News of latin america

Trump tariffs threaten Latin American steel industry

Yesterday 15:18 US president’s new tariffs, designed to protect American consumers, will put Latin America's steel industry on the ropes

POLLING & SURVEYS

Latin Americans split on retaliation as Trump’s tariffs loom

Yesterday 12:19 Half of Mexicans, Argentines and Brazilians want their governments to retaliate to Trump’s tariffs, with slightly smaller shares of Colombians and Chileans saying the same.

POLITICS IN BRAZIL

Brazil's Bolsonaro ordered to stand trial for attempted coup

26-03-2025 22:26 Brazil's Supreme Court orders former president Jair Bolsonaro to stand trial on charges of plotting a coup after failing to win re-election in 2022.

MERCOSUR TRADE

Lula urges Mercosur-Japan deal to counter Trump protectionism

26-03-2025 08:38 Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva calls for new trade deal between Mercosur bloc and Japan during visit to Tokyo.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

Fifteen wild rheas transferred to Chile in bid to restore species

25-03-2025 10:20 Argentina and Chile achieve a conservation milestone with the first binational translocation of wild birds; Conservation effort is part of a push to boost population.

Brazil ex-president

Brazil judges weigh whether to put Bolsonaro on trial for 'coup'

25-03-2025 10:06 Brazil's Supreme Court weighs whether to put far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro on trial for allegedly masterminding an attempted coup after losing elections in 2022.

POLITICS IN CHILE

Chile presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei lauds Argentina budget cuts

22-03-2025 09:13 “In Argentina, they’ve cut spending with a speed and determination that’s incredible,” says Chile presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei.

EMBASSY SCANDAL IN CARACAS

The year-long stand-off between five prisoners in a mansion and Maduro's regime

21-03-2025 10:20 Members of Venezuela’s opposition are trapped in Argentina's Embassy in Caracas, living on rainwater and sardines, as government forces stand watch.

SCANDAL IN URUGUAY

Uruguay rocked by US$300 million in cattle fraud claims

20-03-2025 12:21 Urugauy is facing one of its biggest-ever retail investor fraud cases, with companies peddling cattle investments accused of bilking savers out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Peru rights groups sound alarm on 'anti-NGO' bill

14-03-2025 13:30 Peru's Congress is on a mission to increase state oversight over NGOs, which have drawn the ire of conservatives for bringing cases against the state for alleged human rights abuses.

MERCOSUR TENSIONS

Milei: Mercosur bloc ‘has only enriched Brazilian industrialists’

02-03-2025 11:28 Argentina’s President Javier Milei declares in speech to Congress that Mercosur trade bloc has “only enriched Brazilian industrialists,” warning he will take his nation out of trade bloc if it prevents free-trade deal with United States.

CRIME & SECURITY

Argentina designates Tren de Aragua as ‘terrorist’ group

25-02-2025 17:46 Argentina’s government has added Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua to its official register of groups “linked to acts of terrorism,” following in the footsteps of the United States.

FILM & LITERATURE

Latin American classics get the streaming treatment

25-02-2025 10:54 Decades on from the Latin American literary boom that took magical realism to the wider world, several notable artworks and comic books – including ‘Mafalda’ and ‘El Eternauta’ – are being given a new lease of life on streaming platforms.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

MercadoLibre shares rally after record quarter of profit

20-02-2025 23:55 MercadoLibre stock jumped as much as 14% in after-hours trading after Latin American e-commerce and fintech giant’s profit far surpassed estimates.

Diplomatic row

Venezuelan opposition pleads for assistance for asylum seekers

19-02-2025 22:51 Opposition leaders call on diplomatic community to raise voice against "siege" at Argentina's Embassy in Caracas.

SIZEABLE BLACK ECONOMY

US$30 billion a year – Ecuador reveals size of local cartel trade

18-02-2025 14:44 Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa admits that cartels and gangs move US$30 billion worth of drugs, arms and other illicit goods through his country a year.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentina records highest monthly trade deficit with Brazil in seven years

13-02-2025 00:17 Bilateral trade between the two Mercosur partners was US$2.098 billion last month, up 34.1% from the previous January, but imports surge takes Argentina into negative territory.

GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY

Gutting aid, US cedes soft power game to China

12-02-2025 14:52 Successive US administrations have vowed to wage a global competition with China. But by freezing nearly all US foreign aid, Washington has effectively ceded one of its main levers of influence.

AGRICULTURE

Milei’s plan to boost farm exports: stop ships from running aground

12-02-2025 11:41 Argentina’s government is moving to give the neglected Paraná waterway its first major upgrade in nearly two decades. But time is running out for the fixes to be made.

START-UPS

Dozen Latin America start-ups flagged as top unicorn candidates

11-02-2025 17:01 At least a dozen tech firms in the region could cross the coveted US$1-billion valuation mark this year, according to specialised platform Distrito.

Ecuador election 2025

Ecuador heads to election run-off between Noboa and González

10-02-2025 08:58 With more than 90% of the ballots counted, incumbent President Daniel Noboa has 44.3% and rival Luisa González 43.8%, with a run-off set to decide the nation's future.

US-VENEZUELA RELATIONS

Has Trump changed tack on Venezuela and Maduro?

03-02-2025 09:34 US President Donald Trump may be adjusting the hard-line approach he adopted toward Caracas during his first term.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Carnal relations and the forces of heaven

01-02-2025 06:05 The Menem Presidency was the closest thing to providing a template for the disruptive novelty of Milei’s administration but the return of Trump to the White House invites new comparisons.

by Michael Soltys

CENTRAL AMERICA

Nicaragua legislature cements 'absolute power' of president, wife

31-01-2025 14:58 Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo consolidate their absolute command of power in Nicaragua – as president and “co-president,” they will control all branches of government and civil society, according to the troubled nation's latest constitutional reform.

