Latin America

Nicolas Maduro announces the phasing out of state subsidies for petrol over two years in effort to curb smuggling, the official rate of 1 Bolivar per liter creates valuable arbitrage as street price is Bolivar 4 million per liter, the Venezuelan government claims that fuel smuggling costs the country USD 18 billion per year in lost revenue

Chile's Minister for Cultural Affairs resigns after facing criticism for 2015 comments about human rights museum, Mauricio Rojas claimed museum was a "shameless and inaccurate use of a national tragedy", human rights organizations and local politicians pressured him to quit four days into his new job

Brazil struggles with "serious problem with lethal violence" after achieving record high of 63,880 murders in 2017, data compiled by Brazilian Public Security Forum shows an average of 175 murders per day corresponding to 30.8 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, incidence of rape also increased 8% to 60,018 for the period, murder has a strong racial and political element with many victims being young, black men and little police follow-up

Ecuadorian government declares state of emergency as Venezuelan migration surges, Venezuelans fleeing economic dislocation typically arrive via border with Colombia, the declaration mobilizes aid and social workers to help manage the impact of uncontrolled mass migration

Venezuelan President Maduro unharmed but seven National Guard soldiers injured after alleged drone attack against military event where he gave a speech in Caracas, says everything points to right-wing plot linked to Colombia and Florida and several were caught, little-known group "National Movement of Soldiers in T-shirts" claims responsibility for attack in series of social media posts

Right wing populist Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro trailing jailed former president Lula da Silva in polls despite larger social media following, considers descendant of the country's last emperor or retired army general as running mates

Fields medal stolen 30 minutes after being awarded to professor Caucher Birkar and three others in Rio de Janeiro

Venezuela to remove five zeroes from currency bolívar instead of the three planned in June and tie it to state-backed petro cryptocurrency – no details offered concerning the petro tie, but President Nicolás Maduro calls the plan "great economic change"

Brazil's government indigenous agency Funai releases footage of uncontacted indigenous man who has lived alone in Amazon forest for at least 22 years, man believed to be in his 50s fells tree in video and appears to be in excellent health, believed to be only survivor of land grab attack in 1995, Funai whose policy is to avoid contact has protected 8,070 hectares in area

Pablo Escobar's widow and son charged with money laundering by federal judge in Argentina where they live, assets frozen but no arrests made

Brazil's President Michel Temer orders army and federal police to clear highways blockaded by striking truck drivers after protest over fuel prices and graft enters fifth day, state of emergency declared in São Paulo over fuel shortages

Brazil truckers on strike for four days due to rising fuel prices, demand tax cuts, nationwide shortages hit supermarkets, numerous flights cancelled, some factories idle

Venezuela expels American diplomats Todd Robinson and Brian Naranjo as Donald Trump authorized new sanctions against country after widely-condemned presidential election

Nicolás Maduro re-elected as Venezuelan president with 67.7% of vote in election that main opposition boycotted, both second placed Henri Falcón and third candidate Javier Bertucci demand new election due to irregularities

Giant anti-communist flag displayed on Rio de Janeiro hill on Karl Marx's 200th birth day, firefighters called to remove it since it was placed in national park (Portuguese)

Venezuela raises minimum monthly wage by 155% to VEF 1 million three weeks before presidential election, raise to USD 1.61 at black market exchange rate third increase this year

Mexican presidential candidate Jaime "El Bronco" Rodriguez says during debate that robbers' hands should be cut off, was country's first independent governor and is in fifth place in most opinion polls

Ten killed and at least 100 injured in Nicaragua after three days of clashes between police and people protesting pension reform, protests concerning 5% pension tax and increased forced contributions to system for both employees and employer

Cuba communist party nominates 57-year-old Miguel Díaz-Canel as only candidate to replace 86-year-old Raúl Castro who retires after ten years in power

Venezuelan National Assembly approves preliminary impeachment proceedings against Nicolás Maduro after corruption scandal, not clear what effect will be as legitimate Supreme Court is exiled in Colombia and has been replaced by loyalist magistrates

