South America

(AP) --- Brazil’s Federal Police performed eight searches Friday targeting money laundering derived from illegal gold mining in Roraima state, where Indigenous Yanomami people are in a health crisis.

A police statement said the criminal organization targeted in the raids carried out transactions worth 64 million reais ($12 million) over a two-year period.

While this is a fraction of the total value of gold mined in Yanomami territory during that time, the police operation represents part of the fresh effort by authorities to crack down on the illicit activity.

SANTIAGO, Feb 9 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — New groups of specialists from Mexico and Colombia arrived Wednesday in Chile to help contain the wildfires in the center-south of the country, which have already devastated more than 290,000 hectares.    

The Mexican contingent of the National Forestry Commission, with experience in dealing with this type of emergency in Central America and Canada, will be assigned to the region of La Araucanía.

CARACAS, Feb 9 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The Venezuelan government sent more than 50 specialized search and rescue forces, food and medical supplies to Türkiye and Syria, to support recovery efforts after Monday’s devastating earthquake.    

The group departed Wednesday night from Simón Bolívar International Airport, in Maiquetía, La Guaira State, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil and the sectorial Vice-President for Security and Peace, Remigio Ceballos.

SANTIAGO, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chile has declared 26 communes in the country's south-central region to be wildfire risk areas as forest fires continue to rage, which have claimed 26 lives and burning 286,198 hectares so far, the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) said Tuesday.

The communes, or communities, have been placed on "red alert" given the chance of a large fire breaking out, Conaf Executive Director Christian Little said at a press conference.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Landslides triggered by steady rains swept mud, water and rocks into several villages in southern Peru, killing at least 36 people, authorities said Monday.

Wilson Gutierrez, a civil defense official in the Mariano Nicolás Valcárcel municipality in Camana province, told local radio RPP that 36 bodies had been recovered in a remote sector called Miski.

Among the dead were five people who were riding in a van that was pushed into a river by a surge of mud.

SANTIAGO, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least five people died in southern Chile due to raging forest fires, which have consumed at least 8,333 hectares, official sources said Friday.

Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters that four people had died in the commune of Santa Juana in the Biobio region, one of the areas most affected by the fires some 550 km south of the capital Santiago.

They were either overtaken by the fire and burned or had an accident when they tried escaping the fire, she said.

GEORGETOWN, Feb 4 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The Guyana National Assembly approved millions in fund to modernize the health sector in 2023, including the intensive training of personnel in view of the deficit in some areas at present.    

The Ministry of Health will recruit and train those interested in the different regions of the country, Minister Frank Anthony told reporters after answering questions from legislators.

BRASILIA, Feb 4 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The Secretary of Public Security of the Federal District (DF), Sandro Avelar, affirmed that the police forces deployed to contain the coup attempt last January 8th are being investigated to determine failures and possible omissions.    

“In 2013, there were several episodes with protesters in a much higher number than on January 8th, and the Military Police (PM) behaved very well, and nothing more serious happened on those occasions,” Avelar said during an interview.

BRASILIA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Brazil sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off its northeast coast, the Brazilian Navy said, despite warnings from environmentalists that the rusting 1960s French-built ship would pollute the sea and the marine food chain.

The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian magazine on Thursday released audio of a senator claiming then President Jair Bolsonaro sought help in a plot to annul the October elections and keep himself in power.

In the recording, Sen. Marcos do Val tells the magazine Veja that the idea was discussed when he met with Bolsonaro and lawmaker Daniel Silveira on Dec. 9 at the presidential residence, three weeks before leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was set to take office.