by the El Reportero’s wire services
The administration of President Donald Trump is moving forward with a new package of tariffs that could affect dozens of countries, including several across Latin America.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the new measures could be announced in the near future, although he declined to provide a specific timeline. The proposal would apply to about 60 countries that Washington says engage in unfair trade practices by allowing exports of goods allegedly produced with forced labor.
Among the Latin American nations included are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, which could face tariffs of up to 12.5 percent. Mexico and Ecuador would be subject to a 10 percent tariff because, according to the U.S. assessment, they have adopted measures against forced labor but have not enforced them effectively.
The White House plans to implement the tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a legal mechanism intended to replace part of the global tariffs struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year. If approved, the measures could affect exports from several Latin American industries and create new trade tensions between Washington and a number of its trading partners.
In other news
Bolivia investigates mob lynching of suspect accused of killing pastor
Bolivia’s Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation to identify and prosecute those involved in the lynching of a man accused of fatally shooting a pastor inside a church in Cochabamba.
According to investigators, the suspect was located and arrested by police shortly after the crime. However, before he could be brought before judicial authorities, a crowd forcibly removed him from police custody, beat him, doused him with fuel and set him on fire. He later died from the severe burns.
Cochabamba Departmental Prosecutor Osvaldo Tejerina said a special investigative team has been formed to identify those responsible for the attack. He also emphasized that taking justice into one’s own hands is a criminal offense. Authorities said the suspect was already in official custody when the lynching occurred and are now seeking to establish the criminal responsibility of everyone who participated in the incident.
