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☆ Global leaders condemn assault on Brazilian government buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Brazil's democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined. Using violence to attack democratic institutions is always unacceptable. BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT LUIS ARCE"We strongly condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress, Palace and Supreme Court by anti-democratic groups. A return to normality is urgently needed and we express solidarity with Brazilian institutions. We categorically condemn the assault on the Brazilian Congress and make a call for the immediate return to democratic normality."

☆ Honduras extends, expands state of emergency meant to fight crime
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fredy Rodriguez/File PhotoTEGUCIGALPA, Jan 7 (Reuters) - The Honduran government on Saturday extended a state of emergency declaration for 45 days, expanding it to additional areas of the country in an effort to fight criminal gangs amid high levels of violence. The state of emergency, in place since Dec. 6 in 165 areas of Honduras' largest two cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, has been expanded to 235 of the country's 298 municipalities, the national police said. Police chief Gustavo Sanchez said the decision, based on what he told journalists were good results during December, will allow continued reductions in crime and violence. During the first month of the measures, 39 criminal gangs were destroyed and 652 people were arrested, while 43 kilos of cocaine and thousands of grams and rocks of crack were seized, the police said. Reporting by Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Since its founding in 1971, Bed Bath & Beyond has been a go-to destination for home goods. We took a look at the rise and decline of the iconic big-box retailer. In September 2022, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would be closing 150 stores and slashing 20% of its corporate positions in an effort to cut costs. Bed Bath & Beyond was once a leading home goods retailer, appealing to shoppers across the nation with its strategy of abundance. We took a closer look at Bed Bath & Beyond's rise from a small linen store in New Jersey to a major national retail chain now on the brink of collapse.

☆ Colombia's ELN rebels say they have not agreed to ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His government held a first round of peace talks with the ELN in December. Over the weekend Petro said Colombia would hold a six-month ceasefire with the ELN and four other armed groups. "The negotiations delegation of the ELN has not discussed with the government of Gustavo Petro any proposal for a bilateral ceasefire, so there exists no agreement on that issue," the ELN said in a statement posted on its website. "Once we finish (that issue) it is predicted we will be available to discuss the bilateral ceasefire proposal, to examine the terms to make a deal possible," the rebels added. Rebel leaders have said the group is united, but it is unclear how much sway negotiators hold over active units.

☆ Colombia announces ceasefire with five illegal armed groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist and former guerrilla, announced late on Saturday a January ceasefire with five illegal armed groups to support peace talks. Petro has pledged to end the Andean nation's internal conflict, which has run for almost six decades and left at least 450,000 dead between 1985 and 2018. "The bilateral ceasefire obliges the armed organizations and the state to respect it. Among the groups are leftist guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) as well as dissident groups run by former members of the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Segunda Marquetalia and Estado Mayor Central. The government added that it would issue a specific decree for each of the organizations, which will determine the durations and conditions of the ceasefire.

☆ After years, private vehicles start crossing Colombia-Venezuela border again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Juan Pablo BayonaURENA, Venezuela, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Private vehicles started crossing between Colombia and Venezuela for the first time in years on Sunday, marking the total opening of the shared border, in addition to cargo and people that have been transiting. The full opening of the common border follows years of tense relations between the two countries that have eased after Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist, took office in August last year. German Umana, Colombia's commerce minister, told reporters at the crossing that the move would be positive for the economies and societies of both countries. "We will never allow it again," Umana said in reference to closure of the border. Late last year, Colombian and Venezuelan authorities authorized the opening of the crossing on the Atanasio Girardot bridge, known as Tienditas, the western Venezuelan border state Tachira state.

☆ Venezuela and Colombia fully reopen shared border
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Venezuela and Colombia will fully reopen their shared border on January 1 to allow passage of cargo and passenger transport via the cross-border Tienditas bridge, Colombia Migration said in a statement on Saturday. The South American countries already reopened in September their border crossing in the Tachira state, in western Venezuela, after political ties strengthened under Colombia's new president, Gustavo Petro. Colombian authorities have said since September that the reopening of the shared 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) border between the two countries would be progressive. Elsewhere, people and cargo can already cross the border via two bridges in Tachira as well as the western Zulia state. The commercial exchange between the two countries is worth around $580 million, according to official data from Colombia.

