LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Argentina's new economy chief to go to Washington for finance talks

The latest in Latin American politics today: Argentina's new economy chief to go to Washington for finance talks BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's latest economy minister, Sergio Massa, will travel to the United States next month to meet with key finance leaders at the International Monetary Fund, among others, amid a severe economic slump fueled by sky-high inflation.

The latest in Latin American politics today: Argentina's new economy chief to go to Washington for finance talks

BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's latest economy minister, Sergio Massa, will travel to the United States next month to meet with key finance leaders at the International Monetary Fund, among others, amid a severe economic slump fueled by sky-high inflation. Jorge Arguello, Argentina's ambassador to Washington, said Massa, who took the helm of the economy ministry two weeks ago, will also meet in early September with officials at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the White House, and private banks.

Years of political crises in Peru are finally hitting its economy LIMA - Since 2011, Peruvians have lived under seven presidents and seen four ex-leaders detained or wanted on corruption allegations. Yet, in the same period Peru has held onto the unlikely title of the fastest growing major economy in Latin America.

That period of stand out growth is set to end this year, an analysis of World Bank data and International Monetary Fund forecasts shows, with Colombia claiming the top spot. Slowing growth at the world's No. 2 copper producer underscores a painful truth: Peru's economy is finally beginning to crack after years of increasingly disruptive political crises that have peaked under President Pedro Castillo and a combative Congress, hurting both private and public investment.

Brazil federal police accuse Bolsonaro of COVID-linked scaremongering BRASILIA - Brazil's federal police have accused President Jair Bolsonaro of discouraging mask use during the pandemic and falsely suggesting that people who got vaccinated against COVID-19 ran the risk of contracting AIDS.

In a document sent to Brazil's Supreme Court, a police delegate said Bolsonaro's effort to discourage compliance with pandemic-linked health measures amounted to a crime, while his linking of vaccinations with AIDS amounted to a misdemeanor. The police asked Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is in charge of the probe, to authorize the police to charge Bolsonaro and others involved in the case. (Compiled by Steven Grattan Editing by Tomasz Janowski)