Latin America

82 links
Díaz-Canel unveils Cuba economic liberalisation package El País reports decentralisation and FX access for state firms, a shrinking bureaucracy promises savings while shortages set the clock
english.elpais.com
Clashes erupt outside Mexico City Azteca Stadium before World Cup opener Dozens arrested as petrol bombs and bricks hit police, kickoff and Zócalo fanfest proceed on schedule
theguardian.com
Venezuela frees 54 military political prisoners Releases follow promise of 300 humanitarian cases while Maduro’s image is scrubbed from public space, detainee counts still disputed and conditions still lethal
theguardian.com english.elpais.com
Brazil judge orders jury trial in Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira murders Prosecutors say alleged mastermind ran Javari Valley criminal network, phone records and legal-fee payments become the case’s spine
theguardian.com
Peru heads to presidential runoff Keiko Fujimori faces Roberto Sánchez after first-round fragmentation, mandatory voting delivers turnout while legitimacy stays thin
english.elpais.com theguardian.com
Mexican journalist disappears after home invasion caught on video Veracruz prosecutors open case as masked gunmen show tactical gear and a Mexican flag patch, investigation begins with no arrests and no motive
bnonews.com english.elpais.com
Cuban migrants face Spanish legalization bottleneck at Havana consulate Power cuts and document rules turn criminal-record certificates into a resale market, deadlines in Madrid collide with blackouts in Havana
english.elpais.com
Cocaine traffickers revive Mexico Guatemala Pacific sea route El País tracks at least eight detected vessels and multi-ton seizures in 2026, navies publish results while key operational details stay opaque
english.elpais.com
US labels Brazil PCC and Comando Vermelho terrorist groups State Department expands material-support penalties and bank-risk pressure, election-season meeting politics shadow the designation
bnonews.com english.elpais.com
Argentina university protests target Milei budget refusal UBA-linked schools occupied and faculty strike as Supreme Court weighs financing law, austerity collides with court orders to pay salaries under existing statute
english.elpais.com
Colombia votes with falling poverty and stretched public finances Social indicators improve under Gustavo Petro while conflict regions remain contested, next president inherits consumption-led growth and one of Latin America’s worst deficits
english.elpais.com
US sanctions Cuban security apparatus leadership State Department targets ministry police and intelligence while warning foreign firms on Cuba sectors, Raúl Castro indictment ceremony scheduled in Miami
english.elpais.com english.elpais.com
Tareck El Aissami challenges Venezuela corruption trial PDVSA-Crypto case exposes sanctions evasion built inside state, closed hearings turn purges into courtroom testimony
english.elpais.com
CIA director meets Cuban security chiefs in Havana Fuel reserves run out as blackouts last up to 22 hours, US aid offer sits alongside tightened sanctions
english.elpais.com english.elpais.com
Bolivia orders Evo Morales arrest Court cites failure to appear in child trafficking case, warrant tests state reach in Chapare stronghold
cabildeodigital.com english.elpais.com
Cuba stages AI Fidel Castro on May Day El País reports hunger and job-linked parade pressure in Havana, political theatre expands as fuel scarcity bites
english.elpais.com
IACHR says Mexico disappearances involve state actors at alarming rate More than 130000 missing since drug war began, families pushed into doing the searching
theguardian.com
Colombia bus bombing kills 22 in Cauca FARC dissidents say attack targeted soldiers, Pan-American Highway becomes a checkpoint economy
english.elpais.com
Argentina traces MV Hondius hantavirus contacts after three deaths Andes strain raises rare person-to-person risk, passengers dispersed across borders before alerts caught up
theguardian.com
Explosive drone attack drives Ecuador fishermen into foreign custody Don Maca crew describe English-speaking armed men and a blue ship destroyed at sea, US strike campaign expands while jurisdiction stays blurry
bnonews.com english.elpais.com
Venezuela Chavista leadership reshuffles after Maduro capture Rodríguez siblings and Diosdado Cabello sideline old inner circle under US control, party survives by purging doubters rather than rebuilding legitimacy
english.elpais.com
Cuba and Colombia emerge as Russian army recruitment hubs FIDH report cites Ukrainian intelligence on foreign fighter surge, social media job ads feed contracts with high early death rates
english.elpais.com
US indicts Sinaloa governor Rubén Rocha Moya New York prosecutors allege Los Chapitos helped Morena win 2021 election, Sheinbaum asked to enforce arrests while contesting evidence
english.elpais.com
Deaths of CIA officers in Chihuahua deepen US-Mexico rift Sheinbaum demands clarity on unauthorised operations as Trump team signals corruption crackdown, USMCA review talks approach with leverage shifting to visas and courts
english.elpais.com
Bomb attack kills 19 on Colombia Pan-American Highway Cauca violence surges one month before presidential vote, road control proves cheaper than holding territory
aljazeera.com
Mexico expands kingpin raids against cartels Sheinbaum answers Trump pressure with extraditions and military operations, families report violence spikes after leader takedowns
