Venezuela won a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council Thursday, sparking outcry from the United States, advocacy groups and Latin American countries who say its rights record is appalling. The United States slammed the result as an "embarrassment" for the United Nations but Venezuela ...
Ecuador starts cleanup after deal to end indigenous protests, and austerity push
Thousands of indigenous demonstrators, student volunteers and local residents launched a massive cleanup Monday of a Quito park where anti-austerity protesters fought police for days, leaving piles of burning tires, trees and construction material. The cleanup began hours after President Lenín Moreno and indigenous leaders ...
Maduro hikes Venezuela's minimum wage again, this time by 275% in face of 50,100% inflation
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered a 275 percent increase in the monthly minimum wage on Monday, the third hike this year, as hyperinflation drains the value of workers' salaries. The minimum wage rose to 150,000 bolivars ($8) from 40,000, lawmaker Francisco Torrealba, a former labor ...
Indigenous-led national strike in Ecuador increases pressure on defiant Moreno
Indigenous-led protesters began a national strike in Ecuador on Wednesday after President Lenin Moreno refused to step down or overturn anti-austerity measures that have triggered the worst unrest in a decade. Streets were empty of traffic and businesses were closed in Quito and other cities ...
Brazil minister points finger at Venezuela over oil spills along coastline
The oil that has been polluting Brazil's northeastern beaches since early September is likely coming from Venezuela, according to a report by Brazil's state oil company cited by the country's environment minister. The oil sludge has now reached 61 municipalities in nine Brazilian states, contaminating ...
The U.S. must escape the "Endless Wars" in the Middle East, President Donald Trump repeatedly declares. Mission accomplished, at least in the shortest of short terms. When on Wednesday Turkey attacked the Kurds, America's longtime battlefield allies, U.S. troops had evacuated from harm's way. But ...
Mystery oil spills blot over 130 Brazilian beaches as Bolsonaro tries to blame outside criminals
The source of large blots of oil staining more than 130 beaches in northeastern Brazil remained a mystery Tuesday despite President Jair Bolsonaro's assertions they came from outside the country and were possibly the work of criminals. Tamar, a group dedicated to the protection of ...
President quits Quito as indigenous protesters crowd Ecuador's capital
Thousands of indigenous people converged on Ecuador's capital on Tuesday as anti-government protests and clashes prompted the president to move his besieged administration out of Quito. The South American country of 17 million appeared to be at a dangerous impasse, paralyzed by a lack of ...
Dmitry Medvedev visits Cuba in show of Russian support amid U.S. hostility
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev kicked off an official two-day visit to Cuba on Thursday in a strong show of Russia's support for the communist-run island as it faces escalating pressure from the United States and resulting fuel shortages. Medvedev laid a wreath of flowers ...
Amid criticism, Colombia defends claim that Venezuela's Maduro supports rebels
Colombia on Monday publicly defended a dossier it says proves Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro supports guerrilla groups and drug traffickers, but removed the armed forces' head of intelligence after widespread criticism of the report. Colombia has long accused Maduro of sheltering rebel fighters and crime ...
Disinformation efforts and media manipulation now used in 70 countries, say Oxford researchers
Organized efforts to manipulate social media and public opinion are being carried out in at least 70 countries by government agencies and political parties, researchers said Thursday. A report by the Oxford Internet Institute found manipulation efforts have doubled over the past two years and ...
A group of Russian military specialists has arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday, as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro meets with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to improve cooperation. Moscow has been one of Maduro's biggest backers amid ...
