Latin America

Thursday, September 1st 2016 - 10:10 UTC
Pope declines request to help select judges for Colombia's peace tribunal

The Vatican announced Wednesday that, although Pope Francis is pleased about a peace deal between the government of Colombia and the country’s guerrillas, he has declined a request to have a Vatican envoy help select judges for a new peace tribunal.
Thursday, September 1st 2016 - 07:35 UTC
Guantanamo Bay inmate is back in Uruguay following his arrest in Venezuela

A former Guantanamo Bay inmate who was resettled in Uruguay and then arrested in Venezuela after going missing has been sent back to Uruguay, officials announced in Montevideo. Syrian Jihad Diyab, 45, who was resettled in Uruguay as a refugee in 2014 -- was jailed at the headquarters of the Venezuelan secret police after going off the radar in Uruguay then traveling to Venezuela, apparently evading border control.
Tuesday, August 30th 2016 - 04:47 UTC
Rousseff claims impeachment is a new type of coup; street protests in her support

Brazil's suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, took the stand on Monday at her impeachment trial in the Senate, delivering a last-ditch defense to prevent her final removal from office. “Don’t expect from me the obliging silence of cowards,” Ms. Rousseff, 68, said in a withering attack on her opponents at the start of her testimony.
Monday, August 29th 2016 - 06:41 UTC
Morales claims killing of minister and three miners was a coup attempt

Morales claimed that the violent miners protests this week that resulted in the beating and killing of Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes and the deaths of three demonstrators were the latest unsuccessful attempt by his political enemies to forcibly remove him from office.
Sunday, August 28th 2016 - 03:59 UTC
Eight Paraguayan soldiers executed by rural guerrillas following an attack on a patrol

Eight Paraguayan soldiers died on Saturday in a rural roadside explosion, followed by execution of survivors, 500 kilometers north of the capital Asunción, the government said, blaming it on a criminal group which identifies itself as the EPP, acronym for Paraguayan People's Army.
Sunday, August 28th 2016 - 03:56 UTC
Rousseff takes the stand on Monday, following the round of defense witnesses

Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff's former economy minister testified Saturday that Rousseff did not break any laws justifying impeachment, as her trial closed in on next week's climax. Rousseff is accused of taking illegal state loans to help bridge budget shortfalls and mask the true state of the economy during her 2014 reelection campaign. The president argues the charges are trumped up and amount to a rightwing coup.
Saturday, August 27th 2016 - 05:12 UTC
PM Theresa May congratulates President Santos on the historic peace deal

British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke with President Juan Manuel Santos to congratulate him about the historic peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). President Santos thanked the UK for its central role in helping reach the agreement.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 11:07 UTC
Striking Bolivian mines kidnap and kill deputy Interior minister

Bolivian Deputy Interior Minister Rodolfo Illanes has been killed after being kidnapped by striking mineworkers, the government said late on Thursday. Illanes had gone to talk to protesters earlier on Thursday in Panduro, around 160 km from the capital, La Paz, but was intercepted and kidnapped by striking miners.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 07:28 UTC
Colombia launches referendum campaign; doubts remain on peace accord terms

After sealing a historic peace accord with the FARC rebels, the Colombian government launched a campaign on Thursday to persuade voters to adopt it in a referendum on October 2.
Friday, August 26th 2016 - 07:10 UTC
Santos announces definitive ceasefire starting midnight Monday 29 August

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the army on Thursday to observe a definitive ceasefire with the FARC rebels after the two sides reached a deal to end their half-century conflict