Several Latinos whose lives and work left a profound imprint on American institutions — from arts and entertainment to legal and civil rights — passed away in 2022. Cavazos began his education in a two-room schoolhouse on the King Ranch in Texas, where his father was a foreman. President Reagan named Cavazos Secretary of Education in 1988, making him the first Hispanic ever to serve in the U.S. Together, “Luis” and Maria” showed young audiences that Latinos were people who worked, fell in love and were part of their community. Her goals were to give Latinos a presence in the dance world, and to instill pride in Hispanic culture.

☆ Colombia, Ecuador agree joint plan to tackle organized crime on border
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Daniel TapiaBOGOTA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The armed forces of Colombia and Ecuador on Wednesday signed an agreement to implement a plan to contain drug trafficking and organized crime on their shared border, authorities in both countries said. Colombia and Ecuador share a porous border that stretches some 586 kilometers and where criminal gangs and illegal armed groups engage in smuggling and drug trafficking. "Efforts currently under our responsibility to eliminate drug trafficking, environmental crimes, smuggling, and other areas will not decline," General Helder Giraldo, the general commander of Colombia's military, said in another statement. The government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro in November called on countries with which it shares a border to work together on a military offensive against illegal armed groups. As well as Ecuador, Colombia shares a border with Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and Panama.

☆ Latam M&A expected to recover in 2023, IPOs may take longer
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Tatiana Bautzer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - After a sharp drop in Latin American deals in 2022, bankers expect a slow recovery next year, led by M&A. The volume of M&A deals in Latin America fell 35% this year, to $86 billion, according to Refinitiv data. Bankers predict M&A volumes will grow up to 20% in the region next year as Latin America becomes more relevant among emerging markets. Latin America has a great opportunity to increase its share among emerging markets, said Latam M&A co-head at Citigroup Nicolas Roca. Share offerings fell 61% in Latin America this year to $13.4 billion, according to Refinitiv data through December 26.

☆ Latin America's 'pink tide' may have hit its high-water mark
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Brad Haynes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Alessandro Cinque/File PhotoDec 22 (Reuters) - Dramatic elections in Brazil, Chile and Colombia brought leftist governments into power across much of Latin America in 2022, capping the region's second "pink tide" in two decades. Chilean President Gabriel Boric, 36, took office in March as his country's most progressive leader in half a century and its youngest ever. Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 77, who narrowly beat incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in October, is a holdover from the region's first pink tide, when a commodity boom helped him finish his 2003-2010 presidency with record approval. WHAT IT MEANS FOR 2023The region's new pink tide has a distinct green tint, as progressive movements have embraced the fight against climate change. Castillo, ousted about a year and a half after his election, may not be the only leftist leader to face difficult times.

☆ Mexican journalists, cultural commentators demand president end provocations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gustavo GrafMEXICO CITY, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A cross-section of Mexican journalists, columnists and cultural commentators demanded in an open letter on Wednesday that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stop harassing critical media, arguing he fans the flames of violence with his rhetoric. The open letter accused Lopez Obrador of being "politically responsible" for the attack on Gomez, adding that "practically all the expressions of hate against journalists, are born, incubated and spread" from the president's office. Lopez Obrador immediately condemned the attack, but then quickly pivoted to attacking elite journalists he dismissed as conservative pundits, including Gomez. According to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Mexico is the world's deadliest country for journalists with 11 killed so far this year. The open letter, also signed by well-known figures in Mexican film and magazine publishing, warned that even more violent attacks on media are likely if the president refused to exercise more "self-control."

