South America News Feeds

Jeffrey Epstein wrote in a 2019 email to a journalist that Donald Trump “knew about the girls,” according to documents made public Wednesday, but what he knew — and whether it pertained to the sex offender’s crimes — is unclear. The White House quickly accused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to smear the president. FRANCE 24’s Monte Francis has more.

From his guerrilla roots, Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, has long embraced a confrontational style. Now, he has incurred President Trump’s wrath and is facing political fallout at home.

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein said Donald Trump knew about the girls that Epstein was accused of victimizing, according to emails released on Wednesday by U.S. House of Representatives Democrats, which the White House blasted as a “fake narrative.” FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson reports from Washington.

Seizing Panama’s leader was relatively easy. But the similarities between Panama and Venezuela are dangerously misleading, some analysts warn.

A US aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in Latin America, escalating a military buildup Venezuela has warned could trigger a full-blown conflict as it announced its own “massive” deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford’s deployment was ordered nearly three weeks ago with the stated goal of helping to counter drug trafficking in the region. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Angela Diffley welcomes Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House. Mr. Sabatini warns that the Trump administration is seeking to dislodge Maduro from power.” He insists that Venezuela does not even produce fentanyl and “there’s no reason why the US would be so concerned with drug traffickers leaving Venezuela.”

The bus was carrying 60 passengers when it collided with a truck and careered off the road in the Arequipa region.

The longest shutdown in US history has hit ordinary Americans hardest – millions of federal workers unpaid, flights disrupted, and food aid suspended for millions of low-income families. Politically, the picture is murkier. Democrats failed to secure healthcare subsidies in the final funding deal, while Republicans claimed victory, though analysts say both parties share the blame. As the next budget fight looms and midterms approach, healthcare and the economy remain voters’ top concerns, as FRANCE 24’s Solange Mougin reports.

💥 Dozens of Indigenous protesters forced their way into the COP30 climate summit venue on Tuesday and clashed with security guards at the entrance to demand climate action and forest protection. 📣 Some waved flags with slogans calling for land rights or carried signs saying: “Our land is not for sale.” 👮‍♂️ Calm was quickly restored and the protesters dispersed shortly after the clashes. 

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, said the African country has a long history of corruption. The amount paid is far more than recent annual assistance given to it.

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein suggested that Donald Trump was aware of the financier’s sexual abuse and definitely “knew about the girls”, according to emails released by Democrats in the US House of Representatives Wednesday. This comes as Democrats have been trying to force a vote that would compel the publication of the full Epstein case files.

The air strike comes after the US accused the Colombian president of allowing the drugs trade to expand.

A US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in Latin America Tuesday, escalating a military buildup Venezuela has warned could trigger a full-blown conflict as it announced its own “massive” deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, entered an area under control of the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which encompasses Latin America and the Caribbean. The vessel’s deployment was ordered nearly three weeks ago, with the stated goal of helping to counter drug trafficking in the region.

Many business leaders are skipping the annual United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil, or are attending events in other cities.

Government employees distributed Bibles and prepared materials “commonly used in Hinduism, Sikhism and Rastafarianism,” according to emails.

The US has deployed its largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Latin America region, escalating tensions with Venezuela. Washington says the move targets drug trafficking, while President Maduro calls it an attempt to oust him from power.

US President Donald Trump said he had an “obligation” to sue the BBC for defamation in an interview released on Tuesday, after the broadcasting company aired a documentary splicing together two parts of a speech made by Trump. Here’s a look at how legal action between the US President and the world’s biggest broadcaster could play out.

More than 200 delegations, including senior world leaders, are attending the UN climate talks.

Demonstrators, some wearing traditional indigenous dress, broke through security lines of the UN climate summit.

Energy minister Joel Santos Echeverría says work was quickly underway to restore power to the Caribbean nation.

France’s foreign minister has criticised ongoing US-led “military operations” in the Caribbean, warning they risk fuelling regional instability, as G7 foreign ministers convened in southern Ontario on Tuesday amid rising tensions over defence, trade and global security crises.

The US Navy’s Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier is considered the world’s largest warship.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations are gathering in southern Ontario as strains deepen between the United States and key allies over defence spending, trade disputes, and uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal and efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

California Governor Gavin Newsom assured an audience at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil that his state would continue to prioritise green technology, while blasting US President Donald Trump’s “dumb” decision to reverse the federal government’s course on climate action.