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☆ Latin Americans fall prey to more online scams as cybersecurity lags
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Carolina Pulice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Online scams in Brazil jumped 65% last year to over 200,000, according to data from the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook published last month. And across Latin America, online frauds and cyberattacks are at an "all-time high," says cybersecurity company Tenable, posing an urgent problem for a well-connected region. "Latin America is a priority target because it has a very connected population, which means that they are always exposed," said Claudio Martinelli, managing director for Latin America for Kaspersky. In a ranking of 93 countries on cyberthreat risks compiled by fraud prevention software SEON, nine of the 10 Latin American countries were ranked in the bottom half. Three Latin American countries - Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela - were seen among the 10 countries with the highest risks for cyberthreats.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Gabriella Batalha didn't, Batalha, Kerry, Ann Barrett, Barrett, Claudio Martinelli, SEON, Tenable, Ransomware, Marcos Simplicio, Carolina Pulice, Brendan O'Boyle, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, YouTube, Brazilian Public Security, International Telecommunication Union, Organization of American States, America, Kaspersky, Costa, University of Sao, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Instagram, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, America, Latin America, Caribbean, Peru, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, University of Sao Paulo

☆ Reaction to killing of Ecuador presidential candidate Villavicencio
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

QUITO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The following are reactions to the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on Wednesday. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. AMBASSADOR TO ECUADOR MIKE FITZPATRICK"I am deeply dismayed to learn of the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, presidential candidate and fighter against the corruption and narco-criminals who have done so much damage to Ecuador." PARAGUAY'S PRESIDENT-ELECT SANTIAGO PENA"We repudiate and condemn the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. HONDURAN PRESIDENT XIOMARA CASTRO"We strongly condemn the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, GUILLERMO LASSO, Mayor Intriago, Fernando, RAFAEL CORREA, LUISA GONZALEZ, DANIEL NOBOA AZIN, XAVIER HERVAS, Karen Toro, MIKE FITZPATRICK, SANTIAGO PENA, XIOMARA CASTRO, Alexandra Valencia, Isabel Woodford, Valentine Hilaire, Caroline Pulice, Lincoln Organizations: OF, AMERICAN STATES, REUTERS, U.S, AFFAIRS MINISTRY, Ecuadorian, MINISTRY OF, Thomson Locations: QUITO, OF ECUADOR, Ecuador, Quito, Government, Chile, Ecuadorian Government, Mexico City

☆ Guatemala anti-graft candidate Arevalo seen winning presidential runoff -poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Anti-graft presidential candidate of the Semilla political party Bernardo Arevalo holds a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Sumpango, Guatemala, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File PhotoGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo is seen winning an Aug. 20 runoff election with 63% of valid votes against his rival, Sandra Torres, according to a CID Gallup poll published on Wednesday by a local think tank. Arevalo won a surprise second place in the initial round in June, finishing close behind Torres, a former first lady. CID Gallup's poll found that 54% of respondents considered Torres "corrupt" and a "liar," compared to 15% and 13%, respectively, for Arevalo. Arevalo led the poll in every age group, region, and education level.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Sandra Torres, Arevalo, Torres, Luis Von Ahn, Sofia Menchu, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Gallup, of American, CID, Liberty and Development Foundation, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Arevalo, Guatemalan

☆ Guatemala president meets with OAS head, says committed to ensure elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei meets with the Organization of American States (OAS) chief Luis Almagro, as concerns escalate over alleged government interference in the upcoming presidential runoff vote, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 1, 2023. Almagro is set to stay in the Central American country until August 4. Guatemala is scheduled to hold a presidential runoff election on Aug. 20, with anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arevalo facing off against former first lady Sandra Torres. The government guaranteed to OAS authorities it has the appropriate budget and can provide the infrastructure and security needed for electoral authorities to carry out the vote, according to a government statement on the meeting. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alejandro Giammattei, Luis Almagro, Read, Almagro, Bernardo Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Sofia Menchu, Brendan O'Boyle Organizations: Organization of American States, GUATEMALA CITY, Organization of American, Central American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, Presidencia, GUATEMALA

