Latinnews Daily - 18 January 2018

Development: On 17 January Costa Rica’s association of journalists (Colper) issued a statement strongly condemning remarks made by presidential candidate Juan Diego Castro, of the small opposition Partido Integración Nacional (PIN) party, against leading national daily La Nación.... Read More

Development: On 17 January, Fuerza Alternativa del Común, the new political party formed by former guerrillas from the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc), denounced that two former Farc fighters were killed while campaigning ahead of Colombia’s 11 March national legislative elections.... Read More

Venezuela: Venezuelan media has reported that the Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (MUD) main opposition coalition has decided not send representatives to the next round of the political dialogue process it has been holding with the government led by President Nicolás Maduro to try to find a solution to Venezuela’s political crisis, scheduled to take place today (18 January) in the Dominican Republic (DR).... Read More

Development: On 17 January the president of Brazil's leftist opposition Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), Gleisi Hoffman, called for protests outside former president Lula da Silva’s (2003-2011) upcoming trial on 24 January to remain peaceful.... Read More

*Brazil sold less coffee in 2017 due to climactic variations which led to a disappointing harvest and slower sales from producers.... Read More

Guatemala: Guatemala’s finance ministry (Minfin) has dismissed Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa as the head of the country’s tax authorities (SAT).... Read More

Development: On 17 January Mexico’s leftist opposition Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD) announced that Alejandra Barrales has been selected as its candidate for the Mexico City (CDMX) gubernatorial election.... Read More

*Representatives of Mexico’s manufacturing sector have said that they expect that the sector will create 200,000 new jobs this year despite the reigning uncertainty over the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).... Read More

Development: On 17 January, a series of violent incidents preceded Pope Francis’ visit to Chile's southern Araucanía Region, home to various indigenous groups including the Mapuches.... Read More

Argentina: Argentina’s agroindustry ministry has announced a new trade agreement between Argentina and China whereby Argentina will be able to export cooled and frozen beef with and without bones and sheep and goat meat from Patagonia to the Asian country.... Read More