https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/322265/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from the Americas. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters Reuters El Salvador has sent about 1,000 troops to Haiti after four Salvadorean members of a UN-backed security mission went missing in a gang ambush on the outskirts of the capital on October 18, a security official in Haiti told Reuters on Tuesday. The troops’ arrival aboard flights in recent days dramatically expands the Central American nation’s role in Haiti’s long-standing gang conflict. Yet it remains unclear who will command the new Salvadorean contingent, how long ‌it will stay in Haiti or... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372387/el-salvador-deploys-1000-troops-haiti-after-gang-ambush https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372387/el-salvador-deploys-1000-troops-haiti-after-gang-ambush Wed, 28 Oct 2026 04:30:48 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Britain’s King Charles arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday as part of a nine-day trip to the Caribbean, where he faces calls for an apology and slavery reparations. It is his first official visit to the Bahamas as king, with the archipelago’s government closing all public schools on the island of New Providence to welcome him. The Bahamian police and armed forces strode out to greet Charles in lockstep, some wearing pith helmets. Charles stepped out in a light grey suit and donned sunglasses as he... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372358/king-charles-arrives-bahamas-faces-demands-reparations-pay-us-what-you-owe-us https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372358/king-charles-arrives-bahamas-faces-demands-reparations-pay-us-what-you-owe-us Tue, 27 Oct 2026 23:36:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has left the country ⁠for the United States after losing Sunday’s ⁠presidential election, three sources said on Tuesday, with the ⁠US State Department due to grant him and his family entry visas. Bolsonaro, who has yet to concede to leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left Brazil after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports. The ruling relates to a money-laundering probe in which he denies wrongdoing. The location of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372350/brazil-wonders-where-earth-flavio-bolsonaro https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372350/brazil-wonders-where-earth-flavio-bolsonaro Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:41:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Monday that leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s surprise win in Brazil’s presidential vote “looked like another rigged election”, although the party of defeated right-winger Flavio Bolsonaro later acknowledged the result. The son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat in Sunday’s presidential election, saying he would ‌seek the annulment of Lula’s victory after the Supreme Court extended voting by two... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372220/brazils-flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-will-lead-opposition-lula-government https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372220/brazils-flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-will-lead-opposition-lula-government Mon, 26 Oct 2026 21:34:03 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva staged a surprise comeback to secure a fourth term in office, extending a presidency that has overseen deepening ties with China and sporadic clashes with the United States. With almost all of the ballots in Sunday’s presidential run-off counted, Lula led with 51.8 per cent of the votes to 48.2 per cent for Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The 80-year-old left-winger is the first person to win the presidency after losing the first round of voting since Brazil... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372167/lula-secures-surprise-win-retain-brazil-presidency https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3372167/lula-secures-surprise-win-retain-brazil-presidency Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:07:52 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won re-election on Sunday in a dramatic comeback after trailing in the first round, extending the rule of a government that has overseen record Chinese investment. The Superior Electoral Court said Lula had 51.8 per cent of valid votes against 48.2 per cent for right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. No candidate who trailed after the first round had won a run-off since Brazil adopted the system in 1989. Addressing reporters and allies at a hotel in Sao... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3372099/lula-pulls-brazils-first-ever-run-comeback-beat-trump-ally-flavio-bolsonaro https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3372099/lula-pulls-brazils-first-ever-run-comeback-beat-trump-ally-flavio-bolsonaro Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:30:22 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A Supreme Court justice in Brazil ordered polls in the presidential run-off to stay open for two more hours on Sunday, minutes after voting had officially ended at 5pm Brasilia time (4am on Monday in Hong Kong). The order left election officials across China’s biggest trading partner in Latin America unsure whether to reopen polling stations or send their machines to be counted. Justice Cristiano Zanin, who was President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s lawyer before joining the court in 2023, acted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372096/brazil-pauses-presidential-vote-count-after-supreme-court-extends-voting-hours https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372096/brazil-pauses-presidential-vote-count-after-supreme-court-extends-voting-hours Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:18:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuelan opposition ⁠leader Maria Corina Machado was greeted by tens of thousands of cheering supporters as she made ⁠her way by car to Caracas on Sunday night, after she arrived home following several failed return attempts which have strained her ties with US President Donald Trump’s administration. “This country is giving lessons to everyone,” she shouted as her convoy entered the capital, leaning out of the sunroof to shake hands and hug raucous supporters. Nobel Peace Prize laureate... