Your Daily Latin America Briefing

Brazil Backs 'Bogotá Declaration' on Fair Labour Mobility Across Latin America

• Brazil's Minister of Labour and Employment, Luiz Marinho, joined colleagues from 22 Latin American and Caribbean states in Bogotá on May 22, 2026, to adopt the "Bogotá Declaration," a new roadmap for orderly and rights-based labor migration in the region. This declaration commits signatories to recognizing migrants' professional qualifications, opening information channels for job vacancies, and establishing a regional fund to finance pilot projects that generate decent jobs for mobile workers. Marinho emphasized that migration policy must be anchored in labor rights, aligning with Brazil's constitutional protections for migrant workers.

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• The U.S. military conducted a rapid response exercise involving Marines and Osprey aircraft in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 23, 2026, at the recently reopened U.S. Embassy. This drill, occurring over four months after the ouster of then-President Nicolás Maduro, was announced by Venezuela's government as preparation for "medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies." However, some Caracas residents gathered to protest the exercise, displaying a Venezuelan flag with the message "No to the Yankee drill."

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• The U.S. has intensified pressure on Cuba, with Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche securing an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro and several others on May 23, 2026, for conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. This development coincides with a U.S. blockade on oil shipments contributing to Cuba's economic collapse and a Supreme Court ruling favoring U.S. businesses seeking compensation for property seized during the revolution. In a notable regional contrast, Costa Rica was named Latin America's leader for immigrant well-being in the 2026 Remitly Immigration Index, ranking 44th globally and sixth worldwide for happiness, despite broader regional migration challenges.

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