Latin America

Ecuadorian police probe if bodies found are of missing children allegedly taken by soldiers

Ecuadorian police have found an undisclosed number of bodies in an area close to a military base. Authorities are now probing if the bodies could be those of some of the four children who were last seen taken by men in military uniform earlier this month.

Desi Bouterse, a dictator convicted of murder who twice ruled Suriname, has died at 79

A Haiti gang attack on the reopening of a main hospital kills 2 reporters and a police officer

Medellin Cartel victims demand truth and justice as cartel boss Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia

Bridge collapse in Brazil leaves at least 2 dead and a dozen others missing

The organizer of a Christmas fair in southern Mexico is assassinated at his holiday event

The organizer of a Christmas fair in southern Mexico has been assassinated at his city’s holiday event.

UN publishes new death toll for massacre of older people and Vodou religious leaders in Haiti

The United Nations has raised the death toll of a recent massacre in which dozens of older people and Vodou religious leaders were killed by a gang in Haiti.

Prosecutors find workers in ‘slavery like’ conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil

A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory.

Judge reinstates Ecuador’s vice president after deeming her suspension unconstitutional

An Ecuadorian judge has reinstated Vice President Verónica Abad to her role and lifted the five-month suspension imposed against her by the Ministry of Labor for allegedly abandoning her duties.

Surveillance videos appear to show 2 of 4 missing Ecuadorian kids taken by men in military uniform

Surveillance videos have emerged from the Ecuadorian coastal city of Guayaquil, showing men in military uniform grabbing two boys and driving them away.

El Salvador’s Congress approves ending ban on metals mining

El Salvador’s Congress has approved a law that would lift the country’s seven-year-old ban on mining for metals.

Legendary drug lord Fabio Ochoa is deported to Colombia and walks free after 20 years in US prisons

One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cartel has been deported back to the South American country, after serving 25 years of a 30-year prison sentence in the United States.

Man faces murder charges in the death of a woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway

A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames.

A board game born in Mexican prisons is bringing together people from all walks of life

A board game with ancient roots that established a foothold nearly a century ago in Mexican prisons is spreading in popularity outside the walls and trying to shed the stigma of being merely a pastime for prisoners.

Colombia’s ELN rebels announce Christmas truce

Colombia’s largest remaining rebel group has announced a unilateral truce to last until Jan. 3, the first since the previous ceasefire broke down in August.

As Christmas nears, Ecuador’s homes get a break from power cuts but companies still face rationing

As Christmas approaches and people decorate their homes with lights, Ecuadoreans are getting some relief from the severe power cuts that have hounded the country this year with President Daniel Noboa saying there will be no power rationing for residential areas - for the time being.

Tensions over Essequibo region resurface as Venezuela completes a bridge to a disputed border base

Guyana’s government has formally protested to Venezuela following the completion by Venezuela’s armed forces of a bridge built on a remote river island shared by both countries.

22 people die in a crash between a passenger bus and a truck in Brazil

Officials say 22 people have been killed in a crash between a passenger bus and a truck on a highway in Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil.

Guatemala authorities raid ultra-orthodox Jewish sect’s compound after report of abuse

Guatemalan authorities have searched the compound of an extremist ultra-orthodox Jewish sect and taken at least 160 minors and 40 women into protective custody after reports of abuse.

US wins ruling in a trade dispute with Mexico over its bid to ban genetically modified corn

The U.S. has won a trade dispute panel resolution on Mexico’s bid to ban genetically modified corn for human consumption.

Baby pigs get Christmas pardon from Florida mayor in a Cuban twist on White House turkey tradition

Two little piggies will not become Christmas Eve roast pork thanks to a holiday pardon they received from a Florida mayor.

Regional court faults El Salvador for denying a mother’s access to abortion, violating her rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has found El Salvador’s government responsible for violating the rights of a young Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion of her anencephalic fetus in a country with a total abortion ban.

Amazon Indigenous community wins latest stage of court battle for lost territory

An Indigenous community in Peru has won the latest stage of a legal battle to reclaim lost rainforests.

Venezuelan opposition politician met with prosecutors after leaving Argentine diplomatic compound

Venezuela’s attorney general says an opposition politician met with prosecutors after leaving the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas, where he had sheltered for nine months to avoid arrest.

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

Dec. 13 - 19, 2024

Children in Argentina and Brazil were treated to Christmas cheer with Santas and reindeer visiting them in hospitals and neighborhoods, singing and handing out gifts.

He fought to save jungles in Honduras. Now his killing haunts environmental defenders

Seven bullets pounded into Juan López outside a small white church on a sunny September afternoon. Another environmental champion in Honduras was dead after leading the fight to protect dense jungle and crystalline waters in a region rife with corruption and drug trafficking.

7 inmates are dead after a prison riot in southern Mexico

Seven inmates are dead after a prison riot in southern Mexico, where inmates resisted transfers to other jails and fought police with guns and knives.

2024 brought natural disasters and turbulent politics to Latin America

Snow blanketed Santiago, the Chilean capital, in May 2024 — a rare and stunning sight that marked the coldest month in the city in over 70 years.

Venezuelan opposition member leaves Argentine diplomatic compound after sheltering for 9 months

One of the six members of Venezuela’s political opposition who have been sheltering for nine months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas, has abandoned the premises.

Shamans refuse to evacuate precarious cliff-top shacks in Bolivia despite government order

A long row of small metal huts dots one of the hills surrounding Bolivia’s capital. The view is dizzying.

2 more Mexican soldiers killed by an improvised landmine, after 2 died earlier this week

Two more members of Mexico’s armed forces have been killed by an improvised landmine, just days after two soldiers died in a similar blast earlier this week.

Mexico praises its own migrants with a hymn, while abuses continue against those from other nations

Mexico’s president has unveiled a bilingual “hymn” to Mexican migrants living in the United States, even as migrants from other countries continue to suffer abuses, delays and hostility in Mexico.

New charges target ex-Miami congressman for lobbying on behalf of sanctioned Venezuelan tycoon

A grand jury in Washington has returned an indictment against former Congressman David Rivera for failing to register as a foreign agent of a sanctioned Venezuelan media tycoon on whose behalf the Miami Republican allegedly lobbied the Trump administration.

A fur seal’s rare appearance on Rio’s famous beach turns heads

A fur seal was spotted on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, attracting attention from locals and tourists.

EPA grants California authority to ban sales of new gas cars by 2035

The Environmental Protection Agency has granted two requests from California to enforce strict standards for vehicle emissions, including a rule aimed at banning sales of new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035.

US shows off $1 billion Mexico City embassy after years of delays

The U.S. government has dedicated its more than $1 billion new embassy in Mexico, some two years after it was scheduled to be completed. Outgoing U.S. Amb.

Brazilian Santa swaps sleigh for Jet Ski to deliver toys — and joy — to disabled children in Rio

Dozens of children with disability gathered on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Tuesday to receive presents — and joy — from the white-bearded man, a joint effort by the city’s firefighters and nonprofit associations.

Four police officers killed in Mexico’s most violent state

Four police officers are dead after an attack by gunmen on a police patrol in the north-central state of Guanajuato. Four people were also wounded in the shooting.

Canada imposes economic sanctions on 5 Venezuelan officials, including the high court president

Canada has imposed economic sanctions on five Venezuelan officials, including the head of the country’s high court, accusing them of engaging in electoral fraud during the disputed July presidential election.

US border facilities for migrant children are improving but still need work, court monitor says

The U.S. is still separating some migrant children from parents while holding them after they cross the border despite broad improvements at detention centers in Texas.

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