LatinNews Daily - 27 February 2018

Development: On 26 February, Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno ordered a full investigation into a leaked audio recording in which Deputy José Serrano, the president of the national assembly, allegedly conspired to dismiss the attorney general, Carlos Baca Manchena.... Read More

Venezuela: Opposition leader Henri Falcón has announced that he has decided to register as a candidate in the 22 April presidential election called by the Venezuelan government led by President Nicolás Maduro.... Read More

Development: On 26 February, Brazil’s President Michel Temer approved the creation of a new public security ministry, which will be headed by current defence minister Raúl Jungmann.... Read More

* Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro has been ordered by the environmental department of Brazil's northern state of Pará (Semas) to lower its output at the Alunorte refinery (in the industrial park of Barcarena, Pará) by 50%.... Read More

Development: On 26 February, Panama’s supreme court (CSJ) ordered the president of the opposition controlled 71-member unicameral national legislature, Yanibel Abrego of the opposition Cambio Democrático (CD) party, to suspend a legislative act approved on 21 February which would reconfigure the congressional credentials committee.... Read More

Central America... Read More

Development: On 26 February, the president of Mexico's national commission on human rights (CNDH), Luis Raúl González, said that the reigning insecurity, violence, and impunity, particularly in certain Mexican states, is a savage indictment of the state’s failure in its basic responsibility to protect the life of its citizens.... Read More

* Mexico’s state-owned oil firm Pemex has reported net losses of M$352bn (US$18bn) in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared with profits of M$72.2bn during the same period in 2016.... Read More

Development: On 26 February, the local media reported that Argentina’s ambassador to Bolivia, Normando Álvarez García, had met with Bolivia’s deputy foreign minister, María del Carmen Almendras, to discuss a possible solution to a bilateral spat over paying for health care.... Read More

Uruguay: Uruguay’s national meat institute (Inac) has reported that Uruguay’s meat exports have increased by 17% in the first 45 days of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017.... Read More