Displaying items by tag: Latin America

Argentina’s political and financial turbulence deepened after Javier Milei’s party suffered a heavy defeat to the Peronist opposition in key local elections. The peso tumbled to a historic low, sliding nearly 5 percent against the US dollar, while stocks and international bonds plunged sharply, sparking concerns over Argentina’s economic stability. Milei’s reform agenda, once hailed as a potential turning point, now faces major obstacles as midterm elections loom on 26 October. Markets fear the government may burn through reserves to defend the peso, undermining its IMF-backed programme and raising the risk of default. The Peronists’ wider-than-expected 13-point victory in Buenos Aires province highlighted Milei’s growing political challenges.  These are compounded by corruption allegations involving his sister. Investor confidence, already shaken, has deteriorated further, with bonds and equities suffering their steepest losses since Argentina’s 2020 restructuring.

Peru is reeling after the shocking assassination of Indonesian diplomat Zetro Leonardo Purba, who was fatally shot three times in Lima. The government expressed deep condolences and condemned the killing as a ‘heinous act’, pledging full cooperation with Indonesian authorities and enhanced protection for embassy staff. While the national police chief suggested the incident might have been a targeted attack by foreign assailants, Indonesian officials expressed doubt, noting Purba had not received prior threats. Some attributed the tragedy to rising violent crime in the capital, where homicides and extortion have surged under president Dina Boluarte. Purba, who had been serving in Lima for only five months, leaves behind a wife and children. His death comes just weeks after Peru and Indonesia marked fifty years of diplomatic relations with a free-trade agreement.

The story of Rio Blanco reveals both the promises and perils of large-scale mining projects in vulnerable communities. Initially welcomed by locals with hopes of jobs and development, a Canadian mining project quickly soured amid broken promises, environmental damage, and land disputes. Successive companies failed to deliver on social commitments while accusations mounted of arsenic contamination, drying wetlands, and loss of farmland. Tensions escalated, splitting the community between those desperate for employment and those fighting to protect land and water. Protests, blockades, and violence culminated in a court ruling suspending operations due to the government’s failure to consult Indigenous communities. Yet conflict has persisted, with violence against activists and threats of illegal mining. Today, the people of Rio Blanco struggle with fractured trust, environmental scars, and ongoing uncertainty, as they seek sustainable alternatives and a future free from exploitation.

Nicolás Maduro has announced the mobilisation of more than four million civilian militia fighters, responding to what he describes as escalating threats from the USA. He pledged to arm and activate militias across the country, reinforcing national sovereignty against US actions. His remarks followed the Trump administration’s decision to double its bounty for his arrest to $50 million. While US officials accuse Maduro of leading a cocaine smuggling network known as the Cartel de los Soles, no direct evidence has been publicly presented. Venezuela’s militia system, created under former president Hugo Chávez, claims millions of members, though analysts question the figures. Meanwhile, the US military has dispatched three destroyers to the southern Caribbean as part of an expanded campaign against drug cartels in Latin America. The standoff reflects years of strained relations between Caracas and Washington, marked by sanctions, contested elections, and allegations of corruption.

President Dina Boluarte has signed a contentious law pardoning soldiers, police, and civilian militias accused or convicted of atrocities during Peru’s 1980–2000 armed conflict against Maoist rebel groups Shining Path and Tupac Amaru. The measure, despite an order from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to suspend it, will release those over 70 and halt or overturn more than 600 trials and 156 convictions. Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimates that there were 70,000 deaths and 20,000 disappearances during the conflict, with state forces responsible for significant abuses, including 83% of documented sexual violence cases. Human rights organisations and UN experts have condemned the law as a betrayal of victims and a blow to decades of accountability efforts. Critics warn it undermines justice for survivors of massacres, torture, and enforced disappearances, while supporters describe it as honouring those who fought insurgency. The law deepens debate over justice, reconciliation, and impunity in Peru’s fragile democracy.

