South America

Bogota restricts water as reservoirs hit ‘critical’ lows

BOGOTA, Colombia, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – The mayor of Colombia’s capital Bogota on Monday announced water restrictions as reservoirs in the sprawling Andean city hit “critical” levels. Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told a press conference that two key reservoirs supplying the city were at their lowest level since the mid-1980s due to a lack of rain attributed to the El Nino climate phenomenon. He announced cuts from Thursday due to “the critical levels of […]

Ecuador in diplomatic storm after raid at Mexican embassy

By Paola Lopez and Santiago Piedra with Sofia Miselem in Mexico City QUITO, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – Ecuador faced criticism from the UN and across Latin America on Saturday after its security forces stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest graft-accused former vice president Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum there. Special forces equipped with a battering ram surrounded the embassy, and at least one agent scaled the walls, in an […]

President of Peru’s home raided over undeclared Rolex watches: police

LIMA, March 30, 2024 (AFP) – Peruvian authorities raided President Dina Boluarte’s home on Saturday as part of an ongoing corruption investigation related to undisclosed luxury watches. According to a police document obtained by AFP, about 40 officials were involved in the raid, which was searching for Rolex watches that Boluarte had not publicly declared. The raid “is for the purpose of search and seizure,” police said. The embattled president did not appear to be […]

Latin America, Caribbean set for record dengue season

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – Latin America and the Caribbean should prepare for their worst dengue season ever, as global warming and the El Nino climate phenomenon fuel the mosquito-borne epidemic, a UN health agency warned Thursday. In less than three months in 2024, regional health authorities have already tallied more than 3.5 million cases and a thousand deaths due to the virus, which is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. “Probably […]

Venezuela MPs approve creation of state in disputed Essequibo

  CARACAS, March 22, 2024 (AFP) – Venezuela’s parliament has approved a law creating a federal state in the disputed oil-rich area of Essequibo across the border in Guyana, which on Friday slammed a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty. Caracas has long laid claim to Essequibo, which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, but started taking active steps to retrieve the land after massive offshore oil deposits were discovered there in 2015. Lawmakers unanimously […]

Gunman surrenders after three-hour hostage ordeal on Rio bus

By Lucia LACURCIA, Pablo PORCIUNCULA RIO DE JANEIRO, March 13, 2024 (AFP) – A gunman wounded two people at Rio de Janeiro’s main bus station Tuesday and held 16 passengers hostage for three hours before being convinced to surrender, police said. There were scenes of panic as gunshots rang out in the afternoon at the Novo Rio station through which some 38,000 people pass daily, with buses headed for all regions of Brazil. Witnesses said […]

Venezuela invites EU, UN to observe presidential election

By Javier TOVAR CARACAS, March 7, 2024 (AFP) – Venezuela has invited the European Union and a panel of experts from the United Nations to observe presidential elections on July 28 in which President Nicolas Maduro is expected to seek another term. Many countries refused to recognize the results of Maduro’s last election in 2018, citing fraud and a lack of transparency, and instead recognized his poll rival Juan Guaido as interim president. Four years […]

G20 pushes for two-state solution in Mideast

By Joshua Howat Berger RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – G20 nations broadly back a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East, host Brazil said Thursday after a meeting of top diplomats, adding to pressure on Israel to accept an independent Palestinian state. The message from the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro came a day after Israel’s parliament overwhelmingly voted for a proposal by Prime Minister Benjamin […]

Blinken rejects Lula’s comparison of Gaza conflict to genocide

BRASÍLIA, Feb 21, 2024 (AFP) – Secretary of State Antony Blinken told President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that the United States disagrees with controversial remarks by the Brazilian leader comparing Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Holocaust, a US official said Wednesday. Blinken “made clear we disagree with those comments” in a more than 90-minute meeting with Lula, a senior State Department official told journalists, saying the pair had a “frank exchange” during the […]

Venezuela gold mine collapse kills at least 16, traps dozens more

LA PARAGUA, Venezuela, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – At least 16 people died when an illegal gold mine collapsed in the jungles of southern Venezuela, officials said Wednesday revising down an earlier figure. The incident happened Tuesday at the “Bulla loca” mine in the state of Bolivar, a seven-hour boat ride from the nearest town, La Paragua, where family members waited anxiously for news. Officials gave conflicting accounts of the number of dead. The Bolivar […]

Brazil on dengue fever alert

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 6, 2024 (AFP) – Sao Paulo opened an emergency operations center Tuesday to deal with a surge in dengue fever cases that has hit Brazil and South America just as millions of tourists arrive for carnival celebrations. Cases of the mosquito-borne disease have also risen sharply in Argentina, where a record 10,000 cases were reported in the first three weeks of the year. Paraguay has meanwhile declared a health emergency over […]

Chile wildfire death toll rises to 112: Interior Ministry

Santiago, Feb 5, 2024 (AFP) – The confirmed death toll from ferocious wildfires in central Chile has risen to 112, an Interior Ministry official said Sunday. Undersecretary Manuel Monsalve told a press conference that the medical examiner has received “112 people dead, 32 bodies identified,” adding that there were still “40 active fires” in the country. Responders continued to battle fires in the coastal tourist region of Valparaiso amid an intense summer heat wave, with […]