Stories for 2026

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.
Sunday, February 15th 2026 - 16:28 UTC
Lagarde says Trump’s ‘kick in the butt’ has pulled European leaders closer

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said on Sunday at the Munich Security Conference that a shift in US President Donald Trump’s stance toward Europe has acted as a political jolt, pushing European leaders into closer coordination.
Saturday, February 14th 2026 - 23:38 UTC
Libra token scandal: what is known one year after Milei’s post

One year after Argentine President Javier Milei posted on X promoting the $Libra crypto token —and later deleted the message— the episode remains under legal and political scrutiny, with proceedings in Argentina and civil claims in the United States still active.
Saturday, February 14th 2026 - 04:19 UTC
Major fire hits Havana’s Ñico López refinery amid Cuba’s energy crunch

A large fire broke out on Friday at the Ñico López refinery in Cuba’s capital, sending a thick column of black smoke into the sky that was visible from multiple points around Havana Bay. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the blaze or the extent of any damage, while emergency crews remained on scene.
Saturday, February 14th 2026 - 03:17 UTC
US redeploys USS Gerald R. Ford from Caribbean to Middle East amid Iran pressure

The United States is shifting the USS Gerald R. Ford, its largest aircraft carrier, from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in a move that would place two US carrier strike groups in the region as President Donald Trump presses Iran to reach a deal over its nuclear programme.
Saturday, February 14th 2026 - 00:05 UTC
Trump says he will visit Venezuela, praises Delcy Rodríguez as U.S. expands oil licences

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he plans to travel to Venezuela, while acknowledging that no date has been set. “I’m going to make a visit to Venezuela,” he told reporters at the White House.
Saturday, February 14th 2026 - 00:01 UTC
ICE suspends two officers after judge throws out charges in Minneapolis shooting case

Two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been placed on administrative leave as ICE and the Justice Department (DOJ) open a joint probe following video evidence that undercut parts of the official account of a Minneapolis arrest in which a Venezuelan man was shot in the leg.
Friday, February 13th 2026 - 23:59 UTC
Uruguay cancels Cardama OPV deal over “serious breaches,” moves toward legal action

Uruguay’s government has terminated its contract with Spain’s Cardama shipyard for the construction of two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Uruguayan Navy, citing “serious contractual breaches,” and said it will seek damages through legal action.