South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, February 13. /TASS/: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro highlighted the priority areas of cooperation with Russia planned to be discussed during the forthcoming visit to Moscow next week.

"Brazil depends to a significant extent on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus. We will travel with a group of ministers to discuss other matters as well. Our country is interested [in cooperation] in energy, defense and agriculture," Bolsonaro said during the stream in social networks. The head of state also expressed hope that "peace for all will be established in the world."

BOGOTA, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia took a step toward recovering a long-lost Spanish wreck and its fabled riches, but it may be a rough ride as Spain and native Bolivians have also staked claims on the booty.

Long the daydream of treasure hunters worldwide, the wreck of the San Jose galleon was first located off Columbia’s coast in 2015, but has been left untouched as the government determines rules for its recovery.

BOGOTA, Feb 11 (NNN-TELESUR) — Two people died and five others were injured due to a car bomb attack against the Colombian Army 21st Infantry Battalion in the Meta department.

The fatal victims are a motorcyclist who was passing by and Yover Rojas, a soldier who tried to prevent the entrance of the bomb car to the battalion’s facilities in the Wednesday attack.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan opposition was re-energized recently by an unexpected gubernatorial victory in the home state of the late President Hugo Chavez. Now it is trying to use that momentum to bring its divided factions together and launch yet another attempt to topple his political heirs.

LA PAZ, Feb 7 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora has confirmed the discovery of large gas reserves which -he hoped- would yield substantial profits to the country.

The new finding was, named the Margarita-10 well, is located at the Margarita-Huacaya field in the departments of Chuquisaca and Tarija, Arce said during an official appearance in Oruro. He also announced exploration work in the area has been going on since last year with “good results.”

QUITO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Ecuador expects to pull together a trade deal with China at the end of this year and will begin formal debt re-negotiations with the Asian country, Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso said on Saturday, after a Beijing visit with his counterpart Xi Jinping.

China became Ecuador's top lender over the last decade, with millions of dollars in long-term credit tied to the handover of crude oil, large investments in hydro-electric and mining projects and other loans.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Turmoil in Peru’s government boiled even more Friday as President Pedro Castillo announced plans for a fourth Cabinet shakeup in six months, moving just three days after the third overhaul of his ministers that was quickly followed by revelations that his newest prime minister once faced domestic violence allegations.

The president’s struggles this week have only added to earlier doubts raised about the political neophyte’s ability to lead a nation.

QUITO, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Monday's floods in Ecuador's capital Quito rose to 26 on Thursday, with 10 people still missing and 53 injured, Mayor Santiago Guarderas said during a press conference.

A survey of the aftermath showed eight houses had collapsed and 24 sustained damage, and 27 vehicles and 22 motorcycles were damaged, along with 20 utility poles and seven substations belonging to the Quito electric company.

BRASILIA, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s federal police said President Jair Bolsonaro committed a crime by publicly revealing details about a sealed criminal probe, but would not recommend charging him given his immunity while in office.

The federal police’s conclusion that the president committed a crime is unlikely to trouble Bolsonaro due to his immunity from prosecution. But it adds to growing institutional tensions in Brazil ahead of this year’s presidential vote in which the far-right populist faces an uphill battle to be re-elected.

BRASILIA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist polling ahead of incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro prior to this year's general election, said on Thursday he does not expect to keep local fuel prices linked to global oil prices if he wins.

State-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) currently sells its fuel based on the import parity prices, taking into account international prices for products such as gasoline and diesel and the foreign exchange rate. Lula implied that would change if he is elected.