Nine Guatemalan military members have been arrested in response to the 4 October protests that resulted in eight civilian deaths and 35 injured.

Four Mapuche prisoners participating in a hunger strike were moved to a hospital on Wednesday. The hunger strike has lasted 44 days thus far in the Agol prison in the south of Chile.

Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, yesterday announced his decision to appoint Nicolás Maduro as the new vice-president. Maduro is a former bus driver and since 2006 has served as foreign minister in Venezuela.

The announcement was made at the National Electoral Commission during an event which officially recognised Chávez’s re-election. The President was victorious in Sunday’s election, winning 55% of the vote, and will now serve another six year term.

Former Chief of Staff and cofounder of the Worker’s Party (PT) Jose Dirceu was found guilty of corruption on Tuesday by the Brazilian Supreme Court in a trial that began 2nd August and was dubbed “the trial of the century” by Brazilian media. Dirceu and 36 others were accused of using public funds to bribe […]

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez was reelected for a new six-year term on Sunday. Aigul Safiullina looks back at election day, and forward to the future of government and opposition in Venezuela.

Yesterday the First Commission of the Colombian Senate approved a proposal to regulate the practice of euthanasia in the country. The initiative would allow terminally ill people older than 18, who are suffering from intense pain and with no scientific cure available, to undergo the procedure. The proposal, brought before the Senate by Armando Benedetti […]

On Tuesday the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a judgement against petroleum giant Chevron, filed by an Ecuadorean court, that demands the North American oil company pay damages of more than US$19bn. Chevron is accused of causing massive environmental damage in the Amazonian Lago Agrio region. Texaco, which was bought by Chevron in 2001, […]

The Mexican Navy confirmed the death of Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano (‘El Lazca’) a founder and leader of the criminal organisation Los Zetas.

Over 5,500 Brazilian municipalities voted on Sunday to choose the mayors and local council members. As expected, The Workers’ Party (PT) won in the three most populated states, while Rio de Janeiro reelected its current Mayor, Eduardo Paes, who belongs to the centrist Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). The most surprising result came in São Paulo, […]

Incumbent president Hugo Chávez won by 54.42% of the vote, against opposition leader Henrique Capriles’ 44.97%. Chávez will take office for a third six-year term in January.