AGP Executive Report

AI & Security: Anthropic says bad actors used Claude for state-style surveillance, propaganda, and weapons-related software, including a Mali SIM-monitoring system and drone/missile development. Press Freedom: A New York Times report argues Trump is using federal oversight and allies to reshape and constrain U.S. media. Politics & Names: A debate piece asks what’s “trivial” vs “consequential” as Trump renames places (like Ontario to “Lake America”) while critics point to bigger policy fights. Latin America Reading Culture: Qatar joins as guest of honor at Costa Rica’s Reading Festival with a Spanish-translated pavilion and cultural programming. Publishing Events: Abu Dhabi’s book fair returns with 1,500+ publisher stands and a 45-year history. Books & History: A new monograph, The Great Horse Flu, traces a 19th-century equine outbreak across North and Central America. Visa Mobility (LatAm): Australia lists eligibility for its First Work and Holiday visa, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

Bitcoin Policy Watch: A new look at which countries adopt Bitcoin first highlights El Salvador’s 2021 legal-tender push, its shift to voluntary acceptance after IMF pressure, and how holdings and usage have evolved—while the Central African Republic’s earlier reversal shows how politics and infrastructure can derail “first-mover” plans. Energy & Markets: Brent topping $100 is tied to U.S.-Iran tensions and Strait of Hormuz risk, with knock-on effects already showing up in consumer fuel prices. Cybersecurity & Software: GreyNoise reports AI-assisted exploitation of PaperCut print software, hitting hundreds of organizations across dozens of countries—prompting emergency patching and tighter public access controls. Publishing/Arts (Latin America tie-in): The Getty’s Zanna Gilbert will deliver a Sept. 17 visiting-artist lecture on feminist and activist art histories with a focus on Latin America. Tech & Games: Saber Interactive says development is now spread across studios worldwide, including Argentina—signaling how Latin America is increasingly part of global creative production.

BRICS Diplomacy: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is heading to a BRICS summit in New Delhi, with pressure mounting for him to follow Modi’s example and directly urge Russia to end its Ukraine war. Publishing & Literacy: A Texas borderlands thriller, The Witch of Sonora by Johnnie Bernhard (Stoney Creek Publishing), lands a Rockport book talk and signing at Splendid Sun Books & Gifts on Oct. 10. Arts Funding: Bermuda Arts Council grants nearly $13,000 across six creatives, including poet/writer/filmmaker Stephan Johnstone and a book project tied to Truth in Time, Stories in Rhyme: The Bermuda Theatre Boycott. Music Publishing Deal: Ecuador’s SAYCE president Juan Fernando Velasco is helping launch Sonido Distrito Sur, backed by UMG and Warner Chappell, aiming to build international pathways for local artists. Argentina Economy: Argentina’s monthly inflation eased to 1.7% in August, the lowest in 14 months, a potential tailwind for Milei’s stabilization push.

Publishing & Prizes: Quebec-based Haitian debut novelist Thélyson Orélien’s “C’était ça ou mourir” lands on the Prix Goncourt shortlist, also making waves with Femina and Renaudot nominations. Investigative Books/Media: A major Dominican Republic baseball investigation details how MLB teams effectively bypass the 16-and-up signing rule via handshake deals, with major money promised to kids as young as 11. Latine Heritage & Reading Culture: Livermore Public Library rolls out Latine Heritage Month programming featuring author Aida Salazar and bilingual children’s book creator Lucky Diaz, plus community events like Lucha Libro. Arts & Community Printmaking: Spokane Print & Publishing Center spotlights Venezuelan artist Reinaldo Gil Zambrano’s studio work and the push to make printmaking accessible. Book-to-screen Buzz: Colorado author Peter Heller reacts to Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” flop, defending the adaptation’s effort while noting the book’s fanbase. Sports/Publishing Crossover: A global rugby qualification pathway for LA28 is confirmed, with South America included in the regional route.

Publishing & Culture: Haifa International Film Festival (Sept. 26–Oct. 3) spotlights major auteurs and includes Israeli author Eshkol Nevo’s story adapted by Nanni Moretti, plus Camus’s The Stranger via François Ozon—another reminder of how Latin American literary talent keeps crossing into global screens. Music Industry: UMG and Warner Chappell launch Ecuador-focused label/publishing venture Sonido Distrito Sur, aiming to connect Ecuadorian artists to international investment, production, distribution, and touring. Books & Reading Communities: Denise Carrascosa’s Brazil-focused literary/abolitionist project is featured in a screening-and-discussion event tied to her work and the Free Minds Library inside Bahia’s women’s prison complex. Latin Identity in Pop Culture: Beyoncé’s Selena tribute keeps sparking debate over cultural appreciation and who gets to define it, even with estate approval. Trade & Borders (Book-adjacent memoir): Former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar’s memoir argues for a more inclusive U.S. immigration approach and closer U.S.-Mexico-Canada coordination. Power & Daily Life: Belize Electricity Limited warns of possible load shedding tonight due to high demand and limited supply.