Brazil’s supreme court has placed former president Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest as he stands trial for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election won by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, citing violations of restrictions on Bolsonaro’s social media activity and political messaging, has ordered the measure. Bolsonaro, accused of leading an armed criminal group and attempting to abolish democratic rule, faces up to twelve years in prison if convicted. The prosecution links him to the January 2023 storming of Brazil’s congress and other institutions by his supporters. Bolsonaro denies all charges, calling the case a political witch hunt. The ruling has sparked political tensions, with Donald Trump’s administration imposing tariffs on Brazil and sanctions on Moraes, which Lula has called ‘unacceptable’. Bolsonaro’s movements are now restricted, and his communications have been seized; only close family and lawyers are allowed to visit. There have been widespread rallies to protest this decision: see

Brazil’s supreme court has ordered strict sanctions on former president Jair Bolsonaro amid an ongoing criminal trial accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2022 election. Police raided his home and headquarters, fitted him with an electronic ankle tag, and imposed bans on foreign contacts, embassies, and social media use. The court cited flight risk concerns, though Bolsonaro denied any intention to flee, calling the measures a 'supreme humiliation.' The USA has reacted controversially, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoking visas for Brazilian justices involved, labelling the trial a 'political witch hunt.' Bolsonaro’s close ties with Donald Trump and claims of US interference have sparked a diplomatic storm. Allegations include collusion with the USA to impose retaliatory trade tariffs. Meanwhile, he could face over 40 years in prison if convicted of orchestrating a coup, with charges also implicating his son. As tensions rise, the situation highlights deepening global political entanglements and ongoing challenges to democratic accountability in Brazil.

Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has made history as Suriname’s first female president, elected amid political and economic turmoil. The 71-year-old physician and lawmaker was backed by a two-thirds parliamentary vote after inconclusive May elections and growing dissatisfaction with outgoing president Chandrikapersad Santokhi’s austerity measures; his administration has also faced corruption allegations. Geerlings-Simons, who ran unopposed, will assume office on 16 July along with her running mate Gregory Rusland. She inherits a nation burdened by debt, economic instability, and public frustration, but one with the hopeful prospect of offshore oil production starting in 2028. Her administration has pledged to stabilise state finances through stricter tax enforcement, but economists warn of a difficult path ahead, with debt repayments nearing $400 million annually. As Suriname approaches its 50th year of independence, the country (which is one of the continent’s poorest nations, with a rich ethnic tapestry) looks to Geerlings-Simons for leadership in a time of fragile transition and high expectations.

In the coastal town of Necocli, migrant families are now returning south after failed attempts to enter the USA, marking a reversal of a once-dominant northward migration trend. Harsh immigration policies under Donald Trump, including the withdrawal of the asylum app and increased military presence along the border, have left many stranded in Mexico or deterred from even attempting the journey. Some, like Luis Angel Yagua Parra, braved the deadly Darién Gap only to be forced back. Others, including a Venezuelan couple whose child was born in the USA, have left voluntarily, fearing deportation. Aid workers in Necoclí report a growing daily influx of returnees, but dwindling foreign support has led to closures of humanitarian organisations. Pastor Jose Mendoza’s food hall, struggling to meet rising needs, might have to close due to a lack of funding. For families like Marisela Bellorin’s, who have been homeless for months, survival is precarious. As the ‘American dream’ fades, many migrants are choosing new destinations such as Chile, in search of safety and stability.

57 Colombian soldiers have been seized by civilians and armed rebels in the Micay Canyon area, a vital cocaine-producing area in the southwest. The first group was captured on 21 June during an army operation in El Tambo; then another platoon was surrounded by roughly 200 residents near El Plateado. General Federico Alberto Mejía called the incidents a ‘kidnapping’ by rebels who infiltrate local communities, acting under the command of a FARC dissident group that refused the 2016 peace accord. President Gustavo Petro, committed to peace, announced that the release of the soldiers is ‘imperative’ as tensions rise. The government is struggling to regain control of rural areas as splintered armed groups move to dominate territories abandoned by FARC after the peace agreement. This crisis has reignited fears across Colombia, evoking memories of the bloody cartel violence and political assassinations which plagued the nation in the 1980s and 1990s.