News Brief
Society
Politics
Latin America Reports: The Podcast
Latin America Reports: The Podcast is an inside look into the process our journalists go through to report on the top stories in the region
Marcela Torres is the former CEO of Hola Code, a Mexican social enterprise that provides software development training for refugees and migrants who have returned to Mexico after having lived in the U.S. She was recently named winner of the ‘Entrepreneur’ category in the list of Latin America’s top innovators under the age of 35 published by MIT Technology Review. In honour of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science earlier this month, we interviewed Torres about being a female CEO of a tech company in Latin America, a region lacking support and funding for women working in STEM.
LATEST NEWS
-
Il Divo in Peru: Let´s sing for the memory of Carlos Marín
Perú will be the next country to host Il Divo on its Greatest Hits tour, where the band will pay tribute to their former bandmate Carlos Marín, who died in December 2021 of COVID-19. The show will take place on May 21 at Lima’s Arena Perú Explanada. The group arrives on the occasion of the release of its new album, For Once In My Life: A Celebration Of Motown, which includes a tribute to some of the best songs from the historic Motown Records label, with special guests such as Boyz II Men and Smokey Robinson. However, due to the […]Read more...
-
Latin America Reports Presents its Top 15 Places to Work in LatAm
Latin America (LatAm) has become a very sought-after area of the world in recent years—especially for business. In 2021 alone, investment in LatAm grew by 3.5 times and the region minted 26 new unicorns, otherwise known as businesses that have reached a valuation of $1 billion without being listed in the stock market. Read more...
-
Mexico abstains from voting to ban Russia from UN Human Rights Council
This article was originally published by Jorge Rocha on Aztec Reports, a sister publication. The United Nations General Assembly voted on Thursday to suspend the Russian Federation from the UN Human Rights Council. Mexico was one of six Latin American countries to abstain from the vote. Read more...
-
Thousands march in Lima, Peru demanding the resignation of President Pedro Castillo
This article was originally published by Diego López Marina on Peru Reports, a sister publication. Hours after Peruvian President Pedro Castillo ordered a 24-hour curfew to calm protests across the country, thousands of citizens on Tuesday ignored the order and took to the streets to demand his resignation, forcing Mr. Castillo to rescind the measure just hours before it was set to expire.Read more...
-
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo imposes a curfew amid nationwide strikes
Peruvian President Pedro Castillo imposed a curfew in Lima and Callao after demonstrations got out of control over the weekend, ending in acts of violence including the burning of highway toll booths, looting and clashes with police.Read more...
-
Puerto Rico Science & Tech accelerator P18 is giving away $150k to 10 innovative startups
By: Nick KipleyBased in San Juan, Parallel18 (P18), is an international accelerator program that will be celebrating its 10th funding cohort (GenX) this year by handing out $150,000 USD grants to promising science and tech startups with global ambitions. Backed by the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (PRSTRT), P18 grants to alternative energy, environmental & agricultural sciences, computer science & information technologies, medical devices, and aerospace & aeronautics startups seeking capital through their reimagined Parallel18 (P18) international acceleration program. P18 normally awards smaller grants of $40,000 USD to 40 startups for a 20-week accelerator program, so this shift […]Read more...
-
How will Colombia emerge from the current crisis? An Interview with Pre-Presidential Candidate Camilo Romero
This article originally appeared on The Bogotá Post, a publication that’s part of the Espacio Media Incubator along with Latin America Reports. After several total lockdowns, a crushing recession, and nationwide protests, Colombia’s next trip to the ballot box is coming up next year. Current president Iván Duque has a disapproval rating of 77%, and by law, he can’t be re-elected in 2022. Álvaro Uribe, former president and the man behind Duque’s electoral success in 2018, is already contemplating right-wing candidates including his eldest son, Tomás. But what alternatives do the other hopefuls offer for the future of Colombian politics? One potential candidate […]Read more...
-
Horasis USA Meeting to examine the speed of innovation in the post-COVID era
Innovation in the digital space is quicker than situations when evidence needs to be gathered and analyzed: the COVID vaccines were fast-tracked and proved to be exceptional. Were they more costly than standard long drug development processes? How long does it really take for a FinTech and HealthTech innovation to reach commercialization? How to maintain enthusiasm when success may be illusory? At the virtual edition of its annual USA meeting on March 4th, Swiss think tank Horasis International will present these questions to an expert panel on the subject of the merits and pitfalls of innovating quickly in the digital […]Read more...
