Displaying items by tag: Latin America

A US federal judge may hold the Trump administration in contempt for defying a court order which temporarily halted deportation flights carrying over 200 individuals to El Salvador. The administration had invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, typically reserved for wartime powers, to justify the removals. James Boasberg criticised their ‘wilful disregard’ of his ruling, saying their responses were unsatisfactory. Though the Supreme Court later affirmed Trump’s decision, Boasberg insists that does not excuse the violation of his earlier temporary restraining order. If the administration does not provide the information he has requested by 23 April, he will seek to identify the individuals who ignored the order to stop the deportations. Trump officials deny wrongdoing, asserting that the individuals deported were gang members and the flights had departed before the court's intervention: Trump has also called Boasberg a ‘troublemaker and agitator’. El Salvador agreed to take in the deportees in exchange for $6 million in aid: Trump has expressed an interest in sending more deportation flights there.

Former president Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, have been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for laundering $3 million from Brazilian firm Odebrecht and $200,000 from Venezuela’s former president Hugo Chavez. Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016, was taken into custody immediately after the verdict. Heredia sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy and was granted safe passage to Brazil with her youngest son. The trial, which spanned three years, centred on illegal funding for Humala’s 2011 campaign. Prosecutors allege the funds were funnelled through his Nationalist Party to defeat rival Keiko Fujimori. He is expected to serve his sentence at a facility built for former presidents; Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo are also detained there. Former president Alan Garcia killed himself in 2019 as police arrived at his home to arrest him for alleged corruption. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $788 million in bribes worldwide to secure government contracts.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 600,000 Venezuelans living in the USA. The administration planned to end protections for 350,000 Venezuelans by 7 April and expedite expiration for another 250,000, potentially deporting them to a nation in crisis. However, district judge Edward Chen ruled that the Biden-era extensions must remain in place, citing racism and legal flaws in the decision made by homeland security secretary Kristi Noem. Chen condemned the use of negative stereotypes and found no evidence linking TPS holders to the criminal threats cited by the administration. He said that data showed Venezuelans under TPS as generally law-abiding, employed, and contributing positively to US society. Chen also criticised the administration’s rationale as lacking evidence and potentially legitimising Venezuela’s authoritarian regime through backchannel negotiations.

A thirty-day state of emergency has been declared in Lima following a surge in violent crime. President Dina Boluarte’s government made the decree after the murder of popular cumbia singer Paul Flores, who was killed in an attack on a bus. The move allows police and military forces to detain suspects with fewer restrictions, limiting freedoms of assembly and movement. The decision follows weeks of rising violence, including an explosion at a restaurant that injured eleven people. There have been 459 killings so far this year, and nearly 2,000 extortion cases in January alone. Boluarte has raised the possibility of the death penalty for murderers, though at present Peruvian law only permits it for treason. Opposition lawmakers are demanding a no-confidence vote against the interior minister, accusing him of failing to curb crime. Public outrage remains high as Peru struggles to restore security.

A baby girl born in Tibu, Colombia, on 11 February was just five days old when her family fled violence, joining over 55,000 displaced by escalating conflict. FARC dissidents and the National Liberation Army (ELN) have clashed in Catatumbo since January, forcing families to abandon homes amid kidnappings and attacks. The UN calls it Colombia’s largest mass displacement from a single event. In Cucuta, 120 km away, displaced families face uncertainty. Aid efforts struggle with limited resources as shelters and local hotels fill up. Farmers have left crops and livestock, worsening food shortages. Meanwhile, the violence exposes flaws in president Gustavo Petro’s ‘total peace’ policy, as negotiations with rebel groups repeatedly collapse. The state’s slow response to building infrastructure and curbing the coca trade has fuelled instability, leaving thousands to wonder when they can return home.

Opposition politicians are calling for president Javier Milei's impeachment following his endorsement of the $Libra cryptocurrency on social media. He claimed it would boost Argentina’s economy by supporting small businesses. The coin immediately soared in value but later plummeted, prompting accusations of a ‘rug pull’ or fraud. Milei later deleted his post, claiming he was unaware of the project's details, but many have called for his removal from office, accusing him of being involved in the development of the scam. Legal action is being pursued, and federal prosecutors are investigating whether Milei committed fraud or criminal association. Cryptocurrency has exploded in Argentina in recent years, amid a decades-long economic crisis and soaring inflation rates. Analysts have warned that the crisis could damage Milei’s reputation as a custodian of economic recovery – and an anti-corruption president – ahead of mid-term elections later this year.

Ecuador’s presidential election is headed for a runoff on 13 April. With 80% of the votes counted in the first round, incumbent president Daniel Noboa has secured 44.4%, and opposition candidate Luisa Gonzalez  44.1%. Gonzalez, a protégé of former president Rafael Correa, saw a surge in support, surprising analysts: Noboa, a wealthy businessman who took office 14 months ago, had hoped to avoid a runoff by winning outright. His tenure has been marked by an aggressive crackdown on violent crime, deploying the military and declaring a state of emergency. Supporters praise his strong-handed approach, but human rights groups allege abuses. As Ecuador faces economic uncertainty and a growing security crisis, the nation remains divided.

When president Gustavo Petro blocked US deportation flights in protest of the treatment of migrants, Donald Trump at once threatened severe tariffs and revoked visas for Colombian officials. Petro initially resisted but ultimately relented, allowing deportation flights to resume. This misstep weakened his administration, leading to the Liberal Party’s exit from the coalition government and raising concerns over the country’s foreign policy. Petro’s presidency has faced internal and external challenges, including strained US relations over drug policy reforms and closer ties with Venezuela and Cuba. His confrontational stance, while appealing to his base, risks economic consequences. Experts argue that Colombia must develop a more strategic foreign policy beyond depending on the USA. The fallout from this crisis may shape Petro’s influence in the 2026 elections, as he seeks to position himself as a defender of national sovereignty amid political uncertainty.

Pope Francis has dissolved the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, after a Vatican investigation exposed years of abuse by its founder, Luis Figari, and other leaders. The probe revealed sexual, spiritual, and financial abuses, along with misuse of church funds. The SCV, founded in 1971 as a conservative reaction to liberation theology, once had 20,000 members across South America and the USA. Victims accused Figari of sodomy, psychological abuse, and exploitation. After failed reforms, Francis ordered an investigation which uncovered systemic abuses. Figari and ten top members were expelled, but calls for reparations remain unanswered. Victims praised the dissolution as a step toward justice.

Colombian special forces have been deployed to the conflict-ridden Catatumbo region to counter renewed violence between armed rebel groups, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The groups, vying for control of lucrative drug routes, have ended a truce, resulting in over 100 deaths and displacing more than 20,000 people. About a thousand refugees have fled to Venezuela, while others remain trapped or kidnapped amid the chaos. President Gustavo Petro has declared a state of emergency and suspended peace talks with the ELN, accusing them of war crimes. The Catatumbo region, producing 15% of Colombia's coca crop, remains a flashpoint for organised crime. The recent unrest revives memories of Colombia’s decades-long civil war, which claimed 450,000 lives. The UN has called for an immediate halt to the violence and protection for civilians, as military forces move to reestablish state control in affected areas.