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☆ US mulls backing Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. has said it is willing to introduce a resolution at the UN Security Council to authorize such a force. "We will be doing everything that we can to support that process and ensure swift passage of that resolution," Feinstein said. She said the U.S. would seek contributions such as personnel, equipment, training, financing or other support from countries across the world. Recommendations from an Aug. 15 UN report are likely to shape what the force would look like, she said. Haiti's government requested international security assistance last year and the UN has repeatedly voiced its support for a security force.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, Haiti Barbara Feinstein, Feinstein, Haiti's, Sarah Morland, Grant McCool Organizations: Haitian National Police, U.S . Embassy, REUTERS, UN, State Department, State, Caribbean Affairs, UN Security Council, Thomson Locations: Port, Prince, Haiti, Kenya, United States, Haitian, U.S, Ouest

☆ Bus plunges down ravine in Mexico, killing 17 and injuring 22
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A general view of the site of a bus crash in Barranca Blanca, Nayarit, Mexico, August 3, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a social media video. The bus, part of the Elite passenger line, crashed near Barranca Blanca on the highway outside state capital Tepic, the officials said. A source from Nayarit's firefighting service said six Indian citizens had been aboard the bus. Just last month, another bus crash in the southern state of Oaxaca left 29 people dead, and in February, another bus carrying migrants from South and Central America crashed in central Mexico, killing 17. Reporting by Mexico Newsroom; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer, David Gregorio and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jorge Benito Rodriguez, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, David Gregorio, Alison Williams Organizations: Cero, REUTERS, REUTERS MEXICO CITY, Protection, Firefighters, Elite, Central America, Mexico, Thomson Locations: Barranca Blanca, Nayarit, Mexico, Cero Nayarit, REUTERS MEXICO, Tijuana, Tepic, Oaxaca, South, Central

☆ 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

☆ Haiti hospital cares for kids amid gang violence, hunger and scarce aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

After being turned away from Haiti's only general hospital, her daughter Myleisha was finally accepted at Fontaine Hospital, a UNICEF-sponsored facility in the capital Port au Prince - in an area the rest of her family considers too unsafe to visit. The Fontaine Hospital is located in the Cite Soleil neighborhood, where the G9 and G-Pep gangs have been fighting a vicious turf war. "We are in one of the poorest areas of the country, and also one of the most dangerous," said hospital founder Jose Ulysse. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says nearly half of Haiti's population - some 4.9 million people - are going hungry. Without more UNICEF funding, hospital director Kareen Ulysse said she doubts the Fontaine can keep running for another year.

Persons: Pierre, Marie Michelle Joseph's, Moliere, Fontaine, Octavio, Myleisha, Joseph, Jose Ulysse, Celestin Fraceline, Kareen Ulysse, Haiti's, Octavio Jones, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Cite Soleil, REUTERS, Fontaine Hospital, UNICEF, au, United Nations, UN, Food Programme, Thomson Locations: Cite, Port, Prince, Haiti, Haiti's, au Prince, Kenya

☆ Mexico announces plan with US to boost firearm tracing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - Mexico and the United States have agreed to step up oversight of arms trafficking with a system to electronically track firearms seized from criminal organizations, Mexican Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said on Wednesday. "The United States and Mexico have agreed to the electronic monitoring of all the firearms seized in our country from criminal organizations," Rodriguez told a press conference. Barcena said the plan aimed to keep track of where guns are found in Mexico to help inform seizure strategies. One of Mexico's main proposals to the U.S. was that it revoke licenses of gun stores that sell firearms to cartels, she said. According to U.S. gun-tracing bureau ATF, some 70% of traced firearms used to commit crimes and seized in Mexico come from the U.S.

Persons: Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Alicia Barcena, Barcena, Raul Cortes, Adriana Barrera, Sarah Morland, Alistair Bell Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Mexican, U.S, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States, Caribbean, U.S

☆ 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

☆ Cuban high jump king Sotomayor holds onto crown after 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Cuba's high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor reacts during an interview beside a sculpture of himself leaping over the bar at his Restaurant & Bar in Havana, Cuba, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, July 25 (Reuters) - Records are made to broken, world high jump king and international idol Javier Sotomayor said, smiling behind dark glasses as the fierce Caribbean sun beat down on Havana's Pan-American Stadium. At 55 years old, however, the lanky, unassuming Cuban athlete is now celebrating the third decade that his record-breaking 2.45-metres leap over the outdoor high jump bar in Salamanca, Spain, in 1993, remains unmatched. Including his prior 2.43m indoor world record in Budapest five years earlier, Sotomayor counts 35 years as world record holder, though the weather-sensitive outdoor title carries more weight internationally. Sotomayor first hurled himself to the world's top high jump spot in 1988, before beating this with a 2.44m spring in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the following year.