aljazeera.com english.elpais.com
Mexico seeks answers after CIA agents die in Chihuahua Sheinbaum says joint mission ran without federal knowledge, sovereignty dispute breaks into the open
english.elpais.com
Gunman opens fire at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids Canadian tourist killed at Unesco site near Mexico City as World Cup preparations sharpen security scrutiny
bnonews.com theguardian.com
Mexico Spain and Brazil urge dialogue on Cuba crisis Oil blockade turns Havana into a dark city after buses and flights are cut, diplomacy offers words while fuel supply decides outcomes
theguardian.com
Mexican welfare official reported missing in Michoacán DEA-linked politician disappears as cartel violence keeps local institutions brittle, burned-out vehicle becomes the only public evidence
breitbart.com
Colombia hosts fossil fuel transition summit in Santa Marta Netherlands-backed coalition seeks COP-style commitments without major emitters, biggest producers stay away as prices spike
theguardian.com ipsnews.net
Pentagon expands contingency planning for Cuba operation Trump tightens oil pressure as blackouts spread, Southern Command denies awareness while options multiply
independent.co.uk
Brazil ex-intelligence chief Alexandre Ramagem arrested by ICE Convicted coup plotter fled to US after Bolsonaro verdict, extradition request collides with immigration enforcement
theguardian.com
Fuel truck explosion erupts near Panama Canal bridge Bridge of the Americas stays open as fireball rises beside traffic, critical chokepoint depends on hazmat discipline
bnonews.com
CJNG succession shifts to Juan Carlos Valencia González, Mexican authorities say El Mencho fall opens path for R3 and his Elite Group, US offers $5 million while cartel fields armoured convoys Mexican authorities say El Mencho fall opens path for R3 and his Elite Group, US offers $5 million while cartel fields armoured convoys
independent.co.uk english.elpais.com
Cuba announces release of more than 2000 prisoners Negotiations with Washington intersect with fuel crisis and sanctions choreography, deported Cubans end up stranded in Tapachula without paperwork
english.elpais.com breitbart.com
US lifts sanctions on Delcy Rodríguez OFAC delisting follows Maduro capture and de facto recognition shift, Venezuela’s politics now run through compliance databases
bnonews.com
Colombia’s Catatumbo region becomes a closed territory ELN and FARC dissidents control movement around Tibú, 99000 displaced as trade and farm work stall
english.elpais.com
Costa Rica agrees to receive more US deportees Deal deepens Chaves alignment with Trump before May handover, text of agreement still not public
english.elpais.com
China detains Panama-flagged ships after canal port concession is annulled FMC cites nearly 70 cases since early March, port state control becomes a low-cost sanctions channel
finance.yahoo.com
Maduro fights US narcoterror case in New York OFAC blocks Venezuelan state funds for private defence, sanctions turn a government into a set of licenced cashflows
english.elpais.com
Cuba’s fuel and supply shortages hit paediatric cancer care Havana hospital relies on staff motorcycles for blood and drugs, families pushed into black market for basics
english.elpais.com
Venezuela rolls out 45-day power-saving plan Blackouts hit western states for up to eight hours a day, investor outreach collides with a grid that cannot meet demand
english.elpais.com
Mexico still cannot account for violence after El Mencho death CJNG succession triggers roadblocks and troop deaths across Jalisco and Michoacán, prosecutors fail to secure key crime scene
english.elpais.com
Colombian Air Force C-130 crash kills dozens in Putumayo Overloaded troop transport goes down after takeoff near Puerto Leguízamo, rescue depends on locals and nearby navy base
bnonews.com
DNA tests find shark sold as corvina in Ecuador Frontiers in Marine Science study reports roughly half of sampled fillets mislabeled in Andean cities, protected hammerhead appears in supply chain despite bycatch rules
english.elpais.com
Oil spill off Veracruz shuts fishing economy Residents in Pajapan report tar balls and brown foam after cleanup fades from view, sacks of waste wait for disposal while compensation remains undefined
english.elpais.com english.elpais.com
Petro accuses Ecuador of bombing Colombia Tariff fight and border insecurity collide, evidence dispute runs through the same institutions under pressure
english.elpais.com
Argentina exits WHO Milei government cites health sovereignty after Covid disputes, cooperation shifts to bilateral deals as Geneva rules persist
euronews.com
Costa Rica opens Epstein-linked abuse probe US document dump mentions country 324 times and cites FBI sting using fake travel agency, prosecutors start without named suspects
english.elpais.com
Haiti drone strikes kill over 1200 people Human Rights Watch says campaign ordered by transitional prime minister relied on foreign contractors, targets escape while children lose limbs
english.elpais.com
Haiti assassination case goes to trial in Miami Prosecutors say Florida firms financed plot to replace Jovenel Moïse, US courtroom becomes main venue as Haiti’s case stalls
independent.co.uk
Deportations push migration pressure south US removals leave families stranded in Colombia while Haitians wait in limbo in Mexico, regional bottlenecks replace border crossings
theguardian.com
