News from South America
MercoPress South Atlantic News Agency
- YPF and Pluspetrol swap upstream stakes to deepen Vaca Muerta push and feed Argentina LNG plan
on January 23, 2026Argentina’s state-run oil company YPF and local producer Pluspetrol have agreed to a portfolio swap aimed at reshaping their positions in the Vaca Muerta shale play and strengthening supply for YPF’s flagship liquefied natural gas (LNG) export initiative.
- EU and Ecuador wrap up talks on sustainable investment deal, EU’s first SIFA with Latin America
on January 23, 2026The European Union and Ecuador have concluded negotiations on a Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA), in what Brussels is portraying as the bloc’s first such deal with a Latin American country, according to an EFE report on Friday.
- Bolivia’s vice president points to Urubó as possible hideout for fugitive Uruguayan trafficker Marset
on January 23, 2026Bolivia’s Vice President Edmundo Lara said fugitive Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset may be hiding in Urubó, an affluent residential area on the outskirts of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and urged security forces and Interpol to carry out “urgent” raids to verify the lead. In a video posted on social media, Lara questioned why major operations […]
- EU ‘ready’ to roll out Mercosur deal once South American ratifications start, von der Leyen says
on January 23, 2026European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is prepared to provisionally implement the EU–Mercosur trade agreement as soon as Mercosur countries begin completing their ratification procedures, seeking to reassure partners after a European Parliament vote injected fresh uncertainty into the bloc’s approval track.
- Argentina’s tax and customs agency complaint targets national football federation over fake invoices
on January 23, 2026Argentina’s Revenue and Customs Control Agency (ARCA) has filed a fresh complaint against the Argentine Football Association (AFA), alleging undocumented outflows of money and the use of fake invoices, with a preliminary estimated tax damage of more than 375 million pesos (around USD 262,372.01), according to Argentine media reports.
- Venezuela frees opposition leader’s son-in-law as Caracas signals thaw with Washington
on January 23, 2026Venezuelan authorities on Thursday released Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia, in one of the most politically charged prisoner releases since Nicolás Maduro’s ouster and the installation of an interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez, according to agency reporting.
- Argentina envoy asks French lawmakers to cover “Falklands” label on map during hearing
on January 22, 2026Argentina’s ambassador to France, Ian Sielecki, halted the start of a hearing at France’s National Assembly and refused to speak while a map behind him displayed the Falklands/Malvinas as UK territory. Proceedings resumed only after a staff member covered the islands with a sticky note.
- Argentina’s Patagonia wildfires: flare-ups in Chubut spur evacuations as crews face “highly complex” blazes
on January 22, 2026Wildfires in Argentina’s Patagonia continued to pressure communities in Chubut province, with active fronts and repeated flare-ups reported around Epuyén, El Hoyo and Puerto Patriada, as heat, strong winds and very low humidity complicated containment efforts. Local coverage described preventive self-evacuations and round-the-clock watch shifts by […]
- US appoints career diplomat Laura Dogu as new mission chief for Venezuela amid thaw signals
on January 22, 2026The United States has named veteran Foreign Service officer Laura Dogu as its new mission chief for Venezuela, a step that aligns with broader signs of a tentative diplomatic reset — including discussions about reopening embassies and plans for Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez to travel to Washington, though no dates or agenda have been […]
- Trump says “framework” deal with NATO on Greenland is taking shape and drops tariff threat
on January 22, 2026US President Donald Trump said his administration has agreed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on a “framework” for a potential understanding covering Greenland and the wider Arctic region, and announced he would pull back a tariff threat aimed at several European allies. Trump offered no operational detail, but framed the talks as a solution that […]