By Sophie Ritzenthaler A crypto businessman that was tied to one of Brazil’s most powerful criminal groups was shot dead at the Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo on Friday. Three other individuals were injured in the shooting when five assailants opened fire on businessman Antônio Vinicius Gritzbach’s car. The apparent assassination was clearly a targeted... Continue Reading →
Rising Violence in Haiti and Deportations From the Dominican Republic
By Jose Aguilar Last month, the Dominican Republic started its own version of “mass deportations” of Haitian migrants. The president, Luis Abinader, said that the goal is to deport 10,000 Haitian migrants a week. This undermines the reality of the country’s economy; sectors like agriculture, construction, and tourism rely on Haitian workers. The government's approach... Continue Reading →
Risk Index Dips Below 1,000 for Argentina
By Sophie Ritzenthaler In Argentia, the country’s risk index has been closely watched since it reflects how investors view the country’s debt and measures the possibility of a country defaulting on its debt. On Friday, the risk index dipped under 1000, the first time since August of 2019, the new index is currently set at... Continue Reading →
Haitian Gangs Shot United Nations Helicopter and United States Embassy Vehicles
By Jose Aguilar On Monday of this week, Haitian gangs shot two vehicles of the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. After this attack, the State Department stated that there were no injuries and that they would evacuate two dozen employees. On Thursday, they shot at and hit a United Nations (U.N.) helicopter in... Continue Reading →
International Law Legitimacy in Question
By Sophie Ritzenthaler As of this week, Bolivia has officially joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The country filed an application on Tuesday of this week, joining a list of other countries, in accusing Israel of carrying out “genocidal acts” in their war on Gaza. The case... Continue Reading →
Migrants Crossings in Panama Decrease by 35%
By Jose Aguilar This week, Panamanian authorities stated that the number of migrants crossing through their country decreased by 35% between January and September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This is due to the increased security measures implemented by the new administration in Panama, led by President Jose Raul Mulino, who started... Continue Reading →
Anti-Government Protests Rise Tensions in Bolivia
By Sophie Ritzenthaler This week, former president Evo Morales has been leading anti-government protests against current president Luis Arce. Anti-government protesters and supporters of President Arce clashed in Bolivia’s capital of La Paz as fears of further unrest and an economic crisis grow. Morales was the president of Bolivia from 2006-2019 before stepping down after... Continue Reading →
Kenyan President Visits Haiti to Assess Progress of Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS)
By Jose Aguilar This week, Kenyan President William Ruto visited Haiti to assess the progress of the Kenyan-led security mission. A spokesperson for Ruto stated that the purpose of the visit was to “visit and commend” the Kenyan police forces working with the Haitian National Police (HNP). While in Haiti, Ruto said he would send... Continue Reading →
Peru Calls State of Emergency as Fires Continue to Burn
By Sophie Ritzenthaler The Peruvian President Dina Boluarte declared a state of emergency in three regions of Peru on Wednesday, September 18, as forest fires have continued to burn. In San Martin, Amazonas, and Ucayali regions, a 60 day state of emergency has been declared as extra resources have been allocated to slow the spread... Continue Reading →
Nicaragua Revokes Citizenship to 135 Political Prisoners Freed to Guatemala
By Jose Aguilar On Tuesday, Nicaragua stripped the citizenship of 135 political prisoners that were released to Guatemala earlier this month. The Nicaraguan government stated that the released prisoners engaged and were convicted of acts that they consider “criminal.” According to the Nicaraguan government, these acts went against the country’s sovereignty, independence, and self-determination. In... Continue Reading →