Persons: Javier Sotomayor, Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Sotomayor, Sweden's Patrik Sjoberg, Igor Paklin, Charles Austin, Ukraine's Bogdan Bondarenko, Jaxier, Jose Godoy, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Ken Ferris Organizations: Bar, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Cuban, Salamanca, Spain, Budapest, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Brussels, New York

☆ US adds Central American ex-presidents, judges, lawmakers to corruption list
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Raul Cortes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two former Salvadoran presidents - Mauricio Funes, who served from 2009 to 2014, and his successor Salvador Sanchez, whom Washington links to corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds - were added to the list. Guatemala's government meanwhile rejected the accusations on Wednesday, labeling the report "used by the United States to impose its jurisdiction on people abroad, as despicable." It includes ex-officials from the government of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States over drug trafficking links. Politicians from Honduras' opposition Liberal Party also appear, including Liberal leader Yani Rosenthal, previously convicted of money laundering in the United States. The Nicaraguan section includes all of the country's parliamentary leaders, barring its president, who Washington has already sanctioned, and several judges and directors of Nicaragua's money laundering watchdog.

Persons: Mauricio Funes, Salvador Sanchez, Funes, Sanchez, Daniel Ortega, Brian Nichols, Fredy Orellana, Bernardo Arevalo, Engel, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Yani Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Washington, Raul Cortes, Sofia Menchu, Gustavo Palencia, Nelson Renteria, Sarah Morland, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . State Department, Salvadoran, Western Hemisphere, Liberal Party, Liberal, Thomson Locations: El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Sofia, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Nelson, San Salvador

☆ Peru protesters take to streets in new round of anti-government marches
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LIMA, July 19 (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in Peru on Wednesday, part of a new round of marches organized by groups opposed to President Dina Boluarte's eight-month-old administration, as police deployed to guard government offices. Many Peruvians accuse Boluarte and her allies of illegitimately removing and jailing her leftist predecessor Pedro Castillo, which led to angry and sometimes violent protests through last March that claimed 67 lives. Some 24,000 police officers were deployed throughout the country, according to officials, as authorities braced for a so-called "third takeover of Lima." Ground transport officials said protesters blocked six highways by early afternoon on Wednesday, mostly in southern Arequipa and Cusco regions. Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, could also face disruptions along its key mining corridor, where according to environmental groups, communities will support the protests.

Persons: Dina Boluarte's, Boluarte, Pedro Castillo, Roger Perez, Jorge Pizarro, Marco Aquino, Sarah Morland, Alexander Villegas, Will Dunham, Josie Kao Organizations: Local, Police, Congress, Thomson Locations: LIMA, Peru, Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Huancavelica, Puno

☆ Peru's Boluarte calls protests 'threat to democracy,' key mining zones to back them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Demonstrators participate in a march called by Peru's General Workers Union against President Dina Boluarte's administration, in Lima, Peru, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Alessandro Cinque/File PhotoLIMA, July 18 (Reuters) - Peru's President Dina Boluarte said on Tuesday that anti-government protests expected to begin this week are "a threat to democracy and the rule of law," seven months after the ousting of her predecessor launched months of deadly protests. Key mining areas in Peru are planning to support a new round of anti-government protests, said Jose de Echave, the head of environmental NGO CooperAccion, who added that groups of miners from the Andean country's key copper mining corridor are set to arrive in Lima. Peru's is the world's second-largest copper producer and its mining corridor in Condoroma, Cusco, is used by MMG's . Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Alexander Villegas, William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dina Boluarte's, Alessandro Cinque, LIMA, Dina Boluarte, Boluarte, Pedro Castillo, Jose de Echave, Peru's, Marco Aquino, Sarah Morland, Alexander Villegas, William Maclean Organizations: Peru's General Workers Union, REUTERS, HK, Thomson Locations: Lima , Peru, Peru, Lima, Condoroma, Cusco

☆ Poll shows most Peruvians believe economy worse under Boluarte
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIMA, July 17 (Reuters) - Most Peruvians believe their economic situation has worsened under their seven-month-old government, a survey showed on Monday, as protesters prepare to return to the streets. Some 54% of those polled said their current economic situation worsened in the last six months and 41% said it remained the same, in a survey conducted last week by local pollster CPI. 2 copper producer shrunk 1.43% year-on-year in May, a worse contraction than that expected by analysts and reversing a two-month growth spurt. Human rights groups have alleged security forces abused their powers against protesters and committed multiple extrajudicial killings during the unrest that left over 50 dead. The government has extended a state of emergency across key roadways, a measure that restricts civil liberties and allows security forces to maintain control of conflict zones.

