Domestic Politics
Venezuelan police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd led by interim President Juan Guaido. The crowd was marching towards the Federal Legislative Palace to demonstrate their opposition to the leftist regime of incumbent President Nicolas Maduro. [Latin American Herald Tribune]
Venezuela's Electoral Council confirmed that around 50,000 voting machines and 600 computers used in country’s elections were destroyed in a fire. Parliamentary elections in the country are scheduled for this year. The council has not indicated whether this latest event will complicate the election. [Reuters]
International Relations
Brazil’s removal of 11 consular staff and 5 diplomats in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, spiked tensions between Jair Bolsonaro’s right wing regime in Brazil and Venezuela’s socialist government, headed by Nicolas Maduro. [Al Jazeera]
The Uruguayan government announced its withdrawal from Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and its return to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (TIAR). It stated that UNASUR has ceased to function and has been abandoned by the majority of countries. [Merco Press]
The US Supreme Court approved the Trump administration's ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy, wherein asylum seekers are made to wait on the status of their application in Mexico until court hearings. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, on the other hand, ruled that the “Migrant Protection Protocols” provision is illegal under American law. [Associated Press]
Economy
Following the recent drop in oil prices, the Mexican government will need to reconsider its energy strategy. 17.9% of county’s budget is dependent on petroleum income. Experts suggest that if the current situation continues, roughly 10% of the country’s budget will be impacted, leading to further reductions in public spending. [Latin American Herald Tribune]
Environment
Around 200 members of the Guarani Mbya, an indigenous tribe in Sao Paulo, protested against the construction of apartment buildings by the Tenda Construction Company. The protest began last month when around 500 trees were cut down near their land, which is also the smallest demarcated indigenous reserve in Brazil. [Associated Press]
Health
Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, stated that the death toll from heparin sodium medication–a tainted drug that tested positive for the Klebsiella spp bacteria–has risen to five. The drug was administered to dialysis patients in a regional hospital owned by the company. According to Mexico's National human Rights Commission, nearly 90 patients received the tainted drug. [Associated Press]
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