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☆ France's Macron Says Proposed EU-Mercosur Agreement Is 'Very Bad Deal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"As it is negotiated today, it is a very bad deal, for you and for us," Macron told businessmen in Sao Paulo while on a three-day trip to Latin America's largest economy, amid troubled talks over a free trade deal between the two economic blocs. "There is nothing that takes into consideration the subject of biodiversity and climate; nothing," Macron said. "Let's forge a new deal in light of our goals and reality, a trade deal that is responsible on development, climate and biodiversity." "It's true we lost an opportunity at the end of last year, but we should not give up on this deal." At upcoming G20 and COP summits in Brazil, Macron said he planned to push for more international standards to financially incentivize banks, firms and investors to decarbonize industrial processes and better preserve the environment.

Persons: Sarah Morland, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Fernando Haddad, Haddad, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Jair Bolsonaro, Eduardo Simoes, Jonathan Oatis, Kylie Madry, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, European Union, South American Mercosur, Brazilian Finance Locations: Brazil, Sao Paulo, France, Africa, Mexico City

☆ El Salvador Removes Income Taxes for Money From Abroad
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador's Congress approved on Tuesday a reform to remove income taxes previously imposed on money from abroad, in a move to attract more foreign investment. Money flows from abroad in forms such as remittances and investments in companies will now be exempt from tax, lawmakers said. Prior to the reform, incomes equal to or greater than $150,000 had to pay a rate of 30% at the time of entry into the country. "The initiative aims to stimulate domestic and foreign investment to boost the economy and generate better and more employment opportunities," said lawmaker Suecy Callejas in Congress when defending the reform. (Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah Morland)

Persons: Suecy Callejas, Nelson Renteria, Valentine Hilaire, Sarah Morland Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, Salvador's

☆ Saint Vincent Court Rejects Challenge to Colonial-Era Anti-Gay Laws
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Robertson S. HenryKINGSTOWN (Reuters) - The top court in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines dismissed a challenge to anti-gay laws dating to British colonial rule on Friday, leaving the Caribbean country among a handful that still prescribes harsh criminal penalties against gays and lesbians. Local laws call for up to ten years incarceration for anyone who has same-sex relations, under a 1988 criminal code that upheld laws from the colonial era. In her ruling, Judge Esco Henry held that Johnson and Macleish did not have the standing to challenge the laws since they do not live in the country. Activists argue that the laws that criminalize consensual same-sex relations between adults encourage physical abuse and discrimination, even though they are rarely if ever enforced. But elsewhere in the Caribbean, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados have decriminalized gay sex in 2022, while Trinidad and Tobago struck down its ban altogether in 2018.

Persons: Robertson S, Henry KINGSTOWN, Javin Johnson, Sean Macleish, Judge Esco Henry, Johnson, Macleish, Cristian Gonzalez, Saint Vincent, Henry, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, Activists, Rights Watch Locations: Saint Vincent, Grenadines, Caribbean, Jamaica, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Kingstown, Mexico City

☆ Argentina's Milei Calls on Two Officials to Resign After Reform Setback
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Javier Milei on Friday called for two government officials to resign, saying he needed greater commitment to his agenda after congress rejected his reform package earlier in the week. Milei, a self-defined anarcho-capitalist who took office in December, called for Mining Secretary Flavia Royon and Osvaldo Giordano, head of the country's ANSES social insurance agency, to step down. Congress' rejection of the omnibus bill on Tuesday marked a major setback for Milei, who has accused opposition lawmakers of "betrayal". "I wish the president a great administration and wherever I go I will continue to work for the good of Argentina," he said. On Friday he was in Rome, where he is scheduled to meet with his countryman Pope Francis.

