Our Tuesday Sociedad Media Now daily newsletter comes with four news updates across Latin America: Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, and a U.S. federal grand jury looks into Argentina’s Fútbol Federation and its Miami money trail amid corruption allegations.
U.S. Congress Moves to Reload the NICA Act After Ortega Declares the End of Elections
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation to reauthorize and expand NICA Act sanctions on Nicaragua, days after Daniel Ortega declared the country will never hold elections again.
The bill would tighten restrictions on Ortega-family revenue streams, international lending, and Nicaragua’s CAFTA-DR trade status — extending a rare bipartisan pressure campaign that has spanned both Trump administrations and Biden’s.
U.S. Treasury & State Officials Meet Directly With Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas
CARACAS — Delcy Rodríguez met directly with senior U.S. Treasury and State officials in Caracas to discuss economic cooperation and post-earthquake recovery — one of the most visible U.S.-Venezuela engagements yet since Maduro’s capture seven months ago.
The meeting builds on a temporary easing of financial sanctions oversight tied to earthquake relief, even as the broader political question of when Venezuelans vote again remains unresolved.
Inside the FBI’s Widening Investigation Into Argentina’s Fútbol Federation & Its South Florida Money Trail
MIAMI — What began as a preliminary FBI inquiry into Argentina’s fútbol federation has grown into a full grand jury investigation, tracing $260 million through South Florida shell companies and major U.S. banks — with subpoenas issued to associates of AFA president “Chiqui” Tapia even as he faces separate corruption charges back home.
The case has intensified over the course of 2026, even as Tapia traveled to the U.S. under special judicial authorization to accompany the national team through its World Cup run.
Colombia’s Deadliest Earthquake Since 1979 Kills at Least 180, Three Days Into New Presidency
CALI, COLOMBIA — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake — Colombia’s strongest since 1979 — has killed at least 181 people and injured more than 1,310, with some trackers reporting tolls as high as 240 amid a fast-moving, three-days-into-office crisis for newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella.
International rescue teams from Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador, and beyond have joined Colombia's own military-led search operations, as the government works through a national disaster declaration and a death toll still expected to rise.
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