South America

Peru: China widens South America trade highway with Silk Road mega port

CHANCAY, Peru, Jan 18 (Reuters) - In September, a group of Brazilian farmers and officials arrived in the Peruvian fishing town of Chancay. The draw: a new Chinese mega port rising on the Pacific coast, promising to turbo charge South America's trade ties with China.

The $3.5 billion deep water port, set to start operations late this year, will provide China with a direct gateway to the resource-rich region. Over the last ten years, Beijing has unseated the United States as the largest trade partner for South America, devouring its soy, corn and copper.

6 dead, 2 children missing in Bolivia floods

LA PAZ, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Six people are dead and two minors are missing after heavy rains this week sparked flooding in the Bolivian town of Tipuani in the department of La Paz, authorities said Wednesday.

Flooding has led to the death of an elderly person who was unable to leave his home and a traffic accident in which "the vehicle ran aground and as a result one person died," Major Victor Ramirez, operational chief of police, told state-run television station Bolivia TV.

A public service vehicle fell into the river on Tuesday, leaving four dead, he added.

Death Toll Rises To 12 Due To Rains In Rio De Janeiro

SAO PAULO, Jan 16 (NNN-CMA) – The death toll from the storm that hit the south-eastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, has risen to 12, with two more people reported missing, Governor Claudio Castro announced, yesterday.

The storm caused landslides, floods and the consequent disruption of public services, in much of the northern part of Rio de Janeiro and neighbouring municipalities, such as Duque de Caxias, Sao Jose de Meriti, Belford Roxo and Nova Iguacu.

Ecuador’s escalating gang violence is broadcast live to the nation as masked gunmen storm TV studio

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) — It was a day like any other at the TC Television studio in Ecuador, with its mid-afternoon newscast underway, when masked gunmen burst in, unleashing at least 15 minutes of threats and fear — all broadcast live.

First, a man with a pistol appeared in the middle of the public TV station’s live transmission, followed by a second man with a shotgun, then a third and more. With the show’s “After the News” title behind them, station employees were brought onto the set and ordered to lie down. Screams could be heard followed by the sound of gunshots.

Venezuela’s Maduro asserts Caracas’ historical rights to disputed Guyana Essequibo

CARACAS, January 9. /TASS/: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reaffirmed Venezuela’s historical territorial rights to Guyana Essequibo, the disputed border region controlled by neighboring Guyana, as he approved a plan for the South American country’s parliament to pass a law in the second reading for establishing Venezuela’s 24th state in the territory.

Ecuador declares state of emergency amid prison chaos

QUITO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a state of emergency for 60 days a day after the country's most-wanted prisoner disappeared from the jail where he was being held.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The state of emergency and surrounding events are among the first big security tests for Noboa, a young businessman who took office in November promising to crack down on soaring levels of violence in the South American country.

Covid-19 keeps spreading across Bolivia

LA PAZ, Jan 4 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Bolivian health authorities reported a 128% surge in cases of Covid-19 nationwide in addition to the detection of the JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus -also known as Pirola- in the department of Santa Cruz.

“We have had an increase in the number of cases, we have had a total of 1,933 in the 52nd epidemiological week [of 2023]. If we compare with epidemiological week 51, we have had 1,086 cases more than the previous week, implying a 128% increase,” explained Health Minister María Renée Castro.

Four Dead In Bolivia Car Crash

LA PAZ, Jan 5 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Four people were killed, after their car crashed into a wall and burst into flames, near a lithium carbonate plant in Uyuni Salt Flats, in the Bolivian department of Potosi, said local authorities yesterday.

“The vehicle was likely travelling at excessive speed” when the driver lost control, collided with the wall, and came to a stop approximately 70 metres from the point of impact, Juan Carlos Oblitas, the deputy commander of Potosi Police, briefed reporters on the accident that occurred early Wednesday.

Venezuela: Maduro calls Argentina's decision to refuse BRICS membership ‘stupidity’

CARACAS, January 2. /TASS/: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro criticized the decision of his Argentine counterpart Javier Milei to refuse the country's accession to BRICS.

"By excluding Argentina from BRICS, he [Javier Milei] is acting against the Argentines. This is one of the most clumsy and stupid things that Miley has done against Argentina," Maduro said in a traditional interview with Le Monde diplomatique newspaper on January 1.

He added that such a decision "takes Argentina back to the 19th century."

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