Stories for October 2019

Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:54 UTC
General strike and unrest continues in Chile despite Piñera's “I'm sorry” and announcements

Thousands of Chileans flooded the streets of Santiago and other cities in a general strike on Wednesday, upping the pressure on beleaguered President Sebastian Piñera after days of social unrest that left at least 18 dead.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:50 UTC
Venezuela exodus on track to reach 5 million, says UN; 5.000 leave every day

The exodus of Venezuelans is on track to reach 5 million people, as pressure grows on neighboring countries to provide them with long-term support, United Nations and European Union officials said on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:45 UTC
Brazil Justices debating law that could free scores of convicts including Lula da Silva

Supreme Court judges in Brazil began voting Wednesday on whether to overturn a law requiring convicted criminals to go to jail after losing their first appeal, instead of waiting until the end of the legal process. A favorable ruling could result in the freeing of scores of convicts, including leftist former president Lula da Silva, who is serving eight years and 10 months for corruption.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:28 UTC
A majority of Argentine public is dissatisfied with the state of their democracy, Pew Research

Argentines are headed to the polls for their general election on Sunday Oct. 27. They will cast their votes against a backdrop of wide discontent with the way things are going in the country and little faith in their elected officials and public institutions, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:21 UTC
Mexico, an example of the financial plight of the Latin American media

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December promising to reduce public spending to free up more resources for the poor. But his austerity drive has left media outlets reeling, and raised questions about whether Lopez Obrador is trying to influence coverage.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:20 UTC
Petrobras contracts' scam: Brazilian prosecutors investigating Argentine construction group Technit

Brazilian police conducted raids on Wednesday in a new phase of the “Car Wash” corruption investigation, targeting alleged bribery by Italo-Argentine group Techint to secure contracts from state-run oil firm Petrobras.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 08:49 UTC
Major murder investigation in UK after 39 bodies found in refrigerated container

Britain launched a major murder investigation after the bodies of 39 people were found on Wednesday in a refrigerated truck, once again putting the spotlight on the shadowy people trafficking business. The corpses were found in a truck container at an industrial park in Grays, east of London, triggering outrage among politicians.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 21:54 UTC
Uruguay Sunday’s general election: To a second ballotage and without parliamentary majority

On Sunday, October 27, in Uruguay, a new president, and Parliament will be elected. According to pollsters, the same parties as in 2014, the official Frente Amplio (FA, Broad Front) and the conservative National Party, will go on second ballotage in November. However, the novelty is that the Legislature will be made up of a minimum of six parties (a historical record) and a maximum of nine.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 09:58 UTC
Piñera asks for forgiveness and announces a social agenda to resolve inequality accumulated for decades

Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera announced an ambitious raft of measures on Tuesday, aiming to quell protests against his government with a guaranteed minimum wage, a hike in the state pension offering and the stabilization of electricity costs.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 09:55 UTC
Brazil approves pensions' reform: markets soar and stocks hit an all time high

Brazil's Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to a landmark reform of the country's social security system, in a step seen as key to stabilizing public finances and the economy. The text was approved by a vote of 60-19.