LatinNews Daily - 25 May 2018

Development: On 24 May, the five main candidates running in Colombia’s 27 May first-round presidential election took part in a final debate.... Read More

Venezuela: Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has said that he wants the state-owned oil firm Pdvsa to become more “socialist, ethical, sovereign, and productive”.... Read More

Development: On 24 May, the Brazilian government announced that it had reached an agreement with some unionised lorry drivers to call off the strike they have been holding for at least 15 days.... Read More

* Despite being affected by the recent lorry strikes, Brazil’s national supplies company (Conab), which is linked to the ministry of agriculture (Mapa), should reap a bountiful coffee crop this year.... Read More

Development: On 24 May, Costa Rica’s President Carlos Alvarado signed a law which creates the country’s first national police academy.... Read More

Central America... Read More

Development: On 24 May, journalist Alicia Díaz González was found dead in her home in Monterrey, the capital of Mexico's northern state of Nuevo León, having apparently been severely beaten.... Read More

* Mexico’s foreign minister, Luis Videgaray, has met his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono, in Mexico to reaffirm the “ties of friendship and bilateral cooperation and follow up on the high-level meetings between both countries”.... Read More

Development: On 24 May, Argentina’s treasury minister, Nicolás Dujovne, announced that the government led by President Mauricio Macri is considering calling time on gradual cuts to soybean export taxes as part of wide-ranging efforts to reduce the fiscal deficit as it seeks a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).... Read More

Paraguay: Taiwan has pledged to give US$71m to Paraguay to invest in social housing and build 4,500 new homes.... Read More

Due to a public holiday LatinNews Daily will not be published on 28 May.... Read More