Protests, elections, World Cup events and other top photos from Latin America and the Caribbean

May 29 - June 5, 2026

Thousands protested femicide in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seniors called for better health and pension conditions in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Teachers demanded higher pay in Mexico City and students in Chile clashed with police during protests against proposed cuts to the education budget.

Colombians voted in the first round of a presidential election, while Peruvians prepared for a runoff. Mexico geared up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This gallery was curated by photojournalist Marco Ugarte based in Mexico City.

AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography

AP News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews

People walk towards a impromptu market in Avircato, Bolivia, set up by producers who are unable to transport their vegetables into the city because of protest blockades, Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A cardboard coffin decorated with Boca Juniors' colors sits next to River Plate flags next to a highway prior to an Argentine league soccer match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A World Cup statue, with graffiti that reads in Spanish, "The National Educational Workers Coordination lives" lies sideways during a teachers' protest for higher salaries sit in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Orbach)

A wax statue of Brazilian soccer great Pele is unveiled at the Dreamland Wax Museum at the AquaRio Marine Aquarium in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, right, and amateur soccer player Yolett Cervantes reach to catch a soccer ball during a ceremony distributing tickets to the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, at the president's daily news conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Police detain a student during a protest against the government's proposal to lower the education budget, in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A shaman performs a ritual holding a poster of presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez on Herradura beach in Lima, Peru, Monday, June 1, 2026, ahead of the presidential runoff election. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

A voter marks a ballot during the presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

A woman places a religious card on the sleeve of a Bolivarian National Police officer, whose sleeve has a quote and photo of Independence hero Simon Bolivar, as officers stand guard by a protest of retirees asking for better health and pension conditions in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Youths carry freshly caught fish from the sea in Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A demonstrator poses for a photo with her face painted in Spanish, "The femicide-committer is you" during a march marking the anniversary of the "Ni Una Menos" (Not One Fewer) women's movement in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It was early morning on a recent Saturday and The Greyhound Bar & Grill in Los Angeles was abuzz with soccer fans clapping, hooting and hollering. Their eyes were glued to the TV screens, tables littered with beer pints and pitchers and other boozy libations.

Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal were facing off in the Champions League final, and by 9:20 a.m. — less than a half hour into the game — the patrons inside this crowded bar had already purchased $1,300 in alcohol.

“It’s just a better vibe when you’re a little buzzed,” said Madeline Guillen, 28, who was drinking a mimosa with friends. “That’s a big thing about sports. I think sports and drinking go hand-in-hand.”

Drinking alcohol while watching sports is common in many countries, and millions of soccer fans will be doing so this summer during the FIFA World Cup games in Mexico, Canada and the United States. But imbibing boozy drinks during what could be a sizzling June and July has some experts worried. They say mixing alcohol with extreme heat poses extra risks, especially people drinking excessively who may not be hydrating enough, staying cool, or have underlying health conditions.

Here's what to know about the science of extreme heat and drinking alcohol, plus tips from experts if you’re going to be drinking while watching soccer on a hot summer's day.

Climate change, caused by burning coal, oil and gas, is making heat deadlier worldwide, especially in the summer, and that's raising worries about soccer players and fans suffering heat stress during the games. Heat also influences how people drink alcohol and whether they end up in the hospital.

Various studies from around the world show that drinking alcohol peaks in the summer, and that people living in hotter climates are more likely to binge drink, according to a study from Mexico.

There is also sometimes a “hedonic effect” where people drink to ease the discomfort of feeling hot, said Nathan Morris, assistant professor in thermoregulation at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. “We drink alcohol, we feel good, and so it masks that normal drive to do something to cool yourself down,” which can lead to heat stress.

“Maybe we stay out in the heat longer. Maybe we drink less cold water. Maybe we’re less likely to use a fan or seek an air conditioned space,” he added. “I think that might be where we’re seeing more of the strain on the body.”

International research has also established links between heavy drinking and sports spectators. One paper from Australia found that participants self-reported consuming an average of five drinks in just over two hours while watching Australian football games. In a 2023 study, researchers found that higher temperatures resulted in more alcohol-related hospital visits in New York state.

Heat exhaustion happens when your body loses too much water and salt from excessive sweating. When the body can no longer cool itself, heat stroke occurs, which can cause confusion, loss of consciousness and even death. Heat combined with humidity — the kind of weather in host cities like Miami, Houston and Monterrey, Mexico — makes it harder for sweat to evaporate to cool the body.

