Latin America

Peru PM confirms departure after four days on job; Castillo faces Cabinet reshuffle

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian Prime Minister Hector Valer confirmed that he is departing just four days after being named to the post, following allegations that he beat his daughter and…

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WATCH: Landslide in Quito kills at least 14, injures 32

At least 14 people died and another 32 were injured in a landslide in the north of Ecuador's capital Quito, the country's emergency response office said on Tuesday, as firefighter…

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Brazil coffee crop seen up 16% as trees show mild recovery

Brazil is expected to produce 63.2 million bags of coffee in the 2022/23 season, a 16.6% increase over the previous one, as trees show a relative recovery after last year's…

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Brazil to stop unvaccinated footballers playing in top leagues

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Friday players must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to take part in this year’s league championship, The CBF said it was in constant contact…

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Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo postpone official Carnival parade to April

The Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo announced they are postponing colorful Carnival parades to the end of April, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases as…

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Lula could win Brazil’s October election in first round – poll

BRASILIA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pulling ahead of his likely rival, far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, and could win outright in the…

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Chile’s Boric unveils moderate first Cabinet

SANTIAGO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Chile's leftist President-elect Gabriel Boric's unveiled his first cabinet on Friday, throwing markets and investors a bone with a moderate pick of current central bank…

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Peru says oil spill caused by Tonga waves is an ‘ecological disaster’

An oil spill at a refinery in Peru during high waves caused by the explosion last weekend of a volcano in Tonga is an "ecological disaster," the Peruvian government said.…

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Lula holds big lead in Brazil as voters worry about inflation, COVID-19

BRASILIA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva retains a clear lead for this year's presidential election in Brazil, where inflation and the resurgence of…

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Argentina roasts in record-setting heat wave

Argentina is facing a historic heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F), making the country for a while the hottest place on the planet, straining power grids…

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Photo Story: Heart Break In Brazil After Fatal Floods

A woman mourns between the damage caused by heavy rains and floods in Sabara, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. At least 10 people died and a hundred more had to leave…

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Heatwave to hit Argentina, further stressing corn, soybean crops

Most of Argentina's agricultural region will be hit in the coming days by a heatwave accompanied by little or no rainfall, adding pressure to adverse conditions that its corn and…

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Seven dead, 3 missing after rock face collapse at Brazilian waterfall

At least seven people died and nine were seriously injured when a wall of rock collapsed on top of motor boats below a waterfall in southeastern Brazil, the fire department…

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Magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes in central Peru – EMSC

Jan 7 (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck about 56 km (35 miles) northeast of Santa Anita in Peru on Friday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake…

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The coronavirus pandemic left nearly 100,000 children orphaned in Peru

The new coronavirus pandemic has turned some 98,000 children into orphans in Peru, the country's government announced, recording the highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world in proportion to its…

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Argentina breaks COVID-19 case record as daily infections near 100,000

Argentina broke its record for COVID-19 infections, approaching 100,000 daily cases as it faces a third wave of the pandemic, driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant. But the record…

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Chile to become first country in Latin America to offer fourth COVID shot

Chile will begin offering a fourth shot of the coronavirus vaccine next week to immunocompromised citizens, the government said, the first country in Latin America and one of the first…

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Peru prosecutor announces probe of Castillo for alleged influence peddling

Peru's attorney general opened a preliminary investigation against leftist president Pedro Castillo on allegations of collusion and influence peddling in cases related to government public works contracts. The prosecutor announced…

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro discharged from the hospital after gut blockage

SAO PAULO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he was discharged from hospital on Wednesday morning, two days after being admitted with an intestinal obstruction. "Being discharged…

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Rio de Janeiro cancels Carnival parade

Rio de Janeiro has cancelled its street parades and parties during its world-famous Carnival for a second year due to an increase in Covid cases and the threat from the…

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COVID-19 infects 214 on five cruise ships in Brazilian waters

Five cruise ships in Brazilian waters have reported 214 cases of COVID-19 among their crew and passengers, including two ships that are in quarantine in the port of Santos, health…

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UPDATED: Brazil’s Bolsonaro taken to hospital with abdominal pain

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized on Monday with an intestinal blockage and may need to undergo surgery in the latest complication from a…

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Brazil health agency warns against boarding cruise ships amid COVID-19 outbreaks

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian health agency Anvisa on Sunday warned passengers against boarding cruise ships operating along the Brazilian coast after outbreaks of COVID-19 affecting crew and customers, according…

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Student protest leader to president-elect: Gabriel Boric caps rise of Chile’s left

Ten years after leading student protests demanding better education, Gabriel Boric is set to become Chile's youngest-ever president, capping a remarkable rise for the Andean nation's progressive left. The former law student who…

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EXPLAINER-‘Communism vs fascism?’ Chile braces for polarized presidential run-off

Chile is set to vote for a new president on Sunday, with a young former student leader Gabriel Boric on the left battling far-right conservative Jose Antonio Kast, in the…

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Chile election poll shows race tightening as polarized showdown nears

Chile's presidential election race is tightening ahead of a polarized runoff on Sunday, with ultra-conservative Jose Antonio Kast narrowing the gap to leftist former student leader Gabriel Boric as the…

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Brazil coffee crop down 24.4% in 2021 amid drought, off year for arabica -Conab

SAO PAULO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Brazil's coffee crop reached 47.7 million 60-kg bags this year, down 24.4% from the record output seen in 2020, the government's food supply and…

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Need of proof of vaccination to enter the Brazil

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Luis Roberto Barroso ruled that the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied…

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Bolsonaro dismisses vaccination requirement for entry into Brazil

