Argentine President Javier Milei renewed his public attack on Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, calling him a 'leftist thief' and accusing him of running a 'dirty campaign' five days before Brazil's presidential runoff against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, whom Milei has openly endorsed.

A federal judge in New York has vacated her 2023 ruling that ordered Argentina to pay more than $16 billion over the 2012 expropriation of oil company YPF, closing the case at trial-court level while litigation funder Burford Capital seeks Supreme Court review.

Argentina's forensic anthropology team has identified the remains of Carlos Rafael Medina, a victim of the country's 1976-1983 military dictatorship, found at Pozo de Vargas in Tucumán province. The site is Argentina's largest known clandestine burial ground from that era.

Argentina's government has spent roughly $445 million on weapons, military and security equipment since President Javier Milei took office in December 2023, an analysis by the newspaper Infobae found. The figure, compiled from official procurement records through August 2026, already exceeds the totals recorded during the full terms of predecessors Alberto Fernández and Mauricio Macri.

Argentina posted another trade surplus after exports reached $77 billion between January and September 2026, with agricultural products, minerals, gas and oil making up 73% of total sales abroad.

Brazil's top electoral court gave Meta 24 hours to prove it treats campaign content from President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro equally, threatening daily fines before Sunday's tight presidential runoff.

Brazil's currency strengthened to about 5.05 per US dollar on 19 October as two separate runoff polls pointed to a tight race between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Economists trimmed their year-end forecasts for the real as investors weighed the outcome of the 25 October vote. The currency move highlights how closely markets are tracking Brazil's presidential runoff.

A surge of Chinese electric-vehicle and renewable-energy exports is reshaping trade patterns across Latin America. Governments in the region face a choice between importing cheaper Chinese clean technology and shielding domestic manufacturers with tariffs or local-content rules. The dilemma echoes similar trade tensions already under way in Europe and North America.

The United States has told Argentine President Javier Milei's government it is concerned that a bill toughening sanctions over resource exploitation in the Falkland Islands could also reach American companies. The concern was conveyed as Argentina's Congress considers the National Sovereignty Defence bill, according to unnamed Washington officials cited by the newspaper Clarín.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and rival candidate Flávio Bolsonaro traded accusations of lying and corruption in their first televised runoff debate on Sunday. The clash, broadcast a week before the October 25 vote, centered on public spending, the economy, security and healthcare.

Paraguay's Association of Banks, representing 14 private lenders, has asked the Central Bank to report on the solvency of institutions that received facilities during merger processes. The request follows calls from both ruling-party and opposition senators for the bank's leadership to be removed. The pressure also touches President Santiago Peña's administration.

Brazilian President Lula's re-election coalition has reported Meta to the United Nations, alleging the platform gave rival Senator Flávio Bolsonaro unfair treatment on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The coalition also asked prosecutors and federal police to investigate possible illegal campaign financing. Meta says the incidents were technical errors.

Brazil's top electoral court has set new rules on when WhatsApp broadcast channels count as official campaign tools, a week before the October 25 presidential runoff between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro.

Antofagasta plc said a strike at its Centinela copper mine in Chile has ended after reaching a deal with unions. The company has not yet disclosed further details of the agreement. Centinela is closely watched given Chile's weight in global copper supply.