News of latin america

Chile’s new President Kast to signal swift alignment with Trump

Today 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

Today 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Senate approves EU-Mercosur trade deal by huge majority

26-02-2026 16:42 Lawmakers in Argentina ratify sweeping trade deal between Mercosur and European Union, hours after Uruguay did the same; Senate follows lower house approval with huge majority vote, 69 in favor, three against.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

POLITICS & CONGRESS

Milei eyes labour reform as extraordinary sessions of Congress kick off

03-02-2026 09:18 Also up for discussion will be bills linked to the Juvenile Penal Code, amending régime for glacier preservation and free-trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union.

UNITED NATIONS

Chile officially backs Bachelet candidacy for UN top job

02-02-2026 15:35 Former Chile president officially enters race to become next United Nations secretary-general with backing of Brazil and Mexico.

BONDS & MARKETS

Bond buyers scour Americas to bet on nations close to Trump

02-02-2026 14:42 Money managers at top firms are favouring government bonds from nations such as Ecuador and Argentina, whose leaders have forged close ties with the US administration.

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."

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.

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.

BANKING & FINANCE

Nubank gets first green light for US bank, to launch in 2027

30-01-2026 09:00 Brazilian digital banking giant Nubank receives initial approval to operate as a bank in the US

BONDS & MARKETS

Argentina’s global debt hopes get boost from Ecuador’s bond success

28-01-2026 22:44 Ecuador’s return to global credit markets is being seen as a good portent among investors who are eagerly awaiting Argentina’s comeback.

GEOPOLITICS & DIPLOMACY

‘Davos of Latin America’ tests Lula’s regional clout

28-01-2026 21:30 First gathering of regional heads of state since the United States captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, sparking outrage from Lula but praise from other leaders.

FAITH AND RELIGION

The eclipse of traditional faith? The religious shift redefining Argentina and Latin America

27-01-2026 19:35 Catholic believers in the region are falling as those with no religious affiliation grow; Argentina has recorded one of the most significant falls in the last decade.

Jailed Argentine in Venezuela

‘I fear for my life’ – Video released of Argentine lawyer detained in Venezuela

26-01-2026 08:08 Argentine lawyer Germán Giuliani seen in a video recorded from his prison cell; 49-year-old denies allegations against him and appeals for intervention from Milei government and international human rights bodies.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Merz says EU-Mercosur trade deal should take effect provisionally

24-01-2026 09:28 “Democratic legitimacy” of the EU’s Mercosur deal with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay is beyond doubt, German chancellor declares as he calls for its implementation.

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Benigno Alarcón Deza: ‘Over 80% of Venezuelans are clamouring for political change’

24-01-2026 07:08 Venezuelan political scientist, resident in Caracas, on the drift towards authoritarian government under Hugo Chávez, the impact of oil and the 2024 election, the strength of its opposition leaders and a potential return to democracy.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

GEOPOLITICS

Latin America rides out Trump’s trade storm with help from China

22-01-2026 00:31 At a time when regions like Europe are grappling with Trump’s renewed tariff threats, Latin America is heading into 2026 even better positioned to withstand any trade shocks from Washington.

Politics in Chile

Chile president picks Pinochet lawyers as ministers of human rights, defence

21-01-2026 11:24 Chile's right-wing president-elect names two ex-lawyers of former dictator Augusto Pinochet to lead the ministries of defence and human rights.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU Parliament refers Mercosur trade deal to bloc's top court

21-01-2026 11:16 The European Union's parliament votes in favour of asking top court to determine whether the deal is compatible with the bloc's rules.

CHANGE IN VENEZUELA?

Venezuela looks to woo US oil majors with new US-educated investment czar

20-01-2026 18:34 Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez names US-educated banker Calixto Ortega Sánchez as new head of Venezuela's main investment agency, an apparent overture to US investors.

Wildfires in Latin America

Chile declares emergency after wildfires force 20,000 to evacuate

18-01-2026 10:00 Chile's government has not said whether the fires killed anyone or how many homes had been impacted.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Milei welcomes EU trade deal but puts Mercosur on notice

17-01-2026 16:44 President Javier Milei hails trade pact at ceremony in Asunción; Argentina’s leader welcomes EU agreement but warned he will continue seeking trade deals with other countries that “support freedom.”

GLOBAL TRADE

EU, Mercosur bloc ink major trade deal, reject 'tariffs' and 'isolation'

17-01-2026 15:06 South American bloc and European Union finally signs major trade deal are quarter-century of torturous negotiations.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

EU inks South America trade deal after 25 years of negotiations

17-01-2026 14:46 Two blocs sign one of the world’s largest free-trade agreements, clinching a deal that has been in the works for more than two decades.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Mercosur to ink long-awaited trade deal with European Union

17-01-2026 09:34 South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union will sign a deal later today that has been 25 years in the making; It will create one of the world's biggest free-trade areas at a time of growing protectionism and volatility.