LATAM POLITICS TODAY-Peru's Boluarte seeks earlier elections, to ease diplomatic tensions

The latest in Latin American politics today: Peru's Boluarte seeks earlier elections, to ease diplomatic tensions

LIMA - Peru's new president Dina Boularte pledged to work with Congress to see if the next election could be held sooner than previously proposed, as street protests that have led to at least seven deaths so far showed few signs of letting up. Boluarte, who has already pledged to seek a way to hold the election slated for 2026 in April 2024, pleaded for calm.

Former President Pedro Castillo was arrested shortly after he was ousted last week and is being investigated over charges of rebellion and conspiracy. Peru's Supreme Court ruled that his legal appeal was baseless. Boluarte meanwhile moved to ease diplomatic tensions, saying she will talk with regional leaders who have come to Castillo's defense after her Mexican counterpart announced a pause in relations with Peru.

Lula builds out his economic policy team BRASILIA - More of Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's economic policy team took shape, with Workers Party (PT) veteran Aloizio Mercadante running development bank BNDES and a former banker taking a key role at the Economy Ministry.

Incoming Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said separately on Tuesday that former investment bank Banco Fator Chief Executive Gabriel Galipolo would be appointed as his executive secretary, underscoring an emphasis on public-private partnerships in the next administration. Deforestation of Brazilian savanna surged some 25% in a year, sources say

SAO PAULO - Deforestation in the world's most biodiverse savanna, the Brazilian Cerrado, rose by around 25% in the 12 months through July from the previous period, two people familiar with the still unreleased government data told Reuters. With the advance of Brazil's agricultural frontier since the 1970s, much of the Cerrado has been cut down to raise cattle and grow soybeans and corn, destroying roughly half of the savanna's native vegetation.

Advisors to President-elect Lula, who takes office on Jan. 1, have met with the soy industry to discuss a new pact to stop deforestation in the Cerrado savanna, modeled on a similar agreement for the Amazon. Bahamas judge denies former FTX CEO's bail request, remands him to prison

NASSAU - Bahamas Chief Magistrate JoyAnn Ferguson-Pratt denied a bail application by former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, remanding him to the Bahamas State Department of Corrections until Feb. 8. The judge said Bankman-Fried's risk of flight was so great that he should be remanded to custody and adjourned the case until February. (Compiled by Steven Grattan and Sarah Morland; Editing by Alistair Bell and Sam Holmes)

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