A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Panama on Friday, cutting power, suspending classes and metro service, and damaging buildings as authorities assessed the damage and recorded numerous aftershocks. It hit a hotel and a church in Penonomé. Copa Airlines resumed flights after the airport reopened, while authorities prioritized diverted planes.
Public emergencies and state response
Heavy rains in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley overflowed streams in Colombia and generated more than 400 emergency calls. The government also launched an energy crisis plan after spot power prices averaged about 126% more in September than a year earlier, as El Niño dried reservoirs.
The Colombian government was preparing a decree to regulate protests ahead of planned rallies. That came days after a truck bomb targeted an army base on 8 October. The roundup reported the planned rallies and the government’s proposed regulation, but gave no further details about the decree.
A truck and a jeep collided head-on on a regional highway in Chile, killing five people and injuring a sixth. The Siat de Carabineros was investigating the cause. José Antonio Kast was scheduled to visit Bolivia on the 16th, with cross-border relations expected to be a focus.
In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum accused former president Felipe Calderón of opening the country’s doors to foreign agencies, linking the claim to national sovereignty. Separately, a U.S. labor case involving a Puebla plant gave Mexico exactly 10 days to respond. The roundup didn’t report the outcome of the case.
Ballots, campaigns and political pressure
Brazil’s second-round presidential campaign was underway. Lula’s first advertisement asked for votes from people who hadn’t previously supported him, while Flávio Bolsonaro promoted change and pledged to maintain existing social programs. The runoff was scheduled for 25 October.
Prediction-market figures reported at 12:13 a.m. ET on 10 October put Flávio Bolsonaro at 88.9% and Lula at 11.5% on Polymarket, with about US$180 million traded; the key facts section specified US$179.6 million. Kalshi, regulated in the U.S. by the CFTC, showed Bolsonaro at 88.0% and Lula at 12.0%. The latest Datafolha poll gave Bolsonaro 52% of valid votes and Lula 48%. Those market prices are bets on who wins, not shares of votes.
In Peru, Hitler Mussolini Simeón Flores, 45, won the mayoral election in Queropalca with 229 votes, 25 more than his ultra-right rival from Renovación Popular. Simeón Flores is from the centre-left Ahora Nación party. His name drew amused international headlines. A wildfire threatened the Huayllap Stone Forest, while the farm export sector was slowing.
Prices, markets and competing priorities
Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo was travelling to Thailand for the IMF’s annual assembly. His U.S. counterpart, Scott Bessent, was staying home for “domestic commitments.” Cost-of-living concerns, including grocery and transport prices, featured in Argentina’s domestic political debate. The roundup also reported Brazil’s inflation at 4.58%, above the 4.5% ceiling.
Brazil’s Ibovespa closed at 209,067, up 1.38% on 9 October 2026. Mexico’s S&P/BMV IPC stood at 66,049, up 1.63%; Chile’s S&P IPSA was 11,044, up 0.18%; Argentina’s S&P Merval was 2,828,027, down 0.16%; and Colombia’s COLCAP was 2,531, up 0.21%. The reported exchange rates were 4.9922 for USD/BRL, down 0.64%, and 18.41 for USD/MXN, up 1.15%.
A court decision in Brazil suspended an injunction that had allowed one betting operator to continue operating, restoring the effect of the federal ban on online betting. Three police officers died when a PM aircraft crashed in Minas Gerais. The roundup captured political campaigns, public safety, food and transport prices, and emergency responses as regional pressures. Brazil’s Ibovespa closed at 209,067.