Stories for August 2026

Monday, August 17th 2026 - 08:01 UTC
Uruguay's only industrial brewer negotiates cutting 80 jobs or ending production

Fábricas Nacionales de Cerveza (FNC), Uruguay's only industrial beer producer, is negotiating with the government and the trade union a restructuring that would cut 80 of the 400 jobs at its Montevideo and Minas plants. The company keeps a second scenario on the table, which the parties involved regard as less likely: abandoning local production and operating as an importer, with a workforce reduced to around 100 employees.
Monday, August 17th 2026 - 07:45 UTC
Rains in Caracas leave three dead and destroy tents housing earthquake survivors

At least three people died in Caracas as a result of torrential rains that fell between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday, which also caused flooding, brought down trees, cut power supplies and destroyed camps sheltering families left homeless by the double earthquake of June 24.
Sunday, August 16th 2026 - 22:46 UTC
Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro open Brazil's campaign in their respective political birthplaces

Brazil's two leading presidential candidates launched their campaigns for the October 4 elections on Sunday with rallies at the venues associated with their political trajectories. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva drew more than 10,000 supporters to the Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo's industrial belt, while Senator Flávio Bolsonaro gathered his backers on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Sunday, August 16th 2026 - 07:46 UTC
Argentine household arrears reach 17.5% and the government rules out intervening

Arrears on credit to individuals in Argentina reached 17.5% of total lending in June, according to a study by Universidad Austral and the consultancy Eco Go based on central bank data. Javier Milei's government has ruled out intervening and maintains the solution must come from the market.
Sunday, August 16th 2026 - 07:40 UTC
Colombia asks Washington to suspend 12.5% tariffs over the earthquake emergency

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Saturday asked his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to temporarily suspend tariffs on Colombian goods, arguing this would give exporters relief as the country faces the economic consequences of Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake.
Saturday, August 15th 2026 - 06:08 UTC
Colombia: De la Espriella calls the situation in Pereira “apocalyptic” after touring the city

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella on Friday described the situation in Pereira, capital of Risaralda department and one of the places worst hit by Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake in the west and center of the country, as “apocalyptic.”
Saturday, August 15th 2026 - 05:01 UTC
Rejection of Flávio Bolsonaro exceeds Lula's despite his gains in voting intention

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro registers a 54% rejection rate among Brazilian voters, two points above the 52% recorded by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to the Quaest poll released on Friday, two days before campaigning officially opens for the October 4 elections.
Saturday, August 15th 2026 - 02:44 UTC
Cash Still Rules, But the Economy Also Depends on Digital Transactions. Why Is That?

Walk into any major city in the world today, and you will find two parallel realities operating side by side. In one, people hand over physical currency (coins and notes) to pay for coffee, market produce, or a bus fare.
Friday, August 14th 2026 - 22:34 UTC
Peru rehearses its response to a magnitude 8.8 quake off Lima and Callao

Peru held the year's second national multi-hazard drill on Friday, an exercise testing evacuation protocols and the response capacity of the public and the authorities to a possible magnitude 8.8 earthquake centered off the central coast of Lima and Callao.
Friday, August 14th 2026 - 22:20 UTC
Peña says the Milei-Lula crisis has not affected how Mercosur functions

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña said on Friday that the differences between his Argentine and Brazilian counterparts, Javier Milei and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have had no consequences for Mercosur, despite the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.