Ecuadorian president Lenín Moreno confirms three journalists kidnapped at Colombia border in late March are dead, says military operations against drug gangs in area will continue

Venezuela's Supreme Court in exile orders detention of President Nicolás Maduro and asks Interpol to issue arrest warrant, court is recognised by Organization of American States and consists of magistrates appointed by opposition in 2017

More than 800 Venezuelans flee to Brazil each day to escape shortages of food and medicines in homeland, other destinations include Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Argentina and Peru

Brazil's Supreme Court rules that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva can begin to serve his 12-year sentence for accepting bribes, rejects former president's plea to avoid prison while he appeals

Carlos Alvarado Quesada wins over Alvarado Muñoz in Costa Rica's presidential election; at age 38 he will be the country's youngest president ever

Passion play in southern Brazil is interrupted when a man rushes onto the scene to "save Jesus", a man who plays a Roman soldier is attacked with kicks and beatings with a motor cycle helmet

Seven policemen die in a riot in a prison in Amatlán de los Reyes in eastern Mexico

The former military dictator in Guatemala, Efraín Ríos Montt dead at 91, lead the country 1982-83 and in 2011 was convicted of crimes against humanity, the appeals process continued until his death

Peru president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigns after video is made public where representatives of his government apparently try to bribe opposition to oppose impeachment motion which would have been voted on Thursday

Venezuela imposes electricity rationing in six western states after drought reduces water levels in key reservoirs, four-hour formal outages announced but blackouts so far up to 14 hours per day

Brazilian left-wing politician Marielle Franco killed in drive-by shooting, opposed military taking over security in Rio

Venezuela presidential election to be postponed from 22 April to 20 May, poll not seen as legitimate and several countries warn that they will not recognize result

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro wants to add legislative, state and municipal votes to presidential election in April after opposition said it will boycott poll, government loyalist National Constituent Assembly to decide on matter, opposition leaders in prison or in exile

At least 44 dead as bus drives off road into ravine in southern Peru, second serious bus accident this year, in January 48 died as bus collided with truck

Increased suicide rate in Puerto Rico after several years of decrease, may be connected to hurricane Maria according to experts who say natural disasters cause post-traumatic stress

Oxfam scandal tip of iceberg according to Haiti president Jovenel Moise who demands investigation of Doctors Without Borders which has been forced to send 17 of its staff home due to misconduct

Oxfam deputy chief executive Penny Lawrence resigns, UK aid organization accused of covering up facts related to employees buying sexual services on Haiti after 2010 earthquake

18 dead in clashes between Venezuelan army and miners in southern part of country, Maduro has previously declared war on illegal miners in region

Oxfam admits staff engaged in sexual misconduct during recovery work in Haiti after 2010 earthquake, "full-on Caligula orgy" with prostitutes in guesthouse rented by charity among accusations

Zetas kingpin José María Guízar Valencia caught in Mexico City, drug cartel leader likely to face extradition to US on smuggling and money laundering charges

Uruguay to extend economic aid to six former Guantánamo prisoners who resettled in country in 2014, offers USD 450 in salary and pays their rent until January 2019

Venezuela presidential election planned for April 22 after negotiations between government and opposition, the latter sought date during second half of year to have time for primary elections, several key challengers in prison or exile

Venezuela's ruling socialist party selects Maduro to run for re-election in April's presidential election, Maduro favorite to win vote as leading opponents barred from standing

Fidel Castro's eldest son Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart dead at 68 after committing suicide, was recently released from hospital after months of depression treatment

Kenji Fujimori, member of Peru parliament and son of former PM Alberto Fujimori, expelled from Fuerza Popular party by his sister Keiko after voting against party line to impeach president, believed to have negotiated for pardoning of father

Truck driver causes permanent damage to Nazca lines in Peru, world heritage geoglyphs are 2,000 years old, were last damaged by Greenpeace activists in 2014

