The United States doubled down on its tough stance and sanctions on Cuba after historic protests in the Communist-run island last month and said it would seek to support protesters.

High atop the Andes Mountains in Bolivia, indigenous people gathered at dawn for a ritual ceremony in honor of Pachamama, the goddess of Earth and fertility, with fires and offerings.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union said on Monday it has imposed sanctions on eight Nicaraguans for human rights violations or undermining democracy or the rule of law, including Rosario Murillo, the vice president and wife of President Daniel Ortega.

A group of 18 active and former Brazilian Supreme Court justices, who also act as judges in the Supreme Electoral Court, said on Monday that the election system is free of fraud in the face of consistent attacks by President Jair Bolsonaro.

Mexico's factories showed tentative signs of a recovery in July, deteriorating at their slowest pace in the current 17 month-on-month string of contractions, a survey showed on Monday.

A referendum backed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on whether to investigate Mexico's former political leaders has fallen short of the required turnout though it had overwhelming backing from those who voted, initial results showed on Monday.

Brazil's central bank will raise interest rates by a full percentage point on Wednesday, according to a Reuters poll, its largest increase since 2003 as policymakers try to prevent this year's runaway inflation from spilling over into 2022.

Brazil's central bank is preparing to require banks to account for potential losses from climate change-related phenomena such as droughts, floods and forest fires, in stress tests, positioning itself as a global leader in ESG-based financial sector regulation.

Government supporters rallied in several Brazilian cities on Sunday to call for changes in the country's electronic voting system, which far-right President Jair Bolsonaro says is not trustworthy.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexicans voted on Sunday on whether to investigate five former leaders in a referendum championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, amid criticism that the poll is a political stunt and with early indications that turnout was low.