South America

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Thousands of young Chileans marched Thursday to demand improved social services as government and opposition leaders debated the response to nearly two weeks of protests that have paralyzed much of the capital and forced the cancellation of two major international summits.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Authorities in Peru have charged five men in the timber industry with the 2014 murders of four indigenous activists who had battled illegal logging in the Amazon jungle.

Two timber executives and three loggers have been charged with the shooting deaths of the activists, prosecutor Otoniel Jara, who works in Peru’s remote Ucayali region, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former top White House official confirmed Thursday that military aid to Ukraine was held up by President Donald Trump’s demand for the ally to investigate Democrats and Joe Biden, but testified there’s nothing illegal, in his view, about the quid pro quo at the center of the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry.

Tim Morrison, who stepped down from the National Security Council the day before testifying, was the first White House political appointee to appear and spent more than eight hours behind closed doors with House investigators.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chilean President Sebastián Piñera canceled two major international summits and said he would focus on restoring security and moving ahead in the coming days with an attempt to satisfy popular demands for better social services and a lower cost of living.

Thirteen days into a wave of protests that has left more than a dozen people dead, hundreds injured and businesses and infrastructure damaged, the streets of Santiago were mostly calm on Wednesday night after Piñera’s announcement. A few thousand people protested outside the presidential palace.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Thousands of Chileans filled a plaza in the capital Tuesday in the 12th day of demonstrations that began with youth protests over a subway fare hike and transformed into a leaderless national movement demanding greater equality and better public services in a country long seen as an economic success story.

A move to meet one of their demands - replacing Chile’s dictatorship-era constitution - appeared to gain some momentum in the country’s congress.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Fresh protests and attacks on businesses erupted in Chile Monday despite President Sebastián Piñera’s replacement of eight key Cabinet ministers with more centrist figures and his attempts to assure the country he has heard calls for greater equality and improved social services.

Thousands of protesters crowded again into central Santiago, and one group set fire to a building that houses a fast-food restaurant and stores. Firefighters were battling the blaze.

SANTIAGO, Oct 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Monday ended a state of emergency that lasted more than a week amid mass protests, but demonstrations continued nonetheless.

The decision to lift the decree at midnight, just two days after more than a million people took to the country’s streets demanding economic and political change, comes after the equally unpopular week-long nighttime curfews ended on Saturday.

Authorities imposed both the state of emergency and curfews last weekend after Chile was rocked by its worst civil unrest in decades.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s capital city elected its first female mayor Sunday in what is being hailed as an important advancement for both women and LGBT rights.

Claudia López won the race for mayor of Bogota on a platform promising to combat corruption and advance equal rights for minority communities.

The Alianza Verde candidate captured over 1.1 million votes, or about 35 percent of the vote, defeating runner-up Carlos Galán by 2.7 percentage points.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Conservative President Mauricio Macri conceded defeat in Argentina’s election Sunday night, paving the way for the country’s Peronist center-left to return to power under Alberto Fernández as frustrated voters rejected the incumbent’s handling of a bruising economic crisis that has sunk many into poverty.

27 October 2019; AFP: Polls opened in Uruguay Sunday with voters electing a successor to leftist President Tabare Vazquez and deciding on constitutional reforms including the establishment of a military police force.

Uruguayans will also be electing all 99 deputies and 30 senators in the Congress.