Chile to become the 31st country to recognize same-sex marriage
The new law removes restrictions on same-sex couples around parentage, adoption rights, and assisted reproduction.
South America
This archive covers progress stories and milestones from across South America, spanning countries from Brazil and Colombia to Argentina and Peru. Expect reporting on conservation wins, public health advances, economic shifts, and community-led efforts shaping life across the continent.
Landmark ruling blocks mining in Ecuadorian forest, citing rights of nature
Ecuador’s constitutional court has blocked plans to mine copper and gold in Los Cedros, a protected cloud forest, ruling that the plans violate the rights of nature.
Assisted dying is rapidly becoming legal and accepted – currently in 11 countries and 10 U.S. states
Since 2015, Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, Colombia, Germany, Austria, Portugal, five Australian states, ten American states, and D.C. have legalized assisted dying.
Ecuador will expand the marine reserve encircling the Galápagos Islands
The current Galápagos Marine Reserve covers 133,000 square kilometers. The extension protects an additional 60,000 km2, protecting an important migration route for hammerhead sharks and leatherback turtles.
Bhutan, Suriname, and Panama are now “carbon-negative,” absorbing more emissions than they produce
What they have in common is strong protection of their carbon-absorbing forests alongside increasingly tough measures to hold down climate-changing emissions.
Four Latin American countries join forces to form huge marine reserve
Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica announced the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, a fishing-free corridor that will cover more than 200,000 square miles.
Brazil court upholds ban on missionaries trying to contact isolated Indigenous
Although the country’s official policy since 1987 has been to not engage in any contact, a federal law passed in July 2020 allows religious missionaries to remain inside reserves with isolated #Indigenous groups.
Seven nations launch initiative to end new coal power
The Compact calls on nations to halt the construction of unabated coal-fired power generation projects by the end of this year. Initial signatories include Sri Lanka, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Montenegro, France, and the U.K.
Brazil and Chile become world’s first countries to fully approve methane-busting feed additive for cows
Just a quarter teaspoon of Royal DMS’s Bovaer per cow per day consistently reduces burped methane emission by approximately 30% for dairy cows and even higher percentages (up to 90%) for beef cows.
European bank Intesa commits to exclude Amazon oil from headwaters region of Ecuador and Peru
Intesa’s exclusion covers all financial products and services, as well as advisory services, and applies to projects and companies involved in exploration, production, and pipeline transport of Amazon oil.