-
New rhythms, more experience, and a lot of heart: What to expect from Mägo de Oz’s upcoming Latin America tour
After two years of a pandemic that kept them away from the bright lights and stages, Mägo de Oz returns to Latin America to promote their most recent album, Bandera Negra. The tour will start in Mexico, move on to Costa Rica, then Colombia, and finally will end in Chile. The new album brings a lot of what Mägo de Oz’s fans know about their music but also new and risky proposals like for example a mix between Scape, Celtic music, and Rock. For the band, this has been de opportunity to let behind the concerns about how the public […]Read more...
-
Election Vertigo? What’s at stake in Latin America’s intense election cycle
This month, Human Rights Watch warned of an alarming spike in authoritarianism in Latin America, accompanied by a human rights crisis: from attacks on judicial independence, to police repression and restrictions on press freedom. Elections may not solve these problems either: half the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean show erosion in their democracies, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Nevertheless, elections are both a litmus test and a predictor for the state of the region’s democracies. In 2021, more than 200 million voters in ten Latin American countries had the opportunity to elect representatives, […]Read more...
-
Last-mile delivery startup Cargamos wins National Logistics Award from Mexico’s Secretary of Economy
Mexico City-based last-mile logistics platform Cargamos has been announced a winner of the 2021 National Logistics Award from Mexico’s Secretary of Economy. Cargamos was recognized alongside seven other projects, companies, and executives that contributed to the development of the logistics industry in the country over the last year despite the challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, Grupo T21 reports. The other winners were Nestlé; Sally Beauty; Onest Logistics; Sintec Consulting; Angélica Bojórquez Aispuro, supply chain officer at Coppel; Emely Lizeth López Narváez, director of logistics and transportation at Constellation Brands; and Hugo Ruíz Murillo, vice president of logistics and […]Read more...
-
The 20 Health Tech Leaders In Latin America You Should Know
Latin America is stepping up its Healthtech game, and the results are already showing. The sector had a strong 2021, with some 44% of Healthtech startups experiencing a positive impact on their business due to the pandemic. Not to mention, VCs were particularly bullish in the region. New innovations are already transforming the lives of populations that have traditionally faced challenges in the lack of access to healthcare services, inequalities, and inefficient distribution of both human and technological resources. AI-powered drug development, data-driven diagnosis and prevention, and advanced telehealth platforms represent only a fragment of the smart solutions built to […]Read more...
-
Founder Institute opens first accelerator program in Caracas
The world’s largest pre-seed accelerator is making headway again in Latin America. The Silicon Valley-based Founder Institute will be opening its first-ever accelerator program in Caracas. The inaugural Venezuelan program will take place virtually and applications are due by September for interested entrepreneurs in the country. The Founder Institute’s instruction relies on hands-on sessions where participating startups grow their businesses through expert feedback, collaboration with fellow founders, and a variety of course tools. The incentive-based model splits equity evenly among startups in a given cohort, resulting in entrepreneurs who are more willing to share and collaborate. “Great companies are built […]Read more...
-
Mexico’s top court decriminalizes recreational use of marijuana
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana on Monday, paving the way for legalization efforts by the government. Although a previous decriminalization bill didn’t find enough support in Congress, the Supreme Court’s ruling says it is unconstitutional to prohibit the non-medical use of marijuana or THC. Legalization efforts have been endorsed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his administration, however they have run into opposition from lawmakers. With the Supreme Court decision, Mexico’s health ministry has the right to give people permits to consume or grow small amounts of marijuana. “A historic day for freedom,” […]Read more...
-
Millions in Latin America are opening bank accounts for the first time
Latin America has notoriously lagged behind when it comes to the usage of bank accounts. But one silver lining from the coronavirus pandemic for the region may be that millions are opening accounts for the first time to safeguard their government stimulus payments. A new report from Mastercard and the Americas Market Intelligence research firm says that more than 100 million people in the region (or about 15 percent of all of Latin America) have gone from relying mostly on cash to now having digital bank accounts they can depend upon. This encouraging trend can allow for millions to have […]Read more...
