Latin America
Mexico/USA: faith leaders to take action
On 10 December over two hundred faith leaders from different traditions will converge on the US-Mexico border in support of the migrant caravans and all those who seek refuge in the US. The…
Guatemala: thousands flee as volcano erupts
Almost 4,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the Fuego volcano after it began erupting on 18 November, with ash and lava spewing from its crater. This comes five months after…
Brazil: a new style of president?
Amid rampant political corruption and a crime epidemic in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro is on the verge of becoming Brazil’s next president on 28 October. He has expressed enthusiasm for former military rulers (particularly…
Caribbean: surge in Venezuelan asylum seekers
Until a week ago, Enrique Ceballos was a high court judge in Venezuela. Now, because of threats around his work as a judge, he is waiting on a plastic chair outside an NGO-run…
Mexico: more police under investigation
In June Ocampo’s entire police force was arrested: see Now, in Acapulco, three senior police officers have been arrested, and all the police have been disarmed and replaced by the military while investigations…
Colombia: Christians suffering
Formerly, Colombia was a democratic country with guaranteed religious freedom. However, large areas are now under the control of criminal organisations, drug cartels, revolutionaries, and corrupt paramilitary groups. Christians are extremely vulnerable. Guerrilla…
Venezuela: financial crunch, earthquake
On 22 August Venezuela’s northern coast was rocked by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake felt across the Caribbean and hundreds of kilometres away in Caracas where political leaders were celebrating their new economic plan…
Nicaragua: people flee the country
UNHCR is calling for international solidarity and support for countries hosting Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers, as thousands flee mounting political tensions, violence and serious human rights violations. Many Nicaraguans could flee to…
North America/Latin America relationships
Few politicians have established such a connection with the millions of underprivileged families in Mexico as Lopez Obrador. He regularly campaigned draped with garlands and gaudy sombreros. Like Trump, the headstrong ‘Amlo’ is…
Mexico: Entire police force arrested
Ocampo’s entire police force was arrested following the murder of a left-wing mayoral candidate, Fernando Angeles Juarez, after a previous attempt to question them resulted in one official reportedly being ‘chased out in…