South America

CARACAS, Nov 27 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Venezolana de Turismo announced the opening of commercial offices in Russia, Mexico, Cuba and Iran in the framework of the International Tourism Fair (FITVen), held in Anzoategui state on its third day on Saturday.    

This initiative seeks to position the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as a megadiverse, inclusive, peaceful and open to future destinations, under the policies promoted by the Maduro administration in order to turn tourism into one of its main economic engines.

LIMA, Nov 26 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Peruvian health authorities have launched a health alert for 180 days after three cases of the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza were detected in pelicans, it was announced in Lima.

 With the seasonal migration of the birds, the disease could spread through South America and reach Central America, scientists said.

Avian influenza has no cure or treatment and causes high mortality in wild and domestic birds such as ducks, hens, chickens, and turkeys, among others.

LIMA, Nov 24 (NNN-ANDINA) — Saudi Arabia – the surprise at the Qatar 2022 World Cup – is also a strategic trading partner for Peru. The Asian country supplies polymers for the Peruvian plastic industry, while the South American country covers part of its consumption of fruit and other sectors.

“Between 2017 and 2021, our exports to Saudi Arabia reached almost US$50 million. This year, at the end of the third quarter, they totaled US$8.3 million, thus growing 24.2% compared to last year,” Minister Roberto Sanchez indicated.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The head of Brazil’s electoral authority has rejected the request from President Jair Bolsonaro’s political party to annul ballots cast on most electronic voting machines, which would have overturned the Oct. 30 election.

CARACAS, Nov 23 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that “time for peace has arrived” as dignitaries from the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas started their ceasefire talks in Caracas Monday.

“Here is the hand of the Venezuelan people to tell President Gustavo Petro and Colombia that they can count on us for total peace,” Maduro went on.

He also said in his broadcast message that the new discussions represented a “message of hope” that has “all the support of the Venezuelan people.”

BRASILIA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has challenged the election he lost last month to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, arguing votes from some machines should be "invalidated" in a complaint that election authorities met with initial skepticism.

Bolsonaro's claim seems unlikely to get far, as Lula's victory has been ratified by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and acknowledged by Brazil's leading politicians and international allies. Still, it could fuel a small but committed protest movement that has so far refused to accept the result.

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — More than three weeks after losing a reelection bid, President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday blamed a software bug and demanded the electoral authority annul votes cast on most of Brazil’s nation’s electronic voting machines, though independent experts say the bug doesn’t affect the reliability of results.

Such an action would leave Bolsonaro with 51% of the remaining valid votes — and a reelection victory, Marcelo de Bessa, the lawyer who filed the 33-page request on behalf of the president and his Liberal Party, told reporters.

LIMA, Nov 21 (NNN-ANDINA) — Jorge Chavez International Airport resumed normal operations following an accident at the runway on Friday, which left two firefighters dead, according to the Peruvian Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC).

In a statement posted on social media, the MTC noted that passengers were already at the airport’s terminal halls to board domestic and international flights.

BOGOTÁ, Nov 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 18 people were killed in Colombia in clashes between holdouts from the former rebel army FARC and another armed group linked to drug trafficking, the government said.

The government ombudsman’s office said the fighting occurred on Saturday in southwest Colombia, near the border with Ecuador.

The clashes involved rebels who have rejected a 2016 peace agreement that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed with the government and a criminal band that calls itself Comandos de la Frontera, or Border Commandos.

LIMA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) jet collided with a firetruck on the runway as it was taking off from the airport in Peru's capital Lima on Friday, resulting in the death of two firefighters, the carrier said.

Peru's health ministry said at 7 p.m. (0000 GMT) that 20 passengers were being treated in a clinic, and at least two were in serious condition. The airline said no passengers or crew members were killed.