South America

Fugitive Italian ex-militant Battisti extradited from Bolivia

Cesare Battisti had been living in Brazil after fleeing Italy in 1981 while awaiting trial on four counts of murder. He denies killing anyone but was convicted in 1990 of four murders.

Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido released after brief arrest

National Assembly president Juan Guaido, his wife and several lawmakers were arrested in Venezuela.

Maradona recovering in hospital after surgery

Argentina's World Cup winning captain Diego Maradona successfully underwent an operation to stem bleeding caused by a hernia, his lawyer said.

Maduro starts new term shunned by parts of the international community

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro begins a new six-year term. Opponents, at home and abroad, seek to weaken his rule.

Colombian rights activist killed every two days in 2018 – ombudsman

Since 2016, 431 activists have been killed, the majority coming from the indigenous, black and peasant communities, the ombudsman said.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro sworn in for second term

Maduro won a popular vote in May, but his re-election has been dismissed as illegitimate by the opposition and much of the international community.

Venezuela says Lima Group encouraging US-ordered 'coup d'etat'

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza says "nothing or nobody will be able to prevent" the swearing in of President Nicolas Maduro on January 10, after the 14-member group, without Mexico, said it won't recognise Maduro's new government.

Bolsonaro open to discussing future US military base in Brazil

Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that he would be open to the possibility of the United States operating a military base on his country's soil, a move that would form a sharp shift in direction for Brazilian foreign policy.

Wild puma rescued from tree in Chilean capital

Following the rescue, the puma was taken to the Santiago zoo, although it is due to be released back into the wild at a later date.

Who is Bolsonaro, the man nicknamed the Trump of the Tropics?

Far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro has been sworn in as Brazil’s president after winning on an anti-graft platform. But Bolsonaro’s history of alarming opinions ranges from celebrating torture and making rape threats to mining the Amazon.

Russia allows consular access to detained US citizen - RIA

Russia's FSB security service said a day earlier it had detained the American, who it said was "carrying out an act of espionage."

Peru's Vizcarra to ask Congress to declare emergency in corruption probe

Vizcarra said Attorney General Pedro Chavarry's dismissal of prosecutors jeopardizes investigations into allegations of bribery involving some of the country's highest-ranking politicians, including several former presidents.