DIPLOMATIC ROW Ecuador in diplomatic storm after raid at Mexican Embassy 07-04-2024 09:14 Ecuador slammed by Latin American peers after police storm the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest former vice-president Jorge Glas.
REGIONAL ROW Venezuela faces criticism over arrests ahead of vote 22-03-2024 00:21 Argentina leads international criticism of Venezuela over its arrest of two top aides to opposition leader María Corina Machado, a surging rival to President Nicolás Maduro.
PROTESTS IN COLOMBIA ‘Out, Petro!’ Thousands march against Colombian president 08-03-2024 00:04 President Gustavo Petro's social reform initiatives and ongoing violence in Colombia spark demonstrations as discontent grows.
BRAZILIAN COURTS Bolsonaro to surrender passport as Brazil probes 'coup' 08-02-2024 12:33 Probe into Bolsonaro supporters' invasion of the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court in January 2023 continues.
El Salvador Elections El Salvador's Bukele claims 'record' re-election victory 05-02-2024 11:30 Fireworks erupted in El Salvador's capital Sunday as President Nayib Bukele claimed to have won more than 85 percent of the presidential vote.
El Salvador Elections El Salvador goes to polls with gang-busting Bukele miles ahead 02-02-2024 12:32 El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is all but guaranteed a resounding victory in elections Sunday, with his no-holds-barred war on gangs having earned him approval ratings hovering around 90 percent
IN FOCUS How El Salvador's Bukele became Latin America's most popular leader 31-01-2024 10:43 Despite accusations of human rights abuses and constitutional overstepping, Nayib Bukele's crackdown on drug gangs has won him approval ratings around 90%, according to numerous polls.
Politics in Venezuela Venezuela's opposition urges reinstatement of presidential hopeful 29-01-2024 16:45 Venezuela's political opposition demands nation's Supreme Court reinstate electoral eligibility of leader María Corina Machado, as anxiety swirled around this year's still unscheduled vote.
ARMED ATTACK Gunmen burst into Ecuador television studio live on air 09-01-2024 17:15 Armed men wearing balaclavas burst into studio of public television station in Ecuador's drug violence-torn port city of Guayaquil, taking hostage several journalists and staff members.
LATIN AMERICA Bolsonaro’s shadow looms over a revamp of the Brazilian right 08-01-2024 09:52 A tear after Brazil riots, Bolsonaro’s right-wing movement seeks a rebrand.
IN FOCUS Fed-up voters put Latin American leaders on thin ice 25-11-2023 12:43 Across the region, disgruntled voters have repeatedly toppled incumbents, often in favour of outsiders or inexperienced politicians.
ELECTION 2023: REACTION Maduro slams Milei, says 'neo-Nazi extreme right' won election in Argentina 21-11-2023 17:16 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro brands Javier Milei a "neo-Nazi" following libertarian's victory in Argentina's presidential campaign.
PRESIDENT MILEI: REACTION Governments in Americas congratulate Milei on election triumph 19-11-2023 22:09 Presidents, prime ministers and political leaders across the Americas offer congratulations to Argentina's President-elect Javier Milei.
ELECTION 2023 Massa or Milei? Latin American and European leaders give their opinion 14-11-2023 13:27 Spanish-speaking former presidents and prominent intellectuals are stating their positions on Sunday's run-off in Argentina.
ELECTION 2023 Brazil’s Lula sides with Massa in Argentina vote as regional split widens 14-11-2023 13:16 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has backed Sergio Massa ahead of Sunday’s presidential election, the latest leader taking a side in the heated contest that has highlighted deepening ideological divisions in the region
LATIN AMERICA Chile President Boric plans 3.5% spending hike, vows economic revival 29-09-2023 09:22 Chile's left-wing President Gabriel Boric says he plans to raise public spending by just 3.5Y next year, less than in 2023, as the government struggles to deliver on its key policy proposals.
KNOCK-ON EFFECT Brazil's surprise economic rebound could provide boost for Argentina 02-09-2023 14:52 President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government implemented measures to reactivate consumption that strengthened the Brazilian economy. Facts and surprises. by Eleonora Gosman
BRAZIL IN FOCUS Lula tightens grip on Brazil politics as economy defies odds 02-09-2023 10:25 Just six months ago, grim warnings about Brazil’s economy were looming over his pledge to restore prosperity, Lula is stronger today than when he assumed office.