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372094/venezuelas-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado-returns-after-months-exile https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3372094/venezuelas-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado-returns-after-months-exile Sun, 25 Oct 2026 19:31:04 +0000 Zhou Xiaoming Zhou Xiaoming The anxiety gripping Seoul is palpable. Under US pressure, South Korea signed a US$350 billion investment deal last November for a 10-percentage-point tariff reduction, billing it as a strategic alliance. Barely a year on, the facade has crumbled. Last month, US President Donald Trump announced a US$200 billion tranche of the deal with no South Korean official present. Blindsided, Seoul restated its “commercial viability” clause. Trump’s response was blunt. “If they don’t want to do it, that’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371802/seouls-useless-placation-warning-all-us-trade-partners https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3371802/seouls-useless-placation-warning-all-us-trade-partners Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press El Salvador deployed 100 special forces soldiers to Haiti on Thursday to help rescue four missing soldiers from the Central American country who recently came under attack by gangs, two officials told Associated Press. The special forces arrived a day after Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation to rescue the four aviation technicians, issuing an ultimatum directly to Haitian gang leaders in Creole. “We have a single objective: to bring our four compatriots back home... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371862/el-salvador-deploys-special-forces-haiti-after-soldiers-seized-gangs https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371862/el-salvador-deploys-special-forces-haiti-after-soldiers-seized-gangs Fri, 23 Oct 2026 03:44:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In the latest showdown from Brazil’s increasingly rancorous presidential race Tuesday, both candidates called for the disqualification of their rivals over allegations of social media malfeasance, according to court filings and campaign officials. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign said they would request the disqualification of right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro on Wednesday over alleged election interference by tech giant Meta. Later Tuesday, Bolsonaro’s team struck back with its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371582/days-brazils-run-lula-and-bolsonaro-seek-disqualify-each-other https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371582/days-brazils-run-lula-and-bolsonaro-seek-disqualify-each-other Wed, 21 Oct 2026 03:50:20 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Dozens of Air China passengers stranded in Cuba by successive cancellations were due to fly out on an extra flight on Monday, as a US oil embargo deepens the island’s energy crisis. The disruption has hit one of Cuba’s last direct air links to Europe, the Chinese carrier’s twice-weekly route between Beijing and Havana via Madrid. Air China added flight CA590 for travellers whose regular CA866 service was cancelled before October 10, the Chinese embassy said in a notice on Sunday. The flight was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371426/chinas-flag-carrier-scrambles-fly-stranded-passengers-out-fuel-starved-cuba https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371426/chinas-flag-carrier-scrambles-fly-stranded-passengers-out-fuel-starved-cuba Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:44:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Brazil’s Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva traded barbs in ⁠their first face-to-face presidential debate on Sunday in a contentious back-and-forth just one week before the election’s run-off. Polls before the debate suggested Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, would enter the October 25 vote as the favourite after finishing nearly two points ahead of Lula in the election’s first round earlier this month. But surveys have also shown a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371343/lula-and-bolsonaro-trade-barbs-fiery-brazil-run-debate https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371343/lula-and-bolsonaro-trade-barbs-fiery-brazil-run-debate Mon, 19 Oct 2026 04:09:43 +0000 Agencies Agencies A Catholic priest died on Saturday after a heavy wooden crucifix fell from a wall and crushed him against the pulpit as he celebrated mass in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil. Father Patricio Sanchez was conducting the service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church when the crucifix detached from the wall directly above the altar. Graphic footage of the live-streamed service, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend, showed the cross fatally striking the priest on the head as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371331/falling-crucifix-kills-priest-during-live-streamed-mass-ecuador https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371331/falling-crucifix-kills-priest-during-live-streamed-mass-ecuador Sun, 18 Oct 2026 20:13:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hurricane Trudy lashed parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast with heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday as the US National Hurricane Centre warned of potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides. A hurricane warning remained in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. The latest NHC data showed the Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165kph) moving northwest off Mexico’s Pacific coast at 10 mph (17kph). Meanwhile, Typhoon Champi was moving... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371318/hurricane-trudy-threatens-mexican-coast-flooding-mudslides https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371318/hurricane-trudy-threatens-mexican-coast-flooding-mudslides Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:36:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A judge has sentenced three Mexican men to more than 158 years in prison each for the 2024 murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend, a case that tarnished Mexico’s image by exposing the risks foreigners face when visiting the tourism-dependent country. Friday’s sentencing, which came a week after the men were found guilty, marked the end of a lengthy legal process over the killings of Australians Callum and Jake Robinson, and American Carter Redd Rhoad. Their bodies were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371227/3-mexican-men-jailed-over-158-years-australian-us-surfer-murders https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371227/3-mexican-men-jailed-over-158-years-australian-us-surfer-murders Sat, 17 Oct 2026 03:39:33 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguay’s technology minister said on Thursday that sanctions imposed on him by Beijing over his country’s ties with Taiwan would only accelerate joint projects with the island. Gustavo Villate, who heads the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, wrote in a lengthy social media post that the relationship with Taipei would “never be on the negotiating table”. He also suggested that Beijing had acted to protect Chinese telecoms suppliers kept out of Paraguay’s networks. “This... