Latest South America News

Brazil’s Supreme Court decriminalizes possession of marijuana for personal use

Jun. 25, 2024 22:22 PM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday voted to decriminalize possession of marijuana for personal use, making the nation one of Latin America’s last to do so, in a move that could reduce its massive prison population. With final votes cast on Tuesday, a...

Messi and Argentina overcome Canada and poor surface, start Copa America title defense with 2-0 win

Jun. 21, 2024 01:31 AM EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — Lionel Messi's passing brilliance got Argentina off to a winning start in the defense of its Copa America title, overcoming Canada and a poor playing surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Messi's through ball led to Julián Álvarez’s 49th-minute goal and the...

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

Jun. 21, 2024 00:15 AM EDT

June 14-20, 2024 Indigenous women in Ecuador take on soccer by inventing a sport: handball in traditional skirts. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Sao Paulo as protests sweep across Brazil in opposition to a bill that would further criminalize...

A new airport could spark the economy in a rural part of Florida. Will the workforce be ready?

Jun. 17, 2024 16:06 PM EDT

LaBELLE, Fla. (AP) — One of Florida’s poorest counties is preparing for the new “Airglades” airport, a $300 million cargo hub that could transform its economy. Local leaders see the project as a generational opportunity, one that could bring more than 1,400 new, high-skilled...

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

Jun. 14, 2024 12:07 PM EDT

June 7-13, 2024 Within Bolivia, the world’s third-biggest producer of the coca leaf, and of cocaine, the ancient leaf has inspired spiritual rituals among Indigenous communities for generations — and more recently, among the well-heeled with a deluge of coca-related products. ...

Russia suspected of being behind a recent failed arson attack in Prague, Czech prime minister says

Jun. 10, 2024 13:40 PM EDT

PRAGUE (AP) — Czech authorities suspect that Russia may have been behind last week’s attempt to set Prague public transport buses on fire, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Monday. A 26-year-old suspect was arrested Saturday and charged with terrorism in connection with Thursday's...

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

Jun. 07, 2024 10:23 AM EDT

May 31-June 6, 2024 Claudia Sheinbaum took the top spot in Mexico's biggest-ever elections, becoming the country's first female president. Residents from the Panamanian island of Gardi Sugdub arrived at their new homes on the mainland on the country's Caribbean coast....

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

May. 24, 2024 00:17 AM EDT

May 17-23, 2024 In the Dominican Republic, Haitians and migration featured heavily in the election conversation. Argentine President Javier Milei belts hard rock at a presentation of his new book in Buenos Aires. Mexico's heatwave is so dire, howler...

AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean

May. 17, 2024 00:20 AM EDT

May 10-16, 2024 As young Haitians are increasingly exposed to violence, the country is undergoing a wider push to dispel a long-standing taboo on mental health services teaching parents how to put a smile on their children’s faces. Family and friends hold a vigil in...

Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher, though China benchmarks falter

May. 07, 2024 00:42 AM EDT

Asian markets were mostly higher Tuesday after another day of gains on Wall Street, although Chinese shares faltered. U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Tokyo's Nikkei 225, reopening after a national holiday, jumped 1.5% to 38,784.91 and the Kospi in South...