Tag Archives: South America

Thick smoke billowed above Brazil’s Amazon jungle as fire tore through the butchered rainforest and discarded trees littered the scorched earth like dead matchsticks, burnt and black. A Reuters witness saw vast burned and clear cut areas on Wednesday and Thursday, as the arc of deforestation advanced deeper into the …

As long as cocaine is illegal, the cat-and-mouse game between drug runners from Colombia and the authorities will continue. Decades of busts and subsequent innovation have led to a regular sort of news story, where black-market businessmen have created a new way to get drugs to their customers. Tunnels, planes, …

Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Wednesday a severe drought could lead to energy rationing in Brazil, contradicting other officials who have said that such a step would not be necessary. Brazil, one of the world’s agricultural superpowers, is suffering from one of its worst droughts in a century. …

Armed robbers hit several banks in a small Brazilian city on Monday, using locals as human shields, leaving a trail of explosive devices, and shooting at police in an assault that killed at least three people, a senior state security official said. The brazen attack around midnight in Araçatuba, a …

Brazilian far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday said he sees three alternatives for his future: winning the 2022 presidential elections, death, or prison. “I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed, or victory,” he said, in remarks to a meeting of evangelical leaders. Bolsonaro later added that the …

Peruvian lawmakers on Friday confirmed a new leftist Cabinet nominated by President Pedro Castillo, giving the fledging administration some respite after a contentious first month in office. Overall, 73 lawmakers voted in favor and 50 voted against confirming the Cabinet. Castillo’s party, the Marxist-Leninist Peru Libre, holds only a minority …

A blob of warm water in the southern Pacific is fueling a decades-long megadrought in Chile, and climate change is at least partly to blame, scientists say. The “Southern Blob” east of New Zealand is driving hot and dry conditions in Chile, with snow caps melting on the Andes, reservoirs …

Murders of human rights and community activists in Colombia were down to 78 in the first half of the year, the country’s human rights ombudsman said on Wednesday, but the attacks persist. The killing of activists is a top problem for the Andean country, with President Ivan Duque vowing he …

At least 16 people have died in the western Venezuelan state of Merida following intense rains that have triggered mudslides and caused rivers to overflow. State governor Ramon Guevara told Reuters on Wednesday that more than 1,200 houses had been destroyed and 17 people remained missing as well, as rescue …

Representatives of Venezuela’s government and opposition groups have begun a fresh round of talks in Mexico in efforts to resolve the nation’s persisting political and economic crisis, amid a US-led campaign against Caracas. Unlike previous talks between the two sides, the ongoing negotiations that commenced on Friday at Mexico City’s …

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell 10% in July from a year earlier, after four straight monthly increases, preliminary data showed on Friday, but destruction remains far higher than before President Jair Bolsonaro took office. Cleared forest in the month of July totaled 1,498 square km (578 square miles), nearly …

Colombian police have confiscated 67 kg (148 pounds) of explosives from former FARC rebels who planned to carry out an attack in the capital Bogota, the government said on Thursday. Defense Minister Diego Molano said the attack was planned by leaders of dissident former members of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed …

‘These events are extremely serious and must be investigated diligently, independently and impartially,’ Amnesty International says. Colombian authorities unlawfully detained, tortured, and used lethal weapons against peaceful protesters during the demonstrations that have swept the country since April, said a new report from Amnesty International. Through an “exhaustive digital verification” …

Paraguay seized more than 3,400 kilos of cocaine near the capital city of Asuncion as it was being stashed in a load of sugar for international shipment, police said on Wednesday, calling it the country’s biggest-ever drug bust. National Police Commander Luis Arias told reporters that the illegal stimulant, made …

Former teachers’ union leader faces challenges of forming a government, tackling the COVID-19 crisis, and uniting the nation. Peru has sworn in new President Pedro Castillo, a leftist former teachers’ union leader who already faces mounting challenges to build his government, tackle the coronavirus crisis and unite a deeply polarised …

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that he was aiming to begin a dialogue with the country’s political opposition next month in Mexico facilitated by Norway, a process he hoped the United States would embrace. In May the opposition changed strategy and indicated its willingness to return to negotiations to resolve …

Protesters took to the streets in several Brazilian cities on Saturday to demand the impeachment of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, whose popularity has fallen in recent weeks amid corruption scandals against the backdrop of the pandemic. This week, news broke that Brazil’s defense ministry told congressional leadership that next year’s …

Peru’s electoral authority on Monday named socialist Pedro Castillo as the country’s next president, has officially won the June 6 runoff against right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori, who accepted the result but said she had been cheated. The official result had been delayed by appeals from Fujimori aimed at annulling some …

Clashes between police and a gang in northwestern Caracas this week have left at least 26 dead, including four officers, and 38 people injured, Venezuelan Interior Minister Carmen Melendez said on Saturday. The casualty count comes after several days of heavy gunfire left some capital residents fleeing their homes and …

For the first time, a majority of Brazilians support impeaching President Jair Bolsonaro, according to a poll released on Saturday, as serious graft allegations related to vaccine procurement hit the right-wing leader’s already battered image. According to the survey by Datafolha, 54% of Brazilians support a proposed move by the …