
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso Wednesday issued an executive decree ordering the Armed Forces to carry out immediate operations nationwide to confront and counteract terrorist individuals and organizations, it was announced.

Brazilian Federal Police Wednesday morning raided Jair Bolsonaro's home in Brasilia and seized the former President's mobile phone and other evidence in a probe into allegations that the retired Army captain had falsified his Covid-19 vaccination certificate to enter the United States, which he denied.

The US Federal Reserve Wednesday upped its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to between 5% and 5.25%, its highest level in 16 years, which further tightened credit for businesses and consumers, it was announced.

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that its HQ had been targeted for the first time in the war unleashed against Ukraine. At least two drones reportedly attempted to strike the residence of President Vladimir Putin but were shot down by the residential complex's anti-aircraft defenses, it was reported by the presidential press service.
Drones crash into Kremlin, Russia accuses Ukraine of attempted Putin's assassination

Argentine President Alberto Fernández Tuesday thanked his Brazilian colleague Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the latter's commitment to helping Argentine overcome the current crisis: “I celebrate the explicit support that Lula has given us as a country and as a government,” Fernández said after the meeting at the Alvorada Palace. He also highlighted Lula's pledge to strengthen Brazilian exports and support negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

With the Argentine government of Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in total disarray, the economy in shambles and with no hard currency, while a top delegation travels the world, China, Brazil, the US, and the IMF begging for fresh funds, several Argentine provinces are holding their local elections for governor and lawmakers, un hooked from the national presidential event next October.

Brazil’s government said it could not interfere with a landmark EU law banning imports of commodities linked to deforestation but will keep farming according to its own laws. The law approved by the European Parliament on April 19 bans imports of coffee, beef, soy, palm oil, cocoa, rubber, wood, charcoal and derived products including leather, chocolate and furniture if they are linked to forest destruction.

The Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group Tuesday resumed peace talks in Havana, Cuba, while President Gustavo Petro is on a tour of Spain.

Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) President Michael Greenspon was anything but optimistic in his World Press Freedom Day message after reports showed that, in the last semester, 10 journalists were murdered: 5 in Haiti and the others in Colombia, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay.

Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa will travel to Brazil alongside President Alberto Fernández to find credit alternatives through which to spend fewer dollars in bilateral trade, it was reported.