Persons: Javier Milei, Flavia Royon, Osvaldo Giordano, Milei, Giordano, Royon, Pope Francis, Maximilian Heath, Sarah Morland, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: BUENOS AIRES, Reuters, Mining, Peronist Locations: BUENOS, Argentine, Argentina, Rome

☆ Five Armed Haiti Environment Agents Killed in Clash With Police
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - At least five agents of Haiti's BSAP, an armed environmental agency that in recent years has evolved into a paramilitary body, were killed in a shootout with national police in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, the police trade union told reporters. Haiti's national police did not immediately respond to a request for more details, or whether there had been any police casualties. Henry, who assumed power after the assassination of Haiti's last president in 2021, last week called on BSAP members to register with the country's environmental ministry in an apparent crackdown against the agency. Henry is expected to give a national address later on Wednesday. (Reporting by Harold Isaac and Steven Aristil in Port-au-Prince; Writing by Sarah Morland and Kylie Madry; Editing by Leslie Adlerby)

Persons: Haiti's, Ariel Henry, Guy Philippe, AyiboPost, Philippe, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Henry, Harold Isaac, Steven Aristil, Sarah Morland, Kylie Madry, Leslie Adlerby Organizations: PORT, Reuters, Prince, Local Locations: Port, Haiti, U.S

☆ Police Fire Tear Gas as Hundreds Protest Government in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

National police used tear gas to disperse protesters, who set fire to car tires, filling streets with clouds of gray smoke. Henry assumed power shortly after the assassination of the country's last president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021. "We are not here today to wage a war against Ariel Henry to replace him with someone else. We are here today to wage a war against the system." The head of the Human Rights Watch earlier this year estimated some 300,000 people are internally displaced due to the violence.

Persons: Ariel Henry, Henry, Jovenel Moise, Dominique Thelemaque, Steven Aristil, Sarah Morland, Kim Coghill Organizations: PORT, Reuters, Human Rights Watch, United Nations

☆ Panama's Top Court Rejects Ex-President Martinelli's Appeal to Annul Prison Sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's top court rejected former president and current presidential candidate Ricardo Martinelli's appeal to annul a 10-year prison sentence, a court official said on Friday, casting doubt on Martinelli's ability to run in the May election. Martinelli was sentenced to a 128-month prison term last year for money laundering for his role in a case known as "New Business," which alleges public funds were used to buy a media conglomerate and give him a majority stake. Authorities have not issued a statement on his candidacy, but Panama's constitution bars from the presidency anyone condemned to a prison sentence of five years or more. Martinelli, a multimillionaire supermarket magnate, held office from 2009 to 2014. (Reporting by Elida Moreno and Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sarah Morland)

Persons: Ricardo Martinelli's, Martinelli, Elida Moreno, Valentine Hilaire, Sarah Morland Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Authorities Locations: PANAMA

☆ UN Urges Measures to Stop Arms Trafficking Fueling Haiti's Gang Wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Sarah Morland(Reuters) - The head of the United Nation's drugs and crime office on Thursday warned of a "vicious cycle" of arms trafficking to increasingly powerful Haitian gangs, fueling an internal conflict and worsening violence across the Caribbean. "It's more important than ever to take every measure possible to prevent illicit flows," the UNODC's executive director, Ghada Waly, told a U.N. Security Council meeting, saying arms trafficking and gang activity were feeding off each other. A recent UNODC report found that most illegal firearms seized in Haiti came from the United States, notably Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and California. After the Dominican Republic shut its border with Haiti, smugglers were turning to more remote routes including clandestine airstrips, the report said. No date has been set for deployment, which Haiti requested in October 2022.

Persons: Sarah Morland, Ghada Waly, U.N, Robert Wood, Kenya's, Tirana Hassan, Hassan, Jose de la, Michelle Nichols, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, Security, Taurus, Glock, Beretta, Smith, Wesson, Kenyan, Rights Watch, Tirana Locations: Haiti, United States, Florida , Arizona, Georgia, Texas, California, Caribbean, U.S, Dominican Republic, Ecuador

☆ Haiti's Police Force Shrinks Amid Gang Crisis -Union
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Police need significantly higher incentives to justify the dangers, the report said, amid a shrinking force and lack of equipment, training and infrastructure. Lazarre said the situation was difficult but police had made progress, recovering control of six neighborhoods and coming close to recovering another. Last November, the United Nations estimated some 3,960 had been killed through the year and 2,951 kidnapped. Haiti's government called for international reinforcements in October 2022 and the United Nations ratified sending a force composed of voluntary contributions late last year. Haiti's armed forces were disbanded in 1995 and reinstated in 2017, but the national police remains the main security force.

