News Wire | The Americas Archive

Rio Police Raid Slum to Arrest Drug Lords, 13 People Killed

Associated Press (free)

Police exchanged fire with gunmen Thursday when they raided one of Rio de Janeiro’s slums to arrest alleged drug traffickers, and 13 people were killed, authorities said.

Paraguay Launches Corruption Probe of Former President

By Daniel Politi | Associated Press (free)

Paraguay’s attorney general launched a criminal investigation Thursday into U.S. allegations that a former Paraguayan president and the current vice president were involved in corruption and had ties to a terrorist group.

More from WPR: Drugs, Corruption and Organized Crime Make for a Deadly Mix in Paraguay

Argentina Court Jails Two in Landmark Femicide Retrial

By Anna-Catherine Brigida | Reuters

An Argentina court Thursday convicted two men for the rape and murder of 16-year-old Lucia Perez in 2016, a case that has become emblematic of a movement to fight back against violence against women and girls in the region.

More from WPR: For Argentina’s ‘Green Tide,’ Legal Abortion Is Just the Beginning

Lula’s China Visit to Refresh Brazil Ties With Pragmatic Approach

By Anthony Boadle & Lisandra Paraguassu | Reuters

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva heads to China this weekend for a five-day visit to refresh relations with his country’s largest export market and seek new Chinese investment in the Latin American country.

More from WPR: Now Lula Has to Prove His Pro-Democracy Credentials Outside Brazil