Persons: Dina Boluarte's, Pedro Castillo, Boluarte, Castillo, Marco Aquino, Sarah Morland, Sandra Maler Organizations: CPI, Boluarte, Thomson Locations: LIMA, Lima, Peru's

☆ Argentines tighten wallets to fight spiraling inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUENOS AIRES, July 13 (Reuters) - Argentines are tightening their wallets to make end meets as the South American country battles inflation which could surpass 140% on an annual basis this year, hunting for the cheapest prices on basic goods to shield their income. Inflation in the 12 months through June hit 115.6%, official data showed on Thursday. While Argentines are on track this year to keep up their high steak consumption, higher prices are taking a bite out of their selections. Analysts forecast that annual inflation could close this year at 142.4% compared to 94.8% last year, according to a central bank poll, steadily cutting away at consumers' purchasing power in Latin America's third-largest economy. The country is seeking adjustments as rising inflation, a weakening peso and a historic drought hamper exports and financial reserves.

Persons: INDEC, Gabriel Segovia, Sergio Massa, Annabella Paez, Horacio Soria, Sarah Morland, Susan Heavey, Diane Craft Organizations: Economy, Analysts, International Monetary Fund, Reuters, IMF, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, American, Buenos Aires, Argentine, Candelaria

☆ Guatemala top court reverses ban on anti-graft presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Constitutional Court said it had granted a provisional injunction filed by the Semilla party against a judge's order to suspend the party and seemingly kick Arevalo out of the race. Asked about the potential for U.S. sanctions on those behind the Semilla suspension, a U.S. State Department spokesperson cited sanctions already imposed on Curruchiche and Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras but declined to say more. Arevalo told reporters earlier on Thursday he believed the lower court's move against Semilla violated a Guatemalan law preventing political party suspensions during an election. Arevalo's presidential rival Torres urged the popular vote be respected and said she was suspending her campaign in solidarity with Semilla voters. Aldana by then had a reputation as an anti-graft crusader and helped oust, prosecute and imprison conservative former President Otto Perez.

Persons: Cinthia Monterroso, Guatemala Attorney General's, Bernardo Arevalo's, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, General Maria Consuelo Porras, Juan Jose Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Giammattei, Torres, Thelma Aldana, Otto Perez, Sofia Menchu, Dave Graham, Valentine Hilaire, Matt Spetalnick, Kylie Madry, Cassandra Garrison, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Josie Kao, Lincoln Organizations: Guatemala Attorney, GUATEMALA CITY, Constitutional, European Union, U.S, U.S . State, Semilla, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, GUATEMALA, June's, The U.S, U.S, Canada, Britain, Chile, Norway, Mexico, U.S ., Curruchiche, Mexico City, Washington

☆ Cuba condemns EU Parliament resolution calling for sanctions against president
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 12 (Reuters) - Cuba's National Assembly said on Wednesday it "strongly condemns" a resolution by the European Parliament, which criticized the country's human rights record and called for EU sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other top officials. "The European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba," Cuba's parliament said in a statement. The European Parliament resolution proposes "autocratic regimes should not participate in such summits" and strongly condemns Cuba's human rights record, saying this could jeopardize a 2016 cooperation deal between Cuba and the EU, its top trade partner. The European Parliament resolution said it "deeply deplores" this comment. In May, Borrell said the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, will visit the island in November to evaluate the consequences of the 2021 protests.

Persons: Miguel Diaz, Fidel Castro's, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Eamon Gilmore, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: National, Cuban, EU, of, Caribbean, Communist, Cuba's National Assembly, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, America, Caribbean, Brussels, Caribbean States, United States

☆ US slaps sanctions on Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl network
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 10 Mexican nationals and one company in the country for their alleged involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel's vast illicit fentanyl trafficking network. The sons, known as "Los Chapitos," are accused of leading a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel after their father's 2016 capture and extradition to the U.S. a year later. The U.S. Treasury also sanctioned an import-export company, REI Compania Internacional, and its majority shareholder for allegedly receiving chemical shipments from China. Lopez Obrador added that his Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez would meet this month with U.S. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking increased cooperation from Mexico and China in stemming the flow of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals.

