The Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, Haiti, has a history filled with corruption within the government. In 2008, Haiti was ranked the world’s fourth most corrupt country. Over half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. The nation is still rebuilding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
A Chilean judge has convicted the country’s former army chief for his role in the killing of 15 people in the early days of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship decades ago. Juan Emilio Cheyre, 71, was sentenced on Friday to three years and a day under house arrest for covering up the killings of the infamous “Caravan of Death” following an… Read more »
The trial of a young Salvadoran woman, who became pregnant after being raped and suffered complications during her pregnancy, is set to begin on Monday in the latest case tried under the country’s strict abortion laws. Imelda Cortez, 20, is accused of attempted aggravated homicide of her newborn baby. She became pregnant at the age of 17 after being raped repeatedly by… Read more »
Since August, Cubans have been gathering in thousands of government-organised meetings taking place across the island. They came together in hospitals, schools and parks to discuss a new draft constitution, which, if passed, would mark the most significant political change in Cuba for more than four decades. Proposals include opening the door for same-sex marriage, recognising private ownership and scrapping the goal of building a communist… Read more »
Six people have been killed and at least five others wounded during anti-corruption protests across Haiti, according to police, as anger grows over the disappearance of billions of dollars linked to a public finance programme. Thousands of Haitians marched in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other parts of the country on Sunday calling for a probe into the spending of $3.8bn Haiti… Read more »
Venezuela, as of November 2018, is in its fourth year of economic recession. Recently there has been a major exodus from Venezuela due to lack of food, appropriate medical care, and social crisis. Venezuela and its government have not been open to accepting humanitarian aid from the United Nations, despite the UN asking Venezuela, ” to open its doors.”
Speaking at the launch of the 2018 Panorama of Food and Nutrition Security report in Santiago, Chile, FAO’s Regional Representative, Julio Berdegue said it was an “appalling” threat to health overall, affecting women and indigenous groups the most. The Panorama, published annually by FAO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP), explores strategies to halt the… Read more »
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Cabinet ministers from the United States, Mexico and Canada will sign a new trade agreement on Nov. 30, Mexico’s economy minister said on Thursday. The deal will be signed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told reporters at an event in Mexico City. Argentina is hosting the G20 international forum for governments… Read more »
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) – A proposal by Brazil’s next president to relocate its embassy in Israel, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s lead, may set off a diplomatic storm in the Muslim world, threatening a key market for the world’s largest meat companies. Brazil is by far the world’s largest exporter of halal meat, which complies with Muslim dietary rules. President-elect… Read more »
The United Nations says there are now three million refugees and migrants from Venezuela who have left the country due to its crumbling economy, violence, hyperinflation and shortage of food and medicines. The figure amounts to around one in 12 of the population. Of the three million, 2.3 million have left Venezuela since 2015, according to United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman… Read more »