Displaying items by tag: Latin America

Anti-government protesters have clashed with supporters of President Luis Arce in Bolivia’s capital La Paz, amid an economic crisis and political power struggle. Former president Evo Morales, once a close ally of Arce, has led a week-long, 220-km ‘March to save Bolivia’, demanding cabinet changes and threatening further protests. He has accused the government of corruption, economic mismanagement, and protecting drug trafficking. Arce and Morales are now vying to lead Bolivia’s long-dominant party Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), ahead of the 2025 presidential election. Their division has sparked street violence, leaving 34 people injured. Morales, seeking a political comeback after his 2019 ousting, has widespread support among poor and indigenous Bolivians, who represent almost half the country’s population. The country’s economy has been hit by dwindling natural gas revenues and lack of investment. It is unclear what will happen next.

President Daniel Noboa has proposed changing Ecuador’s constitution to allow foreign military bases, a move aimed at combating transnational crime and drug trafficking. He argues that Ecuador needs international military assistance to address escalating gang violence. This proposal comes fifteen years after former president Rafael Correa banned foreign military bases, ending the US presence in the country. It would have to pass through the constitutional court, the national assembly, and a public referendum. Noboa, facing declining approval ratings due to ongoing violence, hopes this reform will bolster his security policies ahead of his 2025 re-election campaign. Gang-related violence has surged in Ecuador's port cities, with murder and kidnapping rates skyrocketing.

On Brazil’s independence day, former president Jair Bolsonaro led thousands in a protest in Sao Paulo against the country's ban on the social media platform X. The ban was ordered by supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes after X, owned by Elon Musk, failed to appoint a legal representative in Brazil as required. De Moraes has also had ongoing disputes with Musk over misinformation. The supreme court unanimously upheld the ban, sparking anger from far-right supporters who viewed it as an infringement on free speech. Bolsonaro, a key figure in Brazil’s far-right, called for the protest, describing it as a fight for democracy and free expression. Bolsonaro has a history of clashes with De Moraes, especially after the 2022 elections when he spread misinformation about electoral fraud, leading to protests and a violent assault on government buildings. De Moraes eventually banned Bolsonaro from office until 2030 for his role in spreading false information.

Venezuela’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia has sparked international condemnation. Canada, the USA, and Brazil have all criticised Nicolás Maduro for his crackdown on opposition members following a contested presidential election in July. He was declared the winner with 52% of the vote but failed to release vote tallies. The opposition have presented records to back up their claims that Gonzalez won. When he refused to testify in an investigation, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Brazil, once supportive of Venezuela, expressed concerns and warned that his detention would be seen as politically motivated. The USA, long critical of Maduro, accused him of extreme measures to retain power. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has accused armed groups of killing 23 protesters after Maduro’s victory: see.

Diplomats have said that EU and South American negotiators will meet in Brasilia on 4 September for in-person talks, aiming to finalise the EU-Mercosur trade deal. This agreement, two decades in the making, has faced numerous delays due to a number of concerns expressed by each side. An EU diplomat expressed optimism about concluding the deal by the end of the year. The March visit to South America of Emmanuel Macron, who criticised the deal, paused negotiations until after the EU elections in June. Key issues remain, including European protection of food product names and Brazilian opposition to an EU anti-deforestation law. Farmers in France, Germany, and Belgium have protested against competition from cheaper South American imports. Both EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are committed to concluding the agreement.

Colombian president Gustavo Petro has urged a ‘transparent vote count’ in Venezuela amid mass protests following the disputed re-election of Nicolas Maduro. Petro, aiming to improve Colombia-Venezuela relations, emphasised the need for peace and professional international supervision to address the unrest and prevent further violence. He called on Maduro to honor Hugo Chavez’s legacy by ensuring a peaceful election process and accepting the true results. This follows the electoral council’s announcement of Maduro’s victory with 51% support over opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez’s 44%. The opposition claims fraud, asserting Gonzalez actually won. Protests in Caracas and other cities have met with police force, resulting in at least eleven deaths. International observers have expressed concerns, over both the election process and the crackdown on demonstrators.

Many Hondurans are celebrating what they see as a rare instance of accountability for corruption among the nation's ruling class. Juan Orlando Hernandez, the country’s former president, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted on drug and weapons charges. He had been found guilty by a Manhattan jury in March of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect cocaine shipments destined for the USA, despite his public stance against drug trafficking. Hernandez, who served as president from 2014 to 2022, maintained his innocence at the sentencing, claiming he was wrongfully accused. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, arguing that his actions facilitated large-scale drug trafficking and associated violence. They said he had used drug money to bribe officials and manipulate election results in 2013 and 2017. His brother, Tony Hernandez, was also sentenced to life in prison in 2021 on drug charges.

Colombia’s migration agency has said it will give legal status to up to 540,000 Venezuelan migrants who are guardians to minors residing in the country. Colombia has been a destination of choice for millions of Venezuelans seeking to escape the political and economic turmoil of their homeland, while others have used the Andean country as a stepping stone onwards to other nations. More than 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants currently live there, and the measure will benefit adults taking care of some 270,000 minors who have permission to live there. The agency’s director said, ‘It's a special permission to stay, like the previous ones, which fundamentally seeks to integrate guardians, those people who have responsibility for minors who have a temporary protection permit and who live in Colombia’. In 2021, the then government said it would give ten-year legal status to Venezuelans living in Colombia, an offer taken up by many migrants.

Carla Rambo, middle-aged and exhausted, is trying to clear her damaged store in Porto Alegre, which was inundated for weeks after the catastrophic floods in early May. The floodwaters, carrying dangerous bacteria, have led to eight deaths and nearly 2,000 suspected cases of leptospirosis. Her business is one of 45,000 affected, with damages estimated at $91 million. A nearby shop owner recounted staying in her premises without electricity, fearing looters - with good reason, as there was widespread looting and damage. The disaster is considered the worst-ever climate event in the region, with reconstruction costs potentially reaching $4 billion. More than 90% of Rio Grande do Sul’s municipalities were affected; 600,000 people were displaced, with 50,000 still in shelters. Recovery is slow, hindered by ongoing rains and infrastructure issues. President Lula has promised $10 billion for recovery, with an additional $1 billion from a national development bank.

Claudia Sheinbaum, former mayor of Mexico City, has been elected as Mexico's first female president, with 58% of the vote. This strengthens the Morena party's control, following outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). Despite concerns about Sheinbaum’s close ties to AMLO, both have insisted he will not influence her administration. She has committed to addressing Mexico's issues, particularly violence and security; the country is plagued by over 30,000 murders a year. During her tenure as mayor, the homicide rate in the capital dropped by 50%, credited to improved security measures. She plans to continue AMLO's strategy of non-confrontation with crime groups, relying on the national guard for security. Analysts expect Sheinbaum's presidency to be more disciplined and globally aware than AMLO's. However, the challenges she faces were highlighted when a female mayor was shot dead on 4 June.