Contributions from Carin Zissis
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo reshuffled his country's top military commanders last week, sparking concerns about whether he has a secure hold on his post. The former priest faces a challenge from the opposition-controlled legislature and a string of paternity suits.
Deposed leader Manuel Zelaya declared a U.S.-brokered accord “dead” after the de facto government announced a cabinet and declared the provisions of the deal accomplished. The latest events place Washington at the center of the long-running crisis.
The country's Senate voted out Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis on October 30. The news was met with relative calm in Haiti and President René Préval quickly named a replacement, but some worry the prime minister's dismissal could raise concerns of instability at a time of optimism about the country's fate.