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☆ Ecuadorean authorities detain former energy minister in bribery probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, May 15 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean authorities have detained a former energy minister amid an investigation into alleged bribery linked to state oil firm Petroecuador, the attorney general's office said on Monday. An investigation of Xavier Vera, Ecuador's former minister of mines and energy, began last October following several corruption allegations, including that he arranged jobs at Petroecuador in exchange for bribes. "The attorney general's office, with the support from (Ecuadorean police) executed an arrest warrant against Xavier V., within an investigation for alleged bribery," the attorney general's office wrote in a message via Twitter, referring to Vera. He isn't running away from the investigation, he isn't running away from the process," Vera's lawyer, Carlos Sanchez, told local television channel Ecuavisa. Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito Writing by Sarah Morland Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico president asks Biden to stop USAID funding opposition groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexico's president asked his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden to stop the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from funding groups hostile to his government, according to a letter presented to journalists on Wednesday, echoing previous Mexican criticism of U.S. interventionism. The letter calls for Biden's intervention, saying the U.S. State Department in recent days announced that USAID would increase its funding toward such organizations. Mexico had in 2021 sent a similar letter asking USAID to withdraw funding allocated to non-governmental organizations critical of the government. The State Department, USAID, MCCI and Article 19 did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The State Department has said there are credible reports on restrictions on free expression and media in Mexico - the deadliest country for journalists last year.

☆ 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.

☆ Brazil agency recommends barring Petrobras from drilling in Amazon's mouth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Marta Nogueira | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signed last week by several environmental analysts from Ibama, the report also recommended the agency stop processing environmental licenses for the block. The oil block, FZA-M-59, was auctioned off by oil regulator ANP to Petrobras in 2013. According to Ibama's report, Petrobras' environmental studies still have "inconsistencies" even after a series of reviews. Petrobras and Ibama did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Another document seen by Reuters showed Werneck Sanchez Basseres, Ibama's environmental licensing coordinator for offshore oil and gas exploration, said he agreed with the report's assessment.

☆ Mexico's Haitian asylum seekers lack access to basic resources, says IRC
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - More than nine in 10 Haitians seeking asylum in Mexico lack the resources to cover basic necessities such as food, shelter and medical care, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) aid group said on Thursday. More than seven in 10 said they struggled to access reliable information in Haitian Creole, particularly about legal pathways to migration and their rights in Mexico. Language barriers, as discrimination and lack of space made accessing shelters difficult, the IRC said, causing many migrants to live on the streets or in makeshift camps. IRC Mexico director Rafael Velasquez noted that Mexico played a key role as migrants crossed the country in the hopes of reaching the United States. Although migrants generally consider areas in south and central Mexico relatively safe, this was not the case at the country's northern border, Velasquez added.

Companies The World Bank Group FollowApril 27 (Reuters) - The World Bank has approved a $150 million loan to support sustainable growth and climate resilience in Panama, the lender said in a statement on Thursday. The Development Policy Loan (DPL) represents the first of two operations in the Central American country, it added, which are designed to support the energy transition, socially-inclusive growth and sustain capital for resilient growth. The project is also expected to help Panama decarbonize its land transportation, protect its ocean, conserve forests and implement more energy efficient policies, it said. "This financial operation will enhance Panama's efforts in establishing the policy foundations to foster the country's sustainable economic growth, low emissions and resilience to climate change," Panama's economy and finance minister, Hector Alexander, said in the statement. Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by Anthony EspositoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Argentina to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, April 26 (Reuters) - Argentina will start to pay for Chinese imports in yuan rather than dollars, the government announced Wednesday, a measure that aims to relieve the country's dwindling dollar reserves. In April, it aims to pay around $1 billion of Chinese imports in yuan instead of dollars and thereafter around $790 million of monthly imports will be paid in yuan, a government statement said. The decision aims to ease the outflow of dollars, Argentina's Economy minister Sergio Massa said during an event following a meeting with the Chinese ambassador, Zou Xiaoli, as well as with companies from various sectors. In November last year, Argentina expanded a currency swap with China by $5 billion, seeking to strengthen Argentina's international reserves. The agreement will allow Argentina "to work on the possibility" of advancing the rate of imports, Massa added, with yuan-denominated import orders being authorized in 90 days rather than the standard 180 days.

☆ Mexico's America Movil quarterly profit dips as peso appreciates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The company, controlled by the family of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim, said currency gains dropped about 40% to 13.7 billion pesos from 22.5 billion pesos in the year-ago period. From January through March, the Mexican peso appreciated against several other currencies, the company said in a statement. Revenue rose about 2% to nearly 209 billion pesos, above a Refinitiv forecast of 191.84 billion pesos. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), or core earnings, totaled 82.7 billion pesos in the three-month period, up 3.2% from a year ago. As of the end of March, net debt totaled 365.1 billion pesos excluding leases, down 16.4 billion pesos from the end of 2022.

