Latin America

Tuesday, January 14th 2020 - 09:49 UTC
Six Tourists arrested in Peru for damaging the Machu Picchu cultural heritage

Six tourists, including a French woman, have been arrested over accusations that they damaged Peru's cultural heritage by defecating in a sacred temple at the iconic Machu Picchu sanctuary.
Monday, January 13th 2020 - 09:58 UTC
Colombian police thwarts death attempt on FARC ex guerrilla leader

Colombian police thwarted an assassination attempt against Rodrigo Londoño, former commander of the demobilized Farc rebels better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko, a senior official said on Sunday.
Monday, January 13th 2020 - 09:44 UTC
Uruguay becoming a premium olive oil production and exporting country

Olive oil producers in Uruguay enjoyed a record-setting harvest in 2019, according to a new report compiled by Uruguay’s Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries. In effect Uruguay produced 2,775 tons of extra virgin olive oil, according to the report, an increase of more than 360% over the rolling five-year average.
Monday, January 13th 2020 - 08:51 UTC
Prolific Galapagos giant tortoise Diego is credited for saving his species from extinction

Prolific Galapagos giant tortoise Diego is being released back into the wild after being credited by authorities with almost single handedly saving his species from extinction. The 100-year-old tortoise, who was recruited along with 14 other adults for a captive breeding program, will be returned to his native island of Espanola in March, the Galapagos National Parks service (PNG) said on Friday.
Saturday, January 11th 2020 - 10:02 UTC
Brazil opens pipeline to allow Bolivian company to sell gas

The Brazilian government authorized Bolivian oil and gas company YPFB to use the Gasbol pipeline to sell gas to other companies in Brazil beyond state-run oil firm Petrobras, according to a publication on Friday in the official gazette.
Saturday, January 11th 2020 - 09:56 UTC
Major oil discovery offshore Suriname next to Guyana's prolific Stabroek's block

Apache Corp and Total SA announced they had made a major oil discovery in a closely watched area off the coast of South America’s Suriname, sending Apache’s shares surging nearly 27%.
Saturday, January 11th 2020 - 09:50 UTC
Trump sharply reduces flights to Cuba “to impede the regime gaining access to hard currency”

The United States on Friday sharply reduced flights allowed to go to Cuba in a bid to reduce revenue to the communist island. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that charter flights would only be allowed to fly to Havana, not other airports - a step already taken with commercial flights.
Saturday, January 11th 2020 - 09:35 UTC
Mexico shocked at school shooting and killing by a student

An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his teacher on Friday at a school in northern Mexico and wounded six other people before killing himself, authorities said. As shocked Mexicans searched for explanations for the school shooting - a rare event for the country - officials said they were investigating a possible link to the Columbine High School massacre in the US in 1999.
Saturday, January 11th 2020 - 09:26 UTC
Gold bar, evidence of Spanish plundering of Aztec empire 500 years ago

A new scientific analysis of a large gold bar found decades ago in downtown Mexico City reveals it was part of the plunder Spanish conquerors tried to carry away as they fled the Aztec capital after native warriors forced a hasty retreat.
Friday, January 10th 2020 - 14:25 UTC
Colombia eradicated 100.000 hectares of coca in 2019, president Duque reports

Colombia, a top source of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, eradicated more than 100,000 hectares of the crop last year, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday. The Andean country has come under repeated pressure from the United States, an important destination for cocaine shipments, to reduce coca cultivation, especially as crop figures shot up in recent years.