Bloomberg Línea — Former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado was extradited Thursday to the United States to face three charges associated with drug trafficking. Hernández, who was in office from 2014 to 2022, was handed over in handcuffs by local police to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and flown to the United States.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled on Thursday in favor of Nicaragua following the Central American country’s complaints of violations of sovereign rights and maritime spaces by Colombia. The Court stated that Colombia violated “sovereignty and jurisdiction” of the Central American country’s territories by authorizing fishing and research activities in Nicaragua’s exclusive economic zone.
On the region’s stock markets, the poor performance of the U.S. stock markets following comments by Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell spread to all Latin American markets on a day in which none of the main indices posted gains. The sharpest losses were registered by the Chilean IPSA index (IPSA), dragged down by the performance of the materials, information technology and energy sectors.
Following is a roundup of Thursday’s news from Bloomberg Línea and Bloomberg reporters across Latin America.
Argentina:
- Vista Oil & Gas (VIST), the oil company founded by former YPF CEO Miguel Galuccio, announced successful results in its first two shale oil wells in the Bajada del Palo Este block of Vaca Muerta.
Brazil:
- Aura Minerals (AURA33) has purchased a gold mine in Rio Grande do Norte from Australian company Big River Gold. The mine’s reserves are among the 10 largest known in the country.
Chile:
- Argentine unicorn Globant (GLOB) is betting big on Chile. The company, which is focused on reinventing business through innovative technological solutions, inaugurated its new offices in Santiago and plans to invest $40 million in the country over the next three years.
Colombia:
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled on Thursday in favor of Nicaragua following the Central American country’s complaints of violations of sovereign rights and maritime territory by Colombia. The Court stated that Colombia violated “sovereignty and jurisdiction” of the Central American country’s territories by authorizing fishing and research activities in Nicaragua’s exclusive economic zone.
Ecuador:
- A total of 102 companies in the floriculture sector have joined the Ecuador Zero Carbon Program, with which it is estimated that 64% of the country’s floriculture production will engage in more sustainable, low-carbon and climate-resilient production processes to address climate change.
Honduras:
- Former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado was extradited Thursday to the United States to face three charges associated with drug trafficking cartels. Hernández, who was in office from 2014 to 2022, was handed over in handcuffs by police to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and flown to the United States.
Mexico:
- A digital currency being developed by Banco de México will take three years to be implemented, as part of a long-term digital payments strategy, the central bank’s governor Victoria Rodríguez Ceja said on Thursday.
Venezuela:
- For many analysts, dollarization in Venezuela is a foregone conclusion and part of a de facto process. Despite the use of the dollar having been demonized by the regimes of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, its use has increased due to blackouts caused by power outages, which made digital transactions impossible, and has become the go-to option for the population in the face of the devaluation of the bolivar and the shortage of banknotes.
