MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[Colombia's far right eyes landslide amid fears Petro will reject runoff result]]> In the first round on May 31, De la Espriella won about 10.3 million votes (43.74%) and Cepeda roughly 9.7 million (40.9%), a margin of under three points that sent both men to the runoff The campaign of Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, of the far-right Defenders of the Homeland movement, is aiming for a decisive win in the June 21 runoff to shield the outcome from possible challenges, his campaign chief said.

]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Díaz-Canel unveils reforms to liberalize Cuba's economy amid an oil crisis and US sanctions]]> The reform also envisages a reduction of the state apparatus —from 27 to 20 ministries, according to a draft law— to cut spending and finance a future salary reform Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday announced a broad package of economic reforms, under the so-called Economic and Social Program for 2026, to confront one of the most severe crises in the island's recent history, amid strong pressure from Donald Trump's government. "These are times when we have to change," the president said, without specifying an entry-into-force date or the legal norms that will underpin each measure.

]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:35:00 GMT <![CDATA[Amnesty International condemns police violence at World Cup opening protests in Mexico City]]> Mexico City's government deployed more than 10,000 officers around the stadium and hotel corridors Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday condemned the violence by security forces during the large protests in southern Mexico City surrounding the opening of the 2026 World Cup, in which police used fire extinguishers to disperse demonstrators. The organization demanded respect for and protection of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and protest.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:03:00 GMT <![CDATA[Cuba accuses Rubio of tightening the US economic and energy blockade after Cupet sanction]]> Rubio accused the Cuban government of using energy “as a weapon” and of diverting resources to enrich itself, a claim that, according to news agencies, he did not back with evidence. Cuba's government on Thursday accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of "further reinforcing" the economic and energy siege against the island, after Washington sanctioned the state company Unión Cuba-Petróleo (Cupet), which handles crude extraction, refining and production. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez charged that Rubio resorts to "usual vulgar lies" to justify the measure.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:46:00 GMT <![CDATA[Colombia's government confirms El Niño will be among the most intense since 1950]]> In Colombia, El Niño tends to be associated with a decline in rainfall, which raises the risk of drought and energy rationing in a country that relies heavily on hydroelectric generation Colombia's Environment Ministry confirmed on Thursday that the El Niño phenomenon arrived about three months earlier than expected and that, if projections hold, it will be one of the "most intense recorded since 1950," according to data from the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam). The agency said the conditions associated with the phenomenon —which warms ocean waters above normal— are already present in the equatorial Pacific.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:34:00 GMT <![CDATA[Fujimori edges ahead of Sánchez in Peru as expat ballots flip a razor-thin count]]> Fujimori reappeared at the door of her home to ask Sánchez to keep his commitment to respect the final result Conservative Keiko Fujimori reclaimed first place on Wednesday night in Peru's presidential runoff, in a count being decided vote by vote that took a decisive turn with the arrival of ballots from Peruvians abroad. With 98.2% of the tally sheets processed by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Fujimori reached 50.002% against 49.999% for leftist Roberto Sánchez, a difference of fewer than a thousand votes. If the trend holds, the Fuerza Popular leader could become the country's first woman elected president at the polls.

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:04:00 GMT <![CDATA[EU mission praises transparency in Peru's runoff but criticizes the slow count]]> The mission nonetheless noted delays of up to an hour in the opening of polling tables in Lima, mainly due to the absence of their members The European Union (EU) election observation mission in Peru highlighted the order and transparency of Sunday's presidential runoff, though it criticized the slowness in proclaiming the results and warned of episodes of racism and discrimination during the campaign. The head of the mission, Italian MEP Annalisa Corrado, asked Peruvians to wait patiently, at a time when, with about 96% of the count completed, conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez remain in a technical tie.

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:58:00 GMT <![CDATA[Sánchez overtakes Fujimori in Peru count with 95% tallied; overseas vote still to come]]> Fujimori lost ground decimal by decimal as tally sheets arrived from rural and Andean areas, where Sánchez performs best Leftist Roberto Sánchez moved ahead in the count of Peru's presidential runoff, in an election being decided vote by vote. With about 95% of the tally sheets processed by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Sánchez had around 50.1% of the vote, against 49.9% for conservative Keiko Fujimori, a lead of some 41,000 ballots. The result, however, is not final: the votes of Peruvians abroad, historically favorable to the right, have yet to be counted.

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:51:00 GMT <![CDATA[Colombia's runoff: a united right behind De la Espriella faces a divided left]]> The left, which had made unity the axis of its campaign in 2025, went through the week with internal tensions The first of the three campaign weeks ahead of Colombia's presidential runoff, set for June 21, has been marked by a contrast: a right that had failed to unite for the first round ended up aligned behind far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, while the left of Senator Iván Cepeda and President Gustavo Petro has struggled to coordinate its effort. De la Espriella was the most-voted candidate on May 31, with 43.74% against Cepeda's 40.90%.

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:44:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay's Orsi slips to 12th in a regional presidential ranking; Bukele leads]]> According to the poll's breakdown, 19.8% of those surveyed said they had a “very good” image of the president and 19.0% a “good” one; at the other end, 33.5% rated it “very bad” and 22.2% “bad” Uruguay's President Yamandú Orsi fell to 12th among the 18 leaders in the June ranking of best-rated Latin American presidents compiled by the Argentine consultancy CB. With a 38.8% positive image, Orsi dropped one spot from May and remains in the survey's "regular" band.

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