-
Foreign investment into Latin America gets cut by nearly half during pandemic
Foreign direct investment into Latin America fell by 45 percent last year, according to a report released this week by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The World Investment Report 2021 showed the disproportionate impact that developing countries in Latin America had compared to countries around the world. “The region suffered the sharpest FDI decline in developing countries,” said James Zhan, UNCTAD’s director of investment. “Latin American economies faced a collapse in export demand, falling commodity prices and the disappearance of tourism, leading to one of the worst contractions in economic activity across the world.” Worldwide, foreign […]Read more...
-
The pandemic has softened the ability to combat corruption in Latin America
Latin America has become weaker against corruption as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report that shows that the stress on public and private resources throughout the region has led to more opportunities for graft. These findings came from The 2021 Capacity to Combat Corruption Index released this week by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and the Control Risks consultancy group. This is the third annual edition of the index that measures 15 countries in Latin America and how effective they are at preventing corrupt practices. There was an overall decline in the region’s ability […]Read more...
-
Deforestation in Brazil is rising dramatically from last year
Deforestation in Brazil continues to be on the rise, despite President Jair Bolsonaro’s promise earlier this year that the government would increase enforcement efforts to combat environmental crimes. Deforestation in Brazil was up 67 percent last month compared to May 2020, per new numbers released by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). It is the third straight month where deforestation rates have increased in the country. At the rate Brazil is going now, about 24 trees are cut every second in the country. “This is worrying because May is the start of the dry season when devastation intensifies […]Read more...
-
Nicaragua keeps arresting opposition candidates ahead of November’s elections
The number of presidential candidates and opposition leaders being detained by Nicaragua’s national police force is going up by the hour. In total, five political opponents of President Daniel Ortega have been arrested in less than a week. Four of those arrested are possible candidates for Nicaragua’s presidential race in November. Candidates Félix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro, as well as businessman José Adan Aguerri, were arrested and charged with crimes against the government on Tuesday. Their arrests come months ahead of the Nicaraguan general elections where President Ortega seeks to be elected for a fourth straight term (and for […]Read more...
-
20 top accelerator programs and incubators making a mark on Latin America
Creating your own startup isn’t always as easy as it looks. That’s especially true if you don’t have experience building up a business. Even though the initial idea is a big part of the process, it’s not the only factor that determines success. Luckily, in the past few years, entrepreneurs in Latin America have been creating some exciting new ventures. Whether it be through the support of local governments or of companies focused on helping startups, there are a lot more opportunities than ever before to build a company in the region and have it scale internationally. That’s where accelerators, […]Read more...
-
Region’s leadership has failed to contain rising cases, says LatAm health agency
Latin America continues to struggle to contain the spread of coronavirus due to failures in leadership across the region, said the head of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday. After Latin America recently surpassed 1 million deaths to COVID-19, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said that the government officials in the Americas have not sufficiently enforced prevention protocols and have, in some cases, spread misinformation about the virus. “This pandemic has taught us time and again that leadership determines the effectiveness of a country’s response,” Etienne said. “Sadly, across our region we’ve seen misinformation about COVID-19 sow doubt on proven […]Read more...
-
94% of deforestation in Brazilian Amazon is illegal as government remains absent
Ninety-four percent of Brazil’s deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is considered illegal, per a report from a group of local environmental experts and university researchers. And lack of transparency from the government led by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has made rampant deforestation even more widespread in the country, the report added. The study that was conducted by the World Wildlife Fund’s Brazil chapter and the local Centro da Vida Institute said the government’s lack of publicly available data regarding authorized land usage has complicated Bolsonaro’s own promises to halt all illicit deforestation. That has made it so government authorities often […]Read more...
-
Latin America home to majority of children that lost an entire school year
Across the world, about 60 percent of the children who lost an entire school year due to the pandemic reside in Latin America and the Caribbean. Recent data from UNICEF shows how the region’s schoolchildren have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 lockdowns. From March of last year to February of 2021, Latin American schools were closed for an average of 158 days, nearly half the year since the pandemic began. That marks the longest school closure of any region in the world. “These new estimates indicate that Latin America and the Caribbean is by far the region most affected by school closures worldwide,” said Jean […]Read more...
