Latin America

• Monday, August 13th 2018 - 06:38 UTC

  Mexican incoming president pledges drastic cuts in privileges and personal security

  

  Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will abandon the secret service-style protection used by his predecessor in favor of a security detail of 20 unarmed men and women, including lawyers, doctors and engineers.

• Friday, August 10th 2018 - 06:51 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina markets hit by domestic and overseas uncertainties

  

  Major Latin American currencies fell against the dollar on Thursday as global trade tensions strengthened the greenback and political uncertainty in Brazil and Argentina. Latin America's largest economy heads into a presidential election in two months time and in Argentina a major corruption scandal is unfolding.

• Friday, August 10th 2018 - 06:36 UTC

  Another record year of murders in Brazil: 63.880 in 2017

  

  Brazil had a record number of murders last year, with homicides rising 3.7% from 2016 to 63,880 according to a study released on Thursday, just months before a presidential election in which violence has become a key issue.

• Thursday, August 9th 2018 - 13:14 UTC

  Justice denies request to close a northern state border with Venezuela

  

  A judge on the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil denied a request by the regional government of Roraima to close the nation’s border with Venezuela. Roraima is Brazil’s northernmost state and its authorities claimed the persistent influx of Venezuelan immigrants has overburdened the state’s public services.

• Thursday, August 9th 2018 - 08:15 UTC

  Cuban private farmers given more incentives to increase production

  

  Cuba said this week it was doubling the amount of land it granted would-be farmers and the lengths of their leases in an effort to increase stagnating agricultural output. The state owns 80% of the land and leases most of that to farmers and cooperatives. The remainder is owned by some 400,000 private family farmers and their cooperatives.

• Wednesday, August 8th 2018 - 06:50 UTC

  Colombian president Duque anticipates “corrections” to the peace deal with guerrillas

  

  Colombia’s youngest elected president was sworn in to office on Tuesday, promising to “make corrections” to a peace deal with leftist rebels that has divided the country and to crack down on lingering armed groups still roaming the countryside.

• Tuesday, August 7th 2018 - 10:43 UTC

  Chile legally bans the widespread commercial use of plastic bags

  

  Chile has become the first South American country to legally ban the widespread commercial use of plastic bags. The new legislation approved by Congress and enacted by President Sebastián Piñera, gives small shops two years to adapt to a total ban.

• Tuesday, August 7th 2018 - 07:31 UTC

  Brazilian judge blocks border to prevent Venezuelans flooding in

  

  A Brazilian federal court has ordered a block on Venezuelans crossing the border from their economically imploding country, but there was no indication on Monday of the suspension yet taking effect.

• Tuesday, August 7th 2018 - 07:23 UTC

  Ivan Duque takes office as Colombian president; staunch ally of the Trump administration

  

  Ivan Duque, who will be sworn in as Colombia’s president on Tuesday, is poised to become an unusually strong ally for the Trump administration after he made a project of cultivating ties with the White House and spotlighting shared views on drug control, counterterrorism and the unfolding political and economic crisis in next-door Venezuela.

• Sunday, August 5th 2018 - 08:05 UTC

  Maduro escapes drone-attack during military ceremony; blames Colombia's Santos

  

  Venezuelan officials say that President Nicolás Maduro has escaped an assassination attempt unharmed. Maduro was giving a live televised speech in the capital city of Caracas on Saturday when, a government spokesman said, explosive-carrying drones went off near the president.