☆ Bahamas promises to join Kenya in security force in Haiti as support grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks about the Black Sea grain corridor outside U.N. Security Council at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - The Bahamian government on Tuesday welcomed Kenya's decision to lead a multinational force in Haiti and committed 150 people to support the effort if the United Nations authorizes the force. "The Bahamas has committed 150 persons to support the multi-national force once authorized by the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in a statement. It added the Bahamas looks "forward to cooperating with hemispheric partners including the United States and Canada." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday commended Kenya for "considering to serve as the lead nation" for the multinational force and expressed support for its authorization from a UN Security Council Resolution.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Brendan McDermid, Kenya's, General Antonio Guterres, Alfred Mutua, Antony Blinken, Haiti's, Ariel Henry, Brendan O'Boyle, Jasper Ward, Anthony Esposito, Chris Reese Organizations: Security, REUTERS, Bahamian, United Nations, United Nations Security Council, Kenyan Foreign, UN Security, American States, Haitian, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, Haiti, Bahamas, Kenya, United States, Canada, Washington, Jasper

☆ OAS chief flags 'clear interference' in Guatemala election ahead of visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) chief Luis Almagro will meet with authorities and politicians in Guatemala next week, he said on Wednesday, as concerns escalate over alleged government interference in the upcoming presidential runoff vote. The OAS, which monitored the first round, had backed the results as legitimate. "We have expressed ourselves emphatically on multiple occasions against the repeated attempts to alter the will of the people and the attacks on the electoral authorities," Almagro said in a special OAS session to discuss the election. "This is an electoral process that has suffered clear interference of internal actors that hindered its normal development," he said. Irma Palencia, the head of Guatemala's electoral court, said she has asked the OAS to continue monitoring the election.

Persons: Luis Almagro, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo's, Sandra Torres, Almagro, Alejandro Giammattei's, Arevalo, Torres, Irma Palencia, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Daina Beth Solomon, Jonathan Oatis, Bill Berkrot Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, OAS, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala

☆ UN experts arrive in Honduras to explore anti-corruption mission installation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, July 9 (Reuters) - A UN mission of experts arrived in Honduras to examine the establishment of an international anti-corruption mission in the Central American nation, which is plagued by widespread corruption that exacerbates poverty and immigration, Honduran authorities announced Sunday. Leftist President Xiomara Castro pledged during her campaign to install an anti-corruption commission known as the International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH). The length of the mission's stay in Honduras to meet with various sectors was not specified. The CICIH would be the second anti-corruption commission to operate in Honduras. The mission left Honduras in 2020 after the OAS failed to reach an agreement with the Hernandez government to extend its stay.

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Eduardo Enrique Reina, Obama, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Hernandez, Gustavo Palencia, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Leslie Adler Organizations: UN, Central, Honduran, International, Corruption, United Nations, Honduran Foreign, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Central American, Honduran, United States

☆ OAS urges Guatemalan authorities to move forward with election process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to preliminary results, anti-graft candidate Bernando Arevalo bucked forecasts to earn 11.8% of the vote, enough to secure a spot on the upcoming ballot. He trailed only behind former first lady Sandra Torres, with 15.8% of the vote. "The Mission verified that no serious irregularities were revealed and that no significant changes were registered with respect to the preliminary results of Sunday, June 25," the OAS said in a statement. However, on Friday night, the CSJ resolved to extend the suspension of the results for 10 more days. The electoral process in the Central American country has been strongly criticized by international and national organizations due to this unprecedented suspension of the official results.

