US officials have announced plans to ease tough sanctions imposed on Cuba by former President Donald Trump. Under new measures approved by the Biden administration, restrictions on family remittances and travel to the island will be eased. The processing of US visas for Cubans will also be speeded up. State Department spokesman Ned Price said […]
Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has launched his campaign for October’s presidential election. At a rally, the left-winger called on Brazilians to support him in defending the country’s democracy from the far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula led the country for eight years from 2003, but was later convicted of corruption and jailed […]
Nicaragua’s parliament has voted in favour of shutting down 50 non-governmental organisations. The parliament, which is dominated by allies of President Daniel Ortega, said the NGOs had failed to comply with regulations. But government critics say the move is part of a larger crackdown on opponents of the president, which has seen 144 NGOs banned […]
The Dominican Republic has urged Haiti to do everything in its power to ensure the safe release of one of its diplomats who was kidnapped on Friday. The trade attaché at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Carlos Guillén, was seized by gang members while he was travelling to neighbouring Dominican Republic. Dominican officials said that […]
Eleven Colombian ex-soldiers are giving details about extrajudicial killings carried out by the army during Colombia’s armed conflict. They are taking part in a public hearing of the special court examining crimes committed during the conflict. More than 6,400 civilians were killed by the military and falsely passed off as enemy combatants between […]
By Sofia Ferreira Santos BBC News Rio Carnival Brazil’s president found himself ridiculed for his Covid policies as the world-famous Carnival took place for the first time since the pandemic. During the São Paulo parade, a performer wearing a presidential sash transformed into a crocodile after “receiving a vaccine” on stage. President Jair […]
At least six Colombian soldiers have been killed and five injured in an ambush in north-western Antioquia province, the army says. The soldiers where on patrol in a rural area when their vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb. Officials said they suspected the Gulf Clan criminal gang to be behind the attack. The […]
Nicaraguan opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro has been given an eight-year sentence after being found guilty of money laundering. Ms Chamorro says the charges were politically motivated and designed to stop her from running in November’s election, which saw President Daniel Ortega win a fifth term in office. She was one of seven presidential hopefuls detained […]
Costa Rica’s Congress has passed a bill which will legalise the use of marijuana for medical purposes and allow its cultivation for industrial use. The cultivation and sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, however, will remain banned. President Carlos Alvarado is expected to sign it within days. Supporters of the bill say it will boost […]
The new government of Honduras has announced that it will ban open-pit mining in the Central American nation. The government, which was sworn in last month, also said that it would cancel environmental permits for mining operations across the country. It is not yet clear if the cancellation will apply only to new projects or […]
