South America

Dairo Antonio Usuga at a military base in Necocli, Colombia

Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Captured In Jungle Raid

He was the leader of the drug cartel called the "Gulf Clan"- which the U.S. State Department calls "heavily armed and extremely violent."

 | AP

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives for a flag raising ceremony at Alvorada Palace presidential residence.

Bolsanaro Seeks Show Of Strength On Brazil's Independence Day

Bolsonaro's government has been beset by crises that his critics say were at least somewhat self-inflicted.

 | AP

Supporters of presidential candidate Pedro Castillo celebrate partial election results outside his campaign headquarters.

Peru's Elections Too Close To Call

Peru's presidential race may be too close to call.

 | Eliana Moreno

Protesters stand with their shields during an anti-government protest in Bogota, Colombia

Anti-Government Protests Continue In Colombia

Protests have been going on for more than a month now.

 | Eliana Moreno

A demonstrator holds an image of the Brazilian flag covered in fake blood and the Portuguese phrase "Bolsonaro Genocide"

Protesters In Brazil Call For President Bolsonaro's Impeachment

Nearly half a million people in the country have died from COVID.

 | Eliana Moreno

Protests in Colombia's third-largest city, Cali, have turned deadly after police use live ammunition.

Colombia Cracks Down On Protesters, With Violent Results

In this investigation, Newsy worked with Bellingcat and Cerosetenta to examine open source evidence showing police violence in Cali, Colombia.

 | Jake Godin

A woman walks past La Luna hotel that was burned and looted Monday night during a protest

19 Killed, Dozen Missing After Colombia Protests

Demonstrators filled the streets after the government proposed a tax hike.

 | Eliana Moreno

People attend burial

Brazil Is Second Country To Officially Surpass 400,000 COVID-19 Deaths

The country lost 100,000 lives just in the last month.

 | Johannah Grenaway

A health care worker carries oxygen tanks into an area designated for the treatment of COVID-19.

Brazil's Hospitals Can't Keep Up With COVID Cases

Hospitals are reportedly running so low on critical supplies that some patients are being intubated without sedatives.

 | Katherine Biek

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil Names Fourth Health Minister Since Pandemic Began

The two previous people to hold the position left after disagreements with leadership.

 | Scripps News Staff

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Brazil Justice Tosses Out Former President Lula's Sentences

The ruling would potentially allow Lula to run for president again next year.

 | Scripps News Staff

Brazilian health workers wheel in a patient suspected of suffering from COVID-19 into a field hospital near Brasilia.

Experts Say Brazil's Worsening COVID Outbreak Is A Global Threat

Experts fear that Brazil's lax attitude and variant spread might endanger other nations.

 | Ben Schamisso

Protesters in Peru

Peru Left Without A President After Political Chaos

Peru's congress met into the early morning Monday, but adjourned without a replacement lined up.

 | Antoinette Miller

A teacher leads a lesson outdoors at the school Hipólito Yrigoyen in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Argentina Reaches 1M Coronavirus Cases

Its health ministry reported the number Monday.

 | Bailey Vogt

Luis Arce celebrates Bolivian presidential win.

Bolivia Exit Polls Suggest Victory For Socialist Party

Evo Morales' socialist party claims victory for Luis Arce in Bolivia's redo presidential election after last year's was nullified.

 | Gage Jackson

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe speaks to supporters.

Colombia's Former President Is Officially An Inmate On House Arrest

Álvaro Uribe Vélez was registered in the prison system after being charged with bribery and procedural fraud.

 | Caitlin Baldwin

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez

Colombia's Supreme Court Orders Former President To Be Detained

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe faces charges of bribery and procedural fraud.

 | Katie Cammarata

Inmates protest lack of medical care at Bolivia's San Sebastian prison

Inmates Demand Help As Pandemic Sweeps Bolivia

Bolivian prisoners are protesting a lack of access to medical care, but even some free citizens are turning to a dangerous fake cure.

 | Peter Hecht

Brazilian health workers take blood samples at COVID-19 testing site in Rio de Janeiro on July 17.

Trials Of Emergency COVID-19 Vaccine Begin In Hard-Hit Brazil

A three-month trial of a vaccine produced by a Chinese Pharmaceutical Company began Tuesday in five Brazilian states.

 | Peter Hecht

Smoke rises from a fire in the Amazon rainforest.

Brazil To Temporarily Ban Fires In The Amazon Rainforest

The announcement comes after 29 firms sent a letter threatening to pull investments if Brazil doesn't do something to protect the rainforest.

 | Caitlin Baldwin

Chilean health workers toss flower petals at funeral for hospital nurse who died of COVID-19.

Pandemic Sweeps Americas: U.S., 4 Latin Countries Among World's Worst

Latin America and the Caribbean surpass 3 million Coronavirus cases, with Brazil, Peru, Chile and Mexico ranking among world's most impacted.

 | Peter Hecht

Undated photo of Paulino Paiakan, chief of Brazil's rainforest Kayapó people. He died this week of COVID-19.

Brazil Indigenous Leader, Fighter For Rainforest Dies Of COVID-19

Paulinho Paiakan drew international attention in the 1980s when he led an indigenous campaign against a hydroelectric dam in Brazil's Amazon basin.

 | Peter Hecht

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro talks with Army Commander General Edson Leal Pujol

Brazil President Bolsonaro Alludes To A Military Coup To Stay In Power

Few in Brazil believe the military would back a coup. Still, the threats bring memories of the military dictatorship, which only ended 35 years ago.

 | Ben Schamisso

Family in Rio de Janeiro attends burial for health care worker who died of COVID-19.

Brazil Court Orders Government To Continue Counting COVID-19 Cases

Amid political feuds over Brazil's coronavirus toll, the Supreme Court rules the government must continue providing cumulative data to the public.

 | Peter Hecht

Residents near Andean city of Quito, Ecuador, gather government-distributed food boxes.

Hunger, Poverty Surge In Latin America As Impacts Of Pandemic Deepen

The U.N. says 14 million people across Latin America could face food shortages due to the pandemic, and 30 million more could enter poverty.

 | Peter Hecht

Brazilian medical workers move coronavirus patient

U.S. Will Suspend Entry For People Who Were Recently In Brazil

President Trump, who announced the ban in a proclamation, pointed to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil.

 | Meg Hilling

COVID-19 patients in field hospital in Amazon basin city of Manaus, Brazil.

Coronavirus 'Wave' Hits Latin America, Reaching Remote Amazon Regions

Emergency teams are airlifting critical patients out of villages in Brazil as the country ranks third in COVID-19 cases.

 | Peter Hecht

Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez

Puerto Rico To Hold Statehood Referendum

The U.S. territory will hold a nonbinding vote to decide whether Puerto Rico should be considered a U.S. state.

 | Gage Jackson

Venezuelan soldiers guard a boat in port city of La Guiria, where government says it put down an armed maritime attack.

Two Americans Held In Venezuelan Attack; Ex-Green Beret Claims Credit

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said two former U.S. special forces soldiers were part of mercenaries "playing Rambo" in the attack.

 | Peter Hecht

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Brazilian Court Rejects Bolsonaro's Pick For Federal Police Chief

Brazil's high court rejected President Bolsonaro's pick to run the federal police just a day after allowing a probe into corruption allegations.

 | Adam Elrashidi