AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Tech in Brazil: StrikePlagiarism officially launches in Brazil via ANTIPLAGIO SOFTWARE LTDA, offering plagiarism and AI-generated text analysis with local contracts, BRL invoicing, and Portuguese support. Books & Culture: Paraguayan soup vori vori is again crowned the world’s best soup in TasteAtlas’s 2026 September ranking, underlining how local food culture keeps breaking into global lists. Payments & Creators (Peru): Kunfupay partners with EBANX to launch Yape On-File, a tokenized one-click checkout on Yape; it reportedly drove a 46% revenue uplift in four months. Media & Rights: Trump’s White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico faces legal challenges, with experts warning courts may reject viewpoint-based access limits. Caribbean/UN Diplomacy: St. Vincent and the Grenadines PM Godwin Friday meets UN chief António Guterres on climate resilience and reforming the international financial architecture. Publishing/Reading (Mexico): Mexico’s Culture Ministry announces a mass book purchase for the National Library Network.

Aztec Codex Returns to Mexico: The Azcatitlan Codex—an ancient pictorial manuscript chronicling the rise and fall of Tenochtitlan—has returned to Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology on loan from France, marking the first time it’s been on display since 1840. Mexico Publishing & Culture: Mexico’s Culture Ministry announced a mass book purchase for the National Library Network, a boost for access to books across the country. Brazil Politics via Books/Ideas: Brazil’s election campaigns are using Argentina’s Javier Milei as a proxy fight, with Bolsonaro’s team praising Milei’s austerity and Lula’s side warning of labor and growth fallout. Press Freedom Clash (Regional Echoes): Multiple outlets (CNN, MS NOW, Politico) sue over Trump’s White House access ban, with the dispute headed toward appeal—another reminder of how media access battles can spill into broader democratic debates. Caribbean Travel & Hospitality: Royalton Hotels & Resorts fully reopened its Jamaica portfolio with major upgrades across five resorts.

Caribbean & Publishing Events: Poet Ini Statia will debut her second trilingual collection, At the Edge of My Island, at Curaçao’s Mongui Maduro Library on Sept. 25, with poems in Papiamentu, Dutch, and English plus readings and live music. Caribbean Literary Support: Guyana’s PM Mark Phillips urged writers to keep creating and reading, pledging continued government investment in the country’s literary and creative sector. Film & Latin American Culture: Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán’s Nostalgia for the Light is spotlighted as a sweeping meditation linking astronomy, history, and the Atacama Desert. Argentina on Screen: Pablo Larraín brings Mariana Enriquez’s stories to Argentina in Netflix miniseries-to-feature My Sad Dead, competing for the Golden Shell at San Sebastián. Books & Collecting: Kierra Duncan wins the David Ruggles Prize Grand Prize for Translating Blackness Across Space, examining how editions and presentation shape readers’ perceptions. Publishing Policy Watch: A Guyana Development Bank plan would publicly list loan recipients before funding, letting communities raise objections.

Publishing & Culture: Prime Video’s new book adaptation You+Me – Against the World debuts Sept. 18 and rockets to No. 1 in multiple countries, including Argentina—another reminder that Latin American audiences are driving global screen-to-book momentum. Sports & Youth Tournaments: The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup semi-final line-up is set in Poland: Spain vs Italy and Colombia vs North Korea, after Colombia edged Nigeria 1-0 and North Korea beat Canada 2-0. Brazil Spotlight: Rio hosts the 2026 CSV Men’s South American Volleyball Championship (Sept. 15–20) at Maracanãzinho, with top teams chasing Olympic and World Cup qualification—regional investment is narrowing the gap. Religion & Controversy: Brazil’s Aparecida shrine unveils mosaics tied to Rupnik, while church authorities keep the related Lourdes mosaics covered amid abuse allegations and an ongoing Vatican process. Tech Policy: AI agents are moving from chat to coordinated action, pushing governments toward stricter rules—an issue that will shape publishing, platforms, and rights across the region.