TRUMP TARIFF THREAT

Lula says if Trump hikes tariffs, Brazil will reciprocate

30-01-2025 13:42 "It's very simple: if he taxes Brazilian products, Brazil will reciprocate," warns Brazil's leftist leader.

FOREIGN POLICY & SECURITY

Argentina may send Armed Forces to beef up Triple Frontier security

30-01-2025 00:35 Border clampdown takes Brazil by surprise, with officials learning of move via media; Security, Defence Ministries fine-tuning details to determine number of troops and where they will be deployed.

TRUMP'S RETURN

Scalded by Colombia row, Latin America treads carefully with Trump

29-01-2025 22:44 Leaders across Latin American leaders are walking a tightrope in the Trump 2.0 era, as Gustavo Petro’s recent clash with US president goes to show.

TOURISM & TRAVEL

Argentina’s rich neighbours cut back on visits due to strong peso

28-01-2025 09:38 Tourists visiting from Uruguay and Chile fell at least 30% in December from a year ago, according to INDEC.

BORDER ROW

Milei plans to build Argentina-Bolivia border wall, citing crime

28-01-2025 09:29 Salta Province plans to build short fence near the Bolivian border as part of a crackdown on drug-trafficking and contraband.

NEW ERA IN AMERICA

Trump on Latin America: 'We don’t need them – they need us'

22-01-2025 11:10 US president's remarks indicate his forthright approach to future policy; Trump insists he will regain control of Panama Canal, sends troops to Mexican border, but Marco Rubio’s eye will remain on wider region.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU to set up one-billion-euro 'reserve' for farmers hit by Mercosur deal

21-01-2025 15:08 European Union vows to create one-billion-euro "reserve" for farmers negatively impacted by Mercosur trade deal.

Foreign relations & diplomacy

Peña says Paraguay thrilled to be on Trump’s radar

18-01-2025 10:10 Paraguay President Santiago Peña says as his nation stands to become more relevant in the next US administration.

Analysing Argentina

Latin America ducks and covers for Trump – except Milei

18-01-2025 06:37 With expected good access to the new White House, it will be up to Milei and his team to distinguish personal ideology from national interest and act accordingly.

by Marcelo J. García

US-ARGENTINA RELATIONS

Trump and Milei: An ideological match, but can they work together?

18-01-2025 06:32 The ideological romance between the presidents of Argentina and the United States has already matured. But will it ripen?

In focus: Venezuela

What next for Venezuela? Maduro critics fear widening crackdown

13-01-2025 08:31 Critics warn of "Nicaragua-isation of Venezuela," with "no space at all for any kind of dissent."

PROFILE

María Corina Machado: the face and fire of Venezuela's opposition

13-01-2025 05:56 María Corina Machado has become the face of Venezuela's opposition after being barred from challenging sitting-president Nicolás Maduro in last year's elections.

BILATERAL SPAT

Maduro brands Milei a 'Nazi, Zionist and social sadist'

11-01-2025 10:00 Nicolás Maduro branded his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei a "Nazi, Zionist and social sadist" on Friday as he was sworn-in as Venezuela's leader for a third term.

Crisis in Venezuela

Maduro sworn in for third term as opponents condemn 'coup'

11-01-2025 09:48 Nicolás Maduro's inauguration on Friday for a third term as Venezuela's president drew widespread admonishment from countries that have accused him of stealing the July election.

Hidrovía Paraná-Paraguay

Paraná-Paraguay waterway a focal point for global security policy

10-01-2025 13:44 Ongoing tussle involving major dredging companies seeking to participate in Milei government's tender. Hidrovía Paraná-Paraguay is a naval highway for the trafficking of illicit drugs to the rest of the world.

Political crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela's Maduro sworn in for third presidential term

10-01-2025 12:17 Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in Friday for a third six-year term in office, dealing a blow to opposition's dream of change.

ENVIRONMENT

Uruguay bucks 2024 global warming trend

10-01-2025 09:25 The world experienced its hottest year in 2024 since records began, but in Uruguay, global warming was counteracted by bouts of "near-historic" cold.

Political crisis in Venezuela

Brief arrest rocks Venezuela as Maduro targets opposition

10-01-2025 08:48 Though she was released within two hours, the reported arrest of María Corina Machado on Thursday marks a significant escalation by Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela.

Political crisis in Venezuela

Maduro to take presidential oath despite domestic, global outcry

10-01-2025 08:40 President Nicolás Maduro due to be sworn in for a third consecutive term, despite multiple countries recognising opposition rival Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as legitimate president-elect following disputed elections past July.

Political crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela opposition claims Machado briefly detained in Caracas protest

09-01-2025 16:44 Venezuela pro-democracy figurehead María Corina Machado emerged from months of hiding to lead a mass protest in Caracas Thursday, before conflicting claims that she was briefly detained by state security agents.

PROTESTS IN VENEZUELA

'Venezuela will be free': anti-Maduro protests roil Caracas

09-01-2025 15:17 Opponents of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro take to the streets in a last-ditch protest against his swearing-in for a third six-year term as president.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

Bullrich warns U-20 football team ‘could get kidnapped’ in Venezuela

08-01-2025 17:41 Security Minister Patricia Bullrich calls on CONMEBOL to strip hosts Venezuela of the tournament and says Argentina won’t send under-20 football team due to “kidnapping” fears.

CRISIS IN VENEZUELA

Venezuela's 'colectivos' ready to pounce as opposition plans protest

08-01-2025 11:46 Venezuela's 'colectivos,' groups of armed civilian volunteers accused of committing violence on behalf of the Maduro regime, to clampdown on opposition protests.