Persons: Noel Lopez Perez, Joaquin, El, Ricardo Paez Lopez, El Chapo's, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Elizabeth Sherwood, Randall, Joe Biden's, Kylie Madry, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Mark Heinrich, Josie Kao Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury, Foreign Assets, U.S . Treasury, REI Compania Internacional, U.S . Homeland Security, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Sinaloa, U.S, United States, Mexico, China, Mexican

☆ Cuba calls US nuclear submarine in Guantanamo Bay 'provocative escalation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities on Tuesday said the U.S. recently had a nuclear-powered submarine at its military base at Guantanamo Bay and called the action a "provocative escalation" of tensions weeks after Washington alleged that there was a Chinese spy base on the island. Washington did not confirm that there was a submarine at the naval base. It said Cuba was looking to distract from the two-year anniversary of largest street protests seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Critics have said the Guantanamo Bay prison has been used for arbitrary detention and torture of people suspected of terrorism. In June, Havana and Beijing rejected reports citing U.S. officials alleging that China was using Cuba as a spy base.

Persons: Washington, Fidel Castro's, William LeoGrande, Critics, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Washington, U.S . State Department, State Department, House, U.S . Department of Defense, Washington's American University, Reuters, United, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Guantanamo, Chinese, Cuba, Cuban, China, Washington, Havana, Beijing, United States, Caribbean

☆ Cuba seeks stronger EU-CELAC relations, condemns EU's 'manipulative behavior'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

However, Rodriguez added the EU's "lack of transparency and manipulative behavior in preparing for the summit puts its success in serious risk." The diplomat said the EU had tried to impose restrictive, divisive ways of holding talks that made "direct, transparent talks impossible." "Those who try to impose a biased and Europeanist vision of the bi-regional relationship will have no chance of success in Brussels," Rodriguez said. Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, visited Havana last May where he criticized Washington's over six-decade-old trade embargo against Cuba. "Cuba will go to the Brussels summit with a constructive spirit," Rodriguez added, saying the country would contribute as much as possible to strengthen EU-CELAC relations "on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

Persons: Bruno Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Josep Borrell, Washington's, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Union, EU, of, Caribbean, Cuban Foreign, Havana, Cuba, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, American, Caribbean, Caribbean States, Brussels, Haiti, Russian, Havana, EU

☆ Cuba says US responsible for 2021 protests, biggest in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] People clash with plain clothes police during protests against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. "The United States has a direct responsibility for the disturbances of July 11 and 12, 2021," the Communist Party-run Granma newspaper said in a front-page editorial ahead of the anniversary of the protests. The U.S. State Department said it was not behind the 2021 protests and reiterated calls for the immediate release of some 700 Cuban political prisoners. "More than anything, this editorial reflects the state of relations between the United States and Cuba," said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a foreign relations expert at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Two years after the protests, some Cuban emigres have called for events to commemorate the date.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Fidel Castro's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Arturo Lopez, Levy, Lopez, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Communist Party, White, Cuba, U.S . State Department, Cuban, European Union, Autonomous University of Madrid, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, HAVANA, United States, Washington, U.S, Cuban

☆ Kidnapped Mexican security staff freed after three-day search
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Sixteen Mexican state security ministry employees were freed on Friday after being kidnapped earlier this week in the southern state of Chiapas, authorities said, following a three-day search. The employees, all men, were kidnapped Tuesday by an armed group on a highway near the state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez after leaving work, authorities said. More than 1,000 federal and state agents joined the search, and two people were detained earlier this week. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Chiapas' security ministry told Reuters that the employees were not police officers but administration workers, adding, "Nothing like this has ever happened." Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Sarah Morland and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tuxtla Gutierrez, Lizbeth Diaz, Isabel Woodford, Sarah Morland, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Chiapas, Tuxtla

☆ Electrical accident at Chile's El Teniente copper mine leaves one dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SANTIAGO, June 29 (Reuters) - An electrical accident at Codelco's El Teniente mine in central Chile, the company's largest copper mine, left one dead, the state-owned mining giant said in a statement on Thursday. Codelco said the accident happened at the mine's Andes Norte expansion project at about 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) when Osvaldo Bustamante Frias, a 29-year-old electrical technician, suffered an electric discharge during the installation of a generator. The company said work in the area was immediately halted and started an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. State-owned Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, said the technician was employed by German construction firm Zublin, which had been contracted to work on the Andes Norte project. Parts of El Teniente's mining operations had been halted recently due to recent torrential rainfall, but underground operations and work on the Andes Norte project continued.

