South County Mail

Missouri and the World

Latin America

Trump comments fuel fresh debate over possible US action against Cuba

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New criminal charges filed in the United States against Cuba’s former leader Raúl Castro have triggered renewed speculation about whether the Trump administration could eventually pursue more aggressive action toward the island nation.

According to analysis published by The Conversation, US prosecutors have charged the 94-year-old Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 downing of two planes operated by a Miami-based exile group.

The case relates to an incident in which four men died after Cuban fighter jets shot down the aircraft. [Read more…] about Trump comments fuel fresh debate over possible US action against Cuba

Trump may have removed Maduro – but Venezuela’s future is still unclear

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Four months after US forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and removed him from power, Venezuela remains caught between economic reform, political uncertainty and unresolved questions about democracy.

A new analysis published by The Conversation argues that while the country is beginning to reverse years of socialist economic policies, many of the structures that supported Maduro’s government remain firmly in place.

Following Maduro’s capture by US forces in January, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed leadership of the country and has begun implementing economic reforms with support from the Trump administration. [Read more…] about Trump may have removed Maduro – but Venezuela’s future is still unclear

Can Brazil become America’s most important partner in South America?

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to Washington last week for a closely watched meeting with US President Donald Trump, as both countries attempt to stabilize a relationship shaped increasingly by trade, strategic minerals, organized crime and growing geopolitical competition in Latin America.

The private talks at the White House lasted about three hours on May 7, although neither side issued a formal joint statement afterward.

Despite political differences between the two leaders, the meeting highlighted what analysts increasingly see as a pragmatic shift in US-Brazil relations, driven less by ideology and more by economic and strategic interests. [Read more…] about Can Brazil become America’s most important partner in South America?