Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has declared a 60-day “state of exception” in western Táchira state to stop the massive smuggling of goods into bordering Colombia and to defeat the paramilitary groups involved.
Since early June, street protests have been held on a regular basis in Ecuador by the right wing against President Rafael Correa and the process of progressive, anti-imperialist change–called the Citizens’ Revolution–which he leads.