US-backed negotiations between Venezuela's interim government and a faction of the opposition began on Thursday after nearly a week of delays. The talks aim to reshape the country's political system and lay the groundwork for eventual elections after years of turmoil.
Brazil has downgraded its diplomatic representation with Argentina following remarks by President Javier Milei about President Lula. Brasília announced that a chargé d'affaires, rather than an ambassador, will now be the highest-ranking diplomatic representative between the two countries.
Guatemalan authorities said the eruption of the Fuego volcano has ended after roughly 50 hours of activity that forced more than 1,700 people to evacuate. Officials said residents should remain cautious because the volcano could erupt again. Evacuees have begun returning to their homes near the volcano's slopes.
The United States has revoked the visa of Brazil's ambassador in Washington, days after Brazil refused to grant visas to two US State Department officials. The tit-for-tat visa moves mark a fresh escalation in a diplomatic dispute between the two governments that has simmered for weeks. Neither Washington nor Brasília has issued a detailed public explanation.
Argentine President Javier Milei has sent a bill to Congress to overhaul the charter of the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA). The reform would make preserving the currency's value the BCRA's sole mandate and ban the bank from financing state deficits, reversing a 2012 law.
A strike by Argentina's maritime pilots that had stranded dozens of ships in the country's ports has ended after the government and the protesters reached an agreement. The pilots agreed to reduce their rate demands by 20%, while the administration suspended a decree that had deregulated the sector.
Guatemala's Fuego volcano, located roughly 35 kilometers from the capital, has erupted again, prompting authorities to declare a red alert, the country's most severe danger warning. The affected zone covers Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango and Escuintla, home to around 1.6 million people who now face ash, gas and lava.
The United States activated a new military task force in Miami on August 4 to lead an 18-nation coalition against drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere. U.S. Southern Command said the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition includes partners such as Chile, Ecuador and Peru alongside other regional states. The initiative marks one of the broadest security alignments in the Americas in recent years.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched his re-election campaign before crowds in São Paulo on August 2, seeking a fourth term. The 80-year-old will face senator Flavio Bolsonaro in October's vote after Bolsonaro stepped in following his father's coup-plot conviction.
A Honduran court has rejected prosecutors' request to hold former president Juan Orlando Hernández in pretrial detention, ruling he will face the so-called Pandora II fraud case in freedom, under conditions. The court stressed the decision covers only custody status, not guilt, and no ruling has yet been made on the merits of the case.