Persons: Lionel Lazarre, Lazarre, It's, Ariel Henry's, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: PORT, Reuters, Police, United Nations Locations: Kenya, Caribbean, Port, Mexico City

☆ At Least 12 Dead in Suspected Attempt to Rescue Son of Mexican Cartel Hitman
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 12 suspected criminals were killed on a highway near Hermosillo in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, a state official said Sunday, in what authorities called a foiled attempt to rescue the son of a cartel hitman. Another seven escaped and some are probably wounded, the Sonora's state attorney's office said in a statement. Two security officials were hospitalized after the crossfire but are now in stable condition, the statement added. The office said it suspected the group, armed with assault weapons, was attempting to rescue the son of Jesus Humberto Limon, a suspected hitman working for a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the sons of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The suspected hitman's son, Carlos Humberto, had been detained minutes before for "crimes against health" in Camino del Seri, it said, without giving further details.

Persons: Jesus Humberto Limon, Joaquin, El, Guzman, Carlos Humberto, gunmakers, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Kino, Security, AK Locations: MEXICO, Hermosillo, Mexican, Sonora, Sinaloa, Camino del, Bahia, U.S

☆ Residents of Southern Mexican Town Set Govt Palace on Fire After Police Kill Young Man
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico (Reuters) - Residents of a Mexican town set fire to the municipal palace overnight on Friday in a violent protest after local police shot a young man in the neck, according to his relatives, after he did not stop his car at a checkpoint. National media reported that police shot dead 27-year-old Brandon Arellano, the son of a local teacher, as he arrived outside his grandmother's house. Residents of Lerdo de Tejada, a town in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, overturned a police car and set it on fire and clashed with police officers at the scene. They also broke windows at the local government palace and set it on fire. (Reporting by Tamara Corro in Veracruz and Raul Cortes in Mexico City; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: LERDO DE, Brandon Arellano, Delfino Arellano, Arellano, Lerdo de Tejada, Tamara Corro, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: Authorities Locations: LERDO DE TEJADA, Mexico, Lerdo, Gulf, Veracruz, Mexico City

☆ 'Murderer!': Peru President Faces Fierce Backlash in Slain Protesters' Hometown
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Dina Boluarte faced fierce backlash on Saturday from residents during a visit to the southern Andean region of Ayacucho, where 10 people were reported killed during anti-government protests in December 2022. Unverified videos shared on social media show people pushing up against security officials shouting "Dina is a murderer!" Local media reported that she was taken away by police but not detained. The December 2022 protests broke out after former President Pedro Castillo was ousted and arrested while illegally trying to close Congress. His vice-president, Boluarte, was rapidly sworn in but dozens died in ensuing protests, mostly in southern Peru.

Persons: Dina Boluarte, Dina, Ruth Barcena, Leonardo Hancco, Barcena, Pedro Castillo, Boluarte, Jorge Otarola, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Marco Aquino, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Local Locations: LIMA, Peruvian, Ayacucho, Peru, Mexico City, Lima

☆ Fire in Panama's Largest Landfill Blows Toxic Smoke Over Capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - A large blaze at a garbage dump outside Panama City blew a toxic smoke in the country's capital on Friday, forcing evacuations as firefighters battled to put out the flames that authorities said were likely caused by arson the night before. "Everything points to the fire being started deliberately," firefighter chief Ernesto de Leon told a press conference. Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre told reporters evacuations were being effected to protect residents from the flames and toxic gases. Videos on social media showed a helicopter flying above the thick gray smoke spraying down water as birds scatter overhead. Since 6 a.m. some 7,360 gallons (around 28,000 liters) of water have been sprayed over the area, authorities told reporters, saying some 60% of the blaze was controlled and this could reach 90% by Saturday.

