Displaying items by tag: Latin America

57 Colombian soldiers have been seized by civilians and armed rebels in the Micay Canyon area, a vital cocaine-producing area in the southwest. The first group was captured on 21 June during an army operation in El Tambo; then another platoon was surrounded by roughly 200 residents near El Plateado. General Federico Alberto Mejía called the incidents a ‘kidnapping’ by rebels who infiltrate local communities, acting under the command of a FARC dissident group that refused the 2016 peace accord. President Gustavo Petro, committed to peace, announced that the release of the soldiers is ‘imperative’ as tensions rise. The government is struggling to regain control of rural areas as splintered armed groups move to dominate territories abandoned by FARC after the peace agreement. This crisis has reignited fears across Colombia, evoking memories of the bloody cartel violence and political assassinations which plagued the nation in the 1980s and 1990s.

In a northern region of Brazil known as the Equatorial Margin, where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic, a major environmental and political debate is unfolding. After researching the possibility of offshore oil reserves, the government decided to hold auctions to sell exploration rights in this area. President Lula da Silva, known for his environmental pledges, including a promise of ‘zero deforestation’ in 2023, now supports allowing drilling ‘to fund our energy transition’ and bolster the economy. Critics argue this contradicts his public stance and undermines Brazil’s credibility as it prepares to host COP30. Environmental organisations and even the federal prosecutor’s office challenged the oil auctions, citing inadequate environmental reviews and community consultation. Despite their efforts, they went ahead, with major corporations like Chevron and Petrobras securing exploration rights. Brazil’s environmental agency had initially rejected drilling permits, but its decision was overruled by its own director under government pressure. The outcome reflects Brazil’s struggle to reconcile economic needs with ecological stewardship.

Argentina’s supreme court has upheld a six-year prison sentence for former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on corruption charges, barring her permanently from public office. The ruling sparked protests in Buenos Aires, where her supporters accused the court of serving the nation’s economic elite. Fernández de Kirchner, who led Argentina from 2007 to 2015, was convicted in 2022 of directing irregular public works contracts to an ally. She denounced the decision as politically motivated and appealed, but the court stated that it was ‘based on the abundance of evidence produced’, and said that her conviction did nothing more than protect Argentina’s democratic system. President Javier Milei, her fierce political rival, welcomed the verdict. The decision seems to mark the end of a significant chapter in Argentine politics, just days after Kirchner had launched a campaign for the Buenos Aires legislative elections in September. She has five days to turn herself in to the authorities, but her lawyer has requested house arrest due to her age (she is 72).

Three retired colonels have been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for orchestrating the 1982 killings of four Dutch journalists during El Salvador’s civil war. They are former defence minister Jose Guillermo Garcia (91), Francisco Moran (93), and Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena (85). The journalists had been filming with leftist rebels when ambushed by soldiers in a planned military trap. A 1993 UN truth commission had previously identified the ambush as orchestrated by Reyes, who remains in the USA despite an extradition request. Garcia and Moran are currently under police watch in a private hospital. The case was revived in 2018 after El Salvador's supreme court struck down a postwar amnesty. Advocacy from the victims’ families and international bodies, including the Dutch government and EU, pressured authorities to bring long-delayed justice.

Colombia is pursuing a peaceful alternative to its enduring drug crisis by offering payments to farmers who agree to uproot coca (the plant used to make cocaine) and replace it with legal crops like cocoa and coffee. About 4,000 families have joined the $14.4 million programme, despite risks from armed groups that profit from cocaine and the uncertainty of sustaining income through legal farming. The government, under president Gustavo Petro, is aiming to eliminate coca from 45,000 hectares in conflict-heavy regions such as the Micay Canyon. However, since he took office in 2022 cocaine production has soared, driven by sustained demand worldwide, and his efforts to negotiate with armed groups, rather than using military confrontation, have faltered.  Now the Trump administration is reassessing Colombia’s status as a partner in the anti-drug campaign, threatening to curtail millions of dollars in military aid.