Persons: Bernando Arevalo, Sandra Torres, CSJ, Torres, Arévalo, Sofia Menchu, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Guatemalan Constitutional, Central American, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan

☆ Insight: Catholic clergy report surveillance, beatings amid Nicaragua's crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's five-year campaign against the Catholic church has intensified since February, according to interviews with five priests inside and outside the country. This week's brief release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez raised hopes for a turning point. The priests describe heavy surveillance of church services by police or civilian members of government-sponsored community councils, especially since Easter. His latest restrictions seem aimed at silencing priests, Erick Diaz, 33, a Nicaraguan priest in exile in Chicago, said. Nine church leaders inside and outside Nicaragua did not respond to interview requests for this story.

Persons: Daniel Ortega's, Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Mexican Bishop Ramon Castro, Pope Francis, Nicaragua's, Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Bishop Alvarez, Alvarez, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Brenes, Martha Patricia Molina, Molina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Erick Diaz, David Alire Garcia, Philip Pullella, Ismael Lopez, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Sunday, Nicaraguan, Catholic, Vatican, Reuters, Organization of American, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Nicaraguan, Managua, Nicaragua, Mexican, Eastern Europe, Matagalpa, Texas, Leon, Vatican, Chicago, Rome, San Jose

☆ OAS to resend observer mission to Guatemala after court orders election review
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Monday it will send its election observer mission back to Guatemala after the country's constitutional court called for a review of the election's first round. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the run-off due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. "Given the recent resolution of the Constitutional Court... the mission has decided to deploy again in Guatemala," OAS said in a statement. It added the observer mission will be present during the review process and "will continue to gather relevant information" ahead of the run-off. "The mission considers it of vital importance that the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box be respected," the OAS added.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Torres, Antony Blinken, Carolina Pulice, Sofia Menchu, Stephen Eisenhammer, David Gregorio Our Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Constitutional, Sunday, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Guatemala City, United States

☆ US warns interference could undermine Guatemala election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is deeply concerned about efforts to interfere with Guatemala's first-round presidential election result, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, a day after Guatemala's top court ordered ballots be reviewed. Sandra Torres, a former first lady who won the first round, has alleged votes were manipulated. Bernardo Arevalo, who bucked forecasts to become a close runner-up to Torres, described Torres' vote review request as lacking legal merit and endangering the electoral process. Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Sunday said it would abide by the court decision and instruct its local branches to review the ballots within five days. Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City and Sofia Menchu in Guatemala City; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guatemala's, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Daina Beth Solomon, Sofia Menchu, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Josie Kao Organizations: Organization of American, Foreign, European Union, Electoral, Sofia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Guatemala's, Mexico City, Guatemala City

☆ Guatemala court orders presidential ballot review, opposition cries foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Torres took 15.8% of the vote in the June 25 round, with Arevalo close behind with 11.8%. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the runoff due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. The court said it would then determine whether to take the rare step of mandating a recount. Arevalo said he would ask Guatemala's electoral court to annul the top court's decision, which he described as lacking legal merit and dangerous to the electoral process. In the days after the vote, Torres said she was concerned that votes had been manipulated with a faulty software system to favor Arevalo's party, Semilla.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei's Vamos, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, William Mallard Organizations: National Unity of, GUATEMALA CITY, Central American, National Unity of Hope, Guatemalan, of American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA

☆ Venezuela blasts U.S. for critique over barred opposition candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, July 1 (Reuters) - Venezuela's government on Saturday said it rejected the U.S. stance around the South American country's upcoming elections, calling it "interference," a day after the U.S. criticized Venezuela's decision to disqualify an opposition candidate. Maria Corina Machado, one of the favorites to win the Venezuelan opposition's nomination for president in an October primary, has been barred from holding public office for 15 years. In response, the U.S. State Department said Venezuelans should be able to act freely in the 2024 presidential elections, and disqualifying Machado "deprives" them of political rights. The Washington-based Organization of American States also rejected the decision to bar Machado and called for free and transparent elections. Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Venezuela's, Maria Corina Machado, disqualifying Machado, deprives, Machado, Deisy Buitrago, Daina Beth Solomon, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Venezuelan, U.S . State Department, American, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, U.S, United States, Washington

