South America

BRASILIA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro criticized his former justice minister, Sergio Moro, on Thursday, saying the potential opposition presidential candidate had "learned nothing" from his time in government.

Moro, a former federal judge who rose to fame for leading a sweeping corruption probe which jailed a series of powerful businessmen and politicians including former leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, re-entered the political fray on Wednesday. He has joined the Podemos party, presenting himself as a unifying centrist.

BRASILIA, Nov 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In a move aimed at curbing inflation, Brazil Friday announced a 10% reduction of import tariffs on 87% of goods and services until December 31, 2022. Economy Minister Paulo Guedes now expects the other Mercosur countries to do the same.

In a joint note from the Ministries of Economy and Foreign Affairs, the Government explained that “rates will be reduced temporarily and exceptionally until December 31, 2022”, under the Montevideo Treaty, which allows countries to take measures aimed at “protecting the life and health of their people.”

BUENOS AIRES, November 5. /TASS/: Colombia’s police have apprehended a Russian man, who was on Russia’s international wanted list for his involvement in activities of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), Colombian police chief Jorge Vargas said on Friday.

"The Russian citizen Vladimir Taranets, known by his nickname Ali Ali, who is designated by his country’s authorities as a member of the Islamic State terrorist group, was caught at El Dorado airport in Bogota," Vargas wrote on Twitter.

BRASILIA, Nov 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil opened an international tender Thursday to build one of the world’s biggest 5G data networks, seeking $9 billion in investment for Latin America’s largest economy.

Calling it a “historic” moment, President Jair Bolsonaro opened the tender in Brasilia with a symbolic bang of the auctioneer’s hammer, kicking off bidding by 15 companies that officials said could last through Friday.

LIMA, Nov 5 (NNN-TELESUR) — The plenary of the Peruvian Congress approved on Thursday the endorsement of the Ministerial Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez, thus ratifying the appointment of the 19 ministers in their respective portfolios.

“With 68 votes in favor, 56 against and one abstention, the Congress grants the vote of confidence to the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mirtha Vásquez,” said the president of the parliament, María del Carmen Alva, after the plenary session concluded.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The International Criminal Court is opening a formal investigation into allegations of torture and extrajudicial killings committed by Venezuelan security forces under President Nicolás Maduro’s rule, the first time a country in Latin America is facing scrutiny for possible crimes against humanity from the court.

The opening of the probe was announced Wednesday by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan at the end of a three-day trip to Caracas.

BOGOTA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Colombian authorities are focused on breaking up the Clan del Golfo gang - whose network extends to 28 countries around the world - after the capture of the group's leader late last month, the country's top cop said on Wednesday.

Dairo Antonio Usuga, alias "Otoniel," was the country's most-wanted drug lord until he was detained in the northern jungle region of Uraba, in what President Ivan Duque said was the hardest recent blow to drug trafficking.

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina made a payment of $390 million to the International Monetary Fund for interest on a $44 billion loan it is seeking to renegotiate, the government said.

  The amount was the final interest payment for 2021, the economy ministry said.

  So far this year, Argentina has paid $1.9 billion down-payment on the loan, as well as $1.3 billion in interest.

  It must pay another $1.9 billion by December.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 1 (NNN-CMA) – At least 25 bank robbery suspects were killed yesterday, in two clashes with Brazilian authorities in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais, police said.

The events occurred in the municipality of Varginha during a joint operation by the Military Police, the Federal Highway Police, and the Minas Gerais Special Police Operations Battalion, against a gang dedicated to robbing banks.

According to police, there were two gun battles: in the first, a group of individuals attacked a group of agents, who responded and left 18 suspects dead.

LIMA /Peru/, October 31. /TASS/: The Kalashnikov Group of Companies is negotiating joint production of small arms with a number of South American companies, TASS learned during the SITDEF 2021 international arms exhibition in Peru.

"Currently, negotiations are under way with a number of companies about the possibility of organizing joint production, but no solid agreements have been reached yet," the company said.

According to the company’s press service, Kalashnikov eyes Brazil as one of potential production sites.