Brazil Election: Flávio Bolsonaro surged in Brazil’s first round and is set for a runoff against Lula, a shift analysts frame as part of a broader rightward turn across Latin America after Trump’s 2024 re-election. U.S.-Backed Anti-Cartel Push: The U.S. redeployed MQ-9 Reaper “Hunter-killer” drones from Africa to Colombia and Ecuador as Washington expands strikes against trafficking networks. Regional Growth Outlook: The World Bank projects Latin America and the Caribbean to grow 2.2% in 2026, with El Salvador and Paraguay cited as outperformers; it also flags El Niño risks and warns AI won’t boost productivity unless countries can adopt it effectively. Cybercrime Cooperation: Belize and Colombia, with Caribbean partners, launched training to strengthen cross-border cybercrime prevention, investigation, and response. Gold Reserves: Central banks, including in Latin America, continue adding gold for diversification and geopolitical hedging, even as demand patterns evolve. Culture & Diplomacy: Venezuela participated in a Cairo exhibition of Latin American and Caribbean folk art, while a Colombian artist, Silvia Peña, won an award at South Korea’s Geoje International Art Festival.