Machado, a 55-year-old industrial engineer and former lawmaker, is leading polling for the 13-candidate primary, convened to select a unity candidate to face socialist President Nicolas Maduro in a 2024 election. A previous ban placed on her has been expanded because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, the letter said. The ban does not affect Machado's ability to run in the primary because the opposition is holding it without state support. The opposition has said for years that bans are used by the ruling party to prevent political change. Machado's fellow primary candidate Henrique Capriles, who has twice run for president for the opposition, was barred from public office for 15 years in 2017.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Jose Brito, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, Brito, Henrique Capriles, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Venezuelan, American States, U.S, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela, Washington

☆ Human rights body finds Cuban gov't responsible in 2012 deaths of dissidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, June 13 (Reuters) - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has found the Cuban government responsible in the deaths of democracy activists Oswaldo Paya and Harold Cepero in a 2012 car accident, saying it had concluded that state agents were involved in the incident. The commission's report, released on Monday, also said the government had violated the two men's rights to life, honour and freedom of expression. It said the commission had "identified sufficient serious evidence to conclude that State agents had been involved in the deaths of Payá and Cepero". Friends, family and fellow dissidents, as well as international human rights groups, have long accused the Cuban government of causing the crash, a charge it denies. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), a group the Cuban government brands an imperialist instrument of the United States.

Persons: Oswaldo Paya, Harold Cepero, Angel Carromero, —, Cepero, Dave Sherwood, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Inter, American, Human Rights, Cuban, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Paya, United States

☆ OAS says no reason to put into doubt Paraguay's election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) said on Tuesday that its electoral observation mission saw no reason to put into doubt Paraguay's election results, following protests by supporters of a right-wing candidate who came in third. The statement follows clashes on Monday between police and supporters of Paraguayo Cubas amid complaints of fraud in a vote that the ruling Colorado Party won comfortably. President-elect Santiago Pena won 43% of the vote on Sunday compared with 27% for runner-up Efrain Alegre. Cubas, who surprised observers by winning nearly 23%, called in a post on Instagram for a recount and asked his supporters to protest. Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Paraguay's conservatives score big election win, defusing Taiwan fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Paraguayan presidential candidate for the Colorado Party, Santiago Peña (C), celebrates with his wife, Leticia Ocampos de Pea (R), and Paraguayan former President Horacio Cartes, after winning the presidential election in Asuncion on April 30, 2023. Norberto Duarte | AFP | Getty ImagesParaguay's ruling candidate Santiago Pena, 44, scored a big win in the country's presidential election on Sunday, tightening the conservative Colorado Party's political grip in the country and defusing fears about the end of diplomatic ties with Taiwan. "Thank you for this Colorado victory, thank you for this Paraguayan victory," Pena said in a speech. Colorado and right-wing party candidates also performed strongly in congressional elections and governor races, with some provinces recording a historic Colorado majority over opposition rivals. The Colorado Party has dominated politics in the landlocked South American country since the 1950s.

☆ Probe of OAS chief draws members' push for ethics reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The OAS Permanent Council approved the document by consensus, but Mexico took the opportunity to criticize Secretary General Luis Almagro, saying he should have resigned and could not be trusted. The findings of the probe, launched late last year following a whistleblower's complaint, were laid out in a 121-page report distributed to member-states on Monday. It was founded 75 years ago to promote regional cooperation, but in recent years has struggled with ideological divisions among its 34 members. The resolution called on OAS officers to present "proposals for the further updating of the Code of Ethics and the Staff Regulations of the Organization." Luz Elena Banos Rivas, Mexico's OAS ambassador and a frequent critic of Almagro, said he should have resigned after admitting to the relationship.

