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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. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 7 (Reuters) - A retired Colombian army officer pleaded guilty in a U.S. court on Thursday to conspiring and supporting a plot to kill Haitian President Jovenel Moise, shot dead in his bedroom two years ago, a brazen assassination that created a destabilizing power vacuum. The document also says Rivera provided material support, training and personnel to support Moise's kidnapping or murder. Rivera is one of 11 defendants in the case, which includes businessmen accused of helping obtain vehicles and firearms from Florida. Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by David Alire Garcia and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ricardo Arduengo, German Rivera, Mike, Moise, Rivera, Ariel Henry, Rodolphe Jaar, Martine Moise, don't, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Cap, Haitien, Haiti, Colombian, U.S, German, Moise's, Caribbean, Florida, Haitian, Chilean, Miami

☆ Panama Canal water levels at historic lows, restrictions to remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bahamian LOS ANGELES SPIRIT crude oil tanker is pictured during its transit in the expanded canal through Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama March 10, 2023. The authority that manages the canal added in a statement that this week's ship traffic represents a "normal" level for this season. It noted that a month before the end of its 2023 fiscal year, the canal's total vessel crossings already total nearly 800 more that what the canal authority's budget had forecast. Each vessel passing through the 50-mile (80-km) trans-oceanic waterway uses some 51 million gallons (193 million litres) of water from the lake. They argue that a potential early start to Panama's dry season and hotter-than-average temperatures could increase evaporation and result in near-record low water levels by April.

Persons: Aris Martinez, Eli Moreno, Brendan O'Boyle, Marianna Parraga, David Alire Garcia, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Aris, PANAMA CITY, Pacific, Thomson Locations: Cocoli, Panama, Panama City, PANAMA

☆ Latest Messi tribute in Argentina recycles the joy from icon's big win
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Juan Bustamante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GRAND BOURG, Argentina, Sept 5 (Reuters) - High school students in Argentina pieced together a massive mural of soccer superstar Lionel Messi out of thousands of recycled plastic bottle caps, with a video of the work of art shared widely online. But love for Messi seems to loom even larger. The new mural fills the floor of an open-air high school courtyard in the Grand Bourg neighbourhood, just outside the capital Buenos Aires. Sebastian Ramirez, a teacher at the school, posted a video clip on social media that went viral summing up a widely-held assessment of Messi's legacy. Video of the mural's making showed dozens of children hunched over a colour-coded design and boxes of bottle caps scattered around.

Persons: Lionel Messi, Messi, Sebastian Ramirez, Javier Milei, Pope Francis, Juan Bustamente, David Alire Garcia, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Thomson Locations: BOURG, Argentina, Argentine, Grand Bourg, Buenos Aires, Qatar, American

[1/2] Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla party addresses supporters during his closing campaign rally, ahead of Sunday's presidential run-off, at the Plaza Central in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, who won Sunday's presidential run-off by double-digits, is looking to retrace his father's footsteps more than 70 years after Arevalo senior broke a long period of dictatorship to become the country's first democratically elected president. "I'm not my father, but I'm traveling down the same road he built," Arevalo said last week during his campaign's closing rally. The family lived in Venezuela, Mexico and Chile before returning to Guatemala when Arevalo was a teenager. Arevalo took part in the pivotal 2015 protests, and a couple of years later helped create what would become the upstart Seed movement - Semilla in Spanish.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Juan Jose Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Alvaro Montenegro, Otto Perez Molina, June's, January's, Sofia Menchu, Diego Ore, David Alire, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Plaza Central, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Central, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Central America's, Uruguay, U.S, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Israel, Spain

☆ Argentina sets grocery price controls for 90 days to tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A costumer counts money before buying tangerines in a green grocery store, as Argentines struggle amid rising inflation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina May 11, 2023. The move follows other price-freezing initiatives from the government to contain surging annual inflation, which topped 113% in July. Consumer prices are expected to rise further in August after Milei's shock primary win led to a sharp peso devaluation. On Thursday, the ministry announced it would freeze fuel prices until October 31 after an agreement with the industry. Reporting by Maximilian Heath; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Sergio Massa, Massa, Javier Milei, Patricia Bullrich, Maximilian Heath, Carolina Pulice, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Economy, Peronist, Monetary, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, BUENOS AIRES

☆ Magnitude 6.3 quake shakes Colombian capital, one dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck the Colombian capital Bogota on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting frightened residents to flee into the street and leading a woman to fall to her death. There were no immediate reports of major damage from the quake, which Colombia's national geological service reported as a magnitude 6.1. "It was strong, and lasted a long time, said Adrian Alarcon, 43, who works near the capital's busy Park 93 district. [1/5]A Medical personnel of the Primavera clinic helps to evacuate patients after a strong earthquake in Villavicencio, Colombia, August 17, 2023. Colombia's national geological service estimated the second quake at a 5.6 magnitude, with the following aftershock measured at 4.8.

