Latin America

Venezuelan opposition party replaces Guaido as candidate

CARACAS - Venezuelan opposition party Voluntad Popular named a new candidate for a key presidential primary in October, replacing formerly anti-government leader Juan Guaido who left Venezuela unexpectedly in late…

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Brazil’s Lula pledges new minimum wage policy, expanded tax exemption

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to introduce a new policy of real increases in the minimum wage and announced plans to raise the income…

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Paraguay’s conservatives score big election win, defusing Taiwan fears

By Lucinda Elliott and Daniela Desantis ASUNCION (Reuters) - Paraguayan conservative economist Santiago Pena, 44, won the country's presidential election on Sunday, tightening the ruling Colorado Party's political grip in…

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Paraguayans head to the polls with Taiwan ties at stake

By Lucinda Elliott and Daniela Desantis ASUNCION, April 30 (Reuters) - Paraguayans are readying to head to the polls on Sunday in what could be the biggest electoral challenge to…

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Argentina govt to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) - Argentina will start to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars, the government announced, a measure that aims to relieve the country's dwindling dollar…

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Brazil woos sceptical foreign investors with new fiscal plan

Brazil targets investor cash to help fuel recovery Newly outlined fiscal rules, strong cenbank cheer markets Investors still fret over Lula's social spending wishlist By Libby George LONDON, April 24…

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Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes off coast of Valparaiso, Chile – EMSC

April 24 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Valparaiso, in Chile, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said on Monday. The quake was at a depth…

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US must stem ‘iron river’ of guns flowing to Latin America, activists say

(Reuters) - U.S. guns, many of them exported legally, are flowing into Latin America in an "iron river" ending in the hands of drug cartels and abusive security forces, activists…

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Lula to drop criticism of West over Ukraine in Europe visit

By Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA, April 21 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to avoid criticism of the U.S. and European role in…

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Ecuador’s President Lasso vows to dissolve congress if it tries to impeach him -FT

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso said he will dissolve congress and call early elections if he does not muster enough support among legislators, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday citing an…

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Brazil coffee exports fall 19% in March from a year ago -industry group

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil shipped 3.088 million 60-kg bags of coffee abroad in March, 19% less than in the same month a year ago, reflecting lower stocks after two…

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Lula and the world: what to expect from the new Brazilian foreign policy

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was scheduled to visit his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the end of March. Beijing would have been Lula’s fourth international destination in…

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Brazil could suspend social media sites over school violence content

April 12 (Reuters) - Brazil could fine or suspend social media companies that do not effectively regulate content related to school violence, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said . The new…

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Brazil to end tax exemption on international orders, targeting Asian e-commerce giants

BRASILIA, April 12 (Reuters) - Brazil's government announced on Tuesday it would end a tax exemption on international orders up to $50 as part of an effort to tax purchases…

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Brazil plans to tax revenue from sports betting firms at 15%

BRASILIA, (Reuters) - Brazil's Finance Ministry is expected to levy a 15% tax on the revenue of sports betting companies, in addition to requiring a fee of 30 million reais…

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Argentina facing $1.46 bln bill after losing hedge funds’ London lawsuit

By Sam Tobin LONDON, (Reuters) - Argentina faces a potential 1.33 billion-euro ($1.46 billion) bill after losing a lawsuit at London's High Court on Wednesday over payments due on euro-denominated…

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Chile detects first case of bird flu in a human

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile detected the first case of bird flue in a human, the country's health ministry reported. The case was detected in a 53-year-old man who presented severe…

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UPDATED: Bolsonaro lands back in Brazil to lead right-wing opposition

BRASILIA, March 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro returned from the United States on Thursday, greeted by hundreds of supporters at capital Brasilia's airport to welcome him…

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Bolsonaro to return to Brazil on March 30

(Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will return to Brazil on March 30, his party confirmed via social media, following more than three months of self-imposed exile in the…

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Argentina bonds tumble as public sector pushed to shed dollar debt

