Helicopter goes down in mountainous area outside Caracas en route to military exercises led by President Maduro. Seven Venezuelan military officers were killed on Saturday when their helicopter crashed outside Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro said. The helicopter had left the Venezuelan capital heading to San Carlos in the country’s northwest when it went down in […]

Mario Salazar never imagined he would one day be grateful for the time he spent in prison. The Colombian investor was arrested in Bogotá as he was about to board a plane to the city of Cali in 2012. He was convinced the authorities had made a mistake but, as it turned out, it was […]

Ten people have been killed and three injured in a shootout between suspected gang members near the town of Uruapán in western Mexico. Residents said the gun battle went on for an hour and police later found military-grade weapons at the site. Prosecutors think it was a confrontation between rival gangs Los Viagra and the […]

Former president says Alberto Fernandez, ex-cabinet chief, will run for the presidency against President Mauricio Macri. Argentina’s former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has announced her candidacy for vice president in elections later this year, a surprise move by a politician who had been widely expected to be the main challenger to incumbent Mauricio Macri. In […]

Germany will pay compensation of up to €10,000 (£8,700; $11,000) to victims of a notorious and abusive commune in southern Chile. Colonia Dignidad was founded by former Nazi soldier Paul Schäfer in 1961. The commune, which was located 350km (220 miles) south of Santiago, was run as a secretive cult and dozens of children were […]

Brazil’s mining firm Vale has warned that another dam is at risk of bursting months after the collapse of a similar structure killed more than 230 people. The dam in the south-eastern city of Barão de Cocais could burst next week if the current pace of movement in the embankment of the mine pit nearby […]

High level talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition have taken place in Norway, an ambassador for the embattled country has confirmed. The government and the opposition have been engaged in a bitter power struggle since January. But reports of a meeting between the two sides in Norway’s capital Oslo emerged on Thursday. Those reports were […]

Officials in Mexico City have declared an environmental emergency after air pollution in the Mexican capital reached levels potentially dangerous to human health. They urged those at particular risk to stay indoors and restricted the number of cars which can be driven in the city on Wednesday. Smoke from nearby forest fires has contributed to […]

There is little about La Esquina restaurant in wealthy eastern Caracas that screams crisis. Music is pumping out loudly from speakers hidden in lush vegetation. The trendy bar nestled in the gardens overlooks a shallow decorative pool, the centre-piece of the restaurant. Inside, there is a wall of fine wines for diners who fancy a […]

An Argentine lawmaker who was shot last Thursday outside the Congress building in the capital, Buenos Aires, has died of his wounds. Héctor Olivares, 61, was a member of Congress for the governing Cambiemos coalition. Police think the shooting was not politically motivated and that the target was a friend of Mr Olivares’, Miguel Marcelo […]