☆ Oil tank in Colombia's Barranquilla explodes into flames, one dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Black smoke rises during a fire in a hydrocarbon storage area of the Bravo Petroleum company in Barranquilla, Colombia December 21, 2022. Barranquilla City Hall Press Office/Handout via REUTERSBOGOTA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A fuel tank exploded into flames in Colombia's Caribbean city of Barranquilla early on Wednesday, killing a firefighter who fell during the explosion, local authorities said. "Right now the fire is being controlled and allowed to burn out at the tank, which is on fire," Pumarejo told journalists, adding that the area around the tank was being evacuated. Operations to control the fire could take between three and four days as firefighters wait for the blaze to consume all the fuel, authorities said. Operations at Barranquilla's port were suspended until the fire is fully controlled, authorities added.

☆ Argentine Marcaccio joins Nadal's coaching staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Argentine Gustavo Marcaccio will be a new member of Rafael Nadal's coaching staff for the 2023 season, the Spanish player said on Monday. The announcement comes three days after Spanish coach Francis Roig said he would be stepping down from his role on Nadal's team after 18 years to take on new projects. "I would like to inform you about the addition of Gustavo Marcaccio to the technical team," Nadal, 36, wrote on Twitter. Marcaccio, who was 284th in the ATP rankings in 2004 and coached former Top 10 tennis player Juan Monaco, joins Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez as Nadal's coaches. Nadal, who has won a record 22 Grand Slam titles, will look to successfully defend his Australian Open title at the first Grand Slam of the year in January after an injury-plagued 2022.

☆ Colombia to hike minimum monthly wage by 16%
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Colombia's minimum wage will increase by 16% in 2023, President Gustavo Petro said on Thursday, higher than the previous wage hike. The minimum wage will rise to 1.16 million pesos ($242.70) per month, an increase of 160,000 pesos ($33.40). The wage increase comes amid rampant inflation in Latin America's fourth-largest economy. The increase followed agreements between business associations and unions, Petro said, and will benefit some 3.4 million people who receive the minimum wage. "I hope that this increase to the minimum wage restores purchasing power that has been lost in recent months due to inflation, restores growth to the economy's average productivity, and also allows us to boost internal demand in Colombia," Petro said.

☆ Honduras to sign agreement for U.N. anti-corruption mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Gustavo Palencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Honduras will sign an agreement Thursday to install a United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission in the country, a foreign ministry official said Wednesday, making good on a key campaign pledge of President Xiomara Castro to root out graft. The foreign ministry tweeted that the agreement will be signed Thursday, but later took down the post. Hernandez was extradited to the United States earlier this year on drug-trafficking charges. A similar mission supported by the Organization of the American States (OAS) operated in Honduras until January 2020, but disbanded after then-President Hernandez let its mandate expire. The OAS mission, called the Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), was created in 2016 and led corruption investigations into officials, legislators and Hernandez himself.

☆ Gun-loving Bolsonaristas challenge Lula's pledge to disarm Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Gabriel Stargardter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The president-elect has pledged to "disarm" an increasingly gun-toting country where personal firearms have become a symbol of Bolsonaro's conservative base. Reuters interviewed eight other people working on, or advising, Lula's transition team on bolstering gun controls once he takes office on Jan. 1. The priority will be to reimpose civilian prohibitions on certain high-caliber weapons, including the rifle used by Jefferson, the sources said. The political context is a sharp departure from Lula's 2003-2010 presidency, when he passed sweeping gun laws to combat violent crime. Last week, they charged him with four counts of attempted murder, resisting arrest, and weapons charges.

While indigenous groups account for about 5% of the world's population, their lands safeguard about 80% of Earth's remaining plant and animal species, according to the World Bank. Indigenous groups have a range of concerns about the U.N. summit negotiations. Some critics worry that the 30-by-30 target could be used to erode indigenous rights under the guise of conservation. Others, like Tuxa of Brazil and Ngomo of Congo argue that a 30% conservation target does not go far enough to ensure nature's protection. Adopting a 30% target at the national level could backfire, Tuxa said, in suggesting Brazil can open more land to development.