Ibero-American Screen Co-Productions: Ventana Sur’s Iberseries Co-Production and Financing Forum adds a new selection committee (Bernardo Bergeret, Joanna Lombardi, Karina Dolgiej) after shortlisting 40 projects with financing and international partner potential. Caribbean Literacy & Libraries: St. Maarten Library reconstruction officially starts on International Literacy Day, with a 14-month build funded via the Netherlands’ St. Maarten Trust Fund under the Fostering Resilient Learning Project. Guyana–Qatar Diplomacy: Guyana’s president says ties are evolving into a “partnership of purpose,” with cooperation expanding across energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism. Publishing/Print Industry: Two Sides appoints Josh Birch managing director to expand support for print and paper-based packaging, including an AI-enabled multilingual communications platform. Music Spotlight: Becky G releases “Baraja Bendita,” leaning into pop-hip-hop and Afrobeats influences while kicking off a North American run with Karol G. Gaming Leak: A major Steam achievements leak reportedly spoils details for dozens of upcoming games, including story spoilers tied to Persona 6.

Publishing & Books: Pope Francis’ final book, “Hope, Unfailing,” lands in English on Nov. 24 via Measure Publishing, with themes spanning faith, family, immigration, geopolitics, climate, and even AI. Latin American Culture on Screen: Colombian star Feid will screen his short film “El Green Print” in 42 U.S. Regal theaters on Sept. 13, with cameos including Tony Hawk and Álvaro Díaz, after rescheduling a Medellín concert following last month’s earthquake. Music/Publishing Crossover: Safa Jubran talks translation and memory in “Kitab,” while a commentary on how typewriters shaped the written word ties tech change to publishing culture. Regional Business & Policy: A US-Colombia policy brief argues early alignment under President Abelardo de la Espriella could reset cooperation on trade, stability, Venezuela recovery, and earthquake response. Sports/Books Adjacent: “Brown Enough” (Ken Ohm) draws movie interest after recounting 1956 Emporia’s mixed-race baseball story.

AI + Sales Tech Deal: SalesCloser (autonomous AI sales agents) signed a collaboration agreement with Tendril (human-assisted outbound dialing and nearshore staffing), aiming to blend AI qualification with live agent calling and transfers. Press Freedom Under Fire: A study of 675,835 X posts says a small set of high-activity users helped amplify a hate campaign against Guatemalan investigative journalist José Rubén Zamora, framing his detention as criminal fact. Publishing/Books in the Spotlight: Ann Patchett’s “Whistler” is highlighted for its museum-set opening and reunion-driven plot. Latin America Business Watch: Brazil’s big retail chains are tightening consumer credit, with shorter delinquencies rising faster than overall overdue balances. Venezuela Energy Politics: Opposition leader María Corina Machado questions the scope and beneficiaries of Trump’s reported Venezuela oil agreement, warning Venezuelans still don’t know the deal’s details. Sports + Culture: A Buenos Aires guide spotlights “bares notables” (historic cafés/bars) as part of the city’s golden-age nostalgia.

Portugal Airport Incident: Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, 95, says he was stopped at Tires Aerodrome near Lisbon after police found a shotgun on his private jet and he lacked required “blue book” paperwork; he denies arrest and says his wife later handled surrender and documents. Caribbean Reparations Push: Jamaica’s reparations council says it’s seeking a petition to King Charles for a Privy Council hearing tied to the transatlantic slave trade, as the UK outlines the formal process. Brazil Rare Earths Update: Power Minerals reports a new high-grade rare earths zone at Morro do Ferro, including standout TREO/MREO results to record depth, with more assays pending. Education Funding: A Caribbean education ministry says it’s investing over $1B in teaching materials plus nutrition support and psychosocial services. Publishing/Books & Culture: A decades-lost library copy returned to San Antonio after 82 years, resurfacing from Oregon with a note about overdue fees.

Publishing & Media Business: Brazil’s digital reading platform Skeelo hires former Globo executive Carolina Iacia as content director, aiming to boost original projects and coproductions as it scales its reading ecosystem across Latin America. Book Culture & Community: In Miami, PAMM announces “Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen” opening Oct. 29, a major Modern art show built around the Berggruen collection. Literary Events: Tijuana’s City of Poetry (28th annual national poetry prize) opens submissions, adding another route for Latin American writers to get visibility. Digital Reading Ecosystems: Skeelo’s move signals how publishers and platforms are converging—books, entertainment, and tech—rather than staying in separate lanes. Heritage & Festivals: A Happy Valley Latin Festival returns to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with music, dance, food, and a parade spotlighting Latino artists and businesses.

Cultural Diplomacy & Heritage: A new look at the Mona Lisa and the Bayeux Tapestry highlights how “soft power” travels with priceless art—plus the politics behind loan plans and public pushback. Publishing & Media Business: Google’s “Preferred Sources” button signals a deeper squeeze on the open web as search referrals keep sliding, reshaping how publishers earn attention. Latin America Tech & Work: Panama is ready to bet on AI, but local capacity is thin—so businesses are outsourcing “AI employees” while the talent gap becomes the real bottleneck. Tourism Boom: El Salvador is breaking records, with tourism now a major GDP driver and airport traffic surging as black-sand beaches and Maya sites pull in visitors. Books & Adaptations: Audible previews a multilingual Dracula adaptation at Venice, aiming to give Mina more agency in a seven-language rollout. Cartography & Education: A UN-backed push to “correct the map” challenges Mercator distortions—arguing representation matters for how people understand Africa’s scale.

