The Americas In The News
Central America
Guatemalan police fire tear gas at Honduran migrants to stop US-bound caravan
9000 men, women and children of all ages make up the first wave of migrants to leave Honduras in the past few days for environmental reasons, after two devastating hurricanes further deepened problems in this Central American nation where 80 percent of the population is deemed poor. The country is also torn by gang violence, perpetrated by groups known as "maras".
The caravan reached the Guatemalan border and is headed for the US; in the hope that the incoming Biden administration is more benevolent to the thousands of migrants trying to enter the country every year. But last Sunday the Guatemalan police clashed with migrants and used tear gas and batons against them.
The Guatemalan government said in turn they acted following reports that mara members had infiltrated the caravan and were hiding among those fleeing Honduras.
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USA
B
iden takes office this January 20, Trump not to attend
Outgoing U.S. president Donald Trump will leave Washington on Wednesday morning, just hours before his elected successor, Democrat Joe Biden is sworn in.
The ceremony comes amid heavy security measures, due to reported threats of protests and even attacks by supporters of the outgoing President. The Biden administration will kick off in a context of severe economic, employment and sanitary problems, as the US is the country with the most COVID deaths in the world: nearly 400 thousand.
At the ceremony, whose activities will be most streamed online because of the pandemic, Argentina will be represented by Ambassador Jorge Argüello.
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Brazil
Government gives emergency authorization to two COVID vaccines
Amid a devastating surge of COVID cases in several parts of Brazil, the local drugs safety agency ANVISA approved both the Oxford/AstraZeneca (UK) and Coronavac (China) jabs.
Soon after the green-light was announced, Monica Calazans, a nurse from downtown São Paulo, became the first Brazilian to be vaccinated. Calazans works in an intensive care unit that has been at 90 percent capacity since April, sources said.
Brazil is the country worst-struck by the pandemic in Latin America, with more than 8 million cases and over 200,000 deaths. While several of its neighbors have already approved vaccines, Brazil was seemingly lagging despite its positive record in public health and vaccination. Coronavac jabs will start being administered by mid February, same month the first doses from Oxford- Astra Zeneca are expected to arrive in Brazil.