pay $7bn in damages for deadly 2019 dam collapse 05-02-2021 13:28 The Brazilian company responsible for the 2019 collapse of a mining waste dam killed 270 people has agreed to compensate victims and their families and fund socio-economic programs and repair projects in the local area, but victims say the amount should have been higher. by Jordi Miro, AFP
EU-MERCOSUR DEAL France says won't ratify Mercosur trade deal in 'current form' 04-02-2021 17:01 France says it will not ratify trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc "in its current form."
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Biden team sees no contact 'anytime soon' with Venezuela's Maduro 03-02-2021 23:32 United States says it had no plans to open direct contacts with Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, who has called for improved relations after Donald Trump's exit from the White House.
BLOOMBERG Trump tower in Uruguay tests tarnished brand's foreign appeal 03-02-2021 17:38 The gilded Trump name may no longer sell New York real estate. But, 5,000 miles away in Punta del Este, investors are raising millions in a bet that the former US president’s brand retains its international cachet.
Global pandemic Latin America and Caribbean top 600,000 Covid-19 deaths 03-02-2021 08:49 More than 600,000 lives have been lost to Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean since the pandemic began.
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Brazil Congress elects Bolsonaro allies as new leaders 02-02-2021 08:56 Brazil's Congress on Monday elected two allies of President Jair Bolsonaro to head the Senate and lower house, an important victory for the far-right leader as he seeks to re-galvanise his re-election efforts for 2022.
PRESIDENT VISITS CHILE Fernández calls for closer ties during visit to Chile 30-01-2021 08:51 President flies to Santiago for two-day visit, taking in meetings with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, a host of opposition politicians and businessmen.
COLOMBIA Tribunal charges former FARC members with war crimes 29-01-2021 17:53 Eight high-ranking members of Colombia's now-defunct FARC guerilla movement, including serving politicians, are being charged with war crimes, a court said Thursday.
Venezuela In crisis-hit Venezuela, maternity wards have become death traps 29-01-2021 17:31 With seven years of back-to-back recession and the highest inflation in the world, Venezuela's hospitals are creaking skeletons of their former selves, and the effects on maternity wards can be devastating.
Global Pandemic Half of Peru enters lockdown as Covid-19 cases soar 28-01-2021 16:51 Peruvian government imposes strict quarantine on half the country’s population, after a spike in Covid-19 deaths and saturation of the healthcare system.
Global Pandemic In Brazil's Manaus, young people step up as Covid bites 28-01-2021 15:14 As the northern Brazilian city of Manaus battles soaring Covid-19 cases and a new variant of the virus, young volunteers offer a helping hand. One group distributes essential items, while a young woman connects patients with family members.
Coronavirus Pandemic Argentina to reduce flights to and from Brazil, Mexico, Europe, US 27-01-2021 14:57 National aviation officials instruct airlines to reduce number of flights to Brazil, Mexico, the US and a handful European countries by between 30% and 50%.
Economic forecasts IMF boosts world growth outlook as vaccines outweigh risks 26-01-2021 12:32 IMF improves forecast for global growth this year to 5.5%, betting the rollout of coronavirus vaccines and more fiscal stimulus will offset the immediate challenge posed by the resurgent pandemic.
MEDIA Latin American newspapers bet on digital subscriptions 26-01-2021 08:52 Latin America's newspapers, affected financially by the migration of readers to the Internet, are betting on subscription modes to secure their future.
LATIN AMERICA Chile court overturns murder verdict in ex-president Eduardo Frei's death 25-01-2021 23:05 Judges in Chile says ex-president Eduardo Frei's death four decades ago was not murder, overruling a 15-year investigation which concluded he was poisoned in hospital by agents of dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Global pandemic Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador says he has Covid-19 25-01-2021 08:31 Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced Sunday that he was infected with the coronavirus, but said his symptoms were mild.
Valeria Pacheco, AFP Brazil's late and rocky start on vaccinations fuels public ire 25-01-2021 08:26 Brazil's newly launched vaccination campaign against Covid-19 has gotten off to a late and rocky start – as the country is hammered by a second wave of the disease, it is already close to running out of vaccine, syringes and other vital equipment.