Persons: SANTIAGO, Codelco, Osvaldo Bustamante Frias, Fabian Cambero, Carolina Pulice, Sarah Morland, Isabel Woodford, Sonali Paul Organizations: Thomson Locations: Teniente, Chile

☆ Argentina announces over $1 bln in credit from World Bank, IDB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, June 28 (Reuters) - The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will provide Argentina with funds totaling over $1 billion, the South American nation's economy ministry said on Wednesday, adding these should go toward development and energy projects. Argentina's economy ministry said the World Bank was giving $900 million in financing for development projects in clean energy, health care and climate resilient infrastructure. The country, along with Uruguay, was also awarded with a $400 million credit program from IDB to improve the supplies at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Complex and extend the facility's "useful" lifespan, the ministry added in another statement. The funds come as Argentina faces a major challenge to bring down a 100%-plus inflation rate, replenish scarce foreign currency reserves and alleviate social issues including four-in-ten people living in poverty. Reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Carolina Pulice; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nicolas Misculin, Anthony Esposito, Sarah Morland Organizations: World Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, IDB, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Uruguay, Salto, Carolina

☆ Argentina announces over $1 billion in credit from World Bank, IDB
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, June 28 (Reuters) - The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will provide Argentina with funds totaling over $1 billion, the South American nation's economy ministry said on Wednesday, adding these should go toward development and energy projects. The move comes as cash-strapped Argentina battles to rework its debts and comply with financing programs with other international financial bodies, such as a $44 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Argentina's economy ministry said the World Bank was giving $900 million in financing for development projects in clean energy, health care and climate resilient infrastructure. The country, along with Uruguay, was also awarded with a $400 million credit program from IDB to improve the supplies at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Complex and extend the facility's "useful" lifespan, the ministry added in another statement. Reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Carolina Pulice; Editing by Anthony Esposito and Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Central American nation urgently needs to exit the watch lists so it can reclaim its place as a financial hub, Deputy Financial Minister Jorge Almengor said in an interview late on Wednesday. In 2019 FATF again placed Panama on its list, saying the country was making too little progress on financial transparency. In 2020, the European Union added Panama to its own list of countries deemed "noncooperative" for tax purposes. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has also included Panama on its own watch list. He said the visit should result in Panama's removal from the watch list at an October plenary meeting of FATF.

Persons: Jorge Almengor, Panama's, FATF, Josep Borrell, Laurentino Cortizo, Almengor, Valentine Hilaire, Sarah Morland, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Central American, Union, Organization, Economic Co, Development, Panamanian, EU, Thomson Locations: Panama, Mexico

☆ Panama pledges to purge more substandard ships from world's largest registry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PANAMA CITY, June 27 (Reuters) - The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) said on Tuesday it would continue to clean up its fleet to prevent substandard Panama-flagged ships from being detained in foreign ports, a week after the country was added to an international watch list. Panama's ships registry was last week added to the "grey list" of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an agreement among 27 countries establishing an international inspection regime for foreign ships in other nations' ports, aiming to control ships' safety and environmental standards. The grey list includes fleets with acceptable compliance levels but low detention rates. Panama has removed 216 vessels from its ships registry, the world's largest, since 2021, for not meeting international standards. Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Panama Maritime Authority, AMP, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Panama, Paris

☆ UN expert condemns 'mass deportations' of Haitians fleeing conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People carry their belongings while fleeing their homes and neighbourhood due to clashes between gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti April 24, 2023. In a statement following a visit to the Caribbean nation, William O'Neill said some methods used to repatriate about 176,777 migrants last year do not comply with human rights standards and violate bilateral migration pacts. Inside Haiti, he added, "relentless violence and systematic human rights violations" do not allow for the safe and dignified return of migrants. Incidents of sexual violence in the capital Port-au-Prince doubled in May, he said, citing credible information received. A U.N. report last year found gangs were weaponizing sexual violence to control communities through fear.

Persons: Ralph Tedy Erol, William O'Neill, O'Neill, Prince, Ariel Henry, Jimmy Cherizier, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Haitian, Thomson Locations: Port, Prince, Haiti, Caribbean, Dominican Republic

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