Severe floods in southern Brazil
May 1, 2024
Severe flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, a state located in the south of Brazil, has left hundreds of people stranded and unable to leave, says BBC. Over 1,400 people have been displaced so far.
Various municipalities were hit with heavy rains and harsh storms on Tuesday, resulting in at least five deaths. Another 18 people have been reported missing. (MercoPress)
The federal government has pledged full support to Rio Grande do Sul, and President Lula da Silva has blamed climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon as a reason for increased natural disasters. (BBC)
Brazil has seen an increasing amount of flooding and climate-related disasters in past months. Earlier this year, at least 27 people were killed and more than 7,000 were forced to flee as heavy rainfall hit the states of Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. (CNN)
Correction: Yesterday’s post claimed that Edgar Leblanc was elected to be Haiti’s next president. He was actually elected as the president of Haiti’s transitional council, which is tasked with helping coordinate the country’s next presidential elections. Apologies for the mistake.
Regional
A months-long drought caused by El Niño, the weather phenomenon that has swept the region and the world, has resulted in depleted water reserves in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and other countries across Latin America, says NPR.
Carolina Botero highlights the “complicated balance between IP rights, especially copyright regimes, and international human rights standards” in the context of increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across Latin America, and offers suggestions for how researchers could continue their work without threats. (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
Panama
“Panama's top court kicked off an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to decide on the constitutionality of the presidential candidacy of the former running mate of ex-President Ricardo Martinelli, just days before the election,” reports Reuters. “Jose Raul Mulino joined the race in March as Martinelli's replacement, after Martinelli was removed from the race due to a nearly 11-year sentence for money laundering.” The elections will be on May 5, just four days away.
Argentina
Argentina’s central bank reserves fell to US $27.575 billion following a US $1.936 billion payment to the IMF, reports Perfíl. Since Milei took office in December 2023, the central bank has accumulated purchases for US $14.724 billion.
Mexico
Mexico’s recent decision to receive a certain number of migrants from the US has resulted in fewer crossings of the Mexico-US border in recent months, according to the Washington Post.
Colombia
A recent inspection of Colombian military bases revealed the loss of “millions of bullets, thousands of grenades, and several missiles,” with President Gustavo Petro blaming the missing machinery on internal corruption, reports BBC. The president alleges that military personnel were involved in selling weapons to arms traders (CNN en Español).
Petro has called upon his followers to join Colombia’s traditional Labor Day march in a show of support, according to El País. Certain unions have resisted Petro’s call, believing the day’s focus should be on workers and not used for political gain.
Paraguay
In Global Americans, Evan Ellis assesses how President Santiago Peña’s economic and institutional policies have brought Paraguay closer to fulfilling its strategically important role in the region, but outlines how corruption, institutional inefficiencies, and shortages of technical skills in the labor force create challenges for Paraguay’s advancement.
Ecuador
Yesterday, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared a new 60-day state of emergency for five of the country’s 24 provinces, in light of continued insecurity in those areas, says CNN en Español. The armed forces and the national police will be deployed to those provinces.
Inflation
The Council on Foreign Relations recently updated its Global Inflation Tracker, which offers users to “gauge trends in prices across the world over time.”