Brazil's former president Lula da Silva guilty of money laundering and taking bribes according to appellate court, prison sentence prolonged to twelve years, could make him ineligible to stand for election

Brazil declares six month yellow fever emergency in south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, at least 15 dead from disease in area since December, emergency allows local authorities to commission special services and buy in emergency materials

Colombia says 550,000 Venezuelans now living in country of which 126,000 legally permitted to stay, migrant numbers up 62% in last six months, a million Venezuelans registered for migration card allowing entering Colombia for shopping scarce supplies

Seven killed after 107 lootings or attempted lootings in the first 11 days of January in Venezuela according to human rights group – store owners still running business arm themselves with what they can find, team up and coordinate guarding shifts via WhatsApp

Thousands of emigrated Venezuelans stranded due to printing shortage making it impossible to renew passports

Chile's president Bachelet urges country to welcome and respect Pope Francis after three Catholic churches firebombed and pope threatened days before first papal visit since 1987, attacks insignificant and damage to buildings minor according to authorities

Four Venezuelans dead after trying to reach wealthy island of Curaçao by boat, Maduro has banned all air and sea travel to several islands in order to prevent smuggling of Venezuelan goods by alleged mafias

Belize first developing country to end oil operations in its ocean waters, reported as enormous win for the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage site

Maduro orders 72 hours shutdown of all traffic with Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, accuses island smugglers of plundering Venezuela by running black markets on everything from copper to food

Venezuela raises minimum wage by 40% from January, Maduro says measure to protect workers against US economic war to sabotage socialism, most economists say country fomenting vicious inflation cycle

Haiti cracks down on Dominican egg smuggling, authorities hope for increased domestic production while merchant fears starving

Maduro accuses Portugal of sabotaging Christmas by not delivering ham subsidized by the Venezuelan government as part of US-led international conspiracy, Portuguese food company says crux of dispute rather that tens of millions of euro remain unpaid from last year

11.8 million Brazilians illiterate according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, first time inclusion of racial parameter shows blacks or mixed race more than twice the rate of whites

Retail chain in Paraguay sponsors mass wedding among employees who formerly lived in sin, more than 100 couples marry

Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma escapes house arrest, flees across border to Colombia and then on to Spain to reunite with his family, is accused by Maduro of supporting coup attempt

Socialists in Venezuela celebrate centennial of October revolution with large mobilization and portraits of Lenin and Chávez

Venezuelan opposition politician Freddy Guevara seeks refuge in home of Chile's ambassador in Caracas after regime sought to remove his congressional immunity so that he could be tried for instigating violence

Catholic organization Caritas warns that 280,000 Venezuelan children could die of malnutrition due to country's shortage of food and medicine

24 meter steel wire kraken sunk outside British Virgin Islands to form base of coral reef

108 arrested in 24 states in Brazil in major raid against suspected pedophile ring

O Sul é o Meu País to arrange plebiscite on October 7th in Brazilian regions Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina as well as Parana, inspired by Catalonia's referendum they wish to gauge the people's want for independence

São Paulo police foil bank heist where gang dug 500-meter tunnel during four months to steal USD 286 million, 16 people arrested

Many Venezuelans flee to Colombia as the crisis is getting worse, 700,000 have applied for permission to move back and forth across the border without a passport

Forensic investigation concludes that Argentinean prosecutor Alberto Nisman was murdered, crime took place when he was expected to present evidence that President Kirchner covered up Iran's involvement in terror attack against Jewish community in Buenos Aires 1994 in exchange for lucrative trade agreements

More than 200 dead as southern Mexico is hit by 7.1 magnitude earthquake, occurs on anniversary of 1985 quake which killed over 5,000

Netflix series Narcos' location scout Carlos Muñoz Portal shot dead in central Mexico while viewing landscapes for the show – body and car found near Hidalgo state, considered country's most violent region

In 2014-2015 a new species was discovered in the Amazon every 1.9 days according to report by the World Wildlife Fund, ten percent of all known species reside in the Amazon

