The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert Wednesday due to a rise in whooping cough (pertussis) cases in the Americas, urging stronger epidemiological surveillance and improved childhood vaccination coverage, particularly for children under 1 and 5 years old.
Colombia was elected Tuesday to a two-year term (2026-2027) as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council by the UN General Assembly, alongside Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia, and Liberia.
Supporters of former President Evo Morales escalated protests Monday with 13 road blockades across Bolivia, primarily in Cochabamba, paralyzing vehicle transit, including over 800 fuel tankers.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has denounced multiple assassination plots against him, highlighting a recent incident involving the discovery of anti-tank weapons near the presidential Casa de Nariño palace in Bogotá.
Argentina has formally objected to the European Union's preliminary classification of the country as a “standard risk” under the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR). The regulation, set to take effect in 2026, aims to ensure that consumer products imported into the EU, such as soybeans, beef, timber, and cocoa, do not originate from deforested areas after December 31, 2020.
Peru's National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (Reniec) spent over US$ 30,000 to send four officials to the Vatican to update the National Identity Card (DNI) of Pope Leo XIV. The Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost is a naturalized Peruvian since 2015. The mission was framed within the Identification without Borders campaign to provide registry services to Peruvians in Italy and train consulate staff in Rome and Milan.
Bolivia's Hydrocarbons and Energy Minister Alejandro Gallardo apologized Friday for the delays in unloading fuel from tanker ships amid unfavorable weather conditions, which will delay the arrival of the product to the landlocked country.
France will implement a nationwide smoking ban in public places frequented by children, effective July 1, 2025, Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin announced Friday, ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Saturday. In South America, the measure will apply to the overseas department of French Guiana, which follows French national laws. The issue is also environmental, with cigarette butts polluting seashores.
The unloading of fuels began in three Pacific Ocean ports, with an estimated 100 million liters of gasoline and diesel expected to arrive in Bolivia by the weekend. The operation involves ports in Chile and Peru due to weather conditions, Hydrocarbons Minister Alejandro Gallardo explained. The measure seeks to address Bolivia's ongoing nationwide fuel shortage.
Bolivia has been certified by the World Organization for Animal Health as free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) without vaccination, a status shared only with Brazil in South America. This milestone, achieved through over 20 years of public-private efforts and a US$ 350 million investment, benefits around 200,000 livestock producers. Bolivia is to be officially granted such recognition during a ceremony on Thursday.