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371214/paraguays-tech-minister-defies-beijing-sanctions-says-taiwan-ties-not-negotiation https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371214/paraguays-tech-minister-defies-beijing-sanctions-says-taiwan-ties-not-negotiation Fri, 16 Oct 2026 21:43:02 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Trade between Brazil and China reached a record US$143 billion in the first nine months of the year, driven by Brazilian oil sales that surged after the war on Iran disrupted Gulf supply, according to a report by the Brazil-China Business Council. Brazilian exports to China rose 12 per cent to US$84.7 billion between January and September, while imports from China grew 9.9 per cent to US$58.6 billion, the council said in its quarterly analysis of government data. The resulting US$26.1 billion... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371064/china-bought-half-brazils-oil-exports-iran-war-shut-hormuz-driving-sales-record https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3371064/china-bought-half-brazils-oil-exports-iran-war-shut-hormuz-driving-sales-record Thu, 15 Oct 2026 18:23:44 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro insisted in court on Thursday that newly unsealed torture allegations against him and his wife were “false accusations”. Maduro and Cilia Flores, both shackled at the ankles, were brought to court to face a rewritten indictment that expands from an initial set of drug trafficking charges to accuse them of leading a state-sponsored repression campaign that tortured scores of victims, including three Americans. Maduro twice defied a judge’s request that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371060/venezuelas-maduro-says-new-us-torture-allegations-are-false https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3371060/venezuelas-maduro-says-new-us-torture-allegations-are-false Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:32:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Costa Rica, considered for decades a peaceful enclave in turbulent Central America, has now made fighting drug trafficking one of its main goals. And it is turning to one of its Central American neighbours for inspiration in its hardline crackdown. On Wednesday, President Laura Fernandez inaugurated a mega-prison that emulates the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) that has become a symbol of Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele’s security strategy. Bukele has managed to reduce murders to a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370948/costa-rica-latest-adopt-bukele-blueprint-new-mega-prison https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370948/costa-rica-latest-adopt-bukele-blueprint-new-mega-prison Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:53:38 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A planned US$844 million port in southern Peru has drawn interest from several foreign investors, including Chinese companies, a regional governor said on Monday, as the government began promoting the project abroad. “Several companies have approached us. We have investors from the US, China and India who are very interested,” Rohel Sanchez, the governor of Arequipa, told reporters after signing an agreement with the state investment agency Proinversion. He said firms from Turkey and the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370786/peru-governor-touts-chinese-interest-deep-water-port-pitched-chancay-alternative https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3370786/peru-governor-touts-chinese-interest-deep-water-port-pitched-chancay-alternative Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:10:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rains and flooding along Mexico’s Pacific Coast from Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel have left five people dead, authorities said Monday. The El Nino phenomenon, characterised by rising water temperatures in the Pacific, is fuelling a more intense hurricanes this season in the region. Simon claimed the life of a 71-year-old man who “died when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo” in the southern state of Guerrero, Governor Evelyn Salgado said during the daily presidential press... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370651/2-dead-10-missing-hurricane-and-tropical-storm-hit-mexico https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370651/2-dead-10-missing-hurricane-and-tropical-storm-hit-mexico Mon, 12 Oct 2026 22:23:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two powerful 7.7 and 6.6 magnitude earthquakes and a series of aftershocks struck Panama on Friday afternoon, collapsing buildings near the epicentre and prompting evacuations across the country, the US Geological Survey said. The earlier quake, felt as far away as neighbouring Colombia, was centred about 10km (six miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, in the central province of Herrera, the USGS said. It struck at a depth of 10km. The USGS initially reported the first... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370411/panama-rocked-2-powerful-earthquakes-multiple-aftershocks https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370411/panama-rocked-2-powerful-earthquakes-multiple-aftershocks Fri, 09 Oct 2026 22:10:33 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Flavio Bolsonaro said he would work with the US and China if he becomes Brazil’s president, after a surprise election performance left him poised to join a wave of conservative leaders pushing Latin America closer to Washington. “I’m not going to pick sides,” Bolsonaro said at an event in Brasilia on Thursday. “My side will be the Brazilian people, whether we’re dealing with China, Israel, the Middle East, Argentina or India. It doesn’t matter. That’s how I’m going to govern.” Bolsonaro finished... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370246/flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-would-work-china-and-us-brazils-president https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370246/flavio-bolsonaro-says-he-would-work-china-and-us-brazils-president Thu, 08 Oct 2026 23:37:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters US prosecutors on Thursday charged ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens, adding to the drug trafficking case the couple already faced. Separately, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, denied a request by Flores to be released from jail due to health concerns ahead of a trial scheduled for next year. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured on January 3 in their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:10:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges ‌in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charges could come as soon as Thursday, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation. Maduro, who led Venezuela for 13 years, and Flores were captured by the US military from their home in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York ⁠to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:58:12 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese contractors will build Latin America’s longest cable-stayed bridge, a trans-bay span in Brazil, as their latest stamp on new infrastructure overseas. A consortium of Chinese companies is set to construct much of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge, which is due to become the region’s biggest cross-sea project supported by cables once completed in 2031, Chinese and Brazilian media said. They would contribute to a 46.8km (29-mile) project including 12.4km crossing the Bay of All Saints along the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369850/chinese-consortium-build-latin-americas-longest-cable-stayed-bridge-brazil https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/economy/global-economy/article/3369850/chinese-consortium-build-latin-americas-longest-cable-stayed-bridge-brazil Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galan has called on the Chinese-led consortium building the city’s first metro line to send more workers to its stations, after the country’s top auditor warned that delays in several parts of the project could push back its opening in March 2028. “We are entering a critical stage, which is the final stretch,” Galan said in an interview published by local news magazine Semana on Monday. “We have to ask Metro Linea 1 to get moving and put more staff in the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369839/bogota-mayor-presses-chinese-led-consortium-more-metro-workers-auditors-flag-delays https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369839/bogota-mayor-presses-chinese-led-consortium-more-metro-workers-auditors-flag-delays Mon, 05 Oct 2026 20:40:37 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brazil is set for a presidential run-off after right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro won a surprise first-round victory, threatening Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s grip on power in South America’s largest economy. Bolsonaro, son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, took 47 per cent of the ballots in Sunday’s election, beating out Lula on 45 per cent. Brazilians will vote again on October 25 as neither candidate got the 50 per cent share needed to claim outright victory. US-China... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369805/brazil-china-ties-focus-bolsonaro-gets-election-edge-over-lula https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369805/brazil-china-ties-focus-bolsonaro-gets-election-edge-over-lula Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:46:21 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s presidential election will go to a run-off on October 25 between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who has promised the Trump administration access to Brazil’s rare earths to cut US reliance on China. With 99.9 per cent of ballots counted from Sunday’s vote, Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, had 47.07 per cent of votes and Lula had 45.11 per cent, triggering an automatic run-off. Lula, who at 80 is seeking a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369728/brazilians-head-polls-high-stakes-polarised-election https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369728/brazilians-head-polls-high-stakes-polarised-election Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:48:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his election rival Flavio Bolsonaro are leaving no controversy unturned in their last-ditch efforts to discredit each other and win over voters ahead of Sunday’s nail-biter election. A campaign dominated by scandals and insults has done little to ease the deep political polarisation in Latin America’s biggest economy, one of the last major leftist bastions in the region. The tight race pits Lula, 80, against the son of former far-right president... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369533/lula-and-bolsonaro-clash-final-scramble-brazil-presidency https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369533/lula-and-bolsonaro-clash-final-scramble-brazil-presidency Fri, 02 Oct 2026 06:21:10 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China pledges to ‘firmly support’ Cuba as US escalates pressure on Havana China will stand by Cuba in defending its sovereignty and resisting outside interference, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said as Washington stepped up its campaign to force political change in Havana. Read... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369252/china-backs-cuba-beijings-panama-threat-new-un-chief-7-latin-america-relations-reads Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will stand by Cuba in defending its sovereignty and resisting outside interference, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday as Washington stepped up its campaign to force political change in Havana. Guo made the remarks at a regular press briefing in Beijing on the 66th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will firmly support Cuba in exploring the socialist development path suited to its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369116/china-pledges-firmly-support-cuba-us-escalates-pressure-havana https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3369116/china-pledges-firmly-support-cuba-us-escalates-pressure-havana Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:21:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration is revoking the visas of 27 Latin American officials, former officials and their families, including Bolivia’s attorney general, over accusations of corruption. The officials and their families come from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – all nations with right-leaning leaders friendly with President Donald Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Colombia, Ecuador and Peru this month, pledging US support for their efforts to combat drug and human... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369114/us-revokes-visas-latin-american-officials-and-families-over-accusations-corruption https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369114/us-revokes-visas-latin-american-officials-and-families-over-accusations-corruption Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:50:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Residents of Mexico’s Baja California Sur state boarded up homes and workers hauled dirt and rubble to shore up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula on Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides. Meanwhile, Hurricane Nolo could still bring torrential rain to parts of Hawaii even as the storm edged away from the state. In Mexico’s Puerto San Carlos, a fishing town of about 5,700 people, some feared high tides and pounding waves from Polo could breach barriers and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369107/mexico-could-see-life-threatening-floods-due-hurricane-polo https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3369107/mexico-could-see-life-threatening-floods-due-hurricane-polo Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:53:00 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado took to the country’s streets on Sunday to demand her safe return and presidential elections that could lead to a democratic transition in Venezuela. The government has been widely accused of stealing elections, jailing dissidents and stifling freedom of speech. In Caracas, hundreds of activists in sky blue shirts – the colour of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party – rode motorcycles and drove through the city’s main avenues, honking... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368985/venezuelans-rally-demand-opposition-leaders-safe-return-and-presidential-elections https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368985/venezuelans-rally-demand-opposition-leaders-safe-return-and-presidential-elections Sun, 27 Sep 2026 23:45:37 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin As Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump wrapped up their three-day state visit on Friday, a stark contrast in the two presidential couples’ hand-holding dynamics was on display, body language experts said. The exchanges between Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, and Trump and first lady Melania Trump, were closely followed on the trip, with the couples’ activities together on Friday culminating in an outing at the National Archives Museum in Washington. The couples’ divergent... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368874/what-donald-trump-and-xi-jinping-revealed-body-language-their-wives https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368874/what-donald-trump-and-xi-jinping-revealed-body-language-their-wives Fri, 25 Sep 2026 23:29:47 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China is poised to decide which of two Latin American women becomes the first to lead the United Nations, after three rounds of informal voting in the Security Council failed to produce a favourite. Several UN delegations that spoke to the South China Morning Post over the past three days said Beijing was weighing Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican economist who heads UN Trade and Development, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana’s ambassador to the UN. The same delegations said China had ruled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368869/china-set-decide-if-costa-rican-or-guyanese-diplomat-becomes-first-woman-un-chief https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368869/china-set-decide-if-costa-rican-or-guyanese-diplomat-becomes-first-woman-un-chief Fri, 25 Sep 2026 17:09:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Costa Rica’s President Laura Fernandez on Thursday fired her foreign minister for attending a meeting on Latin America’s security led by US President Donald Trump without telling her. Fernandez said she should have been the one to attend the meeting of Trump’s anti-cartel “Shield of the Americas” alliance in New York, and that Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar’s failure to consult her caused “great strategic damage”. The meeting took place on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368722/costa-ricas-foreign-minister-fired-attending-trump-meeting-without-telling-president Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:18:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed Argentina’s claim to sovereignty over the islands known to Britain as the Falklands and to Argentines as the Malvinas, calling it a key issue for his nation and urging the parties to find a “peaceful solution” as tensions with London over the disputed archipelago grow. “The Malvinas for us is a national cause,” Milei, a strong ally of US President Donald Trump, said Wednesday while addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. Milei accused the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368606/milei-renews-argentinas-falklands-claim-rails-against-useless-un https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368606/milei-renews-argentinas-falklands-claim-rails-against-useless-un Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:11:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Venezuela’s interim ⁠President Delcy Rodriguez told the UN ⁠General Assembly on Wednesday that the country would hold ⁠elections as part of a transition to “full democracy”, but did not give a specific date for the vote. “I want to make this very clear at this General Assembly: there will be elections in Venezuela,” said Rodriguez, who came to power after American forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in a January raid. Rodriguez said the government had initiated talks with the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368582/un-venezuelas-interim-president-promises-elections-without-setting-date Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:29:14 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin Hours before Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the US for a high-stakes summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to restrict visas for those who “engage in or facilitate” birth tourism, a practice the Trump administration has increasingly accused China of. “By restricting visa issuance of those who both engage in and profit from this fraud, we are sending a clear message: the United States will not allow foreigners to exploit our immigration system and violate the sanctity of US... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3368569/us-restricts-visas-birth-tourism-ahead-xi-jinpings-summit-trump https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3368569/us-restricts-visas-birth-tourism-ahead-xi-jinpings-summit-trump Wed, 23 Sep 2026 21:50:26 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump has been very eager to show off to Chinese leader Xi Jinping his new US$5 million White House helipad, his latest bid to stamp his image on Washington. While Xi might act impressed and compliment the US president on his latest building project – part of Trump’s bid to match Xi’s splendour-filled hosting four months ago in Beijing and show the Chinese that Americans can build infrastructure too – do not count on Xi actually trying it out with a chopper ride this week... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368565/donald-trump-built-us5-million-white-house-helipad-dont-expect-xi-jinping-use-it https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368565/donald-trump-built-us5-million-white-house-helipad-dont-expect-xi-jinping-use-it Wed, 23 Sep 2026 20:07:15 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Paraguayan President Santiago Pena told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that his country “is not neutral” on the Taiwan Strait, pledging support for the self-ruled island and calling for its “full and meaningful participation” in the UN system. Casting a conflict in the strait as a potentially far greater threat than the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Pena warned of “ominous clouds gathering over the Indo-Pacific” and of a conflict that would hit Japan, the rest of East and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368561/paraguays-president-urges-un-let-taiwan-calls-islands-exclusion-stain https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368561/paraguays-president-urges-un-let-taiwan-calls-islands-exclusion-stain Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:01:59 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made three attempts over a 24-hour span to return home, but was unable to complete the journey. Machado sought to travel from Panama to Venezuela by different routes, according to a person with direct knowledge of her plans. The attempts came as acting President Delcy Rodriguez visited New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where she met with US President Donald Trump. The efforts included plans to travel by boat and to fly to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368468/exiled-opposition-leader-tries-enter-venezuela-rodriguez-meets-trump-us https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368468/exiled-opposition-leader-tries-enter-venezuela-rodriguez-meets-trump-us Wed, 23 Sep 2026 04:45:11 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva renewed his backing on Tuesday for a peace initiative he launched with China to end the war in Ukraine, using his opening speech at the UN General Assembly to take thinly veiled aim at the United States over tariffs, military pressure and access to critical minerals. Speaking in New York just days before Brazilians vote in a tight presidential race, Lula described the war between Russia and Ukraine as a five-year humanitarian drama that “continues to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368437/brazils-lula-backs-china-peace-push-un-tells-us-his-nation-no-ones-backyard https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368437/brazils-lula-backs-china-peace-push-un-tells-us-his-nation-no-ones-backyard Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:54:35 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Nicaraguan government is responsible for at least eight deaths in custody since it began its crackdown on dissent and assault of democratic institutions in 2018, UN experts said Tuesday. The report from the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua was the latest condemnation of the government of married co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which has crushed dissent since 2018 mass protests and recently cancelled elections. “A State that resorts to enforced disappearance and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368413/nicaragua-govt-responsible-least-8-deaths-custody-2018-un https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368413/nicaragua-govt-responsible-least-8-deaths-custody-2018-un Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:14:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A man accused of killing 16 people in a remote part of Brazil avoided capture by hiding in the woods, the police investigator responsible for his arrest said on Monday. Douglas Garcia, the investigator who led the two-day pursuit for 33-year-old Jorlan Lopes da Silva that ended on September 13, told Associated Press that the suspect used to hide in the thick bush in his own makeshift camps. The killings linked to da Silva occurred within the last three months in the isolated region of Mulungu in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368317/brazilian-serial-killer-suspect-nicknamed-mosquito-dressed-woman https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3368317/brazilian-serial-killer-suspect-nicknamed-mosquito-dressed-woman Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:25:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations in New York this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people. The annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly will also be consumed with major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: can the leaders... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368291/world-leaders-meet-un-planet-grapples-climate-change-wars-runaway-ai Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:54:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eighteen suspects in the 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise have been transported to Florida to stand trial, US officials said Sunday. Moise, 53, was gunned down on July 7, 2021, at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries. His security detail did not intervene to protect him. “Today’s multi-location and international arrests underscore the FBI’s continued commitment to bringing all participants in this plot to justice,” FBI... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368182/us-extradites-18-suspects-2021-killing-haitian-president https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368182/us-extradites-18-suspects-2021-killing-haitian-president Sun, 20 Sep 2026 23:52:18 +0000