Inter-American court holds Peru liable for forced sterilisation death Landmark ruling targets Fujimori-era quota programme, Accountability arrives as reparations not prosecutions
theguardian.com
US restores diplomatic ties with Venezuela interim authorities Embassy reopened after Maduro capture, Oil flows and recognition move faster than elections
english.elpais.com
Search groups halt work in Jalisco after El Mencho death Families say protection vanished as politicians debate restricting missing-person posters, World Cup security planning reshuffles priorities
english.elpais.com
El Salvador defends prolonged state of emergency Bukele allies cite near 100000 arrests and falling fear, constitutional change makes exception routine
english.elpais.com
Cuba fuel squeeze strands Havana commuters US tariff threat hits shipping and rationing, scarcity turns transport into permission
english.elpais.com
Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashes at El Alto airport Cash scatters across highway as police use teargas and later burn the bills
theguardian.com
Cuba says Florida registered speedboat carried armed group into its waters Four killed as Havana displays seized weapons while US opens its own probe
bnonews.com
Brazil floods kill at least 53 in Minas Gerais Inmet warns of more rain as rescues continue, repeated rebuilding turns hazard maps into political promises
independent.co.uk
Cuban border guards kill four on US-registered speedboat Havana calls it terrorism as Washington denies involvement, a sanctions-strained coastline turns enforcement into leverage
theguardian.com
Peruvian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crash kills 15 near Chala Seven minors among dead on disaster-response flight to Arequipa, aircraft lost contact before tracker showed fixed position
bnonews.com
Venezuela amnesty law excludes military detainees and relatives Government promises 300-plus releases while carving out nearly 400 people, courts begin processing petitions under a narrow timeline
english.elpais.com
Cuban security advisers reportedly exit Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez shifts protection to Venezuelan guards, Alliance once paid in oil now strained by US interdiction
japantimes.co.jp newsweek.com
Cuba-bound Russian fuel tanker stress-tests US sanctions-by-compliance Insurance and port access become blockade tools while Havana rationing deepens, Scarcity hits civilians first and props up state distribution monopoly
gcaptain.com dnyuz.com english.elpais.com
Ecuador rose-export boom relies on pesticides and water extraction Global buyers demand cosmetic perfection while local costs stay externalized
theguardian.com
Mexico precious-metals boom draws cartel extortion into mining supply chains US terror designations turn protection payments into legal liability
english.elpais.com english.elpais.com
White House pressures Colombia Venezuela over Serbian trafficker Antun Mrdeza, Extradition logistics turn sovereignty into a bargaining chip
english.elpais.com
US Jensen trial maps Pemex crude theft pipeline into Texas Shell firms and customs fraud turn fuel taxes into cartel arbitrage
english.elpais.com
Venezuela passes amnesty bill for political detainees Exclusions and procedural hooks keep freedom as state-issued credit
english.elpais.com aljazeera.com
Cuban government owes Spanish firms at least $320 million Trapped dividends and blocked transfers turn commerce into hostage-taking
english.elpais.com miamiherald.com
Argentina general strike targets Milei labor reforms CGT claims 90% adherence while transport and ports take hit, Corporatist veto power marketed as worker protection
buenosairesherald.com buenosairesherald.com panampost.com
US retargets Haiti gang manhunt from Vitel’homme to Izo as TPS for 300 000 Haitians faces appeals court, Bureaucracy exports both repression and illegality
english.elpais.com
Brazil launches first Tamandaré-class frigate Naval modernization contrasts with extradition hunt for Bolsonaro ex-spy chief in Florida, state buys systems but not trust
navalnews.com miamiherald.com
Leaked videos show Cuban prisoners protesting hunger Information-control state springs leaks, Mexico aid and US pressure both route power through ration system
miamiherald.com independent.co.uk
Gunmen shoot up park in Guanajuato 8 minors among 10 injured, Mexican state capacity fails both street security and cross-border coordination
bnonews.com bnonews.com
Cuba health system nears collapse as Havana courts Moscow US sanctions and controls keep scarcity profitable for insiders
mises.org wtop.com mises.org
Santiago LPG truck overturns and explodes 4 dead and about 50 vehicles damaged, Hazmat transport rules look strong on paper until the highway becomes the test lab
independent.co.uk foxnews.com
US Southern Command strikes alleged narco-terror vessels in Pacific and Caribbean SOUTHCOM claims 11 killed in latest salvo and 140 dead since September, Drug war quietly upgrades from interdiction to summary execution
bnonews.com zerohedge.com ronpaulinstitute.org
Haiti’s TPS faces court test as 300 000 risk losing status, Florida renews driver licenses anyway, Temporary becomes a bureaucratic caste system
english.elpais.com miamiherald.com
Rubio holds backchannel talks with Raúl Castro’s grandson Trump White House demands dramatic changes in Havana, Sanctions regime becomes a privately brokered market
yahoo.com miamiherald.com geopoliticalfutures.com