Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president, signaling a tilt toward conservative leadership in parts of South America. Mexican authorities reported that sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean has quadrupled this year, threatening coastal ecosystems and tourism. In São Paulo, Argentina's Javier Milei publicly attacked President Lula at an event where Flávio Bolsonaro was confirmed as his party's presidential candidate.
Peru Swears In Keiko Fujimori — Sargassum Surge and Political Tensions Mark Regional Week
Peru's President Keiko Fujimori walks to the presidential palace after her inauguration in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as president of Peru, a result that underscores a broader shift toward conservative leadership in parts of South America. Her inauguration is expected to influence Peru's domestic and foreign-policy priorities in the months ahead.
Mexican authorities reported a fourfold increase in sargassum in the Mexican Caribbean this year. The brown seaweed threatens coastal ecosystems, fisheries and the tourism sector, prompting intensified cleanup efforts, monitoring and calls for regional coordination to mitigate ecological and economic damage.
Political tensions flared in São Paulo where Argentina's President Javier Milei publicly attacked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, calling him a 'thief' and a 'delinquent' at an event where Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was confirmed as his father's party's presidential candidate. The exchange highlighted rising polarization and heated rhetoric across the region's campaign season.
Photo Gallery: This visual round-up of July 24–30, 2026, was curated by chief photographer Eduardo Verdugo, based in Mexico City, and captures the week's most striking images from Latin America and the Caribbean.
These developments — electoral change in Peru, an accelerating sargassum problem in Mexico, and intensifying political confrontations in Brazil and Argentina — illustrate a week of shifting priorities and growing political divisions across the region.
Sargassum covers the coast of Tulum, Mexico, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Parishioners wearing a birdlike costumes dance in the annual procession honoring 16th-century St. Francis Solano in Emboscada, Paraguay, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, right, handles an oversized pair of scissors, accompanied by Argentina's President Javier Milei during the Liberal Party convention where Bolsonaro was confirmed as the party's presidential candidate, in Sao Paulo, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini)(AP Photo/Ettore Chiereguini)
Spectators avoid a charging bull during a traditional Toros Populares festival in Pillaro, Ecuador, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa).(AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
A janitor wipes chairs at the Universidad Santiago de Cali auditorium, where President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella will be inaugurated, in Cali, Colombia, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)(AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pretends to examine World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus with dental equipment during a visit to the Andaraí Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)(AP Photo/Bruna Prado)
Police patrol by a U.S. donated Mamba armored military vehicle in the Marconi neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)(AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)
A billboard depicting the late leader Fidel Castro and reading "Homeland or death, we will defeat!" is seen during an event marking the 73th anniversary of the start of the Cuban Revolution in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Dominican Republic's Symbol Sanchez competes in the men's platform preliminary diving event at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Fog covers the community of El Limon, Panama, the site of the proposed Rio Indio Reservoir, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
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