Publishing & Books (Latin America): An Argentine writer’s literary bond with Tagore is revisited in a piece on a century-spanning connection, while a new book spotlights Chile’s far-right National Libertarian Party through the story of Johannes Kaiser and the family’s political rise. Culture & Reading: A photography book, Vaquero, documents gay cowboy parties across Mexico, blending identity, flirtation, and activism into a vivid visual record. Mexico & Libraries: Mexico’s Culture Ministry announces a mass book purchase for the National Library Network, a direct push to expand access. Brazil & Publishing Industry: A Brazil-focused launch is reported for a book about Marco Rubio, and separate coverage highlights Netflix Argentina’s eight new local productions starting in 2026. Caribbean Literature: A festival note flags Macondo Literary Festival 2026 kicking off in Nairobi, underscoring the region’s wider literary footprint.

Panama Travel Spotlight: A new travel piece argues Panama is an underrated “off the beaten path” pick, pitching its mix of city life, beaches, and rainforest in one compact country. Literary Milestone (Argentina–India): A centenary story traces how Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo’s encounter with Tagore in Buenos Aires helped shape a long literary bond, now highlighted at the Kolkata Book Fair. Brazilian Publishing-to-Gaming: A Brazilian studio adapted a major Latin American novel into a time-loop murder mystery game, launching on Switch and Android and drawing strong reviews. Cultural Arts (US-based, Latinx): The FAR Center’s “Fuerza” exhibition spotlights 10 Latinx artists and ties the show to Hispanic Heritage Month with an artist market and community events. Press Freedom Clash (US, with regional impact): Trump’s White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico escalates after reporters are turned away and passes seized—an issue that will ripple across Latin America’s media ecosystem. Weather Watch: Torrential rains and a developing Atlantic system raise flood risk concerns for millions.

Press Freedom Clash: President Donald Trump announced he’s banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House access, calling their coverage “fake news,” while the exact rules for credentials and access remain unclear and legal questions are already flying. Crypto Regulation in Latin America: Argentina’s Lemon is shutting down its Brazil operations after Brazil’s virtual-asset capital requirements proved “disproportionate,” with users facing account closures and a wider shakeout for smaller players. Publishing & Culture: Mexico’s Culture Ministry announced a mass book purchase for the National Library Network, while the Macondo Literary Festival 2026 opened in Nairobi with talks on African histories, memory, and heritage restitution. Sports & Caribbean Books Buzz: The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons booked the CPL final with a nine-wicket win, and the week also featured Jamaica Kingsmen’s chase to eliminate Guyana.

Mexico Publishing: Mexico’s Culture Ministry announced a mass book purchase for the National Library Network, a direct boost for public collections and access. Security & Books/Reading Ecosystem: In Guanajuato, President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted a major “huachicol” fuel theft seizure (over 50 million liters), tying results to tighter coordination between federal and state security—an example of how governance narratives shape what gets funded and prioritized. Media & Free Press: U.S. President Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, escalating a press-freedom fight that will likely ripple across Latin America’s media-watchers and publishing audiences. Culture & Identity: A profile on Ulpan La-Inyan’s 18-year Hebrew teaching model underscores how language education travels globally—relevant to diaspora learning and publishing markets. Arts/Books: A spotlight on Victoria Aveyard’s new fantasy novel “Tempest” adds another high-profile release to the wider regional reading conversation.

Belize Literary Debut: Iris E. Sankey-Lewis launched her first collection, “Bouquet for the Brave,” weaving Belize memories, Caribbean wind, and faith into poetry and prose. Mexico Cultural Heritage: The Azcatitlan Codex returned to Mexico on loan from France for a three-month exhibit at the National Museum of Anthropology and History, marking 200 years of Franco-Mexican ties. Paraguay Music Spotlight: Guitarist Berta Rojas scored three Latin Grammy nominations for “La Huella de las Cuerdas,” celebrating Latin America’s string traditions through a continent-wide collaboration. Sports & Identity: Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell is expected to extend into a Mexico-linked goodbye match proposal involving Tigres. Publishing & Reading for Kids: A roundup highlights fresh picture books and novels for children, including translated work and new fables. Arts & Literature Commentary: Isabel Allende reflects on the freedom to write, while a separate piece explores “evil” through a writing lens. Book World Buzz: Tim Kinsella’s novel “Danny B” gets attention for its vivid, film-like, fragmentary ride-along style.

