The week at a glance...Americas

Guerrero, Mexico

Congressman murdered: The body of a Mexican congressman was found this week, dumped along a highway in the coastal state of Guerrero. Moisés Villanueva de la Luz, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, went missing earlier this month after attending a party with other politicians. Forensic examiners said he and his driver had likely been killed that night. Worried lawmakers called for a thorough investigation into the murder, speculating that drug gangs or organized crime may have played a role. “It is very unfortunate, the climate of instability engulfing the country,” said Fausto Vallejo Figueroa, a party colleague of Villanueva’s.

Belize City

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Founding father dies: Belize’s government declared a week of national mourning this week after the death of the man who led the country to independence three decades ago. George Price, born of Creole and mestizo background in what was then the colony of British Honduras, studied at a Catholic seminary in Mississippi before abandoning plans to become a priest and choosing politics instead. He founded the People’s United Party in 1950 and held legislative positions under British rule for decades. After successfully leading negotiations with the British for independence, he became prime minister of the new country of Belize in 1981. In stark contrast to other Latin American leaders, Price opposed tourism development because he didn’t want Belize to “become a nation of waiters.” He was 92.

Barillas, Guatemala

Six earthquakes: Guatemalans were rattled this week by 12 hours of earthquakes, which caused landslides that killed at least three people. The first, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, hit around noon, followed half an hour later by a magnitude 5.8 quake and then four smaller ones. The epicenters were in the south, about 30 miles from Guatemala City and not far from the border with El Salvador, and the tremors were felt across both countries. Landslides occurred for days. In Barillas, a woman was killed and her three children were injured when an avalanche buried several houses under tons of mud and rock.