Persons: Adrian Alarcon, Claudia Lopez, Santiago Molina, Lopez, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Geological Survey, Primavera, REUTERS, Windows, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Colombian, Bogota, Villavicencio, Colombia, Madelena, Calvario

☆ Magnitude 6.3 quake shakes Colombian capital, buildings evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People stand on a street after a strong earthquake shook Colombian capital Bogota, prompting evacuations of offices and restaurants, in Bogota, Colombia, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake struck the Colombian capital Bogota on Thursday, reaching a 6.3 magnitude according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting frightened residents to flee homes, offices and restaurants. The initial quake was followed by aftershocks minutes later as people crowded the city's streets. Colombia's national geological service estimated the second quake at a 5.6 magnitude, with the following aftershock measured at 4.8. Colombia's civil defense agency noted residents had been evacuated in the entire municipality of Calvario, in Meta, southeast of the high-altitude capital.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Adrian Alarcon, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Alistair Bell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Geological Survey, Windows, Thomson Locations: Colombian, Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Calvario, Meta, Villavicencio

[1/4] Chile's president Gabriel Boric looks on as newly appointed Mining Minister Aurora Williams signs a document during a cabinet reshuffle at the government house, in Santiago, Chile, August 16, 2023. Boric has suffered major legislative defeats in Congress, though his lithium reform largely does not require legislative approval. UPHILL BATTLEBoric has said he will send new bills to reform Chile's tax system, but would not insist on an original reform rejected last March. In his third cabinet reshuffle, Boric also named new ministers of culture, education, national assets and social development. Jackson will be replaced by Chile's National Assets Minister Javiera Toro.

Persons: Gabriel Boric, Aurora Williams, Rights SANTIAGO, Williams, Marcela Hernando, Michelle Bachelet, Boric, Codelco, Giorgio Jackson, Jackson, Minister Javiera Toro, Nicolas Cataldo, Marco Antonio Avila, Fabian Cambero, Natalia Ramos, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Nick Macfie, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Mining, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Chile's National, Minister, Thomson Locations: Santiago , Chile, Handout

☆ One eve of vote, Argentina's Massa announces $500 mln in new loans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa departs after attending a meeting with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the IMF headquarters in Washington, U.S., September 12, 2022. In a ministry statement laying out economic policies to be formally rolled out next week, Massa also pledged to propose a "zero deficit" government budget for next year that would not overspend. The $500 million in loans will be signed with the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, according to the statement, which will boost the central bank's critically-low foreign reserves. Argentine traders are keeping a close eye on Sunday's election, which could point to the likely outcome of the general election in October. Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sergio Massa, Kristalina Georgieva, Evelyn Hockstein, Massa, Lucila Sigal, David Alire Garcia, Sandra Maler Organizations: Monetary Fund, IMF, REUTERS, Voters, Peronist, Inter, American Development Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina

☆ Father of Colombian children who survived plane crash accused of abuse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Colombian prosecutors announced sexual abuse charges on Saturday against the father of two of the four Indigenous children who survived a May plane crash in the South American country's Amazon region. The children went missing after the small plane they were traveling in went down, killing their mother and two other adults. Ranoque, who was arrested on Friday, stands accused of abusing his step daughter since she was 10 years old, according to the statement. The children, aged 1 through 13, were hospitalized for over a month after they were rescued in June. Since then, have been in the care of Colombia's family welfare institute, where prosecutors claim the alleged abuse was first suspected.