☆ Miner Vale looks to close deal with partner for base metals in H1
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Marcelo Teixeira | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: Brazilian mining company Vale SA logo and trading symbol are displayed on a screen at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid//File PhotoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Brazilian mining company Vale is in advanced talks with possible partners for its new base metals investment vehicle and looks to have a deal concluded during the first half of 2023, Chief Executive Gustavo Pimenta said on Wednesday. Pimenta said the key quality Vale is looking when deciding for the partner is expertise. “We will change the way we manage base metals. Demand for metals like nickel and lithium is seen growing sharply in coming years due to expected production growth of electric vehicles (EV).

☆ Colombia killings of social leaders, rights defenders hit new high
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Nathalia Angarita/File PhotoBOGOTA, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Colombia will end the year with at least 199 killings of social leaders and human rights defenders, the highest level recorded, due to attacks by illegal armed groups in areas tied to the drug trade, the country's human rights ombudsman said on Wednesday. "There's a correlation between the increase in the killings of social leaders and human rights defenders with the increase in illicit crops in different territories and operations by illegal armed groups that dispute territorial control of drug trafficking routes," Camargo added. Some 66 leaders and rights defenders have been killed during Petro's administration so far. According to the Ombudsman's office, the provinces of Narino, Cauca, Putumayo, Antioquia and Arauca have been the most affected by violence against social leaders and human rights defenders this year. The numbers on community and human rights leader killings in Colombia vary widely depending on the source.

☆ Dozens are killed in Colombia after mudslide buries bus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A mudslide unleashed by torrential rain buried a bus and two other vehicles in central Colombia, killing at least 27 people and leaving others trapped as rescuers tried to reach them in the wreckage on Monday. The mudslide late Sunday divided a highway in two in the town of Pueblo Rico in the district of Risaralda. “Solidarity with the victims’ families, they’ll have the complete support of the national government,” Petro added as he confirmed the death toll. The public bus was carrying more than 20 people and was left buried in the wreckage of the highway. The town had been under a mudslide threat due to heavy rains caused by the La Niña weather phenomenon, according to Colombia’s national emergency management agency.

☆ Landslide buries bus in Colombia, killing at least 34
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - At least 34 people died when a landslide buried a bus in northwestern Colombia on Sunday, the government disaster agency said on Monday. [1/3] Police help the rescue operations of a bus that was buried after a landslide due to heavy rains in Pueblo Rico, Colombia December 4, 2022. Colombia National Police/Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3Landslides are common in Colombia due to the mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rains and informal construction of houses. Events linked to heavy rains have killed more than 216 people and left 538,000 homeless so far in 2022, according to government statistics. The country's most recent large landslide killed over 320 people in the city of Mocoa in 2017.

☆ Honduras to suspend some constitutional rights to fight gang violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The government of Honduras announced on Saturday that it will suspend some constitutional rights in areas of two main cities controlled by criminal groups. The cities have been struggling with a so-called "war tax", in which gangs offer protection or say that those who pay up will not be killed. The gangs have torched buses and killed drivers who did not pay the fee, prompting businesses and people to pay out of fear. The measure, which is expected to be endorsed by the council of ministers, is part of President Xiomara Castro's plan to deal with violent gangs. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Edited by Noé Torres and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

For years, Argentine fans said that no matter how many Ballons d'Or and trophies Messi won with Barcelona, he could never match Maradona until he too lifted a World Cup. EMOTIONAL MESSIMany of the banners show Messi and Maradona together, some depicting the late No. And Messi himself has opened up emotionally to rally the team and nation after their shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. "For me, Messi has always felt and done his all for the national team, from his first game until now. "Messi has suffered from being a venerated star in Barcelona but often under attack here in Argentina."

☆ Colombia could be open to buying Venezuela's Monomeros -Finance Minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Colombia could be open to buying Venezuelan fertilizer maker Monomeros, Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo said on Wednesday, at a time when higher fertilizer prices have contributed to inflationary pressure. Though Monomeros is based in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, it is owned by Pequiven, which is a unit of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. The government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro regained control of Monomeros' board of directors in mid-September, following a couple of years when it was controlled by opposition leader Juan Guaido. The recent changes to Monomeros' management occurred at a time when relations between Colombia and Venezuela - particularly in economic and military cooperation - have strengthened, following the election of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Reporting by Carlos Vargas and Nelson Bocanegra Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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