HUMAN RIGHTS 50 years later, Chilean mothers pine for 'disappeared' sons 01-09-2023 17:53 A National Plan for the Search for the Disappeared was recently launched by the government of President Gabriel Boric, in the first coordinated attempt by the Chilean state to establish the conditions and circumstances in which each disappeared.
BILATERAL RELATIONS Uruguay ex-presidents express concern over ‘unpredictable’ Milei 29-08-2023 15:58 Former Uruguay presidents Julio María Sanguinetti and José Mujica express concern over possibility of "unpredictable" Javier Milei winning Argentina's October election; Colombian President Gustavo Petro compares libertarian's rhetoric to that of Adolf Hitler.
JAVIER MILEI INTERVIEW Milei says he’d reject ‘assassin’ China, take Argentina out of Mercosur 16-08-2023 22:04 Presidential frontrunner doesn’t want to engage with leftists; Diana Mondino to run foreign ministry if president, Milei says.
MERCOSUR SUMMIT Alberto Fernández shows off support for Sergio Massa at Mercosur summit 04-07-2023 14:34 At the Mercosur summit in Puerto Iguazú, President Alberto Fernández shows off support for Economy Minister Sergio Massa, who secures a host of invitations from foreign leaders. by Rosario Ayerdi
BRAZILIAN POLITICS Brazil court bars Bolsonaro from public office 30-06-2023 15:54 Former Brazil president says he will would appeal a court decision to bar him from public office for eight years, a ruling he described as a "stab in the back."
Former president in court Brazil court resumes trial that could bar Bolsonaro 29-06-2023 13:21 Judges will continue delivering verdicts Thursday on charges that far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro broke the law with his unproven allegations against Brazil's election system, which could see him banned from holding office for eight years.
FOREIGN POLICY & DIPLOMACY Fernández seals deals with Brazil to finance exports for Argentina 27-06-2023 15:39 Argentina’s president enjoys support and bilateral backing from his friend in Brasília, President Inácio Lula da Silva. Advancing the financing of exports to Argentina could start imminently. by Eleonora Gosman
BILATERAL MEET Biden hosts Uruguay’s president for surprise meeting 14-06-2023 14:13 US President Joe Biden explores "ways to expand the economic relationship" with Uruguay during meeting with Luis Lacalle Pou at White House.
EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL Lula tells EU chief Brazil has 'concerns' over Mercosur trade deal 12-06-2023 19:06 Brazil President Lula says he has "concerns" over the European Union's efforts to add new environmental protections to a trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur.
Geopolitics Máximo in Beijing and the concept of ‘gestión’ 03-06-2023 06:59 While Massa’s hyperactive pragmatism allows him to concentrate on the immediate need for hard currency, Máximo’s supposed geopolitical vision attempts to push Argentina closer to China and therefore away from the United States in the grand chessboard of global politics. by Agustino Fontevecchia
RISE OF THE RIGHT Chile's far right re-emerges after presidential defeat 11-05-2023 09:26 Led by conservative lawyer José Antonio Kast, an apologist for deceased military dictator Augusto Pinochet, Chile's Partido Republicano remains an enduring force.
INTEREST RATES Brazil holds interest rate, citing 'resilient' inflation 04-05-2023 11:11 Brazilian Central Bank resists pressure from President Lula to trim interest rates and announces hold for six straight time.
FOREIGN POLICY Fernández to seek fresh financing routes on trip to Brazil 30-04-2023 08:33 Alberto Fernandez will travel to Brasília on Tuesday seeking to capitalise on last week's talks with his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS Edward Porter: What Xi Jinping wants in Latin America 28-04-2023 11:29 China is not interested in turbocharging the region’s industrial development. But neither are its investments seeking to challenge the United States.
COLOMBIAN POLITICS Colombia's Petro calls for Cabinet resignations after setbacks 26-04-2023 09:35 Colombian President Gustavo Petro calls for the resignation of his entire Cabinet as a political crisis, sparked by his government's struggles to get legislation approved by Congress, escalates.
LITHIUM IN LATIN AMERICA Chile’s new lithium plan will scare off investors, says Canadian investor 25-04-2023 13:41 Chilean government’s plan to demand a controlling stake in all future lithium projects will deter investment and risks stalling the clean energy transition, says Canadian mining billionaire.
