At least fourteen people have died and seven others have been injured following the collapse of an illegal gold mine in south-western Colombia. The accident occurred in a rural area of Nariño department,…

A new high-security mega-prison is Costa Rica’s response to rising organised crime and persistently high homicide rates. President Laura Fernández opened the High-Containment Centre Against Organised Crime, which will accommodate 5,100 prisoners, about…

In a surprise turnaround, right-wing senator Flávio Bolsonaro narrowly led incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s first-round vote. Official results gave Bolsonaro 47.03% of valid votes and Lula 45.16%, ahead of…

Thirty-nine political prisoners have been released in Venezuela following a second round of US-backed talks between the interim government and opposition representatives. A human rights organisation has said those freed included eight women…

A major wildfire in central Colombia is threatening the historic town of Villa de Leyva. whose colonial architecture and cobblestone streets attract more than a million visitors each year. Flames have engulfed the…

US energy secretary Chris Wright is expected to visit Venezuela as Washington advances a controversial agreement giving the USA extensive access to the country’s oil reserves. Venezuela’s national assembly has approved the deal,…

Brazil’s president, Luiz Lula da Silva, has welcomed the discovery of oil near the mouth of the Amazon, describing it as a potential ‘passport to the country’s future’. State-run Petrobras found oil during…

Brazil’s supreme court is considering several major cases which could reshape protections for the Amazon rainforest, after a mostly conservative Congress overrode several of leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s environmental vetoes.…

A state of emergency has been declared in Colombia after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 160 people and caused widespread damage. Among the buildings affected was the country’s tallest cathedral, nearly…

A nationwide ‘danger’ alert has been declared in Guatemala after a powerful eruption of Fuego, the country’s most active volcano, prompted authorities to evacuate two nearby villages. There are warnings that the volcano…