Cultural Reimagining: Getty Villa’s “Antigone” is retold in Tenochtitlan with English, Spanish, and Nahuatl, spotlighting how classic texts travel across Latin American histories. Mexico–U.S. Community Ties: A Mexican Independence Day celebration at Arizona’s Capitol underscored how Mexican and Mexican American culture and business are intertwined with the state’s economy. Publishing & Rights: ECCO will distribute over EC$1.7M in music royalties across the OECS for 2025, a reminder that collective rights management still matters for creators. Investigative Media: A new Under the Shadow season 2 podcast digs into Fernando Cerimedo’s alleged role in Latin America’s far-right disinformation and election-rigging networks. Energy & Politics: A reported preliminary oil deal between Continental Resources and Venezuela’s PDVSA puts the Western Hemisphere energy race back in focus. Sports & Youth: Colombia’s Falconets booked a U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal vs Nigeria after beating hosts Poland 1-0. Aviation Law: A “cabotage” explainer highlights how a little-known rule can limit foreign competition on U.S. domestic routes.

Publishing & Culture: Colombian novelist Juan Gabriel Vásquez said he turned to fiction to seek answers to Colombia’s long-running violence, after history, politics and journalism didn’t provide them. Literary Awards: Vásquez also won the main Yi Ho-chul Unification Road Literary Award, reinforcing the region’s strong presence in international prizes. Book Industry & Media: Amazon Music expanded video podcast offerings across Mexico, Brazil and other markets, signaling continued growth for Latin American creator ecosystems. Books for Younger Readers: Sudan-born UK journalist Zeinab Badawi is adapting her bestselling African history for children, aiming to make the continent’s “history and heroes” vivid through illustrations. Latin America in the News: A Nicaraguan journalist, Luis Galeano, faces deportation from the U.S. despite an asylum case, as Washington tightens access to protection for exiles. Heritage & Reading Communities: A Philly Latin American Book Fair spotlights authors, culture and community—another reminder that local events keep the publishing conversation alive.

Streaming Push in Argentina: Netflix Argentina says it will start filming eight new local projects in the second half of 2026—six series and two films—aiming to back new voices and genres, including Sangre (revenge, secrets, forbidden love) and Plata quemada (based on Ricardo Piglia). Publishing & Media Expansion: Amazon Music is expanding video podcast partnerships and access beyond the US to Canada, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan, adding major podcast hosts and monetization tools for creators. Colombia’s Elite Power Map: A new book, ¿Quién manda en Colombia?, frames Colombia’s long-running inequality and violence through a deep study of elites since 1886 and analyzes how reform has stalled under Gustavo Petro. Haiti Accountability Gap: A report on Haiti’s gang suppression force highlights Sri Lankan troops accused of child sexual abuse in UN missions, with the latest response described as dismissal rather than justice. Print Industry Watch: Canon U.S.A. will sponsor PRINTING United Expo 2026, spotlighting large-format and production printing tech. Food & Culture Reading Angle: A cookbook spotlight (Zameen: Pakistani Roots, Wisconsin Soil) shows how authors blend local ingredients with diaspora storytelling.

Environmental Activism Under Fire: A new Global Witness report says 124 land and environmental defenders were killed globally in 2025, with Latin America the deadliest region; Colombia led with 39 deaths and Brazil followed with 26, often tied to land disputes, illegal mining, and attacks on indigenous guards. Crypto Tax Compliance: Argentina committed to the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and plans automatic exchange of crypto transaction data starting by Sept. 2029, joining 77 jurisdictions—aimed at cross-border tax transparency. Publishing & Books (LATAM angle): A Brazilian miniseries gets an English-language graphic novel push: Sam Hart’s “10 Lost Days” (based on the Brazilian series) is live on Kickstarter with added extras and free UK shipping. Tech + Discovery: A report on how LLMs are reshaping B2B discovery highlights that brands can’t just buy visibility anymore; they must earn mentions in trusted sources—an issue for Latin America’s growing creator-led commerce. Community & Culture: A Park City library talk on “The History of Tea” and other local event listings round out the week’s calendar items.

