Uruguay's Health Minister Karina Rando and Undersecretary José Luis Satdjián Saturday visited Paysandú, where seven cases of chikungunya were confirmed in patients who had no travel history.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Sunday took the oath of office from four new ministers. Particularly striking was the appointment of Daniel Maurate to replace José Tello on the same day that former President Alejandro Toledo was brought in from the United States to stand trial for influence peddling and money laundering in a spinoff of the Odebrecht scandal. Tello had dubbed Toledo a “criminal.”
The Ministry of Health of Chile notified WHO of the detection of human infection with avian influenza A(H5) virus. The patient is a 53-year-old male from the Region of Antofagasta in the north of Chile. He had no history of comorbidities or recent travel.
Argentine President Alberto Fernández's announcement that he would not seek reelection was welcomed within the ruling Frente de Todos (FdT) coalition, which now has the opportunity to submit several candidacies to be decided upon at the Aug. 13 Open, Mandatory and Simultaneous Primary (PASO) elections.
President Alberto Fernández's announcement Friday that he would not seek reelection this year triggered the US dollar further up against the Argentine peso, reaching AR$437 / AR$442 (buy/sale) at the “blue” (a euphemism for “black market”) exchange rate. Meanwhile, the official rate stood at AR$217/AR$225 (buy/sale), for a gap of 102.26% between the two quotations.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Friday landed in Lisbon for the first stop of his European tour seeking to overcome the isolation the South American country sank into under Jair Bolsonaro. However, it was not all cheers and smiles following his remarks regarding Ukraine and Russia, whom he both blamed for starting the current war.
Uruguayan public transport drivers and bank clerks will stage a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest against President Luis Lacalle Pou's attempt to reform the country's pension system and increase the retirement age, which is causing concern, particularly when such a move was something the head of state had vowed during his campaign that he would not seek.
Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Alexandre De Moraes Friday ruled to lift the seal of secrecy from images of vandalism recorded during the Jan. 8 riots in the Planalto Palace, Agencia Brasil reported. The magistrate's decision is part of the STF investigation into the coup d'état investigation.
Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo turned himself in to US authorities Friday and is to remain in custody pending his extradition to the South American country, which is scheduled for Sunday on a commercial flight to Lima, where he will be housed at the Barbadillo prison alongside his former colleagues Alberto Fujimori and Pedro Castillo.
President Alberto Fernández of Argentina announced in a video message on his social media that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming presidential elections. In his message titled My decision, Fernández admitted the main problems of his government's management and described the defeats in economic matters of his administration.