Persons: Manuel Ranoque, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Alire Garcia, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA

☆ FBI team joins probe into Ecuador presidential candidate slaying
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view of the rally site where Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed at a campaign event in Quito, Ecuador August 9, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File PhotoQUITO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were meeting with Ecuadorean police and prosecutors on Sunday as part of a joint effort to uncover who was behind last week's assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Villavicencio was one of eight candidates crisscrossing the Andean country for votes ahead of the Aug. 20 election. While ballots for the election had already been printed prior to Villavicencio's assassination, votes for him will automatically transfer to the party's replacement. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro, Juan Zapata, Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, David Alire Garcia, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Villavicencio, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, QUITO, American, Spanish

☆ In Ecuador, party of slain presidential candidate picks replacement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The political party of Ecuador's assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday, just a week before the election. Villavicencio's Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the Aug. 20 vote. She had been selected by Villavicencio to be his running made in the snap election called by outgoing President Guillermo Lasso. Villavicencio had been polling around the middle of the pack in a field of eight candidates prior to his assassination. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrea Gonzalez, Fernando Villavicencio, Karen Toro QUITO, Ecuador's, Gonzalez, Villavicencio, Guillermo Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, David Alire Garcia, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Villavicencio's, The, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Spanish

☆ Nicaragua freezes bank accounts of top university led by Jesuits - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan authorities froze the bank accounts of the country's top private university, a source from the institution told Reuters, marking the latest move against a Catholic-led institution in an ongoing crackdown by the government. The Jesuit-run Central American University (UCA) is the alma mater of many youth leaders who protested the government of President Daniel Ortega in 2018, which were initially triggered by old-age pension cuts. Earlier on Wednesday, digital news outlet Divergentes reported that UCA officials sent an email to staff and students advising that they were not receiving any payments due to reasons beyond their control. In May, authorities also froze bank accounts belonging to Catholic parishes across the country as prosecutors launched what they called a money laundering investigation. The university had already been singled out for budget cuts and its leaders targeted, including UCA rector and Jesuit priest Jose Idiaquez who last year was barred from returning to Nicaragua after traveling to Mexico.

Persons: Daniel Ortega, Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Ortega, Jose Idiaquez, Ismael Lopez, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Michael Perry Organizations: Nicaraguan, Reuters, Catholic, Central American University, UCA, Sandinista, Thomson Locations: Nicaragua, Mexico

☆ Early adopters in Mexico lend their eyes to global biometric project
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Anna Portella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret HilseMEXICO CITY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Eager early adopters recently descended upon a Mexico City cafe where their eyes were scanned by a futuristic sphere, part of an ambitious project that ultimately seeks to create a unique digital identification for everyone on the planet. The so-called Worldcoin project is a biometric verification tool led by Sam Altman, the chief executive of Open AI, and the crypto company he co-founded, Tools for Humanity. After the orb scanner captures each user's iris, it converts the image into a unique numerical code called an iris code, which Sadle stressed can only be used to prove the user's identity. "The image on default is deleted and the only piece that is kept is the iris code." "They don't clearly mention the time frame in which the biometric data they collect will be processed and retained," she said, adding that the ownership of the iris code is also unclear.

Persons: Sam Altman, Jose Incera, Sam Sadle, Sadle, Agneris, Anna Portella, David Alire Garcia, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Humanity, Thomson Locations: cryptocurrency, Berlin, Germany, Annegret, MEXICO, Mexico City, Mexico, Worldcoin's

☆ Profits for Brazil's Itau Unibanco up 14%, beat expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Peter Frontini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man is reflected in an Itau branch window in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 29, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes/File PhotoSAO PAULO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Brazilian lender Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) reported a 14% increase in second-quarter net profit from a year earlier, beating expectations, while also keeping default rates stable, the bank said in a securities filing on Monday. Latin America's biggest private sector lender posted recurring net profit of 8.74 billion reais ($151 million) during the April-to-June period, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected 8.63 billion reais. Delinquency, measured by a 90-day default ratio, came in at 3.0%, essentially flat compared to the first quarter. Credit costs during the quarter grew 25% from a year earlier to reach 9.44 billion reais, as the lender set aside more money for customers defaulting on loans.

Persons: Sergio Moraes, Itau, Alexsandro Broedel, Peter Frontini, Carolina Pulice, David Alire Garcia, David Gregorio, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Citi, Santander, Bradesco, Thomson Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A general view shows parts of the structure of flight terminal at an abandoned construction site of a Mexico City airport that was scrapped at Texcoco on the outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico September 3, 2020. "The finance ministry asked for everything to stay the same, so that's what's going to happen," Deputy Transportation Minister Rogelio Jimenez Pons told reporters. Jimenez had previously said that the finance ministry was considering an earlier payback schedule, as the funds used to pay off the bonds for the canceled airport currently come from a usage tax generated by the existing Mexico City International Airport (AICM). Once the Navy runs the AICM, which Jimenez said he expects to happen later this year, it may decide to renegotiate a buyback with the finance ministry, he added. Lopez Obrador opened the farther-away Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) last year as an alternative to the Texcoco airport on an active military base.

