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El Salvador’s former President Elias Antonio Saca has been arrested over accusations of embezzling millions of dollars of public funds. Prosecutors say six former officials in his government were also held. Mr Saca, 50, has not publicly commented on the accusations. He held office from 2004 to 2009. He is one of three former presidents […]
(BBC) A Brazilian evangelical pastor, Marcelo Crivella, has been elected mayor of Rio de Janeiro in the second round of municipal elections. He won easily, beating left-wing candidate Marcelo Freixo by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points. Mr Crivella has promised to bring law and order and basic sanitation to Rio’s poorer neighbourhoods. His […]
(BBC) The Venezuelan government and opposition parties are meeting for the first time this year to try to resolve the country’s deep political crisis. President Nicolas Maduro is attending the talks, which are being supervised by a Vatican envoy and other mediators. The opposition is demanding a referendum be allowed to take place on whether […]
(BBC) A landslide on a major highway in Colombia has killed at least six people, officials said. On Wednesday, tonnes of earth engulfed the main highway leading north from Colombia’s second-largest city, Medellin. The mud from the mountainside covered an area the size of two football fields and buried two cars, a lorry and two […]
More than 170 inmates have escaped from a Haitian prison in Arcahaie, 45km (30 miles) north of the capital Port-au-Prince. The inmates stole five rifles; a guard and an inmate were killed in an exchange of fire. The authorities have begun a manhunt for the fugitives with the help of UN peacekeepers stationed in the […]
(BBC) Venezuelan government opponents marched through Caracas after officials blocked their attempts to hold a referendum. The wives of two jailed opposition leaders headed the marchers who were dressed in white and waved national flags. On Thursday election officials suspended a petition seeking a referendum on removing President Nicolas Maduro from office. The move was […]
American travellers to Cuba will now be able to bring back far more rum and cigars, after the Obama administration announced new trade measures. The previous $100 (£82) limit has been lifted, meaning most visitors could bring home up to 100 cigars and several bottles of rum. The latest measures reflect continuing moves by the […]
Mexico expects to extradite drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States by February, the country’s top security official says. But Guzman can appeal any decision to extradite him and his lawyers say they will “fight until the end”. He faces multiple charges in the US, including drug trafficking and murder. The leader […]
Angry Haitians looted aid trucks as the UN secretary general visited parts of the country hit by Hurricane Matthew, which killed 900 people. Ban Ki-moon said he witnessed a looting incident in Les Cayes, where he promised more aid to Haiti. He also urged countries to donate more. Officials say more than 1.4 million people […]
Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has been officially appointed as the next UN secretary general. Mr Guterres, 67, will become the world’s top diplomat on 1 January when Ban Ki-moon’s second five-year term ends. The Portuguese, who led the UN refugee agency UNHCR for 10 years, was chosen from among 13 candidates last week. […]
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