South America

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When Rafaela Matos saw police helicopters over her favela and heard gunshots, she fell to her knees and asked God to protect her son, João Pedro. Then she called the boy to make sure he was OK.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government extended on Monday the deployment of its national force in the Amazon jungle to combat environmental crimes and fires.

The national force, under the Ministry of Justice, will remain in the region until July 10 and possibly beyond, said a government gazette released Monday.

The force will work with the armed forces and other public security and environmental protection agencies to monitor the region and carry out "essential services to preserve public order," said the gazette.

LIMA, June 16 (NNN-ANDINA) – Peruvian President, Martin Vizcarra, on Monday, unveiled a plan to restart the economy and create jobs, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Called “Peru Takes Off,” the plan focuses on four key sectors and seeks to generate more than one million jobs, by promoting infrastructure building.

It calls for “significant investment” in transport and telecommunications, housing, agriculture, and labour, which is one of the sectors most affected by the lock-down.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 16 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Brazil reported Monday that, its COVID-19 death toll has climbed to 43,959, as 888,271 people have tested positive for the coronavirus nationwide.

In the past 24 hours, the disease claimed 627 lives, and 20,647 new infections were detected, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

The southeast state of Sao Paulo is hit the hardest, with 181,460 infections and 10,767 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro, with 80,946 infections and 7,728 deaths; and Ceara, with 79,462 cases and 4,999 deaths.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 15. /TASS/: The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has reached 867,624 in Brazil, with 17,110 new cases documented in the past 24 hours, the country’s Health Ministry informed on Sunday.

The daily new cases figure has been declining for four days running, with a record number reported on June 10 (32,913 new cases). The number of deaths from the virus has also been declining. In the past 24 hours, 612 deaths from the virus have been reported, with the total death toll reaching 43,332.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A year after shutting down the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Washington’s top diplomat in Venezuela has found a way to slip back inside the South American nation — at least virtually.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Saturday the opposition would not recognize a “false” electoral body named by the government-friendly Supreme Court, while his allies pledged to extend the term of the current legislature.

An extension past the January 2021 end date would allow Guaido, who is recognized by dozens of countries as Venezuela’s rightful leader due to his position as president of the opposition-held National Assembly, to remain in the role even if the opposition boycotts parliamentary elections due by the end of the year.

SANTIAGO, June 14 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Chilean President, Sebastian Pinera, accepted on Saturday, the resignation of Health Minister, Jaime Manalich, amid criticism from civil organisations and opposition figures, for his management of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The president said, “Dr. Jaime Manalich gave all his effort and put off all his legitimate personal interests to concentrate all his time and energy to give the best of himself in the difficult and noble task of protecting our lives and our health.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 14 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Brazil has so far reported 850,514 COVID-19 cases with 42,720 deaths, the country’s health ministry reported on Saturday.

In the last 24 hours, the country registered 892 new deaths from the virus with 21,704 new cases, according to the health ministry.

Sao Paulo, the epicentre of the virus and the country’s most populous state, registered 172,875 cases and 10,581 deaths, followed by Rio de Janeiro with 78,836 cases and 7,592 deaths, and Ceara with 76,429 cases and 4,829 deaths.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s supreme court on Friday named new leaders to the national electoral council that will oversee parliamentary elections later this year, a widely expected move that opposition leaders call an effort to rig the upcoming vote.

Critics of President Nicolas Maduro have repeatedly accused the elections council of favoring the ruling Socialist Party, and in 2018 boycotted the vote that led to Maduro’s re-election on the grounds that it was rigged.