MEXICO CITY (AP) — Venezuela’s presidential election so far is a one-horse race for incumbent President Nicolás Maduro. That’s not for a lack of potential challengers, or because of any great affection from voters. It’s because he’s the only politician with the means for a campaign and a guaranteed spot on the ballot. Electoral authorities this week announced that the …
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Five suspects in the assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate will stand trial
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that five of six suspects in last year’s assassination of a presidential candidate will stand trial, including a leader of a powerful criminal gang who Ecuadorian authorities accuse of coordinating the slaying from his prison cell. Judge Irene Pesántez said Carlos Angulo, the imprisoned leader of a faction of the feared Los …
Read More »Nicaragua’s crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
MIAMI (AP) — Nineteen priests kicked out of the country, dozens of incidents of harassment and church desecrations, rural areas lacking worship and social services: the situation for Catholic clergy and faithful in Nicaragua is only worsening in 2024, according to exiled priests, laypeople in the Central American country and human rights advocates. The fear of the ongoing crackdown by …
Read More »US Virgin Islands finalizes land swap deal to build school despite concerns over historic cay
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday finalized a long-awaited deal that will allow officials to build a public school on St. John as part of a land swap that many opposed because it involves an island with historical ties to slavery. The deal with the U.S. National Park Service means the U.S. Virgin Islands …
Read More »Argentina lawmakers have approved Milei’s sweeping reform bill but much negotiating remains
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies on Friday approved in general terms a reform bill proposed by libertarian President Javier Milei to deregulate the economy, overcoming a hurdle for the sweeping initiative after three days of heated debate. But the fine print of the omnibus bill’s more than 300 articles, including economic, administrative, criminal and environmental changes, …
Read More »Secret US spying program targeted top Venezuelan officials, flouting international law
MIAMI (AP) — A secret memo obtained by The Associated Press details a yearslong covert operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that sent undercover operatives into Venezuela to surreptitiously record and build drug-trafficking cases against the country’s leadership – a plan the U.S. acknowledged from the start was arguably a violation of international law. “It is necessary to conduct …
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