Brazil’s top court voted narrowly to turn down an attempt by former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to stay out of jail while he appeals a corruption conviction, a decision that will have widespread implications in this polarized nation. After nearly 11 hours of often heated debate, the justices of the Supreme Federal Tribunal voted 6-5 early Thursday to deny… Read more »
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43791760 A recent territory dispute between two rebel groups (the EPL and the ELN) has left over 1,000 families in a northern-eastern province of Colombia in a displaced state. The two rebel groups are fighting over the territory which is notorious for coca field farms, used in the process of developing cocaine. This development is a key current event in… Read more »
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/19/americas/cuba-new-president-named/index.html Miguel Díaz-Canel was ocially named as the new leader of Cuba on Thursday, one day after a secret vote in the country’s National Assembly. It’s the first time in nearly six decades that Cuba is being led by a man not named Castro. Díaz-Canel, 57, was selected by a vote of 603-1 as the unopposed candidate to replace Raul… Read more »
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/12/americas/brazil-lawmakers-change-name-support-lula/index.html — Dozens of Brazilian lawmakers from the socialist Workers’ Party, the PT, have requested to change their names to include “Lula.” The act is in solidarity with former President and founding member of PT Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. On Saturday, Lula da Silva turned himself over to federal authorities to begin serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption…. Read more »