Stories for February 16th 2026

Monday, February 16th 2026 - 17:11 UTC
Argentina’s CGT calls 24-hour general strike on the day lower house debates Milei’s labor reform

Argentina’s main labor umbrella, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), confirmed on Monday it will stage a 24-hour nationwide strike on the day the Chamber of Deputies debates President Javier Milei’s labor reform, hardening its stance as the bill enters the final stage of the legislative process after clearing the Senate.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 17:03 UTC
Brazilian opposition announces legal action against Lula over Rio Carnival tribute

Brazil’s opposition said it will file complaints with the country’s electoral courts against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, arguing that a Rio Carnival tribute staged by samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói amounted to illegal early campaigning funded, at least in part, with public money.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 16:58 UTC
Peru set to vote on whether to oust interim President José Jerí amid scandals weeks before elections

Peru’s Congress will debate and vote on Tuesday on a set of censure motions targeting interim President José Jerí, a move that could trigger yet another change at the top of the state in a country that has cycled through multiple presidents since 2016, just weeks before the April 12 general election.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 13:35 UTC
Opus Dei briefs the Pope on Argentina “controversies” amid labor exploitation allegations

Pope Leo XIV on Monday met with Opus Dei Prelate Fernando Ocáriz, as the organization’s leadership presented its “institutional perspective” on “certain controversies” in Argentina, against the backdrop of ongoing allegations involving domestic servitude and human trafficking.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 13:28 UTC
Uruguay's Conexión Ganadera case: founder’s daughter moved $15.9m, BCU says

Uruguay’s Conexión Ganadera investigation — a criminal case stemming from the collapse of a livestock-linked investment operation that led to fraud charges and, in some instances, money-laundering allegations — has moved forward after the Central Bank of Uruguay (BCU) sent prosecutors a report detailing bank transfers made by Marcela Carrasco, the daughter of Pablo Carrasco, a founder of the firm who is currently in pre-trial detention and charged with money laundering.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 06:51 UTC
Milei to travel to the first Board of Peace summit and to meet with Trump

Argentine President Javier Milei will travel to the United States this week to attend the inaugural summit of President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” and hold another meeting with Trump in Washington.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 06:13 UTC
Argentina–Uruguay river commission faces tensions over funding and infrastructure disputes

A string of disagreements between Uruguay’s and Argentina’s delegations at the Administrative Commission of the Uruguay River (CARU) has heightened internal friction at the binational body in recent weeks, amid clashes involving infrastructure proposals, absences from official events and public allegations over the handling of funds and allowances.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 06:00 UTC
Lula and other Brazilian presidents at the Sambadrome: tributes, satire and scandals

The tribute paid on Sunday by samba school Acadêmicos de Niterói to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — a parade that traced his life story and political rise — has revived debate over the long-standing relationship between Rio’s carnival and political power. Lula is not the first Brazilian president to be featured on the Sambadrome, but he is the first to receive such an honor while alive and in office, according to an EFE account.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 05:46 UTC
Petro to issue new temporary minimum wage decree after court suspension

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he will issue “in the coming days” a temporary decree on the 2026 minimum wage after the Council of State ordered a provisional suspension of the government’s late-December decree setting the increase.
Monday, February 16th 2026 - 00:14 UTC
Regional News Monitoring Gains Urgency as Venezuela Crisis and US Migration Policy Reshape Latin America

Latin America is facing renewed geopolitical and humanitarian pressure as developments in Venezuela and evolving migration policies in the United States reshape regional dynamics. Governments across the hemisphere are recalibrating responses as migration flows, border enforcement measures, and political rhetoric shift almost in real time.