☀ Domingo Brief — Lula-Macron Lovefest

Each Sunday, take two minutes to catch key stories and opportunities shaping Latin America.

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Welcome back to the Domingo Brief! This week, we’re following the latest update in Venezuela’s election debacle, Costa Rica’s soaring FDI figures, Guatemala’s new assistance package from Washington, and more.

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Trivia of the Week

Four out of five (80%) of you were right in saying that Paraguay was never a viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire. Paraguay remained on the periphery of the viceroyalties of Peru and La Plata.

Each week, tune back in for the answer to the previous week’s trivia question. No cheating!

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🇦🇷 Argentines took to the streets in commemoration of the country’s 1976 military coup, which brought to power the junta that ruled the country during the so-called Dirty War of the 1970s-1980s. Citizens were not only marking this somber anniversary, but also using the occasion to criticize President Javier Milei and his administration’s view of the junta.

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🇧🇷 Brazil received French President Emmanuel Macron for the latter’s first state visit to Latin America since he took office in 2017. Macron met with President Lula da Silva, visited Rio de Janeiro and the country’s north, and even signed some agreements, including most notably a $1.1B investment plan for the Amazon.

Latinometrics: The camaraderie seen between Lula and Macron is notable, and not just because of the wonderful memes it inspired from both countries’ official government accounts. As our Senior Editor outlined on BBC News this week, tensions between the two presidents have been strained over the last year. This isn’t just due to political differences regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, but also owing to France’s last-minute blocking in December of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. While meeting with Brazilian business leaders, Macron slammed the deal as terrible and proposed beginning negotiations on a new one.