Argentine bonds slid 4.3% on average in early morning trading on Wednesday, a day after government measures were revealed to push state entities to give up their local and foreign-law sovereign bonds…

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Ecuador declares state of emergency in provinces hit by earthquake, rains

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in 14 provinces worst affected by severe weather and a strong earthquake that shook the country over the weekend, the government…

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US would handle an extradition request for Brazil’s Bolsonaro ‘expeditiously’ – official

A senior U.S. official declined on Wednesday at a Senate hearing to comment on the status in the United States of former far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, but said any…

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Ecuador, Peru authorities assess damage after earthquake that killed at least 15

March 19 (Reuters) - Ecuadorian and Peruvian authorities worked on Sunday to assess the damage caused by the previous day's strong earthquake that shook the region, leaving at least 15 dead and…

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UK’s SFO confiscates more than $8 mln from ex-Petrobras employee

LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) can seize more than $8 million of illicit cash linked to a massive Brazilian corruption scandal involving state-run oil company Petrobras PETR4.SA, a…

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Brazilian cities suffer third night of gang violence

Several cities in north east Brazil are suffering from serious unrest caused by marauding criminal gangs. For the third night, gang members set buses ablaze and carried out gun attacks…

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Photo Story: Metropolitan Lima declared a ‘red alert’ before the arrival of Cyclone Yaku

An alluvium of mud flooded the streets of Punta Hermosa, south of Lima, Peru. The Government of Peru declared a 'red alert' in Metropolitan Lima, Lima provinces and the province…

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South American countries create task force to tackle bird flu threat

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - South American health authorities have created a regional technical committee to deal with outbreaks of bird flu as the disease spreads and poses a threat to…

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Brazil coffee exports down 35% as farmers hold on to remaining stocks

By Peter Siqueira and Marcelo Teixeira SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Green coffee exports by Brazil, the world's largest supplier, fell 35.8% in February, exporters group Cecafe said , as stocks…

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Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes northern Colombia

March 10 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 hit northern Colombia on Friday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake was at a depth of 90 km (56…

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Brazil to resume visa requirements for US, Japan, Australia, Canada

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil has decided to resume entry visa requirements for citizens of the U.S., Japan, Australia and Canada, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The country's…

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Foiled multimillion dollar airport heist leaves two dead in Chile

SANTIAGO, (Reuters) - A foiled multimillion-dollar heist at Chile's largest airport left two dead, highlighting concerns of rising crime in the Andean nation. Footage widely shared on social media shows…

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Argentina asks UK to resume negotiations over Falklands

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The Argentine government has again asked the United Kingdom to restart negotiations over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said. The request…

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Two dead, dozens of police held hostage in Colombia in protest against oil company

BOGOTA, (Reuters) - A police officer and civilian were killed during violent protests in Colombia's Caqueta province, and 79 officers and nine oilfield workers were taken hostage by members of…

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Argentina suspends poultry exports as first industrial case of bird flu confirmed

Argentina has confirmed its first case of bird flu in industrial poultry, its agriculture secretary said on Tuesday, causing it to suspend avian product exports and raising fears the disease could spread…

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Argentina tightens health protocols to control bird flu

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) - Argentina's government adopted new measures to prevent spread of bird flu and limit potential damage to exports as cases rise in the region. Authorities decided to…

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Photo Story: Samba schools parade in the sambadrome during the Rio de Janeiro carnival

A member of the 'Academicos do Grande Rio' samba school parades on Avenida Marques de Sapucai, the Sambadrome, during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Via EPA-EFE/André Coelho

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In Argentina’s drought-hit fields, billion dollar losses and farmers going under

By Lucila Sigal CIGUENA/ROSARIO, Argentina (Reuters) - In the Argentine town of Ciguena, rancher Andrés Betiger is fighting to keep his farm from going under amid the South American country's…

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Photo Story: Carnival in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Members of the 'Mocidade Alegre' Special Group samba school parade during the second day of the carnival celebrations at the Anhembi sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Via EPA-EFE/Sebastiao Moreira