Political party of FARC guerrilla members could cost USD 13.4 million for tax payers, according to Colombian deputy minister of Finance

Thousands demonstrate in Buenos Aires against president Macri's labor market and pension reforms, unemployment rate at 9.2% from 7.6% in 2016

American diplomats in Cuba diagnosed with brain injuries a year after reporting headaches, "sonic attack" under investigation as a possible cause for the injuries

At least 37 dead after prison riot in Puerto Ayacucho in southern Venezuela

Saint Lucia plans to impose visa requirements on visitors from Venezuela in protest against Maduro regime, Caribbean island country has previously enjoyed close-knit relationship with Caracas

Atlas Network, an American non-profit, has contributed significantly to libertarian think tanks shaping political opinion in Latin America, network's influence stronger in Brazil, Argentina and Chile

Venezuela's Supreme Court sentences dissident mayor Ramón Muchacho to 15 months in prison and dismissal for defying orders to keep transit moving in area blocked by anti-government demonstrations

Venezuela says crushes anti-government terror attack on military base near Valencia, seven people arrested, shots reported as hundreds demonstrated on Valencia's streets in support of attack

Venezuela Chief Prosecutor and Maduro critic Luisa Ortega Díaz dismissed by new constituent assembly, replaced by loyalist Tarek William Saab

Brazilian congress bars corruption trial of president Michel Temer, other charges may be coming though

Thousands of truck drivers block highways throughout Brazil, protest gas and diesel tax hikes

Cuba praises Venezuelan election of new legislative superbody, denounces well-orchestrated US-led international operation to silence voice of Venezuelan people

41.5% turnout in Venezuelan constituent assembly election according to official sources, 12% according to opposition who refuses to recognise election, Maduro's wife and several close allies elected as representatives in what the President calls a "vote for the revolution"

At least ten dead during weekend protests against Constituency Assembly election in Venezuela, soldiers fire rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters blocking highway in Caracas

Venezuela bans protests that could "disturb or affect" Sunday's election for new constituent assembly, 5–10 years prison terms could be imposed on those contravening the ban, according to Interior Minister Reverol

Brazilian blogger sued by judge and politician because of videos criticizing them, converted all of his assets into Bitcoin to avoid having his assets frozen, Bitcoin almost 30 times more valuable since

Military forces of Venezuela back Nicolás Maduro, promising to protect next week's referendum, which will allow for constitutional changes in order to strengthen the power of the president, Trump threatens Caracas with economic measures

Ecuador stops the construction of controversial wall along the Peruvian border, the former left-wing country wants to approach the second block on the continent with countries such as Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru

7.2 million voted in Venezuelan opposition's unofficial referendum, with 98% voting no on three referendums, former Mexico president Vicente Fox declared "persona non grata" and banned for life from entering Venezuela after acting as observer

Over 280,000 left without power in Santiago de Chile after heaviest snowfall in city in 20 years, reports of injuries caused by damaged cables

Venezuela opposition holds unofficial plebiscite to defy Maduro, one of three questions is if early elections are wanted, public employees said to seek creative ways of voting without being noticed

Private consortium discovers oil 60 kilometers off the coast of Mexico, fifth largest deposit found worldwide in 5 years; government of Mexico controls oil resources

Former Brazil president Lula sentenced to 9.5 years in prison for accepting beachfront apartment in return for state oil company contracts, charges of bribery, money laundering, influence peddling and obstruction of justice remaining

Venezuelan police reportedly asking for bribes in Colombian Pesos due to hyperinflation, opposition leaders claim that protesters are being unjustly held

Venezuela opposition leader Leopoldo López freed from jail, instead placed under house arrest, claims to be prisoner in own home like Venezuelan people

Record Aztec gold treasure found with body of young wolf in Mexico City, believe to be sacrificial offering to war god Huitzilopochtli

28 dead and 3 injured as fighting erupts between rival gangs inside prison in Mexican city Acapulco, many of country's prisons overcrowded and understaffed according to government report