Guatemala's leader says America's inability to cut illegal drug consumption leaves his country with no option but to consider legalising their use and transport.

The death toll in Central America from landslides and flooding triggered by the year's first tropical storm surged to 99 as authorities struggled to clear roads of debris and reach cut-off communities.

Torrential rains brought by the first tropical storm of the 2010 season pounded Guatemala and southern Mexico, triggering deadly landslides and killing at least 12.

A summit of Latin American leaders aimed at cooling Colombia’s growing border crisis turned into an angry showdown today, with the president of Colombia accusing his Ecuadorian counterpart of having been financed by Colombian rebels.