Turmoil in Brazil Brazil capital's security boosted, 39 charged over uprising 17-01-2023 10:08 Authorities formally charge 39 people with crimes against the state as security deployment in Brasilia is ramped up.
HUMAN RIGHTS Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo recover another lost grandchild 29-12-2022 02:24 Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo human rights group confirms identity of 132nd missing grandchild; 47-year-old Juan José is son of rural worker who was disappeared in 1976 by military dictatorship.
HUMAN RIGHTS Former police officer sentenced to 15 years for student's disappearance in 1976 21-12-2022 23:22 Former police officer Mario Sandoval, who was extradited from France in 2019, sentenced to 15 years in prison for the abduction and disappearance of a student during the 1976-83 military dictatorship.
COLOMBIA Colombia resumes talks with powerful ELN guerrilla group 23-11-2022 15:02 Dialogue is a push toward conciliation by President Gustavo Petro, who in August became Colombia's first-ever leftist leader, and who has vowed a less bellicose approach to ending violence wrought by armed groups.
HUMAN RIGHTS & MEMORY The Trial of the Juntas: a moment worth remembering 19-11-2022 06:56 With the passing of time, ‘El Diario del Juicio’ has become one of the most important historical sources for those studying the trial. by Agustino Fontevecchia
BTS SINGER IN B.A. K-pop star Jin performs with Coldplay on 'magical night' in Buenos Aires 29-10-2022 11:43 K-pop superstar Jin draws fans in huge numbers as he performed new single 'The Astronaut' alongside Coldplay at River Plate's Monumental stadium; Performance is last before he heads off to perform mandatory military service.
Human rights Decades on, the Grandmothers’ search for stolen children continues 06-10-2022 00:07 The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo are getting older, and every day, their hopes of finding their missing relatives are fading.
FEATURE INTERVIEW Santiago Mitre: ‘I’m convinced of fiction’s capacity to transmit reality’ 08-09-2022 10:07 Film director and screenwriter Santiago Mitre, 41, premiered his new film, 'Argentina, 1985,' at the Venice Festival last weekend, a feature which is a leading contender for the prestigious Golden Lion prize. This is the first time that the director has turned reality into a film and he chose as his subject a milestone for Argentina’s contemporary democracy – the trial of the military juntas of the dictatorship, with Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzani in the key roles of the prosecutors Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo. by Agustino Fontevecchia
FILM Ricardo Darín: ‘I wanted to tell the story of the trial of the military juntas’ 08-09-2022 08:39 Legendary actor shares his thoughts on 'Argentina, 1985,' the importance of its story and recalls film's premiere at Venice film festival.
PRO-CFK MARCH ‘We need to stand against this’ – huge crowds flood Plaza de Mayo to ‘defend democracy’ 02-09-2022 18:26 Crowds gather in front of the presidential palace a day after a failed attack on the life of Vice President Cristina Kirchner. Peronists and those more skeptical of the government were united in condemnation of political violence. by Isobel McGrigor
Heart of two nations Bolsonaro fetes Emperor Pedro I's heart 25-08-2022 16:43 The heart of Emperor Pedro I, who brought Brazil independence, continues its tour through the South American nation, accompanied by gaudy celebrations. Critics have likened Bolsonaro's heart pageantry as reminiscent of Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship.
Colombia New Presidency Colombia's president names ex-guerrilla as intel chief 23-08-2022 12:02 President Gustavo Petro has made Manuel Alberto Casanova, who like Petro was once a member of the M-19 urban guerrilla movement, the intelligence chief of Colombia.
Brazil Elections 2022 Emperor Pedro I's heart returns to Brazil for 'state visit' 23-08-2022 11:46 Brazil celebrates 200th birthday with preserved heart parade. Emperor Pedro I, declared Brazil independent from Portugal in 1822, and was buried in Brazil. His heart, however, was kept in Portugal. It will make a ‘state visit’ in September.
Human Rights Colombia peace tribunal charges 19 soldiers for 300 murders 26-07-2022 17:11 Soldiers who committed war crimes in Colombia in the 2000s have finally been brought to justice, with the special peace tribunal charging 19 for the murder of 303 people.
ARMED FORCES Army imposes alcohol ban after initiation rituals end in death, serious injuries 14-07-2022 21:46 Military condemns violent ‘baptisms’ among serving officers and enforces booze ban; Corporal Michael Natanael Verón in critical condition after serious spinal injuries; Second lieutenant Matías Chirino dies after choking on his own vomit.
