LatinNews Daily
LatinNews Daily - 19 January 2026
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- REGION: EU-Mercosur deal inches closer but challenges remain
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Rodríguez announces reform of hydrocarbons law
- In brief: Fitch upgrades Bolivia’s credit rating
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Lula reiterates criticism of US actions in Venezuela
- In brief: Brazil’s economic activity rises
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Arévalo declares state of siege following gang violence
- In brief: Panama closes 2025 with annual deflation
Mexico
- MEXICO: Suspicions rise about US military actions
- In brief: Mexico’s Pemex issues bonds on local market
Southern Cone
- In brief: Chile declares catastrophe as fires rage
Washington Watch
- Trump meets oil executives to discuss Venezuela
On 17 January Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña hosted a meeting of heads of state of member nations of the Mercosur trade bloc, as well as the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, António Costa, to sign the trade agreement and partnership agreement with the European Union (EU).
LatinNews Daily - 16 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Machado attempts to sway Trump in high-stakes meeting
Andean
- In brief: Colombia’s governors challenge tax hikes as Petro shuffles cabinet
Brazil
- BRAZIL: New justice minister highlights fight against organised crime
- In brief: Brazil’s Petrobras posts annual rise in production
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Castro confirms start of transition process
- In brief: Honduras posts rise in remittances
Mexico
- MEXICO: US ups pressure on security collaboration
- In brief: Mexico hails economic impact of World Cup
Southern Cone
- CHILE: Kast holds second meeting with Boric
- In brief: Argentina adds new mining project to investment scheme
On 15 January the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met US President Donald Trump at the White House.
LatinNews Daily - 15 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Trump speaks to Rodríguez as oil sales begin
Andean
- In brief: Energy emergency declared in Bolivia
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Lula vetoes part of budget legislation
- In brief: Brazil’s police launch new phase of high-profile bank fraud probe
Central America & Caribbean
- HAITI: Security forces intensify anti-gang operations, target Chérizier
- In brief: Guatemala’s Arévalo hails impact of public investment
Mexico
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum defends USMCA
- In brief: GM announces US$1bn investment in Mexico
Southern Cone
- CHILE: PNL rules out joining Kast’s cabinet
- In brief: Argentina sells bonds with high yields
On 14 January US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Venezuela’s new President Delcy Rodríguez, on the same day that the US reportedly completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil under an agreement with the Rodríguez administration.
LatinNews Daily - 14 January 2026
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- BOLIVIA: Gov’t reaches agreement to end protests
Andean
- In brief: Colombia makes record bond issuance
Brazil
- BRAZIL: New justice minister appointed
- In brief: Brazil’s vehicle sales up in 2025
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: Authorities denounce alleged plot to kill Chaves
- In brief: El Salvador’s Bukele unveils new bonus for workers
Mexico
- MEXICO: Salinas accuses government of ‘harassment’
- In brief: US announces funding to combat anti-labour practices in Mexico
Southern Cone
- CHILE: Police officer absolved in emblematic Estallido Social case
- In brief: Argentina’s annual inflation drops for second consecutive year
On 13 January Bolivia’s government reached an agreement with the umbrella workers’ union Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) to end weeks of protests that were sparked by the cancellation of fuel subsidies in December.
LatinNews Daily - 13 January 2026
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- MEXICO: Sheinbaum stands firm in Trump talks
Andean
- VENEZUELA: Prisoner release picks up pace
- In brief: Peruvian transport workers announce new strike due to crime concerns
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Authorities to probe Meta on promotion of AI
- In brief: Brazil seeks deeper ties with Saudi Arabia over critical minerals
Central America & Caribbean
- PANAMA: Landmark corruption trial begins
- In brief: Guatemala hails rise in tourism
Mexico
- In brief: Mexico issues sustainability eurobonds
Southern Cone
- CHILE/PERU: Setback for Kast as Jerí rejects migrant proposal
- In brief: Paraguayan beef lobby hails advantage of Mercosur deal
On 12 January Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone, in their first conversation since the US intervention in Venezuela and amid escalating threats to deploy the US military against drug cartels in Mexico.