-
Latin American COVID-19 cases rise with vaccines still scarce
Around Latin America, a number of countries are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases as another wave of the pandemic takes hold over the region that has little access to vaccinations. Infections and deaths are currently rising in Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, among other countries in the region. In Brazil, the situation has been dire since March when a wave of variants saw a spike in deaths, eventually leading to more than 4,000 in one day. This level of devastation across Latin America has led the World Bank to call it the globe’s hardest-hit region. Despite […]Read more...
-
Puerto Rican startup accelerator is leading a wave of innovation on the island
Puerto Rico may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of tech hubs in Latin America. But through the immense work of the San Juan-based accelerator Parallel18 that has helped raise tens of millions of investment dollars for hundreds of global startups, maybe it should be. In August, the accelerator is set to begin the ninth cohort of its intensive startup program called P18, which will use a rigorous selection process to ultimately choose from 40 international companies that apply. Parallel18 then gives those startups a $40,000 equity-free fund to help build their products. Parallel18 operations […]Read more...
-
Brazil daily COVID deaths reach 4,000 for first time as variant takes hold
For the first time since the pandemic began, Brazil has registered more than 4,000 deaths in a 24-hour span. The macabre toll points to a troubling trend in the country that already has the second most COVID-19 deaths of anywhere in the world, as a new variant known as the P.1 that is thought to be more contagious. The P.1 is one of nearly 100 variants that have been detected in Brazil, which has now registered about 337,000 deaths from COVID-19. By January of this year, the P.1 had accounted for nearly three-quarters of all coronavirus cases in the South […]Read more...
-
Indigenous groups are the most vital protectors of Latin American forests, per UN report
Indigenous peoples may be the best protectors of the Amazon and other Latin American forests, according to a new report from the United Nations. In many indigenous territories, the study showed that deforestation rates are nearly half of what they are in areas where indigenous groups aren’t present in Latin America. And because vital parts of the Amazon Rainforest in Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia have been protected, it avoided up to 60 million metric tons of CO2 emissions from going into the atmosphere, the report noted, which is akin to taking 12 million cars off the roads for a year. […]Read more...
-
Q&A with Costa Rican entrepreneur Cynthia Castro: “The best strategy to avoid economic exclusion in the world is to give
Cynthia Castro is on a mission to empower women in Latin American workplaces, ridding offices of unequal pay and sexual harassment. Castro co-founded the company Boomerang Effect, which provides consultancy for organizations on ways to identify and get rid of diversity gaps. The native Costa Rican was named by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in Central America. She has also closely worked with around 50 rural communities across Costa Rica to help those suffering from societal inequities. Castro spoke at Thursday’s Horasis Extraordinary Meeting on the United States about what the global economy could do to prevent […]Read more...
-
Chile among the world’s best in vaccination efforts
After high death and infection tolls from COVID-19 last summer, Chile has responded with one of the world’s best vaccination rates. The country’s government says that 25 percent of the population has received at least one shot so far as the South American far outpaces others in the region when it comes to getting people vaccinated. That puts it behind just three other countries in terms of the percentage of the population that has been immunized through a vaccine thus far. As of Monday, Chile has administered more than 4.27 million doses of the vaccine, according to the World Health […]Read more...
-
Travel to Latin America won’t fully recover until 2023
Travel bookings to Latin America and the Caribbean could rebound to pre-pandemic rates as soon as 2023 or 2024, according to a new report from Phocuswright, a global travel market research group. The region lost tens of billions of dollars in potential travel money as bookings fell by 63 percent in 2020. The good news is that travel flow to Latin America is expected to double this year compared to last year. “There is a high level of uncertainty around travel market recovery, and the majority of Latin American countries are still closed to international visitors, which dampens the outlook […]Read more...
-
Latin America’s economy could be set back a decade by rising inequality
The coronavirus pandemic is expected to set economies in Latin America back by a decade due to rising inequality and poverty, according to a United Nations report published Thursday. The report, done by the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), estimated that the total number of impoverished people in the region by the end of last year was 209 million, which is 20 million more than before the pandemic. Extreme poverty has reached a level that the region has not experienced in two decades, going from 7.8% to 11.3% of the total population in Latin America and […]Read more...