AI & Publishing Rights: A new South Africa-focused report finds nearly 70% of news sites don’t block AI scrapers via robots.txt, and the ability to restrict bots is concentrated among big, well-funded publishers—leaving smaller outlets exposed. Caribbean Culture & Books/Media: New York’s 59th Caribbean Carnival Week kicks off with a full slate of music, food, and youth events, keeping regional culture in the spotlight. Caribbean Education Access: Trinidad and Tobago’s “Republic Readers” literacy program is being adapted into Trinidad and Tobago Sign Language for deaf students, with new book deliveries planned for September. Argentina Arts & Time: A review highlights “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” a documentary built from two earlier photo books about Argentine cousins, tracing decades of family and memory. Mexico Geopolitics: Commentary argues Mexico’s future hinges on whether it seeks equal partnership in North America or stays a low-cost assembly hub amid shifting US-China dynamics. Wildlife Ethics: A travel piece warns that social-media “sloth spotting” can stress animals, urging more responsible wildlife tourism.

Venezuela Oil & China Debt: The US is moving to seize control of Venezuela’s oil fields, framing it as a way to block China-linked claims and reshape repayments—turning Caracas into a key test case for Washington’s hemispheric strategy. Colombia Security: An ELN-linked drone-and-compound attack in Ocaña, Norte de Santander, left at least three soldiers dead and four wounded, underscoring ongoing violence near the Venezuelan border. Biodiversity Monitoring: Colombia is consolidating a national camera-trap network (OTUS) to generate better conservation data, built through public institutions, NGOs, communities, and tech partners. Argentina Art Restitution: An Argentine court approved a deal to return a WWII-looted 18th-century Italian portrait to the heir of Dutch-Jewish dealer Jacques Goudstikker, ending a long legal fight. UN Cartography: The UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution to replace the Mercator map with Equal Earth, making Africa appear larger—an issue the US opposed. ICE Deportation Routes: A report says ICE is increasingly deporting people to third countries, with Mexico emerging as a major destination. Caribbean Cricket: Bangladesh all-rounder Miraz has left for the CPL, joining Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Venezuela Oil Deal Fallout: Trump’s “greatest deal” giving the US control over much of Venezuela’s crude wealth is worrying major oil players, who fear it sidelines ongoing commercial talks and blocks access to key targets. Food Safety & Trade: The US plan to temporarily lower tariffs on imported ground beef is sparking safety and labeling questions after a summer of outbreaks and recalls. Indigenous Contact Ethics: A would-be filmmaker’s attempt to reach North Sentinel Island spotlights the risks and colonial-style impulse behind “clicks” chasing isolated tribes. Cartography & Power: The UN backed a “Correct the Map” push using equal-area projections, making Africa appear more accurately sized and shifting how South Asia and Latin America “feel” on global maps. Publishing/Books in the Region: Trinidad and Tobago teachers’ union warns delayed book grants may hit school readiness, while a new genre prize named for Canadian thriller author Andrew Pyper signals continued cross-border interest in genre fiction.

Belize–U.S. Asylum Transfers: Newly arrived U.S. Ambassador André Bauer says he needs more briefing on the controversial agreement that could let the U.S. transfer certain asylum seekers to Belize, while Belize keeps discretion and security screening. Public Safety Priorities: Bauer also flags drug trafficking prevention as a key goal, citing Belize’s geography and concerns about youth consumption. Regional City Governance: Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner and Councillor Javier Castellanos join the 2026 IDB Mayors Forum in Barranquilla, pushing themes like stronger local institutions, public services, and resilient community investment. Caribbean Tourism Watch: Jamaica reports 2.34M visitors and $2.5B in earnings through Aug. 31, with hotel capacity still reduced after Hurricane Melissa but demand holding up. Publishing/Books (Limited): A Belize City–based news brief includes no major publishing developments this week, but the wider week’s feed shows scattered book coverage rather than a clear Latin America publishing headline.

Brazil Publishing & Social Media Buzz: Dostoevsky’s novella White Nights has become a Brazil bestseller after TikTok BookTok hype, with Editora 34 reporting a 463% year-on-year sales jump, showing how short-form platforms are pulling new readers into classic literature. Venezuela Energy & Publishing-adjacent Politics: Bloomberg reports Venezuela is a key test case for Trump’s hemispheric push, including efforts to restructure Venezuela’s debt and block China’s oil-related claims—an ongoing story that will shape what gets published and funded around the region. Caribbean Book Culture: A floating bookshop ship (Good Books for All) docked in Cork, with a Brazilian volunteer describing how the ship’s book fairs and school partnerships work across ports worldwide. Latin America Literary History: A review piece revisits Rómulo Gallegos’s Doña Bárbara and the novel’s regionalist fight over land and “progress” in Venezuela. Book Industry Spotlight: A new memoir, Forward Only (English/Spanish), launches Oct. 1 with a redemption arc from North Texas to prison and beyond.