UNITED STATES Biden’s three priorities for South America 23-01-2021 08:39 Newly inaugurated US president’s foreign policy will have three main fronts in South America: environmental protection, the crisis in Venezuela and countering the growing influence of China. Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund will be the first bilateral test for Alberto Fernández. by Leandro Dario
Global Pandemic UN: Covid shrinks Latin American trade for 2020 22-01-2021 15:49 The coronavirus pandemic has triggered the steepest drop in Latin American foreign trade in 2020 since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago, a UN body said Friday.
Brazil Bolsonaro’s son ordered by courts to pay damages to journalist 22-01-2021 14:53 A court of justice ordered the son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to pay damages to a journalist after claiming she had "tried to seduce" a source to obtain compromising information about his Father.
UNITED STATES Venezuela's Maduro hopes for 'better relations' with US under Biden 21-01-2021 15:22 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he hopes for better relations with Washington under US President Joe Biden.
BIDEN INAUGURATION Bolsonaro extends olive branch to Biden on inauguration 21-01-2021 11:48 Bolsonaro was one of last world leaders to recognse Biden’s victory, and amplified Donald Trump's allegations that last year's US election had been rigged.
Global pandemic Desperate search for oxygen in Brazil's crisis-hit Manaus 20-01-2021 08:20 Under an overwhelming heat, dozens of people have been waiting for 12 hours to fill oxygen tanks and try to save the lives of their loved ones in Manaus, a Brazilian city plunged into chaos by the explosion of Covid-19 cases.
Covid-19 vaccine Argentina sends Mexico supplies to produce Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine 19-01-2021 17:59 Argentina has sent Mexico the first active ingredient necessary for the development of around one million doses of the British Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Global pandemic Colombia will expel foreigners caught partying as Covid-19 spreads 19-01-2021 08:50 Colombian immigration officials announced Monday that foreign nationals caught taking part in underground parties in violation of a ban on social gatherings during the pandemic will be expelled from the country.
DIPLOMACY Alberto Fernández to visit Chile's Piñera in Santiago this month 16-01-2021 06:56 President Alberto Fernández will travel to Santiago on January 26 to meet with Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.
BLOOMBERG Bolsonaro government’s message to Biden: Trumpism lives on in Brazil 16-01-2021 04:04 Brazil's Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo wants Joe Biden to know that it’s not about to reverse course in response to the change of US leadership.
Ángel Cabrera Brazil arrests Ángel Cabrera, fugitive golfer accused of abuse 15-01-2021 14:19 Ángel Cabrera, wanted by Interpol on domestic violence charges, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro Thursday, and will be extradited to Argentina to stand trial.
Abortion rights Abortion becomes legal in Argentina as Chile starts a debate 15-01-2021 13:12 President Alberto Fernández signs bill allowing abortion until 14th week of pregnancy into law.
Global pandemic Evo Morales: Fernández offered Covid-19 treatment in Argentina 14-01-2021 23:50 Former Bolivia president Evo Morales, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, said on Thursday he has received treatment offers from allies Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba.
Global pandemic UK to ban South American, Portugal arrivals over Brazil virus strain 14-01-2021 15:47 Britain bans all arrivals from South America, Panama, Cape Verde and Portugal over fears of importing a new coronavirus variant from Brazil.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Brazil's Bolsonaro increasingly isolated as Trump departs 13-01-2021 23:32 When Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019 he nurtured relationships with other like-minded, far-right governments, but as the political tide turns he now finds himself and his country increasingly isolated.
COPA LIBERTADORES Palmeiras into Libertadores final after VAR thwarts River 13-01-2021 10:19 River dominate semi-final second leg at a empty Allianz Parque stadium in São Paulo, but are twice denied a legendary comeback by controversial VAR decisions.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Telefónica sells mobile masts in Europe, Latin America for 7.7 billion euros 13-01-2021 10:13 Spain’s Telefónica to sell its telephone masts in Europe and Latin America to US-based telecom infrastructure firm American Towers Corp for US$9.4 billion in cash.