Venezuelan politics Venezuela’s Guaidó travels to Colombia after arrest threats 24-04-2023 10:26 Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaidó crosses into Colombia, alleging that Nicolás Maduro's regime has increased threats against him with the purpose of silencing him.
BRAZIL ECONOMY Brazil inflation returns to target range 12-04-2023 11:14 Brazil's inflation rate fell in March to return within the Central Bank's target range for the first time since 2021, officials said Tuesday.
DIPLOMACY & FOREIGN POLICY Ibero-American Summit: Leaders sign deal on LatAm food crisis, migration 26-03-2023 17:53 Leaders at Ibero-American Summit commit to fight food insecurity in Latin America, improve migration controls and negotiate more financial support for the region's struggling economies.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Venezuela, China, Biden and extraterrestrials – the disinformation of AI 17-03-2023 15:38 Avatars generated by artificial intelligence are becoming ever more common in global disinformation. Experts warn of the threat of deep fakes and AI-generated audio-visuals.
"PINK TIDE" Nicaragua a political headache for Latin American left 24-02-2023 09:40 Spread as they are across the leftist spectrum. Latin American governments have failed to come up with a cohesive response to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's move to strip more than 300 critics and political opponents of citizenship.
BLOOMBERG - OPINION Eduardo Porter: Why Wall Street should like Latin America’s left 08-02-2023 09:22 The Latin American left does a better job than the right delivering on one of Wall Street’s favourite metrics: stock market returns.
Turmoil in Brazil Lula: Brasilia rioters likely had inside help from police, military 13-01-2023 01:09 Brazilian leader alleges that rioters who sacked the presidential palace, Supreme Court and Congress last weekend likely had assistance from Bolsonaro sympathisers; Lula orders “thorough review” of all staff as Brasilia ramps up security amid new protest threats.
Turmoil in Brazil Disinformation fuelled rage in Brazil over vote outcome 12-01-2023 06:36 Far-right rioters who stormed Brasil's Congress January 8 in support of former president Jair Bolsonaro were partly mobilized by Internet disinformation suggesting irregularities and fraud in electric ballot boxes.
BRAZIL IN TURMOIL Pope cites Brazil in critique of political crises in Americas 09-01-2023 21:48 Argentine pontiff cites "various countries of the Americas where political crises are laden with tensions and forms of violence that exacerbate social conflicts."
CHANGE IN BRAZIL Amid tight security, Brazil hosts 'Lulapalooza' to toast Lula inauguration 30-12-2022 12:29 Some 300,000 revellers and more than a dozen heads of state and government are expected to attend leftist icon Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's swearing-extravaganza in Brasilia.
POLITICAL CRISIS IN PERU Mexico, Argentina, Colombia slam Peru’s treatment of Castillo 14-12-2022 10:30 Mexico, Argentina and Colombia throw support behind Pedro Castillo, Peruvian leader impeached last week, adding a new twist to the crisis that has paralyzed swathes of the country and left several protesters dead.
CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Maduro administration to resume talks with Venezuelan opposition 24-11-2022 01:27 Negotiations between the two sides last took place in October 2021 in Mexico, and international efforts have mounted in recent months to get the talks back on track.
BRAZIL UNDER BOLSONARO Silent Bolsonaro leaves void in Brazil presidency 20-11-2022 09:25 Nearly three weeks after losing to leftist rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Jair Bolsonaro – who remains in office until January 1 – has gone uncharacteristically silent, shunning official events and even his beloved social media accounts.
EDITORIAL Sambas are not tangos 05-11-2022 06:22 Alberto Fernández raced to São Paulo to congratulate a victorious Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yet no mirror of his own future awaited him in Brazil.
And that reminds me… A fireworks summit 05-11-2022 06:14 There is a strong case for presenting that Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata exactly 17 years ago today and the surrounding anniversaries as the true birth of Kirchnerism. by Michael Soltys
BRAZIL ELECTION 2022 Jail term to a third term – the story of Lula's historic comeback 02-11-2022 22:00 Books, love and diehard support helped Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva survive jail and take back Brazil’s Presidency. But he inherits a changed country, and the challenges still ahead are daunting.