Persons: Firefighers, Ernesto de Leon, Luis Francisco Sucre, Sucre, Angel Delgado, Laurentino Cortizo, Sarah Morland, Valentine Hilaire, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Panama City, Health, La Prensa, Saturday, La, Cerro Patacon Locations: Panama, Cerro

☆ Several Hundred Honduran Migrants Prepare to Travel North - Local Media
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Several hundred migrants have gathered at a bus terminal in northern Honduras in preparation to head towards the United States, local television reported on Friday, seeking to flee poverty and a lack of jobs in the Central American nation. Hoy Mismo news channel estimated that about 300 people had gathered at the Gran Terminal bus station in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, largely young people and families holding children. The caravan, expected to leave on Saturday, would mark the first such group of Honduran migrants traveling north during the administration of leftist President Xiomara Castro, who took office at the start of 2022. The government of Honduras estimates that about 64% of the country's 10 million inhabitants live in poverty. The Honduras migration and security ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Hoy, San Pedro Sula, Xiomara Castro, Wilfredo Bonilla, Gustavo Palencia, Sarah Morland, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Central, Gran Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, United States, Central American, San Pedro

☆ Last Salvadoran Woman Imprisoned Over Baby's Death Calls for Change
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

El Salvador has one of the most draconian abortion bans in the Americas, which critics say extends to women who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths. Many women have been sentenced to decades in prison on charges of killing their children. The 28-year-old woman, known as Lilian, was the last woman still imprisoned on such charges, according to two local civil rights groups. "I call on people stop denouncing other innocent women," Lilian told a press conference after a judge last month acquitted her of a 30-year sentence after seven years behind bars. Lilian, who is also the mother of a 10-year-old, said she was happy to be reunited with her family.

Persons: El, Lilian, Lillian, Nelson Renteria, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Leslie Adler Organizations: SALVADOR, Reuters, Central, Citizens, Group Locations: El Salvador, Central American, Americas, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Caribbean

☆ Mexico Receives Five Proposals to Develop Passenger Transport on Railways
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's Transport Ministry said on Tuesday it received five proposals from interested parties to participate in the roll-out of a project to boost passenger transport on railways being developed across the country. The ministry said it is reviewing the proposals, without identifying the companies expressed interest. The announcement comes a day after the deadline for proposals, set out in a decree late last year that called for plans from concession holders outlining how their freight railways could be adapted for passenger use. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose term ends this year, said last November that if companies decide not to provide passenger services the government would do so. The government has prioritized development on seven routes that span northern border cities, the Gulf and Pacific coasts, major cities in central Mexico, and the capital's secondary Felipe Angeles international airport.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Sarah Morland, Valentine Hilaire, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Transport, Felipe Angeles Locations: MEXICO, United States, Gulf, Pacific, Mexico

☆ Costa Rica Arrests Ex-Panama Presidential Hopeful Tied to Money Laundering Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SAN JOSE/PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Costa Rican police on Tuesday arrested Panamanian businessman and former presidential hopeful David Ochy on charges of fraud and money laundering, judicial authorities said on Tuesday, following an Interpol request. Ochy was wanted by Interpol for being central to a case linked to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who was in July sentenced to over a decade in prison for money laundering. Ochy enrolled as a presidential pre-candidate for Martinelli's Realizing Goals party ahead of the 2024 vote, which protected him from facing trial in the Martinelli case last summer. Ochy faces criminal charges for money laundering and using a fraudulent Costa Rican identity card, Zuniga said. Carlo Diaz, who heads Costa Rica's state attorney's office, said he could be extradited to neighboring Panama though he must first face criminal proceedings in Costa Rica and could even serve a prison sentence there.

