A new report highlights the escalating existential crisis among the 30,000 Indigenous people living in the Yanomami Territory, covering 9,664,975 hectares (37,317 square miles) in northern Brazil. Data shows that the Yanomami reserve is in the top ten areas now most prone to illegal deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.The report accuses Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazilian government of abandoning the Yanomami to the invasion of their territory by tens-of-thousands of illegal miners. While the administration has launched sporadic operations to stop these incursions, the miners return as soon as police leave the reserve.Bolsonaro is also accused of having done...

Inspired by the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian mayors have been distributing chloroquine and ivermectin to treat Covid-19 ahead of municipal elections in November. Translated by Tom Gatehouse, as part of LAB’s ongoing partnership with Agência Pública. You can read the original article (in Portuguese) here. The anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine came to global attention in March when Donald Trump hailed it as a ‘very powerful’ treatment for Covid-19. In Brazil, it was quickly embraced by President Jair Bolsonaro, a staunch Trump ally. Just two days...

This article was translated for LAB by Fuschia Fowke. You can read the original in Spanish here. Preparations for Mexico’s 2020/21 elections began at the start of September. This is an exceptionally important and complex process, as more than 21,000 seats are to be contested,  including federal deputies, local deputies, town councillors and 15 governorships. It will be a test for the leadership of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO), who has maintained high levels of popularity, despite the pandemic. To advance his political...

Covid-19 in Latin America update 14: Argentina reaches 800,000 cases, Brazil agrees to test Russia’s ‘Sputnik’ vaccine, Chileans vote 'Apruebo' with social distancing in place, Colombia sees increase in violence against LGBTQ+, Cuba reopens 13/15 provinces to tourists.

This is a condensed version of a longer article written in July 2020. It was edited for LAB by Emily Gregg. Indigenous territories in Latin America are critical areas where the COVID-19 has had a major impact on vulnerable communities. The Atacama people in Antofagasta, Chile, are one example of how these communities have taken their own action to protect themselves from the disease. However, voluntary lockdowns and barriers at town entrances have created conflict with authorities and encounters with the police. The Atacama Desert stretches from Antofagasta to Copiapó....