Brazil will require that unvaccinated travelers entering the country go on a five-day quarantine followed by a COVID-19 test, its health minister said, after its president said he opposed the…

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Peru’s Castillo fends off Congress impeachment vote amid protests

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo gained breathing room after Congress voted against a motion to impeach him amid protests in capital city Lima both for and against the under-fire leftist leader.…

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Argentina detects first Omicron case

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Argentina has detected its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant in a person who had travelled from South Africa, the South American country's…

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Photo Story: Lima lights up for Christmas

A tree is lit up during a Christmas tree lighting by the mayor of Lima, Jorge Munoz Wells, in the main square of Lima, Peru on Friday evening. Via EPA-EFE/JOHN…

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Brazil reports first Latin American cases of Omicron variant

Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said that two Brazilians had tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the first reported cases in Latin America. Anvisa said a traveler arriving in Sao…

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UPDATED: Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes northern Peru – EMSC

Nov 28 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck northern Peru about 40 km (25 miles) from the town of Barranca early on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.…

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Chilean conservative Kast strikes chord in provinces with ‘firm hand’ law and order message

In Chile's rural hinterlands, conservative presidential candidate Jose Antonio Kast's message of the importance of tackling crime and illegal immigration has struck a chord. Kast - often likened to Brazil's…

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Clashes as protesters demand end to violence against women

Riot police in Turkey and Mexico have fired tear gas and smoke bombs at protesters calling for an end to violence against women. Thousands of protesters marched to mark the…

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Photo Story: Saint Peter Square to feature a colourful crib from the Peruvian Andes

A handout photo made available by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru shows the blessing ceremony of the central pieces that will be part of the Peruvian Andes nativity…

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After years of drifting to the left, Chilean voters veer back right

After years of divisive street protests and the election of a mainly left-wing body to rewrite the constitution, Chileans surprised analysts, markets and even themselves on Sunday night by favoring…

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El Salvador plans first ‘Bitcoin City’, backed by bitcoin bonds

El Salvador plans to build the world's first "Bitcoin City", funded initially by bitcoin-backed bonds, President Nayib Bukele said in the weekend, doubling down on his bet to harness the…

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Ecuador and Colombia to open shared border from Dec. 1

Ecuador and Colombia agreed to the bilateral reopening of their shared border from the start of December after it was closed amid the coronavirus pandemic, and pledged to work together…

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Chile headed for divisive election run-off as far-right surges

Chile is headed for a polarized presidential election runoff next month after hard-right former congressman Jose Antonio Kast finished on top in the first-round vote on Sunday, ahead of leftist…

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Burning the metro’: Chile election divides voters between protest and order

SANTIAGO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - For many Chileans, Plaza Baquedano, a broad rotary in central Santiago that for decades served as a center of social protest, has become a powerful…

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Chile is set for its most polarized election in decades

Chile is set to vote for a new president on Sunday, with a far-right conservative battling for pole position against a young former student leader on the left, in the…

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Amazon sees worst deforestation levels in 15 years

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has hit its highest level in over 15 years, official data shows. A report by Brazil's space research agency (Inpe) found that deforestation increased by…

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Brazil minister says no plans to join OPEC for now

ABU DHABI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Brazil has no plans to join the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for now, although it is working with the producer group,…

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Venezuela’s Maduro ally Saab pleads not guilty to U.S. money laundering charge

Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has pleaded not guilty to a U.S. charge of conspiring to launder money, according to a court document filed on Monday, in…

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Argentines vote in midterm trial by fire for President Fernandez

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Argentines head to the polls on Sunday for midterm elections that will establish the power balance in Congress, with the ruling Peronist party battling…

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Ecuador prison violence leaves at least 68 dead

At least 68 prisoners were killed and more than two dozen injured in overnight violence at Ecuador's Penitenciaria del Litoral prison, the government said on Saturday, in what officials characterize…

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Brazil plays down ‘mad cow’ risk in suspect Rio cases

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said that two cases reported on Thursday of a neurodegenerative disorder in patients in Rio de Janeiro state were not related to beef consumption, tamping down fears…

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Bolsonaro joins Liberal Party ahead of 2022 election

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will join the centrist Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) ahead of next year's presidential elections, according to a party statement released on Wednesday. Bolsonaro had left his right-wing…

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Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Valparaiso, Chile – EMSC

Nov 3 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck Valparaiso, Chile, early on Wednesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 112…

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US judge dismisses most money laundering charges against Maduro ally Saab

A U.S. judge in Florida on Monday dismissed money laundering counts against Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but he remains accused of one count of conspiracy to launder money, a…

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EU election observers begin work ahead of Venezuela regional, local vote

European Union election observers began their mission in Venezuela, as campaigning kicked off for regional elections next month which are set to include opposition candidates. It is the first time…

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Brazil senators back criminal charges against Bolsonaro over Covid handling

Brazilian senators have voted to recommend charging President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the devastating Covid pandemic. A Senate panel backed a report calling for charges against Mr Bolsonaro…

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Standardization of travel rules key for Latin America airlines’ recovery

Getting standardized rules for international travelers amid the coronavirus pandemic is the biggest hurdle for Latin American airlines, with their recovery threatened by a lack of consensus among health authorities,…

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Colombia’s most wanted drug trafficker captured

Al Jazeera - Security forces in Colombia have captured Dairo Antonio Usuga, the country’s most wanted drug trafficker. Better known as Otoniel, the leader of the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia…

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro should face homicide charge for COVID-19 errors, says Senate report

The senator leading a congressional probe into Brazil's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has recommended that President Jair Bolsonaro be charged with homicide for alleged government errors that led to…

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