Alcohol primarily affects the central nervous system — your body's master processing center responsible for your thoughts, feelings and movements. It can cause headaches, vomiting, dizziness, a loss of coordination and balance. It also makes you pee more.

When you combine fluid loss from sweating on a hot day with increased urination from drinking alcohol, it can lead to dehydration, which can make you feel the effects of drinking faster, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Additionally, studies show drinking on a hot day makes it less likely you'll wear sunscreen, and that alcohol reduces the amount of heat exposure needed to get sunburnt.

“If you put together hot weather, summer, crowd, during the World Cup, people are sweating more, so they’re losing liquids from their body," said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, physician and scientist with the National Institutes of Health. “On top of that, you drink excessive amount of alcohol that is leading you to more urination."

When high temperatures are combined with drinking, it can have a “synergistic effect" that can cause symptoms including thirst, headaches and dizziness, he said.

Fabiano Amorim, associate professor at the University of New Mexico, has studied the effects of alcohol in hot environments among construction workers. He and other researchers found that if workers drank the night before, health markers including blood pressure, core and skin temperatures and heart rate were elevated, and their urine and sweat production were lower at work the next day.

“Alcohol on the previous night effects your ability to deal with heat and stresses your kidneys ... putting you in a higher risk of heat-related illness,” he said. Although World Cup fans won't be physically exerting themselves like construction workers, their findings still apply, Amorim said. Spectators could be in crowded places with limited air flow or exposed to the sun for hours.

“People are going to accumulate days of drinking,” he said. “They want to have fun, they come from one game to the other, they watch games, etc. It means there is a cumulative effect from one day to the other.”

The elderly, people with alcohol disorders, heart conditions and other chronic health issues are among the most vulnerable.

The best way to mitigate risks is to not drink at all, said Leggio. But if you're going to, eat a meal before, drink plenty of water, pick drinks with low concentrations of alcohol, and imbibe in moderation.

Before taking your first sip, Morris suggests taking regular precautions such as putting on a hat and sunscreen and ensuring you have other cold, non-alcoholic beverages at hand. Also, have a friend with you who can jump into action if you start feeling unwell. “Buddy systems are always really important with heat stress," he said.

Amorim recommends seeking shade, which can reduce heat stress on the human body between 25% and 35% throughout the day and can be 20 F to 45 F (11 C to 25 C) cooler than surfaces without it. He echoed to drink plenty of water and apply some on your skin to help cool you off. Eating cold slushies and popsicles are a good idea, too.

Leggio suggests being aware of early signals from your body.

“Feeling dizzy, feeling a little confused, having blurred vision, not being able to see well in your surrounding," he said. “And if you do feel any of these symptoms, ask for help right away.”

Medical staff will be stationed throughout the stadiums and at Fan Festivals.

Back at the bar in Los Angeles, Daniel Tran, 41, was calming his nerves with a cold beer Saturday morning while rooting for Arsenal. He plans to attend several World Cup games and Fan Festivals in L.A.

“If it's a really hot day, I’ll try to either hydrate the night before, make sure I get electrolytes, and also maybe not drink as much," he said, adding: “Pace yourself.”

There will be 104 games, after all.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

FILE - An Inter fan drinks a beer in the city center ahead of the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan in Munich, Germany, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

FILE - A bartender clears bottles of Budweiser beer from the bar near a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy at an official U.S. Soccer fan party at the Budweiser World Club, in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

FILE - A soccer fan, with nails painted with a Brazil flag, holds a beer while watching the team's World Cup match against Serbia on a screen set up in the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nov. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado, File)

FILE - Men with face painted in the colors on the England flag chant slogans and drink beers at Breitscheidplatz before the start of the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Fans have a drink on the stands while waiting for the start of the Nations League semifinal soccer match between Spain and Italy at De Grolsch Veste stadium in Enschede, eastern Netherlands, June 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - Venezuela fans take photos of their beers before a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match between Venezuela and Canada, July 5, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - A man buys beers at a fan zone ahead of the FIFA World Cup, in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Petr Josek, File)

FILE - Fans watch the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Rudolf Karancsi-Albert, File)

FILE - PSG fans cheer for their team before the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru, File)