Support dwindles for leftist’s call for Ecuador election recount
Quito, Ecuador Reuters Support for Ecuadorean leftist Luisa Gonzalez’s call for a recount in the country’s presidential election was dwindling on Monday, as a growing number of prominent members of her party said President Daniel Noboa had secured a full term in Sunday’s vote. Noboa’s support was holding at 55.6 per cent, the level at […]
UN report calls for international action as Nicaragua’s government deepens repression
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The United Nations has urged the international community to respond to what it called human rights violations by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government as it seeks to further consolidate power, according to a report published on Wednesday. Ortega, a former leftist rebel who initially came to power in 1979 and returned in […]
Nicaraguan lawmakers approve reform expanding Ortega’s power
Reuters The Nicaraguan parliament, dominated by the ruling Sandinista Front, on Friday approved a constitutional reform that hands more power to President Daniel Ortega, his wife the Vice President, as well as the Central American nation’s police and military. The reform increases the president’s control over the media, extends the presidential term to six years […]
Human rights commission calls on El Salvador to end state of emergency
San Salvador, El Salvador Reuters El Salvador should end a long-running state of emergency and reinstate suspended constitutional rights after achieving significant security gains due to its anti-gang crackdown, a prominent human rights commission said on Wednesday. The Washington-based Organization of American States’ human rights commission said in a report it had seen the government’s […]
West hits pause on fresh measures against Venezuela’s Maduro
Houston, US/Washington DC, US/Brasilia, Brazil Reuters More than two weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed re-election victory, the US and other Western countries are showing little sign of swift tough action over what many of them have condemned as voting fraud. Most governments have demanded that Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) release a full […]
Panama seeks Latin American summit to support democracy in Venezuela
Panama City, Panama Reuters Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said on Tuesday he wants to host a summit of 17 Latin American presidents to discuss the political situation in Venezuela and support democracy in the country following its contested election late last month. Mulino made the announcement in a post on X, instructing his foreign […]
Venezuelans march over contested election, number of detained rises
Caracas/Valencia, Venezuela Reuters Thousands of Venezuelans marched across the South American country on Saturday over its contested election, as President Nicolas Maduro told supporters some 2,000 people had been arrested during protests against the results. Venezuela’s electoral authority, blasted by critics as favouring the ruling socialists, proclaimed Maduro the winner in last Sunday’s vote, saying […]
Diplomats push for progress on Haiti transition as death toll mounts
Reuters Diplomats at a regional Americas body on Wednesday urged Haitian politicians to move forward with a delayed plan to replace Prime Minister Ariel Henry with a transitional council, a move which could trigger the long-awaited deployment of an international security force. The transitional council – agreed with the mediation of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) […]
At least 126 activists killed in Latin America in 2023 – report
Mexico City, Mexico Reuters At least 126 human rights and environmental defenders were murdered in Latin America in 2023, according to data from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) published on Tuesday, matching the previous year’s figure. The IACHR, an autonomous organ of the Washington-based Organization of American States, expressed alarm over “high rates […]
Updated: Guatemala’s Arevalo arrives to inauguration venue after hours-long delay
Updated: 5pm (AEDT) Guatemala City, Guatemala Reuters Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arevalo arrived at the site of his planned inauguration on Sunday after the ceremony was delayed for hours by hostile lawmakers, prompting international calls for the election outcome to be honoured. Arevalo shared a video of his arrival to the national theater on social media […]