☆ Human rights body urges El Salvador to restore civil rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, April 6 (Reuters) - A regional human rights body implored El Salvador's government on Thursday to reverse a year-long suspension of constitutional rights that form part of a sweeping anti-gang crackdown enacted last year and credited with sharply reducing violent crime. In a statement, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), part of the Washington-based Organization of American States, called on President Nayib Bukele and his allies in Congress to restore rights put on hold by the so-called state of exception. The emergency powers allow police to swiftly arrest and jail suspected gang members while suspending their right to a lawyer and court approval of preliminary detention. "IACHR calls on the government of El Salvador to restore the full validity of the rights and guarantees suspended during the last 12 months within the framework of the emergency regime," the body said in a statement. The state of exception followed the murders, blamed on gangs, of nearly 90 people over a single weekend in March 2022.

☆ Canada's Trudeau to deploy Navy vessels to Haiti for surveillance, presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NASSAU/PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels in the coming weeks to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and maintain a maritime presence off the coast of Haiti. Canada, which this month deployed surveillance aircraft to Haiti, has also sent armored vehicles and security gear to support anti-gang efforts and said it would make an additional delivery of vehicles in the coming days. Trudeau also announced fresh sanctions on another two Haitian individuals determined to be supporting gangs, without disclosing their names, bringing Canada's total sanctioned people to 17. U.N. envoy to Haiti Helen La Lime has said she is "still hopeful" the force could be created, stressing the need for urgency. On Tuesday, more than 40 civil society representatives signed an open letter rejecting any draft resolution backing Prime Minister Ariel Henry's administration and demanding reparations to the families of those killed in a U.N.-linked cholera outbreak a decade ago.

☆ OAS members recommit to helping Haiti through gang violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela PonceFeb 10 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) on Friday passed a resolution to support Haiti on its path to long-delayed elections and help the Caribbean country manage widespread gang violence that is driving a humanitarian crisis. Talks on such a force have lagged as no country has offered to lead it, though some Caribbean states said they would participate and Canada sent a surveillance military aircraft. Henry has pledged to leave office by Feb. 7, 2024, after repeatedly postponing elections due to a devastating 2021 earthquake as well as the gang violence. The head of the Washington-based OAS, Luis Almagro, has agreed and said locals would have to drive a precise roadmap.

☆ Organization of American States backs Peru's president as protests mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro heads a session at the OAS 52nd General Assembly, in Lima, Peru October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File PhotoJan 25 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States' permanent council expressed its "full support" for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday, following weeks of anti-government protests that have left dozens dead. Attending virtually, Boluarte told the council meeting in Washington that she had asked Peru's Congress to approve early elections "as soon as possible". The Congress is set to hold a second and final vote to ratify early elections, moving them from 2026 to April 2024. However, there is mounting pressure to move the elections forward even earlier, as the death toll from weeks of social unrest ticks up.

☆ Chile, Colombia call for extraordinary OAS meeting after Brazil riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Chilean President Gabriel Boric called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Monday to address riots in Brazil where supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed top government buildings. Boric, speaking alongside Colombia President Gustavo Petro outside La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, called Sunday's riots "unacceptable" and also condemned "complicit silence." Petro, a former rebel and Colombia's first leftist president, compared the attack to the 1973 Chilean coup against Salvador Allende. "We just saw it in Brazil, but it's not just in Brazil," Petro said. Reporting by Alexander Villegas in Santiago and Julia Symmes Cobb Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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."

☆ Peru's Castillo says opponents trying to 'blow up' democracy with impeachment trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIMA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Pedro Castillo came out fighting on Tuesday ahead of an impeachment trial in Congress, accusing his opponents of trying to "blow up" democracy in the copper-rich South American nation. Peru's congress summoned Castillo last week to respond to accusations of "moral incapacity" to govern, which will precede a congressional vote on whether to oust him. "They intend to blow up democracy and disregard our people's right to choose," Castillo said in a ceremony celebrating the creation of the national police. Congress is also accusing Castillo of incompetence to govern after appointing five cabinets and at least 80 ministers since taking office. The motion to start impeachment required less votes and passed last week with week 73 votes, most from mostly right-wing parties.

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