☆ Pollution, bird flu threaten 'very fragile' Chilean dolphin population
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Quilun Ecoturismo Marino/Handout via REUTERSSANTIAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - Growing pollution, industrial activities and now bird flu are threatening the Chilean dolphin, one of the world's smallest cetaceans, in the cold Pacific waters off Chile's western coastlines. "The Chilean dolphin is disappearing at an alarming rate," he said. One official also pointed to the threat of bird flu, which has been detected in Chile's wild birds, marine animals and industrial complex. Soledad Tapia, the director of the country's fisheries service, said two species of dolphins had been infected by the virus. Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Natalia Ramos and Sarah Morland; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Costa Rica president gets tougher on security as crime soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN JOSE, April 19 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's president on Wednesday presented a set of security measures in response to surging crime rates in the Central American country, which is currently on track this year to beat 2022's record murder rate. Costa Rica ended 2022 with a record 12.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to the judicial research agency OIJ. "We are going to mend the course we lost a long time ago," said Chaves, a week after criticizing those who condemned the security crisis. The country's main business chamber on Friday called for a state of "national emergency," fearing a hit to foreign investment and tourism. Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexican president likens top judges to disgraced ex-official after military setback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled legislation promoted by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador mandating that the Army assume control of the National Guard was unconstitutional. Two of four justices nominated by the president voted against his plan. Eight of 11 justices voted it down in total. Lopez Obrador, who has suffered a number of setbacks at the hands of the court, will leave office at the end of September 2024 following general elections in June 2024. The next Congress will begin on Sept. 1, 2024, the day Lopez Obrador said he would present his initiative to reform the constitution to enshrine military control of the National Guard.

☆ US must stem 'iron river' of guns flowing to Latin America, activists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 18 (Reuters) - U.S. guns, many of them exported legally, are flowing into Latin America in an "iron river" ending in the hands of drug cartels and abusive security forces, activists said Monday, calling for greater oversight from U.S. law and federal agencies. More than half of "crime guns" recovered and traced in Central America are sourced from the United States, according to U.S. gun control agency ATF. Burke called for rules preventing manufacturers from selling to dealers with lax distribution practices. Manufacturers should also stop selling armor-piercing weapons and guns that can easily be modified to shoot hundreds of bullets at a time, she said. U.S government figures show last year that income from legal firearm shipments to Latin America increased 8%, with most sales going to Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia.

☆ Interpol-led LatAm swoop seizes thousands of weapons, $5.7 bln in drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 18 (Reuters) - Interpol said on Tuesday its largest-ever fire arms swoop across Central and South America resulted in the seizure of thousands of illegal weapons and $5.7 billion worth of drugs after unprecedented cooperation by 15 countries. The operation found 8,263 illicit firearms and nearly 306,000 rounds of ammunition, as well as 203 tonnes of drugs and 372 tonnes of drug precursors. Eleven people were rescued in Paraguay when authorities dismantled a human trafficking ring, Interpol said. It said law enforcement had reported a spike in drug-related violence over the past year, fueled by trafficking of illegal firearms. The swoop saw participation from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

☆ Cuba's fuel shortages due to supplier nations not delivering, says president
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People wait in line for the arrival of a fuel tank truck in Havana, Cuba, April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, April 14 (Reuters) - Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the island's ongoing gasoline shortages were caused by countries contracted to supply the fuel not complying with their requirements due to "a complex energy situation." Besides car owners, truckers, taxi drivers, tourists and public transport have all been hit by the shortages. Diaz-Canel underlined that the shortages were a result of "non-compliance" from the supplier nations, rather than inefficiencies or issues within the country's energy institutions. Venezuela, one of Havana's political allies, has for decades supplied Cuba with oil from its state oil firm PDVSA under a cooperation agreement signed in 2000.

☆ Peruvian archaeologists unearth 500-year-old Inca ceremonial bath
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Archaeologists work in the remains of an ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom, discovered in a sector known as Inkawasi (House of the Inca), at the archaeological site Huanuco Pampa, in Huanuco, Peru April 5, 2023. Found near the "House of the Inca" in the Huanuco Pampa archaeological zone in central Peru, local archaeologists believe that the bath may have served a religious purpose for high-ranking members of the Inca empire, which 500 years ago extended from southern Ecuador to the center of Chile. The Huanuco Pampa archaeological site is part of the Qhapaq Nan project, a complex 25,000-kilometer-long road network that linked Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The road system was declared a World Heritage Site in 2014. Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico investigates top migration officials after deadly fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 11 (Reuters) - Mexican prosecutors have launched criminal proceedings against top immigration officials as they investigate a fire that killed 40 migrants in a detention center last month, the Attorney General's office said on Tuesday. The Attorney General's office said in a statement it had launched criminal proceedings against six public officials in connection with the fire, identifying them only by first name, as is customary in Mexico. It did not specify whether the people had been charged or would face charges, and neither the office nor INM provided additional details. "They indicate a pattern of irresponsibility," the Attorney General's office said. The statement also alleged that Gonzalez and three other officials were linked to conduct that led to the deaths of the migrants.

