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Bolivia plans legal action against Obama over ‘crimes against humanity’
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales plans to file legal action against the US president for crimes against humanity, condemning Washington’s intimidation tactics after it denied Venezuelan presidential jet entry into US airspace.
“I would like to announce that we are preparing a lawsuit against [US President] Barack Obama to condemn him for crimes against humanity,”...
Argentina, Brazil agree on cyber defense alliance
Brazil and Argentina have agreed to improve their cyber defense capabilities amid revelations that the US is spying on the Latin American countries, Press TV reports.
The decision was made following Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim’s recent meeting with his Argentinean counterpart Agustin Rossi in Buenos Aires.
“We need to reflect on how we cooperate to face these new forms of attack,”...
Brazilian president postpones visit to Washington over US spying
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has postponed a state visit to Washington in response to the US spying on her communications with top aides. Rousseff is demanding a full public apology from President Obama.
Barack Obama spoke with Rousseff on Monday in an attempt to persuade her into following through with the trip, the Brazilian president’s office said, according to AP.
Brazil’s TV Globo...
Wasted food among top greenhouse gas emitters – UN report
One-third of all food produced globally remains uneaten and gets thrown away, making the wastage the world’s third-biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions after industry in the US and China, a new UN study reveals.
A total of 1.3 billion tons of food a year, worth $750 billion, is thrown away, emitting 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to data collected by the UN’s Food and Agriculture...
Snowstorm kills 6 people, 30,000 domestic animals in Peru
A man attends his motorcar during a foggy morning in Lima, Peru on August 12, 2013.
Ongoing snowstorms along the border of Peru and Bolivia have left at least six people dead and claimed the lives of more than 30,000 domestic animals.
The cold spell affected about 80,000 mostly poor highlanders in Peru, damaging their main source of revenue – livestock including sheep, llamas and alpacas, and...
Protests against corruption, income inequality held in Brazil
In the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, thousands of people have demonstrated against corruption and income inequality in the country.
During the protests on Friday, demonstrators called for reshuffling of the country’s political and economic system.
Protests were also held in several other cities including Rio de Janeiro.
Angry protesters looted a major bank and national media giant Globo TV headquarters,...
Chile fights GMO in national protest against ‘Monsanto law’
Thousands of Chileans have rallied against a bill dubbed the “Monsanto law” that would let multinationals patent GMO seeds. Activists say it will not only compromise food sovereignty in Chile, but will also harm consumer health.
Mass protests were held in at least nine cities across the Latin American country to protest the bill that would allow for the development of genetically modified seeds....
Brazil may cancel $4 billion military deal with US over NSA spying efforts
NSA’s building in Fort Meade military base in the state of Maryland, near Washington DC
Brazil may cancel a planned 4-billion-dollar purchase of US warplanes over recent revelations that American spy agency NSA also conducted electronic surveillance on Brazilian Internet communications.
When visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with top Brazilian officials in the capital of Brasilia...
Cuba promotes international course on Dengue Fever
Havana – Renowned Cuban and foreign professors attend the XIII International Course on Dengue, expected to be held on the premises of the Institute of Tropical Medicine “Pedro Kourí” (IPK), in the Cuban capital from August 12 to 23.
The current epidemiological situation, surveillance, genome replication, viral challenges and advances in vaccines, vector ecology, control methods,...
Mexican drug cartels increasingly hire US military servicemen as assassins
Mexican drug cartels are hiring US military personnel to carry out murders. In exchange for cash or drugs, some American servicemen are working as hit men or teaching gangsters their skills.
Drug cartels have recruited American servicemen for years, paying them thousands of dollars to assassinate government informants, ousted cartel members, and other enemies of the group, law enforcement experts...
Brazil youths demand governors of Rio, Sao Paulo to resign
Brazilian protesters march towards Governor Sergio Cabral’s residence demanding him to resign in Rio de Janeiro on August 1, 2013.
Hundreds of Brazilian youths have staged protests demanding the resignation of the governors of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as well as the release of demonstrators arrested during previous rallies.
On Thursday, protesters in both cities demanded Rio de Janeiro Governor...
Uruguay parliament passes bill on production, distribution of marijuana
View of Uruguay’s lower house during the debate of a bill that legalizes marijuana, Montevideo, July 31, 2013.
Uruguay’s parliament has passed a controversial bill that legalizes for the first time the production and distribution of marijuana by the government.
The legislation was approved on Wednesday with 50 lawmakers out of 96 voting in favor of it following 14 hours of tough discussion.
The...
Latin American states disapprove of new IMF loans to Greece
Brazil’s executive director at the IMF Paulo Nogueira Batista
Latin American countries have refused to endorse a recent move by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release 1.7 billion euros ($2.29 billion) of rescue loans to Greece.
Paulo Nogueira Batista, who represents Brazil and 10 other Latin American countries on the IMF executive board, revealed on Wednesday that the group refused...
Oil pipeline blast injures seven people in central Mexico near capital
A firefighter walks away from the burning pipeline ignited by an explosion on July 21, 2013 near Tonanitla, Mexico.
Seven people have been injured in central Mexico in an oil pipeline explosion, which was ignited by an attempted theft of crude oil.
Mexican authorities say five police officers and two firefighters were hurt early Sunday when they responded to the explosion and fire near the municipality...
Bomb found at planned Pope Francis visit site in Brazil
Brazilian police officers fire tear gas during a protest against the huge cost of Pope Francis’ visit in Rio de Janeiro on July 22, 2013.
A homemade bomb was discovered hidden near a Brazilian shrine Pope Francis is scheduled to visit later this week, the military said Monday. The device was found in a parking garage bathroom inside the National Sanctuary of Aparecida in São Paulo state.
The...