America Belize Belize's state of emergency to combat gang-related murders has resulted in nearly 100 arrests, allowing police to search homes without warrants and detain suspects for up to 90 days, while imposing a curfew on minors; mixed public reactions have sparked
America Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves has fired the Minister of Culture and Youth, Nayuribe Guadamuz, and the Commissioner for Social Inclusion, Ricardo Sosa, for backing the LGBTQ+ pride march in San Jose without his authorization
America Dominican Republic The electricity sector reached a new record by surpassing 80 GWh of daily demand, underlining the strength of the electricity system, result of energy planning, timely private investment in generation and other development and modernisation policies
America Venezuela The UN will deploy an Electoral Expert Panel in Venezuela early this month to provide a confidential report to the UN Secretary-General on the presidential elections, including recommendations for future improvements, without making any public statements
America Suriname Surinamese seniors in the Netherlands received a payment of 5.000 euros as a gesture from the Dutch cabinet to address the injustice they faced regarding their state pension for years spent in Suriname before its independence in 1975
America Argentina The IMF praised Argentina for approving the "Ley Bases", a legislative package enabling the government to implement reforms to reduce inflation and to support economic recovery, crucial under the US$44,5 billion agreement with the IMF
America Argentina Brazil's Supreme Court voted to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for personal use, a move expected to reduce the country's prison population, with justices still determining the maximum quantity considered for personal use
America Paraguay Authorities met with Argentina representatives to set a roadmap for collaborative work, focusing on issues like the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway toll, an international bridge construction, and a proposed gas pipeline
America Peru The creation of the Grau Tropical Sea National Reserve has been approved, a milestone after 10 years of negotiations, aimed at protecting the biodiversity-rich area off the Piura and Tumbes coasts
America Uruguay Uruguay has introduced a visa-free policy for 157 countries, including the UK, Brazil, and Malaysia, to boost tourism and economic growth; citizens from 85 more nations, including the US, Schengen countries and Chile can now enter without a visa
America Nicaragua The 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States approved a resolution urging member states to intensify efforts to end human rights violations in Nicaragua, calling for the immediate release of political and religious prisoners
America Panama The Panama Canal has raised the maximum authorized draught to 14,33 meters and increased daily transits to 35 ships to improve scheduling flexibility and reduce congestion
America Bahamas A public-private partnership between the government and the LJM Maritime Academy will be approved in order to increase access to maritime education for young Bahamians