BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Colombia ‘s government has declared an economic state of emergency that enables President Gustavo Petro’s administration to issue taxes by decree, as the nation struggles to finance hospitals and the military while paying off record debts.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s parliament on Tuesday approved a measure that criminalizes a broad range of activities that can hinder navigation and commerce in the South American country, such as the seizure of oil tankers.

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) – Bolivian miners marched in downtown La Paz, the country’s capital, and union-organized protesters took to the streets elsewhere on Monday, the first day of a strike over the government’s scrapping of fuel subsidies that have been blamed for contributing to dollar shortages and economic turmoil.