South America

Brazil announces flood of privatizations

by Jorge Svartzman Agence France-Presse RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A wave of privatizations announced by Brazil’s President Michel Temer has fired up the stock market with hopes of economic renewal, but critics fear an irresponsible fire sale. It’s an impressive list with 58 items ranging from the Congonhas aircraft terminal in Sao Paulo to big state-run energy utility Eletrobras and even the national mint, which produces banknotes and passports. Throw in Temer’s decree, also unveiled this week, […]

Florida to execute inmate using unproven drug

by Leila Macor Agence France-Presse MIAMI, United States (AFP) – The state of Florida was set Thursday to execute its first death row inmate in nearly two years, and planning to administer a lethal injection cocktail that has never been used before in the United States. Mark Asay is scheduled to be executed at 6 pm (2200 GMT). The 53-year-old white inmate was sentenced to death in 1988 for a racially motivated double murder in […]

Hurricane Harvey menaces Texas, Louisiana

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) – Several United States cities began ordering evacuations Thursday as major storm Harvey was upgraded to hurricane status on its path towards hundreds of miles of coastline in Texas and Louisiana — an area that processes some 7 million barrels of oil a day. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Harvey was “rapidly intensifying” and creating a potential for “life-threatening and devastating” floods. The storm’s center was due to […]

Two Brazil boat wrecks in two days leave 39 dead

by Lucio Tavora with Paola Ramon in Sao Paulo Agence France-Presse SALVADOR, Brazil (AFP) – Two Brazilian ferry wrecks in as many days left at least 39 people dead, authorities said Thursday, as rescuers searched for several more who were still missing. “We deeply regret the loss of tens of lives in the boat accidents in Para and Bahia,” two states in the north of the country, President Michel Temer said on Twitter. Regional authorities […]

Fleeing Maduro critic says Venezuela now lawless

by Damian Wroclavsky Agence France-Presse BRASILIA, Brazil  –  Venezuela’s fugitive former top prosecutor resurfaced in Brazil on Wednesday claiming to possess “a lot” of proof of President Nicolas Maduro’s corruption and warning that her life remains in danger. Days after a dramatic escape from chaotic Venezuela, Luisa Ortega, 59, turned up the heat on Maduro, who has asked Interpol to issue a “red notice” warrant for the arrest of his critic. Ortega — speaking at a […]

Brazilian army, police raid violent Rio favelas

by Sebastian Smith Agence France-Presse RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Brazil’s army went into action again Monday to support police in raids on some of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent favelas — but not before a rogue soldier allegedly tipped off the drug gangs. In the third such operation in just over two weeks, about 5,000 marines, army soldiers, air force personnel, police and agents from the elite federal intelligence service launched raids at dawn in seven neighborhoods, […]

Guatemala hospital shooting kills 2 children, 5 adults

GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) — Seven people including two children were killed and 12 injured in a gang shooting in a hospital in Guatemala on Wednesday, officials said. Police said gunmen burst into the Roosevelt Hospital in Guatemala City to rescue a jailed gang member who had been transferred there for a medical appointment. The shooters were members of the Salvatrucha gang, one of the most notorious bands terrorizing Central America. The attackers arrived in a car and […]

At least 37 die in jail riot in southern Venezuela

  CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — At least 37 people died in an hours-long jail riot in Venezuela’s southern state of Amazonas, officials said Wednesday. The prosecutors’ office said an investigation had been launched into “the deaths of 37 people” in the facility in the town of Puerto Ayacucho. Governor Liborio Guarulla had earlier tweeted that a “massacre” took place with at least 35 corpses counted. Prosecutors said 14 officials were wounded in the violence which […]

Colombia declares conflict with FARC over with disarmament complete

BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos declared the country’s 50-year conflict with the FARC guerrilla group “truly over” Tuesday, with the disarming of the rebel group complete. The United Nations-supervised process concluded with the delivery of the last truckloads of weapons from areas where the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) began demobilizing at the start of the year. “With the laying down of arms … the conflict is truly over and a new […]

US VP Pence stresses ‘peaceable’ solution for Venezuela

BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — The United States “will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles,” Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday, but he emphasized a peaceful path even as he stood by President Donald Trump’s startling warning that US military action remained a possibility. “We have many options for Venezuela, but the president also remains confident that working with all of our allies across Latin America we can achieve a peaceable solution,” Pence said in a news conference alongside […]

Peru expels Venezuela ambassador over ‘break with democratic rule’

LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Peru on Friday ordered the expulsion of Venezuela’s ambassador over his country’s “break with democratic rule” under President Nicolas Maduro, the foreign ministry said. Ambassador Diego Molero has five days to leave Peru, the ministry said. The decision came days after Peru’s congress voted for the Venezuelan envoy to be kicked out. “The Peruvian government ratifies its firm position of continuing to contribute to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela,” a […]

US slaps new sanctions on Venezuela

by Alexander Martinez The United States imposed new sanctions on crisis-hit Venezuela, targeting members of a controversial, all-powerful, loyalist assembly installed last week to bolster what Washington calls the “dictatorship” of President Nicolas Maduro. The measures were aimed at six members of the so-called Constituent Assembly — among them the brother of late president Hugo Chavez — as well as a military officer in charge of security for the body, and a board member of […]