Latin America

• Friday, April 22nd 2016 - 15:51 UTC

  Carnival cruise to Havana triggers controversy with Cuban/Americans who allege discrimination

  

  A federal lawsuit is claiming that Carnival Corporation is discriminating against Cuban-Americans who weren’t allowed to book tickets on a cruise to the Castro brothers dominated country. CNN reports that when Carnival announced plans for a cruise ship from its Fathom line to sail from Miami to Havana in May, Francisco Marty jumped at the opportunity to surprise his children with a trip back to their native land.

• Thursday, April 21st 2016 - 12:16 UTC

  Ecuador raises taxes to rebuild cities devastated by major earthquake which continues with aftershocks

  

  President Rafael Correa announced Wednesday night that he is raising sales taxes and will charge a one-time levy on millionaires to rebuild cities devastated by Ecuador's worst earthquake in decades. In a televised address, Correa said damages from the 7.8-magnitude quake will likely run into the billions of dollars, adding to already heavy economic hardships triggered by the collapse in world oil prices.

• Tuesday, April 19th 2016 - 09:14 UTC

  Temer prepares to take over, but Rousseff followers pledge to fight in the Senate and in the streets

  

  Financial markets in Brazil, and globally, are betting that with the exit of president Dilma Rousseff, a more business friendly government will take over helping Latin America's largest economy to kick-start with vice-president Michel Temer, who apparently is working on a wide ranging 'national coalition' and 'salvation cabinet'.

• Tuesday, April 19th 2016 - 08:39 UTC

  Uruguay's ruling coalition backs Rousseff and condemns the 'new kind of coups' in the continent

  

  Uruguay's ruling coalition, Broad Front, came out strongly in support of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff and condemned the “coup which is being instrumented against the head of state who was supported by 54 million votes in free, open democratic elections”.

• Monday, April 18th 2016 - 17:34 UTC

  Rousseff loses crucial impeachment vote; Senate decides as economic uncertainty worsens

  

  President Dilma Rousseff lost a crucial impeachment vote in Brazil’s lower house on Sunday evening, making her removal ever more likely and deepening the country’s political crisis. Rousseff’s opponents easily obtained the two-thirds majority of votes in the 513-member Chamber of Deputies needed to pass the impeachment measure.

• Monday, April 18th 2016 - 12:28 UTC

  Colombia's FARC guerrillas appeal to Pope Francis to help ensure the peace deal

  

  Colombia's FARC guerrilla organization called on Sunday for Pope Francis's support to prevent other armed groups from disrupting its efforts to seal a peace deal with the government. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the country's government say they are close to a deal to end a half-century conflict.

• Monday, April 18th 2016 - 08:21 UTC

  Ecuador quake primary toll: 262 killed and over 2.500 injured, but climbing

  

  Aid began to flow in Sunday to areas devastated by Ecuador's strongest earthquake in decades and the death toll continued to rise as people left homeless hunkered down for another night outside in the dark.

• Saturday, April 16th 2016 - 08:45 UTC

  OAS chief meets Rousseff and disagrees with the impeachment process

  

  Brazilian president President Dilma Rousseff received on Friday in Brasilia the Organization of American States, (OAS), Secretary General Luis Almagro to discuss on the current situation in the country, some regional issues and the role played by OAS.

• Friday, April 15th 2016 - 18:14 UTC

  Rousseff to address the nation Friday evening while Congress debates her impeachment

  

  President Dilma Rousseff is scheduled to address Brazil on national television Friday evening, the same day that Congress started a three-day debate to decide whether there are enough arguments to begin the impeachment process that could lead to her removal from office. She is charged with manipulating budget accounts that helped her government present balanced accounts for the 2014 presidential elections.

• Friday, April 15th 2016 - 08:47 UTC

  US cautions Caribbean BOTs about whom they give their passports

  

  The United States Government has cautioned Caribbean countries offering a Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) to be extra cautious about who they give their passports to, and ensure that recipients have no terrorist or crime links. It gave the advice, in a statement issued by the US Embassy in Barbados, even as it made it that it was not advising regional countries on whether or not they should offer economic citizenship.