HUMAN RIGHTS Four sentenced to life imprisonment for Campo de Mayo ‘death flights’ 05-07-2022 15:09 Courts recognise that planes from Campo de Mayo military garrison were used to throw disappeared detainees to their death in Río de la Plata; Four ex-Army officers handed life terms for crimes against humanity.
UNREST IN ECUADOR Indigenous protester dies at anti-government demos in Ecuador 22-06-2022 11:01 Indigenous protester dies in clashes with law enforcement officers as demonstrations against the Ecuadorean government head into tenth day.
COLOMBIA ELECTIONS 2022 Here’s how radical Gustavo Petro can be as Colombian president 20-06-2022 14:26 Investors in Colombia are trying to gauge how radical Gustavo Petro's government will be. Here's a look at some of the leftist leader's main proposals for the economy.
WARNING FROM MOSCOW Putin warns Finland, Sweden over NATO membership 16-05-2022 16:28 Sweden and Finland are poised to give up decades of military non-alignment over fears they could be next in line following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
COLOMBIA ELECTIONS 2022 Colombia election front-runner Petro beefs up security over violence threat 12-05-2022 12:53 Colombia is the only major country in Latin America that’s never had a leftist leader, and polls suggest it’s about to get one in Gustavo Petro. That’s raising the campaign temperature in a country with a history of political violence.
Colombia Elections 2022 Colombia's military bristles at rise of leftist presidential hopeful Gustavo Petro 06-05-2022 11:18 Historically aligned to a succession of right-wing governments, Colombia's top military echelon breaks a long-standing rule of political neutrality to lash out against Gustavo Petro, former guerrilla fighter and a perceived leftist threat.
RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE With Argentina’s backing, UN votes to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council 08-04-2022 00:11 UN General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from the global body's Human Rights Council as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine; Of 193 members, 93 backed vote, 58 abstained and 24 voted against.
MALVINAS: 40 YEARS ON Argentina's dictatorship dug its own grave with Malvinas ‘military adventure’ 01-04-2022 20:47 The junta's gambit was initially successful, yet the misadventure ultimately failed to breathe new life into the dictatorship floundering under mass human rights violations, social unrest and economic crisis, serving instead to precipitate its demise.
RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE Biden warns Xi against China backing Russia's war in Ukraine 18-03-2022 21:33 Russian negotiator claims Moscow and Kyiv have brought their positions "as close as possible" on a proposal for Ukraine to become a neutral state.
UKRAINE CONFLICT Russia launches invasion of Ukraine 24-02-2022 08:58 Russian airstrikes hit military facilities across the country and ground forces move in from the north, south and east as Putin launches invasion of Ukraine, triggering condemnation from Western leaders and warnings of massive sanctions.
TENSIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE Putin oversees missile drills as US steps up Ukraine invasion warnings 19-02-2022 08:25 President Vladimir Putin oversees drills involving nuclear-capable missiles, hours after the United States warned that it was now sure that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine within days.
VENEZUELA ‘INVASION’ PLOT Argentina promises probe as Maduro slams Venezuela ‘invasion plan’ report 17-02-2022 16:37 Argentina’s government says it will investigate claims Macri administration deployed Armed Forces for 2019 military exercises that “contemplated” a potential “invasion” of Venezuela.
IN FOCUS Latin American security contractors bitter after serving in US wars 16-01-2022 08:32 Security contractors in Latin America who aided missions in Afghanistan and Iraq ramp up protests demanding greater recognition from the US government for their service.
HUMAN RIGHTS Argentine case into crimes against Rohingya begins 17-12-2021 02:18 A representative for Myanmar's Rohingya minority community testified in an Argentine court Thursday as a part of an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity by the Asian country's military rulers.
Courts Argentina's justice system to probe Myanmar war crimes claims 30-11-2021 08:54 Argentina's justice system will investigate allegations of war crimes committed by the Myanmar military against that country's Rohingya minority under a court ruling upholding the principles of universal jurisdiction.
CRIME & SECURITY Ecuador's president declares state of emergency over drug violence 19-10-2021 09:13 Guillermo Lasso declares a state of emergency in the country grappling with a surge in drug-related violence and orders mobilisation of police and military.
HUMAN RIGHTS Human rights groups rename street at ex-ESMA for disappeared 04-09-2021 10:35 Government and human rights organisations rename street at ex-ESMA Navy Mechanics School to remember those disappeared at the hands of Argentina's brutal 1976-1983 military dictatorship.