Persons: Henry Romero, Andres Manuel Lopez, Rogelio Jimenez Pons, Jimenez, Lopez Obrador, Felipe, Kylie Madry, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Mexico City International, Navy, Felipe Angeles International Airport, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Texcoco, Mexico, MEXICO

☆ Panama blasts Colombia for inaction on Darien Gap migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PANAMA CITY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The head of Panama's migration agency lashed out at Colombia on Friday, slamming its southern neighbor for failure to help control the flow of mostly U.S.-bound migrants passing through the dangerous Darien Gap amid a surge of people traveling north. "For Panama, this is a crisis, but unfortunately with Colombia we have not been able to reach any kind of understanding," Gozaine said in a statement released on Friday. The dense tropical jungle of the 60-mile (97-km) Darien Gap links Panama and Colombia, covering a missing section on the Pan-American highway, which stretches from Alaska to Argentina. Late last month, Panama's security ministry released data showing that the number of individual crossings of the Darien Gap reached an all-time high of nearly 250,000 in the first seven months of the year. "The only thing that Panama can do is manage the flow and permit (migrants) to keep traveling north and try to minimize the damage to Panama," she said.

Persons: Samira Gozaine, Gozaine, Elida Moreno, David Alire Garcia, Tom Hogue Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Panamanian, Pan, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Colombia, Panama, Darien, Alaska, Argentina, United States

☆ Lake Titicaca drying up as heat wave turns winter upside down
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Monica Machicao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/9] Isabel Apaza and Gabriel Flores sail in their boat through a narrow water path near the shore of Lake Titicaca in Huarina, Bolivia, August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia MoralesHUARINA, Bolivia, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The parched shoreline and shrinking depths of Lake Titicaca are prompting growing alarm that an ago-old way of life around South America's largest lake is slipping away as a brutal heat wave wreaks havoc on the southern hemisphere's winter. Like many places suffering deadly consequences of climate change, the sprawling freshwater lake nestled in the Andes mountains on Bolivia's border with Peru now features a water level approaching an all-time low. Globally, July was the hottest month on record, as prolonged dry spells take an especially heavy toll on humans and animals alike. "I don't know what we're going to do any more since we don't have food for our cows or lambs."

Persons: Isabel Apaza, Gabriel Flores, Claudia Morales HUARINA, Lucia Walper, Monica Machicao, Santiago Limachi, Sergio Limachi, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Farmers, Bolivia's Oruro Technical University, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Lake Titicaca, Huarina, Bolivia, Titicaca, South America's, Peru, Gabriel Flores ., South America, Uruguay, Montevideo, shriveled

☆ Panama Canal seen losing $200 mln next year as ship crossings dip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER bulk carrier transits the expanded canal through Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama April 19, 2023. Specifically, between 30 and 32 ships are expected to cross daily during the new fiscal year which starts in October, said canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez at an event. That compares to the 36 to 38 ships that transit the waterway when it operates at full capacity. The $200 million cut would reduce the canal's revenues for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to $4.9 billion. Panama typically sees heavy rains in July, and the canal authority has called the lack of precipitation "historically unprecedented."

Persons: Aris Martinez, Ricaurte Vasquez, Elida Moreno, David Alire Garcia Organizations: Monrovia NSU CHALLENGER, REUTERS, PANAMA CITY, Thomson Locations: Cocoli, Panama, Panama City

☆ Venezuela's bolivar weakens against the U.S. dollar as inflation rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Venezuelan bolivar weakened to 30 units per dollar, the central bank said on Thursday, marking the latest descent for the beleaguered local currency as the economy suffers one of the world's highest inflation rates. Over the past seven months, the bolivar has depreciated by a third compared with the U.S. dollar, according to analysts consulted by Reuters. They have also tried to make foreign currency more readily available to local banks, but the strategies have not tamed the country's galloping inflation rate. Since early this year, the central bank has offered local banks about $1 billion, according to local firm Sintesis Financieras. Meanwhile, U.S.-based oil major Chevron (CVX.N), which operates in the country, has posted foreign currency sales of around $400 million from February to July.

