Weekly Report - 10 August 2017 (WR-17-31)

The US slapped sanctions on eight members of Venezuela’s new constituent assembly on 9 August, including Adán Chávez, brother of the late president Hugo Chávez (1999-2013).... Read More

The founding members of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) have decided to apply the bloc’s democratic clause on Venezuela and extend its existing suspension for failing to meet the requisite economic obligations for member states until democratic order is fully restored the country.... Read More

After President Michel Temer was acquitted of corruption charges last week, attention has already turned to who will succeed him after the next general elections in 2018.... Read More

Alejandro Guillier registered his presidential candidacy for Chile’s ruling left-wing coalition Nueva Mayoría before the electoral authorities (Servel) on 4 August ahead of November’s general elections.... Read More

Ecuador’s political opposition is looking on in amazement while the ruling left-wing Alianza País (AP) teeters on the brink of an internecine war.... Read More

Peru’s interior ministry claimed this week that as many as 4,819 teachers signed a document in 2011 presented to the national electoral board (JNE) seeking the registration as a political party of the Movimiento por la Amnistía y los Derechos Fundamentales (Movadef), widely considered to be the political wing of the Sendero Luminoso (SL) guerrilla group.... Read More

“Let’s change history.... Read More

Between 5,000 and 7,000 farmers converged on Mexico City from across the country this week to stage an indefinite protest against the government led by President Enrique Peña Nieto.... Read More

President Luis Guillermo Solís provoked a furious response from the political opposition last week by declaring that urgent measures were necessary to avoid Costa Rica falling into “liquidity difficulties”.... Read More

El Salvador’s top court is increasingly assuming the role of a political actor to fill a void which has pushed the country into financial crisis.... Read More

The government led by President Desi Bouterse is trying to push through the national assembly a draft law that would punish defamation of the Surinamese head of state on social media with a fine or even a prison sentence.... Read More

“How difficult it must be to sleep at night with so many deaths on your head.”... Read More