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Brazil plans legislation to crack down on laundering of illegal gold

By Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA, (Reuters) - Brazil's government is taking a fresh tack in its effort to crack down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon, preparing…

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More South American nations report bird flu cases; Brazil remains free

By Victor Borges, Ana Mano, Maximilian Heath SAO PAULO (Reuters) -The confirmation of more bird flu cases in South America raised alarm bells in Brazil, which remains free of contagion…

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Argentina to hold interest rate at 75% as inflation reheats, bank sources say

By Jorge Otaola BUENOS AIRES, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Argentina's central bank is set to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at 75% this week despite inflation gaining pace once…

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Argentina registers rise in Russian women arriving to have children and thus gain citizenship

Immigration authorities in Argentina are cracking down on Russian women who since the invasion of Ukraine have started travelling to Buenos Aires to give birth in order to gain Argentinian…

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Chile heat wave could further fan the flames of deadly wildfires

By Ivan Alvarado QUILLON, Chile (Reuters) - Chilean authorities warned of a "very complex" situation as a new heat wave in the country's south-central region threatened to further fan the…

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As victims from Chile wildfires increase, many flee to safety

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Firefighters battled dozens of raging wildfires in Chile, seeking to gain control of one of the country's worst natural disasters in years as the death toll rose…

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UPDATED: China says balloon sighted in Latin America for ‘civilian purpose’

BEIJING, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The balloon sighted in Latin America is from China and is for civilian purposes, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday. The balloon…

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At least 23 dead as dozens of wildfires torch forests in Chile

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Dozens of wildfires blazing though Chile caused the government to extend an emergency order to another region, as a scorching summer heat wave complicates efforts to control…

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Peru president unveils new bill for 2023 election amid Congress infighting

By Alexander Villegas LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has put forward a new bill to bring elections forward to 2023 in a bid to calm protests around the…

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Argentina launches relief fund for farmers hit by historic drought

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina will launch measures to help producers hit by a historic drought over its main agricultural region, Economy Minister Sergio Massa said , including a relief…

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Brazil’s Lula cold-shoulders Germany’s Scholz on Ukraine support

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday said Moscow made a mistake invading Ukraine, but speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz he kept clear of condemning the Russian attack. It…

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Argentina sets high hopes on cannabis exports with budding new agency

(Reuters) - Argentina on Wednesday launched the first working group of a new national agency to regularize and promote the country's nascent cannabis industry, which ministers hope will create new…

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Latin America was the deadliest region for journalists in 2022

The number of journalists killed worldwide increased sharply in 2022, according to a report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Latin America was the deadliest region for the press,…

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Peru president calls for ‘political truce’ amid protests

LIMA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Peru's President Dina Boluarte called for a "political truce" on Tuesday as hundreds of protesters again took to the streets of the capital, Lima, and…

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Lula floats shared ‘trading currency’ during Argentina trip

Brazil and Argentina are in early talks to establish a shared unit of value for bilateral trade to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da…

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Brazil declares emergency over deaths of Yanomami children from malnutrition

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's ministry of health has declared a medical emergency in the Yanomami territory, the country's largest indigenous reservation bordering Venezuela, following reports of children dying of malnutrition…

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Brazil and Argentina to begin preparations for common currency – FT

Jan 22 (Reuters) - Brazil and Argentina will announce this week that they are starting preparatory work on a common currency, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The plan, set…

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Peru arrests 200 in Lima; Machu Picchu ordered closed as protests flare

By Marco Aquino and Fabian Cambero LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian police arrested over 200 people accused of illegally entering the campus of a major Lima university, while authorities in Cusco…

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Over 50 injured in Peru as protests cause ‘nationwide chaos’

LIMA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Dozens of Peruvians were injured after tensions flared again on Friday night as police clashed with protesters in anti-government demonstrations that are spreading across the country. In…

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