Stories for May 2023

Friday, May 12th 2023 - 10:16 UTC
Ecuador and China reach FTA

Ecuador and China signed a free trade agreement (FTA) whereby the South American country will have access to a market of 1.4 billion people, it was reported in Quito on Wednesday. It was the second such pact signed under the administration of President Guillermo Lasso, following the one reached with Costa Rica.
Friday, May 12th 2023 - 10:12 UTC
WHO declares end of monkeypox emergency

Monkeypox, or MPOX, is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization declared Thursday after a nearly one-year-long alert for the disease that resulted in 87,000 confirmed cases in 111 countries, and 140 deaths recorded worldwide.
Friday, May 12th 2023 - 09:56 UTC
Brazil's Minerva Foods profits sustained with shipments from Uruguay and Argentina

Minerva Foods, South America’s largest animal protein exporter, ended the first quarter of this year with a net income of R$ 114 million, (Some five Reais to the US dollar).The result was only 0.5% lower than in the same period of 2022, despite the temporary interruption of shipments of Brazilian beef to its leading buyer, China.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:55 UTC
Brazilian envoy meeting Ukrainian officials to devise a peace plan

Ukrainian diplomat Andrij Melnik Wednesday said Brazil can “play an important role” in stopping the war with Russia ahead of his meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's envoy Celso Amorim in Kyiv.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:54 UTC
Brazil to begin dredging channel linking Merín and Los Patos lagoons this year

Brazilian authorities have pledged to start dredging the Merín-De los Patos lagoons waterway later this year, most likely in the spring, Uruguayan Undersecretary of Transport and Public Works, Juan José Olaizola said. The initiative is part of the agreements reached by presidents Luis Lacalle Pou and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during their meeting in January in Montevideo.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:41 UTC
Colombian president wants compulsory military service to end

Colombian President Gustavo Petro wants his country to have more professional armed forces and thus bring the compulsory military service to an end, it was reported Wednesday in Bogota. The head of state also insisted on further funding the activity. In September last year, then Interior Minister Alfonso Prada had spoken about the government's plan to replace mandatory military service with a voluntary one. In the last five years, 460,113 young people between 18 and 24 years of age served compulsorily in the Armed Forces.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:36 UTC
Brazilian coffee exports fall 10.3% in April

According to this week's latest report from the Council of Brazilian Coffee Exporters (Cecafé)., Brazil exported some 2.7 million bags (60 kilos) of coffee last month, 10.3% less than in April of 2022, which represented US$ 604.5 million in revenues, 16.9% less than in the same month last year.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:32 UTC
Brazilian authorities make 157 drug-related arrests

At least 157 people were arrested Wednesday in Brazil in a police raid against drug-trafficking gangs, it was reported in Rio de Janeiro. Among those taken into custody were leaders of the two largest Brazilian criminal factions -the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (Comando Vermelho)- according to police sources cited by Xinhua.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:26 UTC
Brazil: Telegram removes postings against Fake News Bill

The Telegram messaging service platform Wednesday acquiesced to a Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruling and removed all postings against the so-called Fake News bill which is already under Congressional debate, Agencia Brasil reported.
Thursday, May 11th 2023 - 10:17 UTC
Chilean Army declares red alert after Mapuche arson attacks

Chile's Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve Wednesday announced that a red alert was being declared in the southern part of the country following arson attacks allegedly perpetrated by Mapuche rebels, it was reported in Santiago.