FILM Director Santiago Mitre recreates Trial of the Juntas in new Amazon film 04-09-2021 10:32 Renowned actors Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzani to play prosecutors Julio Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo in Santiago Mitre’s ‘Argentina, 1985,’ the first Amazon Original film produced in the country.
HUMAN RIGHTS Italy asks Chile to extradite 'Operation Condor' criminals 23-08-2021 16:19 Italy seeking extradition of three former members of Chile's military sentenced to life by European nation's courts for murdering two Italians in 1973.
HUMAN RIGHTS Rohingya to give testimony to Argentine court in push for Myanmar Army probe 17-08-2021 14:17 Rohingya refugees expelled from Myanmar in a bloody crackdown are to testify before Argentine court. They will use the principle of "universal jurisdiction" to urge a full judicial investigation into allegations of war crimes committed against them.
HUMAN RIGHTS Court sentences duo to more than 20 years in jail for rape of prisoners at ESMA 13-08-2021 21:01 Two already convicted human rights offenders from the 1976-1983 military dictatorship receive additional sentences for sexual crimes committed at ex-ESMA Navy Mechanics School.
HUMAN RIGHTS Supreme Court confirms 25-year prison term for BA Province minister's torturer 06-07-2021 16:47 Supreme Court confirms 25-year prison sentence against former Santa Fe provincial policeman Mario Alfredo 'Cura' Marcote, one of the torturers of current Buenos Aires Province Health Minister Daniel Gollán during the military dictatorship.
UNREST IN COLOMBIA Colombian Army tightens grip on Cali after protests leave 13 dead 30-05-2021 08:55 Colombian Army tightens control over Cali, after the latest anti-government protests left at least 13 people dead.
BILATERAL RELATIONS PLUNGE Fernández hits back at Bolsonaro over military's role during pandemic 15-04-2021 12:47 President Alberto Fernández responded to a mocking attack from his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday, following the Argentine leader's announcement of tightened restrictions to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malvinas Islands Argentina rejects British military manoeuvres and missile launch on Malvinas 09-04-2021 21:14 Argentina's government protests to British authorities over military manoeuvres and the launching of missiles on the Malvinas (Falklands) Islands, as well as a complaint to neighbouring state Uruguay after it allowed a British military plane to re-fuel on its turf.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Brazil military chiefs exit in new turmoil for Bolsonaro 30-03-2021 20:36 Three commanders of Armed Forces out, confirms Bolsonaro government. Some Brazilian media reports trio had resigned in protest at president's surprise decision to replace defence minister Fernando Azevedo as part of a sweeping reshuffle.
HUMAN RIGHTS Analysing voices of repression 27-03-2021 08:11 CONICET researchers Valentina Salvi and Claudia Feld on their new book analysing statements from those who committed crimes against humanity during Argentina’s 1976-1983 military dictatorship. by Luciana Bertoia
MARCH 24 Rights groups call for 30,000 trees to be planted in memory of disappeared 24-03-2021 14:04 Human rights groups, marking the 45th anniversary of the coup that brought the 1976-1983 military dictatorship to power, are planting frees in honour of those who disappeared at the hands of the military junta.
MARCH 24 Nation pauses to remember victims of military dictatorship 23-03-2021 22:05 On Wednesday, nation pauses for a public holiday to mark the National Day of Memory for Truth and Justice, in remembrance of victims of the brutal military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983.
ARA SAN JUAN tragedy Ex-military chiefs sanctioned over 2017 sinking of ARA San Juan 22-03-2021 22:38 Retired admiral Marcelo Srur was handed "45 days of arrest" for giving "incomplete" picture to Defence Ministry; ex-sub commander Claudio Villamide dismissed for "lack of care and neglect."
HUMAN RIGHTS Fernández urges Argentina to remember dictatorship ‘horror’ 22-03-2021 16:36 Peronist leader calls on citizens to keep memory of crimes against humanity committed by 1976-1983 military dictatorship alive, with this year’s remembrance services set to be limited by coronavirus pandemic.
Latin America Victims of Uruguay's dictatorship seek justice 19-03-2021 13:46 A group of Uruguayan women are seeking justice for the sexual abuse they suffered throughout the country's 1973 dictatorship. With few developments in the case, they have decided to approach the regional watchdog.
HUMAN RIGHTS Slow justice for women abused by Chile's dictatorship 05-03-2021 12:22 More than 40,000 people were tortured and another 3,200 were murdered or disappeared in the 17 years of Augusto Pinochet's regime (1973-1990), which savaged women, making them victims of aberrant methods of torture specially focused on sexual violence.
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.