Latin America
Latin American governments rally around Mexico after embassy raid in Ecuador
Est. 4minLatin American governments, including regional heavyweight Brazil, rallied around Mexico on Saturday (6 April) after its embassy in Ecuador was raided to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexican authorities.
Macron in Brazil to relaunch relationship, avoids thorny issue of Mercosur deal
Est. 4minWar in Ukraine, attractiveness of investment and exchange of tips to decarbonise societies will feature on the agenda of Macron’s talks with Lula during his Brazil trip from Tuesday to Thursday (26-28 March), in an attempt to rekindle the relationship.
An EU trade agreement with Mercosur? The answer is still a no!
Est. 5minWhile negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement are currently taking place on a daily basis to speed up the conclusion of the additional protocol, more work needs to be done to match our commitments, writes a group of EU lawmakers.
Cuba issues conflicting statements on use of its citizens in Ukraine war
Est. 3minCuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Thursday (14 September) his country rejects the participation of its citizens as mercenaries in war, contradicting a statement by Cuba's ambassador in Moscow hours earlier
World powers cheer Guatemala anti-graft candidate’s resounding victory
Est. 4minInternational leaders congratulated Bernardo Arevalo on his resounding victory in Sunday's Guatemalan presidential election, a win long believed impossible for the anti-graft candidate in a process dogged by accusations of government meddling.
Anti-graft crusader wins Guatemala presidency by landslide
Est. 4minGuatemalan anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo was voted in as president on Sunday (20 August), a victory that until recently seemed impossible and which many voters hope will end years of rule dogged by allegations of graft and authoritarianism.
Argentine far-right outsider Javier Milei takes shock lead in primary vote
Est. 4minArgentine voters punished the country's two main political forces in a primary election on Sunday (13 August), pushing a rock-singing libertarian outsider candidate into first place in a huge shake-up in the race towards presidential elections in October.
Ecuador under state of emergency after presidential candidate killed
Est. 5minEcuador declared a state of emergency Thursday and asked the FBI to help probe the assassination of a popular presidential candidate, whose death has highlighted the once-peaceful nation's decline into a violent hotbed of drug trafficking and organized crime.
St. Petersburg summit: Russia retains allies, despite its invasion of Ukraine
Est. 5minDespite the war it started in Ukraine and efforts by the West to paint Russia as a pariah state, Moscow can still count on support from several African, Latin American and Asian governments, including that of heavyweight China.
If Europe doesn’t invest, others will, Brazil’s Lula warns
Est. 5minBrazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (19 July) criticised the EU's push to rework the Mercosur trade agreement as imposing double standards but remains optimistic that a deal could be sealed before the end of the year. His …
EU-Latin America summit exposes rift over condemnation of Russia war in Ukraine
Est. 5minA summit between European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders on Tuesday (18 July) highlighted a rift over how to condemn Russia's war in Ukraine as, until the last minute, they haggled over the final wording of the summit communiqué. Latin American …
Brazil envoy: EU-Latin America summit not about Ukraine but regional partnership
Est. 6minThe EU-Latin America summit this week shall not be overshadowed by the Europeans' preoccupations surrounding the war in Ukraine, Brazil's EU ambassador Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva told EURACTIV.
Nicaragua’s people need a robust EU response
Est. 4minTo protect the rights of Nicaraguans, democratic governments, especially in the Americas and the EU, should strengthen and coordinate their actions effectively, write Carlos Fernando Chamorro and Juanita Goebertus.
LEAK: Latin American countries push back on Ukraine, EU agenda ahead of joint summit
Est. 7minCentral and Latin American countries threw cold water on the EU's efforts to rally the continent's support for Ukraine and called for colonial reparations in a counter-proposal of an upcoming EU summit draft declaration, seen by EURACTIV.
Mercosur summit opens as EU trade deal hangs in the balance
Est. 3minThe South American trade bloc Mercosur opens a two-day summit Monday (3 July) with a deal with the European Union on the agenda, but few expect leaders to reach consensus on how to fulfill EU demands on environmental protections.
Lula stalls EU-Mercosur talks, prepares counter-proposal
Est. 4minMercosur countries cancelled trade talks with the EU meant to be held in Buenos Aires starting on Thursday and Friday (29-30 June) in what was seen as an attempt by Brazil's President Lula da Silva to buy time and present a counter-proposal to the bloc's most recent demands.
EU in talks with Chile on raw materials ‘strategic partnership’
Est. 6minThe EU is in the final stages of updating its 2003 trade agreement with Chile, and aims to conclude a separate strategic partnership on raw materials “very soon” with the Latin American country, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
LEAK: EU to prioritise Mercosur deal, establish closer ties with Latin America
Est. 6minThe EU will prioritise concluding a long-delayed trade deal with South America's Mercosur bloc and closer institutional cooperation as it seeks new allies to reduce economic dependencies on China and counter Russia, according to a leaked draft proposal, seen by EURACTIV on Tuesday (6 June).
EU needs Brazil for a new global strategy
Est. 5minStrengthening European Union relations with Latin America is strategic for Europe, and strengthened EU-Brazil ties could be the key, writes Antoni Comín i Oliveres.
There are many ways to rebuild Brazil: EU-Mercosur trade deal is not one of them
Est. 5minThe EU-Mercosur trade deal will substantially increase the trade in agricultural products, including beef, soy and ethanol, commodities that are directly tied to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and human rights violations, writes Audrey Changoe.
EU lawmaker: ‘Window of Opportunity’ for Mercosur trade agreement
Est. 4minEU lawmaker Inma Rodríguez-Piñero called for a swift wrap-up of negotiations between the EU and the South-American trading bloc Mercosur after years of delay.
French MEPs concerned over EU-Mercosur deal amid regional push
Est. 5minOver 20 years in the making, the EU-Mercosur deal is edging closer to implementation, with the region's leaders, including Brazil's freshly elected President Lula, pushing for swift ratification. However, French EU lawmakers reiterated concerns over environmental standards.
Scholz bid to rally Ukraine support in South America falls flat
Est. 4minGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz's bid to rally support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion during his first South American tour fell flat, with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reiterating his view both parties shared blame.
US issues license to Trinidad and Tobago to develop Venezuela offshore gas field
Est. 4minThe Biden administration has granted a license to Trinidad and Tobago to develop a major gas field located in Venezuelan territorial waters, US and Trinidad officials said on Tuesday (24 January), marking a further easing of some sanctions on Venezuela.