Latin America

• Tuesday, March 18th 2025 - 09:04 UTC

  Europol/Ecuador, large cocaine bust, 73 tons and coordination with major EU ports

  

  A large-scale drug trafficking investigation, supported by Europol, led to the dismantling of an Ecuadorian criminal cell involved in supplying wholesale cocaine to the EU via major ports. The international operation, led by the Ecuadorian National Police (Policía Nacional del Ecuador), also involved the German Criminal Police (LKA Baden-Württemberg), German Customs (ZFA Stuttgart) and the Spanish Guardia Civil.

• Tuesday, March 18th 2025 - 07:58 UTC

  Peru: Boluarte wants death penalty for hitmen

  

  Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Monday declared a 30-day state of emergency in Lima and Callao following Sunday's murder of popular cumbia singer Paul Flores by hitmen. The measure, effective from March 18, suspends constitutional rights such as assembly, home inviolability, free transit, and personal freedom, with the Armed Forces supporting the National Police to combat crime.

• Monday, March 17th 2025 - 20:54 UTC

  Haiti: Gangs make TV facilities their target of choice

  

  The criminal gang Viv Ansanm has intensified its attacks on media outlets in Port-au-Prince with the latest incident involving the vandalism and arson of Télé Pluriel's premises in Port-au-Prince's Delmas 19 district during the weekend.

• Monday, March 17th 2025 - 12:43 UTC

  US convicts transferred to El Salvador's maximum security Cecot prison

  

  Salvadoran authorities Sunday received 238 members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and 23 members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs, expelled from the United States under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law unused since World War II. President Nayib Bukele acknowledged their arrival and immediate transfer to the maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), built in 2023 to house high-profile criminals.

• Saturday, March 15th 2025 - 10:31 UTC

  Cuba going through fourth nationwide blackout in six months

  

  Cuba has experienced its fourth nationwide blackout in six months, leaving nearly 10 million people without electricity following a failure at a key substation in Havana, which caused a chain reaction that led to the shutdown of multiple power generation units, resulting in a total collapse of the National Electric System (SEN). The new crisis is said to be the consequence of persistent underfunding, outdated infrastructure, and fuel shortages.

• Saturday, March 15th 2025 - 09:44 UTC

  Bolivian President admits inability to cope with imported fuel demand

  

  Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora admitted Friday that his country imported 90% of the fuel it consumed at a cost of around US$ 3 billion annually, a significant adjustment from US$ 1.5 billion in 2019. Given the rise in smuggling and the scarcity of hard foreign currency, the crisis seems to have entered some loop. Reducing public sector vehicle use and prioritizing fuel for essential services may not be enough to meet national fuel demand. “What country is going to put up with this?” he wondered.

• Friday, March 14th 2025 - 13:24 UTC

  UN: Bolivia loses voting rights over unpaid membership dues

  

  Former Foreign Minister Diego Pary (2018-19), who resigned as Bolivia's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) last year, has said that his country has lost its voting rights within the global organization due to unpaid membership dues for the 2024-2025 term, amounting roughly to US$ 780,000.

• Thursday, March 13th 2025 - 10:38 UTC

  Bolivian gov't announces measures to tackle fuel shortages

  

  Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora announced Wednesday in a broadcast message a set of ten measures adopted by his government to tackle the fuel shortage affecting his country.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2025 - 10:27 UTC

  Bolivia's fuel shortage crisis deepens

  

  The Bolivian department of Santa Cruz is experiencing a crisis caused by a severe diesel shortage, which has led to blockades and threats of strikes. Farmers in Concepción and Yapacaní have blocked key highways connecting Santa Cruz with other regions, protesting the lack of fuel that threatens their summer harvest of crops like soybeans, corn, and rice. These blockades have disrupted trade routes and prompted warnings of further protests in other towns like San Carlos and Portachuelo.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2025 - 10:09 UTC

  Peru: Pedro Castillo goes on hunger strike

  

  Former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo Terrones (2021-2022) has begun a hunger strike to protest his ongoing trial for an alleged coup attempt in December 2022. Castillo, who has been imprisoned since the incident, argues that he is being unfairly prosecuted for rebellion, abuse of authority, and disturbing public tranquility, despite lacking military support. He is demanding a new court to oversee his case, as he believes the current one is biased. He also wants the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) to protect his rights. The prosecution is seeking a 34-year prison sentence in addition to monetary reparations.