Latin America

Friday, October 25th 2019 - 09:49 UTC
Morales proclaims himself as winner in the first round of the Bolivian presidential election with 47.07% of the vote

A final vote tally by Bolivia's electoral board gave President Evo Morales an outright win in the first-round election on Thursday, with 47.07% of ballots compared to 36.51% for runner-up Carlos Mesa, data on the board's website showed.
Friday, October 25th 2019 - 09:45 UTC
Alarming level of mercury contamination in Amazon dolphins: illegal gold mining

Amazon river dolphins are showing alarming levels of contamination mainly because of illegal panning for gold, conservationists say. Researchers measured contamination levels in 46 of these large freshwater creatures known for long, bottle-like snouts in major basins of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 11:57 UTC
Bolivian president calls to defend democracy; opposition urges “permanent mobilization in the streets”

Bolivia's opposition launched a general strike on Wednesday amid protests and disturbances over disputed election results that pointed to another term for President Evo Morales, who likened the unrest to a right-wing coup.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:54 UTC
General strike and unrest continues in Chile despite Piñera's “I'm sorry” and announcements

Thousands of Chileans flooded the streets of Santiago and other cities in a general strike on Wednesday, upping the pressure on beleaguered President Sebastian Piñera after days of social unrest that left at least 18 dead.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:50 UTC
Venezuela exodus on track to reach 5 million, says UN; 5.000 leave every day

The exodus of Venezuelans is on track to reach 5 million people, as pressure grows on neighboring countries to provide them with long-term support, United Nations and European Union officials said on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 24th 2019 - 09:21 UTC
Mexico, an example of the financial plight of the Latin American media

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December promising to reduce public spending to free up more resources for the poor. But his austerity drive has left media outlets reeling, and raised questions about whether Lopez Obrador is trying to influence coverage.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 21:54 UTC
Uruguay Sunday’s general election: To a second ballotage and without parliamentary majority

On Sunday, October 27, in Uruguay, a new president, and Parliament will be elected. According to pollsters, the same parties as in 2014, the official Frente Amplio (FA, Broad Front) and the conservative National Party, will go on second ballotage in November. However, the novelty is that the Legislature will be made up of a minimum of six parties (a historical record) and a maximum of nine.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 09:51 UTC
Rioting in Bolivia to protest Electoral Tribunal “manipulations” which favor a first round win for Evo Morales

Arson attacks, rioting, looting on Tuesday has extended to several Bolivian cities to protest the results of the country's presidential election process on Sunday, particularly since an oddly delayed official quick count showed President Evo Morales near an outright first-round victory — even as a more formal tally tended to show him heading for a risky runoff.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 09:50 UTC
China attacks Western hypocrisy equaling Hong Kong with Chile and Catalonia situations

China is seizing on violent protests in Europe and South America to bolster its condemnation of demonstrations in Hong Kong and defend its handling of the unrest.
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019 - 09:50 UTC
Bolivian president agrees with OAS a full recount of Sunday's presidential votes

Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro has accepted the Bolivian government’s invitation to carry out an audit of the recent presidential election in the country, amid controversies over the results.