Persons: David Ochy, Ochy, Ricardo Martinelli, Martinelli, Randall Zuniga, Zuniga, Carlo Diaz, Javier Caraballo, Alvaro Murillo, Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland, Sandra Maler Organizations: JOSE, PANAMA CITY, Tuesday, Interpol, Central American Locations: PANAMA, Costa Rican, Panamanian, Costa Rica, Rican, Caribbean, Pococi, Costa Rica's, Panama, San Jose, Panama City

File photo: A person holds a photo of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise, who was shot dead earlier this month, during his funeral at his family home in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, July 23, 2021. Vincent was arrested days after the attack alongside another Haitian-American, James Solages. At these meetings, the filing said, Vincent often wore a U.S. State Department pin leading people to believe he was employed by the U.S. government. Jaar and Rivera were both sentenced to life in prison, while John is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 19. Reporting by Sarah Morland and Kylie Madry; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ricardo Arduengo, Joseph Vincent, Vincent, Jovenel Moise's, Prince, James Solages, Solages, Christian Sanon's, Moise, Vincent's, Joseph Joel John, German Rivera, Rodolphe Jaar, Jaar, Rivera, John, Sarah Morland, Kylie Madry, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S . State Department, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Cap, Haitien, Haiti, U.S, American, Colombian, Florida, Haitian, Chilean

☆ Latin America Must Invest up to 4.9% of GDP Annually to Meet Climate Goals -UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Latin America and the Caribbean need to rapidly boost spending to up to 4.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually by 2030 to meet their climate targets, a United Nations agency said in a report on Monday. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) report presented at Dubai's COP28 summit said the region must spend between 3.7% to 4.9% of GDP annually, up from just 0.5% in 2020, amounting to total investments of $2.1 trillion to $2.8 trillion by 2030. This implies the "availability of substantial but not unattainable amounts - and the time to act is now," ECLAC Executive Secretary Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs said. Climate mitigation - mostly projects around transportation as well as energy, infrastructure and deforestation - would take up the lion's share of spending, ECLAC said, while a remaining third would need to go toward adaptation methods. Climate change - excluding the impacts of extreme phenomena - could strip 10% off labor productivity in some countries, it added, cutting potential for economic growth.

Persons: Jose Manuel Salazar, Xirinachs, ECLAC, Salazar, Marion Giraldo, Sarah Morland, Sandra Maler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, United, Economic Commission, Latin Locations: MEXICO, America, Caribbean, United Nations, Latin America, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, South America's Parana, La Plata, Chile

☆ Guatemala Congress Strips Electoral Judges of Immunity in Troubled Transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala's ruling-party-led Congress on Friday stripped four electoral judges accused of fraud of their immunity from prosecution, in a move critics fear is aimed at blocking President-elect Bernardo Arevalo from taking office next month. The move by Congress is seen as an attempt to appoint judges who oppose Arevalo's election and is the latest in a series of measures that could hinder the transition of power. All those judges except for Palencia, have left the country, immigration authorities said. Orlando Blanco, a representative for the VOS political party, said the objective was to name anti-Arevalo judges. "They want to ignore the electoral results and they need the electoral court to abide by that decision," Blanco said.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, general's, Arevalo, Irma Palencia, Ranulfo Rojas, Gabriel Aguilera, Mynor Franco, Orlando Blanco, VOS, Blanco, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Diane Craft Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Congress, San Carlos University, United Nations, Human Rights Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan, Palencia, Guatemala, U.S

☆ Guatemala Congress strips electoral judges of immunity in troubled transition
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Police stand guard as people gather during a protest accusing Guatemala's authorities of trying to block the accession of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo, in Guatemala City, Guatemala November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGUATEMALA CITY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Guatemala's ruling-party-led Congress on Friday stripped four electoral judges accused of fraud of their immunity from prosecution, in a move critics fear is aimed at blocking President-elect Bernardo Arevalo from taking office next month. The move by Congress is seen as an attempt to appoint judges who oppose Arevalo's election and is the latest in a series of measures that could hinder the transition of power. Orlando Blanco, a representative for the VOS political party, said the objective was to name anti-Arevalo judges. "They want to ignore the electoral results and they need the electoral court to abide by that decision," Blanco said.