Publishing & Culture (Latin America): A major cross-border screen adaptation is in the works: Boutique Filmes and Globo Filmes are co-producing a film version of Marcos Rey’s mystery classic O Mistério do 5 Estrelas with Portugal’s Ukbar Filmes, with João Guilherme set to lead and filming planned in São Paulo starting October 2026. Indigenous Languages & Tech: A Mixtec engineer is urging Mexican deputies to use AI to preserve Indigenous languages, pushing lawmakers to treat language tech as cultural infrastructure, not just software. Royalties & Music Rights: Dominica’s creators are being urged to register their works with ECCO to improve compliance and boost royalty payouts, after ECCO announced more than EC$1.7 million distributed across the OECS. Books & Reading Communities: Long Beach Public Library’s Vida Latina Celebration (Sept. 15–Oct. 31) rolls out citywide Spanish-language and Hispanic Heritage Month programming across 12 branches. Academic Exchange: Ateneo de Manila historian Dr. Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr. receives an honorary professorship from Mexico’s UAEH and signs an MoU for exchanges and joint research.

Latin American Publishing & Culture: LOUD launches a new LOUD Latino Publishing arm to turn its temporary Latina art exhibits into lasting catalogs, starting with “Las Curanderas: From Ashes, We Rise,” aiming to give artists a permanent record. Books & Film Adaptations: Brazilian adventure memoir “One Hundred Days Between Sky and Sea” about Amyr Klink’s 1984 Atlantic crossing is being adapted into a movie by Carlos Saldanha, with the ocean’s warming now adding urgency to the story. Literary Heritage Recovery: Paraguay’s Augusto Roa Bastos’ lost library trail resurfaces in “Libros perdidos… Tesoro recuperado,” based on a recovered container of 176 inventoried books, letters, and photos. Publishing-to-Screen: Prime Video’s “The House of the Spirits” co-showrunners Francisca Alegría and Fernanda Urrejola lead Alma Media Lab, a Miami-based company building books and TV together for U.S. Hispanic and Latin American audiences. Academic Book World Links: Ateneo de Manila historian Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr. is named an honorary professor by Mexico’s UAEH at the Feria Universitaria del Libro, alongside an exchange MoU. Poetry Debut: UGA assistant professor Cris Lira releases “A Casa Eterna,” Portuguese-language poetry, in the U.S. after its Brazil publication with Mulherio das Letras. International Book Fair Diplomacy: The Philippines is named Guest Country of Honor at Mexico’s 39th FUL, underscoring growing cross-regional literary ties.

Caribbean Publishing Launch: Pont Casse Press rolled out a new digital platform, PontCassePress.org, to spotlight Dominica’s history, literature, and African diaspora heritage, with a catalog spanning identity, independence, migration, and more. Copyright & Publishing Law: A Puerto Rico federal court ruling in a long-running dispute over older nationalist poems set to music highlights how pre-1978 copyright notice rules can still decide modern royalty fights. Argentina Gambling Regulation: Estafa.info argues Argentina should replace fragmented provincial online gambling rules with a single national framework, noting only 10 of 30+ tested sites met its security and transparency standards. Colombia Inflation Watch: Grupo Cibest (Bancolombia) finds the peso’s rally has helped, but far less than expected—currency strength “contained inflation” without fixing it. Book Culture (LatAm angle): A new list of translated reads for fall points readers toward international titles, including New Directions releases. Local Book/Library Events: Red Balloon Bookshop and SubText Bookstore promoted Hispanic Heritage Month programming and author events, keeping community reading momentum going.