Persons: Venezuelan bolivar, bolivar, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Sintesis, Maduro, Mayela Armas, Carolina Pulice, David Alire Garcia, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuelan, U.S, Chevron

☆ Peru economy shrinks for two straight quarters, minister denies recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 1 (Reuters) - Peru's finance minister said on Tuesday that preliminary data showed the country's economy shrank in June, marking two consecutive quarters of contraction, which is a common definition for a recession. Finance Minister Alex Contreras told reporters he expects economic growth to return in July after preliminary data showed that the economy shrank by about 1% in June. That followed official data showing that the South American country's economy contracted by 0.43% in the first quarter. Despite the data, Contreras asserted that the economy is not in recession while heaping blame on "obsessed" analysts who root against the government for any suggestion to the contrary. "The economy isn't in a recession and it hasn't entered into a recession," said Contreras, adding that economic recessions typically involve "prolonged periods" of downturn, though he did not provide a specific definition.

Persons: Alex Contreras, Contreras, hasn't, jailing, Pedro Castillo, Dina Boluarte, David Alire Garcia, Alexander Villegas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Thomson Locations: Nino

☆ Guatemala's Arevalo slams 'corrupt' raid on his party's offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] 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, July 21 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo called a Friday morning police raid on his party headquarters a "corrupt" show of "political persecution" just a month before the high-stakes run-off election. Video from outside the Semilla party offices posted by local newspaper Diario La Hora showed at least a couple of dozen uniformed police officers standing guard, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building. In a post on Twitter, Arevalo derided the raid as a "flagrant demonstration of the political persecution we have denounced." The presidential hopeful has blamed the police action on a "corrupt minority" but did not go into further detail.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Sandra Torres, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, Sofia Menuchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Police, Diario La, Twitter, U.S, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Arevalo's, Central, Arevalo, Guatemala's, U.S .

☆ In Mexico, tale of iconic king dazzles in Aztec opera
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Alberto Fajardo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We're reclaiming many things," said Samuel Zyman, the composer of the opera titled "Cuitlahuatzin," which uses a more formal version of the king's name. "This is a Mexican story, so why shouldn't it be in the Aztec language?" The opera featured actors in native costumes, face paint and feather headdresses. While it's not clear if the opera's organizers will offer more showings, some in attendance who likely saw their first-ever Nahuatl opera were clearly moved by Cuitlahuac's story. Reporting by Alberto Fajardo; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: King Cuitlahuac, Samuel Zyman, Zyman, King Moctezuma, it's, Nina Alvarez, Alberto Fajardo, David Alire Garcia, Sonali Paul Organizations: Mexicans, Bellas Artes, Read, MEXICO CITY, Aztecs, Arts, Thomson Locations: Bellas, Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Mexican

☆ El Salvador arrests more than 100 Colombians in financial scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nelson Renteria | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, July 17 (Reuters) - Salvadoran police arrested more than a hundred Colombians for their alleged involvement in operating a microfinancing scheme that laundered money from drug running and gang activities, security officials said on Monday. The criminal group reportedly made loans, using funds obtained illegally, to individuals and small businesses with 20% interest, according to the officials. Some $20 million in money linked to drug trafficking gangs is estimated to have been sent to Colombia since 2021 under the scheme, added Delgado. Colombia's foreign ministry said it was in talks with its embassy and consulate in El Salvador over the arrests, but did not offer further comment on the accusations facing the Colombian nationals. Reporting by Nelson Renteria in San Salvador; Additional reporting by Oliver Griffin in Bogota Writing by Kylie Madry Editing by David Alire Garcia and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, Rodolfo Delgado, Delgado, Bukele, Nelson Renteria, Oliver Griffin, Kylie Madry, David Alire Garcia, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SALVADOR, Salvadoran, Twitter, Colombian, Thomson Locations: Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemalan, Argentine, San Salvador, Bogota

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft presidential candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - A court in Guatemala suspended the party of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, throwing into question his place in a second round run-off vote. "In no way will we obey a spurious and illegal decision like the one issued by that court." Shortly after, the electoral court confirmed the first-round results, which put Arevalo into a second round. "It's something that concerns us as a court, because we know that elections are won at the polls," Irma Palencia, head of the electoral court, said when asked about the suspension. This would certainly represent an astounding new low for Guatemala," said Donald J. Planty, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, about the possible suspension.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Attorney General's, Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Sandra Torres, Irma Palencia, Brian A, Nichols, Guatemalans, Juan Jose Arevalo, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Semilla, Critics, Alejandro Giammattei, Donald J, Sofia Menchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Brendan O'Boyle, Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Attorney, CNN, Twitter, U.S, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Central American, Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S

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