LatinNews Daily - 23 February 2024

On 22 February a Panamanian judge Baloísa Marquínez ordered the arrest of Panama’s former president Ricardo Martinelli (Cambio Democrático, 2009-2014).... Read More

On 22 February Peru’s Prime Minister Alberto Otárola confirmed that the government led by President Dina Boluarte is planning to emulate El Salvador’s controversial incarceration model, which has sparked accusations of widespread human rights abuses.... Read More

*Colombia’s state oil company, Ecopetrol, has announced the discovery of two new natural gas deposits following its drilling of the Orca Norte-1 well, which was completed in January.... Read More

On 22 February Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2023) was questioned by federal police (PF) as part of investigations into an alleged plot to launch a military coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat.... Read More

*Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has held a meeting with the global chairman of South Korean car manufacturing giant Hyundai, Euisun Chung, who announced plans to invest US$1.1bn until 2032 in the company’s operations in Brazil, which is expected to create more than 6,500 jobs.... Read More

*Panama’s government led by President Laurentino Cortizo has issued three bonds on the international market for a total of US$3.1bn.... Read More

On 22 February Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador railed against The New York Times (NYT) over an investigation into alleged links between his administration and drug trafficking organisations (DTOs), sparking widespread criticism.... Read More

*Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has celebrated the country’s economic performance after the national statistics institute (Inegi) released figures showing economic growth of 3.2% in 2023 and a drop in inflation in the first half of February.... Read More

On 22 February Argentina’s President Javier Milei and his economic team held a meeting with the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gita Gopinath, in the presidential palace Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires.... Read More

*Uruguay’s central bank (BCU) has announced that it is holding its benchmark interest rate at 9%, “with the objective of consolidating inflation within the target range and continuing the convergence of its 24-month expectations to the centre of the range”, according to a BCU statement.... Read More