While we’re fully aware that the instability of the Venezuelan regime has led to not only political turmoil in the form of protests, the economic impact has been nearly as resounding. With inflation rates skyrocketing, and nearly every product in short supply, purchasing almost anything would be an obvious struggle for Venezuelans. Those who live along the country’s western border… Read more »
WSJ: CARACAS, Venezuela—President Nicolás Maduro raised the minimum wage 40% on Thursday, a day before a national strike called by the opposition to force the president to allow a referendum on his rule. It was the fourth time this year the leader of the oil-rich nation has raised salaries and pensions as he battles the collapse of the local currency,… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Puerto Santander, Colombia, on the Venezuelan border – Dicson has 1.4 million Venezuelan bolivars ($140,700) stuffed under the backseat of his car. Stacks upon stacks of cash are neatly sorted and tucked away, earned from the sales at his shop in Puerto Santander, a Colombian town on the Venezuelan border. The 47-year-old smiles as he covers up the… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Major factions of Venezuela’s opposition coalition have denied joining government-proposed talks, just hours after the group’s head agreed to hold dialogue with President Nicolas Maduro following intervention by the Vatican. In a surprise move, Jesus Torrealba, the leader of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition (MUD), had agreed to join the dialogue proposed by the socialist Maduro following his meeting with… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Electoral officials in Venezuela have suspended a recall referendum campaign against President Nicolas Maduro, a move that further challenges opposition efforts to oust the socialist leader in the wake of a deepening economic crisis. Thursday’s decision by the electoral council came after several regional courts voided the results of an earlier signature drive against Maduro due to fraud… Read more »
Argentina has never had a perfect track record when it comes to economic performance, yet a stark contrast can be drawn between the approach of the current and former administration. Going back, under the rule of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, economic failures had always been swept under the rug in an attempt to make the country look better and… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Colima, Mexico – Alma Hernandez’s dreams of becoming an architect and building a future with her boyfriend, Pedro Navarro, were irrevocably crushed one sunny afternoon when they were shot dead outside a Walmart in their hometown of Colima. The pair, both aged 21, had been together for five years. They had recently opened a hotdog stand to help support… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Buenos Aires – Argentina’s government has released poverty figures for the first time in three years, revealing that nearly a third of the population is living below the breadline. The news came as a shock as the previous administration of Cristina Kirchner had stopped measuring poverty rates more than a decade ago. In Argentina, you are officially poor… Read more »
Al Jazeera: Sao Paulo – Brazilians are gearing up for Sunday’s local election, which has seen more and more people turning to evangelical leaders for political as well as spiritual guidance. In the city of Sao Paulo, Celso Russomanno is vying for the mayor’s post, running on his record as a defender of consumer rights. While he emphasises that he… Read more »
BBC: Brazil’s ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been charged with corruption again, local media say. He allegedly helped a relative of his ex-wife win a contract for construction giant Oderbrecht in Angola. Police have yet to confirm the news. But in a statement on Facebook Lula said he had always “acted within the law”.