A German court has dismissed a lawsuit by Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya against energy giant RWE, rejecting his claim for damages over flood risks in his hometown linked to climate change. Lliuya argued that RWE’s historic carbon emissions contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers threatening his town of Huaraz. Though the court found no immediate threat to his property, it acknowledged that major emitters may bear proportional costs for preventative climate measures. This ruling, while unfavourable to Lliuya, is seen as a landmark in climate litigation, particularly as it came from a plaintiff in the global south against a global north corporation. The court also said that RWE should have foreseen the effects of its emissions. Although RWE argues that climate change cannot be blamed on a single emitter, legal observers view the case as a potential turning point for holding polluters accountable globally.

Hundreds of residents in Panama’s Indio River region are opposing a proposed dam project that threatens to flood their homes. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) plans to build a 4,600-hectare reservoir to supply water to the drought-affected canal, a key passage for 6% of global maritime trade. The $1.6 billion project, slated for completion by 2032, aims to stabilise water levels amid declining rainfall. While ACP pledges $400 million for compensating and relocating roughly 2,500 residents, groups warn that up to 12,000 people may be affected. Many villagers, dependent on farming and fishing, feel their livelihoods are being sacrificed for international shipping interests. Recent protests on the river reflect deep opposition, despite ACP’s commitment to dialogue. President Jose Raul Mulino supports the initiative, which has also stirred geopolitical tensions.

Jose ‘Pepe’ Mujica, Uruguay’s beloved former president and leftist rebel, has died at 89 after battling throat cancer. Revered for his humility, Mujica led Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, promoting civil liberties, legalising same-sex marriage and marijuana, and pushing for green energy reform. His decision to live in a simple farmhouse rather than in the presidential palace, and to drive around in an old Volkswagen Beetle, earned him the nickname ‘the world’s poorest president’. Once a member of the armed Tupamaros movement, Mujica spent years in solitary confinement during Uruguay’s military dictatorship. Following the country’s return to democracy, he entered politics with the Broad Front coalition, rising to the presidency by age 74. His death prompted tributes from across Latin America, honoring his courage, simplicity, and hope. Though once a fighter, Mujica later championed peace, dignity, and selfless leadership. In his final interview, he faced death with serenity, saying, ‘A warrior has the right to rest.’

In Brazil’s hottest region, the Maxakali indigenous people are restoring life to their ancestral land through an agroforestry project called Hāmhi Terra Viva. Amid soaring temperatures and rampant wildfires worsened by invasive guinea grass (introduced by cattle farmers) and widespread deforestation of the Atlantic Forest, the Maxakali are reviving traditional planting methods infused with ancestral songs. Once lush with biodiversity, the forest is now over 85% destroyed, leaving their territory dry, scorched, and vulnerable to climate extremes. In response, they have replanted over 215 hectares of fruit trees and native vegetation and formed fire brigades using traditional techniques. Music is central: songs, rich in ecological knowledge, guide daily work and honor the spiritual connections between people and nature. These songs contain forgotten names and behaviours of now-vanished species, serving as living archives of the forest’s past. By combining ritual, reforestation, and community effort, the Maxakali are resisting ecological collapse and calling on both nature and ancestors to help the land heal.

The death of Pope Francis has sparked reflection among church leaders in Argentina who knew him personally. Evangelical pastor Alejandro Rodríguez described him as 'a pastor with the smell of sheep’, deeply connected with the people. Legendary evangelist Luis Palau considered him a friend, despite theological differences, praising Francis’s humility and respect for the Bible. During his time as archbishop and pope, Francis built bridges with Evangelical leaders, supporting Bible engagement and championing unity. He collaborated on projects like the Community Bible Experience and encouraged Catholics to read Scripture. His personal gestures, such as serving others and breaking protocol, left a lasting impression. While not all Evangelicals agreed with his views or reforms, many respected his sincerity, humility, and service to the poor. Many church leaders have expressed sorrow and praised his legacy of service and openness to inter-church dialogue. His life invites reflection on the importance of unity without compromise and the shared mission of lifting high the name of Jesus. See