Persons: Guatemala's, Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, general's, Arevalo, Irma Palencia, Ranulfo Rojas, Gabriel Aguilera, Mynor Franco, Orlando Blanco, VOS, Blanco, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Diane Craft Organizations: Police, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Congress, San Carlos University, United Nations, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Guatemalan, Palencia, U.S

☆ Haiti Gang Wars Now 'Cataclysmic' in Key Farmlands -UN Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Haiti's brutal gang wars have spread from the capital to key farming heartlands, displacing tens of thousands of people and having a devastating impact on access to food staples, the United Nations said in a report on Tuesday. The violence has severely limited humanitarian access to the area, leaving support for victims of sexual violence to cash-strapped rural associations. Victims rarely come forward, the report said, due to fear of reprisals and mistrust of police. "We are continuing to receive reports of killings, sexual violence, displacement and other violence – including in hospitals," he said. "The much-needed multinational security support mission needs to be deployed to Haiti as soon as possible."

Persons: U.N, Human Rights Volker Turk, Turk, Sarah Morland, Harold Isaac, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, Human Rights Locations: Artibonite, Bas, United States, Haiti

☆ Mexico Presidency Race Narrows Slightly, Sheinbaum Still Way Ahead -Poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The race to become Mexico's next president has closed slightly, but former Mexico City mayor and ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum still has double the support of her main opposition rival, an opinion poll showed on Monday. Samuel Garcia, who is competing for the candidacy of another center-left party, Citizens Movement (MC), polled 8% support. A poll published in early October had given Sheinbaum 50% support versus 20% for Galvez, although that survey included a fourth, right-wing candidate who did not feature this time. "With the entry of Samuel Garcia as sole MC contender, the presidential ballot has been practically set in stone," Buendia & Marquez head Jorge Buendia wrote in El Universal. Separately, an analysis of several polls by research firm Consulta Mitofsky which stripped out undecided voters and those not backing any candidate showed Sheinbaum with 62.7% of effective support.

Persons: Mexico's, Claudia Sheinbaum, pollster Buendia, Marquez, Xochitl Galvez, Galvez, Samuel Garcia, Sheinbaum, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Buendia, Jorge Buendia, Garcia, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Dave Graham, Andrea Ricci Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Mexico City, El Universal, Sheinbaum, Regeneration, Citizens Movement Locations: MEXICO, Mexico

☆ Haiti Human Rights Group Suspends Operations After Threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Haiti's Center for Human Rights Analysis and Research (CARDH) is provisionally suspending its work due to imminent danger to its staff, its executive director said on Thursday, as gang wars escalate in parts of the capital Port-au-Prince. The United States and Canada have sanctioned several politicians and businessmen accused of helping finance gangs. CARDH has published reports on the living conditions of people displaced by the gang wars, suspected gang members being lynched by vigilante "Bwa Kale" groups, killings of police officers and assessments of foreign sanctions. It has also quantified the rise of what it calls a kidnapping "industry" under which gangs use extreme violence and torture to extract ransoms from families. (Reporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City and Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

Persons: Prince, Gedeon Jean, Jean, CARDH, Sarah Morland, Harold Isaac, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Haiti's, for Human, Cite Soleil, United Nations, West Department Locations: Haiti, United States, Canada, Artibonite, Mexico City, Port

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. Operations are set to resume once the port blockade is resolved, the spokesman added. Protests have escalated since the government and First Quantum signed a new contract on Oct. 20 for the Cobre Panama concession, which contributes 1% to global copper production and 5% to Panama's gross domestic product. "In terms of production we are talking about a temporary halt because of the illegal blockade. The company says an "illegal blockade" of small boats at the mine's Punta Rincon port has been disrupting the mine's activity.

Persons: Michael Camacho, Valentine Hilaire, Divya Rajagopal, Brendan O'Boyle, Sarah Morland Organizations: Minerals, REUTERS, Aris, Quantum Minerals, Reuters, First, Thomson Locations: Panama, Donoso, Rincon

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