LatinNews Daily - 12 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Trump meets with oil leaders as another tanker seized
Andean
- In brief: Bolivia’s gov’t forced into U-turn amid protests
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Boost for government as Amazon deforestation slows
- In brief: Brazil’s annual inflation within target range
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Institutional crisis intensifies as Castro sanctions vote recount
- In brief: Cuba’s inflation falls
Mexico
- MEXICO: US demands more cooperation on tackling drug cartels
- In brief: Mexico’s industrial production continues to drop in annual terms
Southern Cone
- REGION: EU-Mercosur accord passes hurdle
- In brief: Argentina repays US swap line
Washington Watch
- US Secretary of State outlines Venezuela transition plan
On 9 January US President Donald Trump met with oil executives as he sought to spur private investment in Venezuela’s oil sector, on the same day that a fifth tanker was seized carrying Venezuelan crude.
LatinNews Daily - 09 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Gov’t announces release of prisoners
Andean
- In brief: Annual inflation falls in Colombia
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Lula strikes down bill to reduce Bolsonaro prison time
- In brief: Brazil’s industrial production stagnates
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Legislator attacked as congress approves recount
- In brief: Dominican Republic posts record tourism
Mexico
- MEXICO: Pressure rises as US threatens land intervention to tackle cartels
- In brief: Mexico’s inflation slows in December
Southern Cone
- URUGUAY: Orsi looks at potential upside of Maduro’s demise
- In brief: Industrial production, construction down in Argentina
On 8 January the president of Venezuela’s national assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, announced that the authorities would release “a significant number” of prisoners.
LatinNews Daily - 08 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: US seizes more tankers as Colombia aims to sway Trump
Andean
- In brief: Ecuador extends oil production contract with Chinese firm
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Bolsonaro allowed brief leave from jail for medical tests
- In brief: Brazil sees annual rise in net dollar outflow
Central America & Caribbean
- GUATEMALA: Gov’t warns of impact of 2025 budget rollover
- In brief: Guatemala posts rise in remittances
Mexico
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum denies increase in oil shipments to Cuba
- In brief: Mexico opens anti-dumping probe into US apple imports
Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: BCRA announces repo deal as key debt payment looms
- In brief: Chile posts record exports in 2025
On 7 January US forces seized two more tankers involved in the transport of Venezuelan crude, as Washington announced plans to control Venezuela’s oil sector indefinitely and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro spoke with President Donald Trump to try and sway his increasingly militaristic stance towards Latin America.
LatinNews Daily - 07 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: US alters its stance on Cártel de los Soles
Andean
- In brief: Annual inflation slows in Bolivia
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Exports up in 2025 despite US tariffs
- In brief: Brazil posts record international tourism in 2025
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Nasralla’s appeals against election result rejected
- In brief: Costa Rica hails FDI growth
Mexico
- MEXICO: Godoy continues FGR overhaul
- In brief: NWS case detected in Mexico’s Michoacán state
Southern Cone
- CHILE: Kast visits Peru to talk migration
- In brief: Argentina’s central bank makes another dollar purchase
On 6 January the US Department of Justice published a revised version of the indictment against Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026), largely removing references to his alleged leadership of a drug trafficking organisation named the Cártel de los Soles.
LatinNews Daily - 06 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Maduro pleads not guilty as Rodríguez sworn in as president
Andean
- In brief: Paz faces escalation of fuel protests in Bolivia
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Soy traders withdraw from landmark environmental agreement
- In brief: Brazil’s audit court to probe shuttering of high-profile bank
Central America & Caribbean
- COSTA RICA: New homicide figures pile fresh pressure on gov’t
- In brief: New US envoy to Costa Rica identifies China as key challenge
Mexico
- MEXICO: Gov’t repeats condemnation of US actions in Venezuela
- In brief: Mexico places first international bonds of 2026
Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Central bank gets ball rolling with dollar purchases
- In brief: Uruguay’s inflation slows
On 5 January Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapons charges in a New York court.
LatinNews Daily - 05 January 2026
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- VENEZUELA: Uncertainty prevails following US capture of Maduro
Andean
- In brief: Peru’s gov’t approves restructuring of Petroperú
Brazil
- BRAZIL: Police orders Bolsonaro’s son to return from US
- In brief: Brazil’s unemployment rate reaches record low
Central America & Caribbean
- HONDURAS: Nasralla demands recount after Asfura confirmed election winner
- In brief: Honduras inflation closes 2025 within target range
Mexico
- MEXICO: Sheinbaum rejects US intervention as tensions rise
- In brief: Remittances to Mexico continue downwards trend
Southern Cone
- ARGENTINA: Milei moves to strengthen economy
- In brief: Chile’s economic activity up year-on-year, down in monthly terms
On 3 January Delcy Rodríguez took over as interim president of Venezuela after the US military bombed the capital Caracas and arrested former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026).