Lured by promises of an education but allegedly trapped in servitude and self-mortification, the former members are suing the ultra-conservative organisation over their ‘exploitation and abuse’. Read more

The South American country has begun exploration in its Atlantic waters, with experts warning it is endangering livelihoods, marine life and climate goals.

Rightwing president vowed to rescue country from years of ‘impoverishment’ – but for many the situation is desperate.

Last year, 6,381 people in Brazil died due to police action, many as a result of the illegal use of force – it is one of the highest figures in the world. Now human rights activists are warning that efforts to tackle the crisis are being shut down.

The government is auctioning off plots of pristine Indigenous reserves for fossil fuel projects, with campaigners warning of a ‘silent genocide’.

Hidrovia project to dredge Paraguay River and build ports may destroy vast biodiversity and refuge of jaguars, giant otters and armadillos – and an age-old riverine way of life.

Blackened trees, dead animals and scorched earth – early wildfires have already devastated Brazil’s Pantanal and local people worry they may lose the battle to save them.

Mining companies operating in Argentina stand accused of colonial ‘divide and rule’ tactics in their pursuit of the precious metal that lies under the country’s salt flats.

The river port of Rosario lies on the route between cocaine-producing Peru and Bolivia and lucrative markets in Europe. The result is terrifying violence and addiction.

Camila, a 13-year-old rape victim, was falsely accused, investigated and convicted for miscarrying in Peru. Her struggle for justice comes as Latin America faces a backlash against attempts to improve reproductive rights.

“They mutilated me”: Between 1996 and 2001, more than 272,000 women and 22,000 men were sterilised in Peru, with estimates suggesting less than 10 per cent gave consent. Hope is fading that they will ever receive justice.

Javier Milei’s anti-abortion rhetoric has prompted growing numbers of doctors in Argentina to refuse to carry out terminations. Since taking office, the self-described libertarian has condemned abortion as a “tragedy” and “aggravated murder”.

In the first 90 days of his presidency, Javier Milei devalued the peso by more than 50 per cent, cut tens of thousands of public-sector jobs and halved the number of government ministries to nine. His austerity measures hit the poor hardest.

The Paraná delta is a reservoir of wildlife and serve a vital environmental purpose, but overdevelopment is having a cataclysmic impact. Industrial waste has polluted the water, deforestation disrupted the humidity, and fires burned thousands of hectares.

Chile’s February 2024 wildfires were the country’s worst disaster for more than a decade, killing 137 people and destroying more 15,000 homes. Dozens died in their cars as the firestorm moved too fast to be outrun.

The first time, they came at 2am and without a warrant. Rosa was alone. She was gagged, her eyes covered, and her hands bound with a cable tie. “The officers told me not to protest any more,” she said.

Argentina votes right-wing libertarian Javier Milei to rule as its next president after a divisive and bitter election. Milei surged from relative obscurity to score nearly 56 per cent of the vote.

The Covid-19 virus has killed an estimated 229,000 Britons but its impact has not been evenly felt. Pregnant women, people with learning difficulties, ethnic minorities, factory workers, security guards and those living in nursing homes are among the groups hit especially hard.

After a Ukrainian town is liberated, its civilians are visited by sexual violence prosecutors and asked a question: “Did the Russians behave?” The answers have been harrowing; genital electrocution, forced nudity parades, and children orally raped.

New York City has witnessed an escalation in sexual violence, and a “very high degree” of human trafficking. Victims, some as young as 12, face a “traffic jam of men rolling through to buy sex”. The NYPD is accused of failing to protect its citizens.