LatinNews Daily - 22 October 2018

Development: On 20 October the presidents of Guatemala and Honduras, Jimmy Morales and Juan Orlando Hernández respectively, held a meeting in which they launched an initiative, ‘Plan Retorno Seguro’ ('Plan Safe Return'), as part of efforts to halt the caravan of Hondurans making their way to the US.... Read More

Development: On 20 October, Ecuador’s interior minister, María Paula Romo, confirmed reports that former communications secretary Fernando Alvarado had managed to remove his electronic tag and is suspected of having fled the country.... Read More

* The Colombian government led by President Iván Duque has announced a new strategy aimed at strengthening higher education.... Read More

Development: On 21 October, Brazilians took to the streets in cities across the country to manifest their support for presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, of the Partido Social Liberal (PSL), one week ahead of the 28 October run-off vote.... Read More

* Brazil and Chile have concluded the fourth and final round of negotiations launched in April for the establishment of a bilateral free-trade agreement, due to be signed in December.... Read More

* The Dominican Republic (DR)’s Central Bank (BCRD) has released figures which show that tourism revenue in 2017 totalled US$7.177bn, equal to 38% of total exports of goods and services, while 6.19m people visited the country that year.... Read More

Development: On 21 October, Mexico’s interior ministry said that over three days it had received 1,028 asylum requests from Central Americans arriving at the border as part of the migrant caravan that is making its way to the US from Honduras.... Read More

* International credit ratings agency, Fitch Ratings, has revised its Rating Outlook on Mexico’s state-owned oil firm Pemex’s international Issuer Default Rating (IDRs) to 'negativ'e from 'stable'.... Read More

Development: On 21 October dozens of people took part in a protest march in the city of Concepción, the capital of Paraguay’s eponymous department, calling for the resignation of Mayor Alejandro Urbieta.... Read More

* Paraguay’s public works & communications minister, Arnoldo Wiens, has announced that the government will be taking “legal and financial measures” against Portuguese construction firm Mota Engil over its decision to abandon the works linked to the Metrobús bus rapid transit (BRT) project that is being developed in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción.... Read More

Central America: On 16 October US President Donald Trump threatened to cut off financial aid to Central America’s so-called ‘Northern Triangle’ (Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala) if their respective leaders fail to stop illegal migration.... Read More