☆ Meta's WhatsApp rolls out business payment tool in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Andre Romani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAO PAULO, April 11 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) on Tuesday began rolling out its payments tool to small and medium-sized firms through its WhatsApp messaging platform in Brazil, part of Meta's strategy to use the Brazilian market as a key test space for business messaging. The development of business messaging has become all the more urgent as Meta's core advertising business has stalled. The tool will initially be available for some merchants that use WhatsApp Business. While Brazil is the first country to have the service launched for small businesses using the free version of WhatsApp Business, in India, WhatsApp's largest market, users can make payments to businesses that use the application's paid API. WhatsApp users in Brazil have been able to make payments between users through the app since 2021, and last year, Meta launched a commercial directory for WhatsApp in Brazil, allowing users find companies with business messaging accounts.

☆ Mexico to probe GM corn impact on tortillas amid US trade dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 10 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities announced Monday a working group will investigate the impact of genetically modified (GM) corn imports on the country's tortillas, a national staple typically made from cornflour, amid a trade dispute with the United States. The United States has requested trade consultations with Mexico after its government moved to restrict imports of GM corn, arguing it can contaminate Mexico's ancient native varieties and have negative impacts on human health. Mexico produces mainly white corn, used to make tortillas, but has a deficit of yellow corn, used for livestock consumption and industrial applications. The country imports about 17 million tons of corn from the United States each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country's annual exports to Mexico amounted to about $5 billion in 2022.

☆ Lula says will invite Xi to Brazil as China trip approaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRASILIA, April 10 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday he would invite his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to Brazil, speaking on the eve of his departure the Asian country in a bid to tighten relations between the two countries. "I am going to invite Xi Jinping to come to Brazil, for a bilateral meeting, to get to know Brazil, to show him the projects that we have of interest for Chinese investment," he said in an interview to state-owned broadcasting company EBC, adding he is planning to "consolidate" the relationship with China. "What we want is for the Chinese to make investments to generate new jobs and generate new productive assets in Brazil," Lula added. Lula's trip to China, Brazil's top trading partner, was initially scheduled for March, but was postponed after he was diagnosed with a mild pneumonia. He will meet Xi as well as Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang next Friday.

☆ Magnitude 5.3 quake strikes Mexico, no major damage or injuries reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] People stand on the street during a quake alarm in Mexico City, Mexico, April 3, 2023. The epicenter of the quake was near the Pacific beach resort of Puerto Escondido, in southern Oaxaca state, according to the USGS. Shortly after the quake, Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara wrote on Twitter that no damages had been detected in the state. In nearby Morelos, Puebla and Mexico City, authorities also ruled out damages. Reporting by Kylie Madry and Sarah Morland; Editing by Himani Sarkar and David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Energisa wins Espirito Santo gas firm at privatization auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SAO PAULO, March 31 (Reuters) - Brazilian energy company Energisa Transmissao de Energia SA (ENGI11.SA) won ownership of natural gas firm ESGas at a privatization auction on Friday, buying stakes from the state government and Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA). Energisa offered 1.42 billion reais ($280 million) for Companhia de Distribuiçao de Gas do Espirito Santo, as it is formally known, marking a 7.28% premium from its minimum fixed grant value. ESGas is responsible for the distribution of piped natural gas to more than 60,000 consumer units in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, with residential, commercial, industrial, automotive, air conditioning and thermoelectric businesses. ($1 = 5.0744 reais)Reporting by Letícia Fucuchima; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Giles Elgood Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's Bolsonaro says he will not lead opposition, but will work with his party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRASILIA, March 29 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he will not lead the opposition to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but will collaborate with his political party, the conservative Liberal Party. "I will not lead any opposition. I will help my party as a person with experience," he said. Bolsonaro added he plans to travel across Brazil in an effort to help his party in local elections next year. Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Editing by Sarah Morland and Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan told to 'pack up and leave' Honduras after ties severed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Gustavo Palencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A vehicle leaves the Taiwan Embassy after Honduras has given Taiwan 30 days to vacate its embassy after severing relations with Taiwan in favor of China, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 26, 2023. China has long argued that democratically ruled Taiwan is part of its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects. In his remarks, Garcia said 30 days "is more than enough time to pack up and leave," adding that officials aim for an "orderly, friendly" exit. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu said 30 days was an "international norm", and that they would comment further later. In its own statement on Monday, the conservative National Party pledged to re-establish ties with Taiwan if it can retake the Honduran presidency in 2026.

☆ Mexico denies cartels control parts of country, rejecting Blinken remark
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"That is false," Lopez Obrador said in a regular news conference. Blinken had also said that the opioid fentanyl coming from Mexico was killing both Americans and Mexicans. Lopez Obrador has denied in recent days that Mexico is responsible for the quantities of the drug coming into the United States. "More fentanyl reaches the United States and Canada directly than reaches Mexico," Lopez Obrador said last week. "I can tell Mr. Blinken, we're constantly destroying labs," Lopez Obrador said.

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