Latin America

World News

In Colombia, Residents Push Back Against Gold Mining Plans

4:57pm April 13, 2017

by John Otis

Colombia wants to get at billions of dollars worth of gold in territory once made off limits by a guerrilla war. But locals are having none of it. They fear their bucolic life could be destroyed.

Children frolic at a plaza with a fountain in Managua.

How Can Nicaragua Be So Happy When It Has A Stack Of Sad Statistics?

3:47pm April 13, 2017

The latest World Happiness Report says Nicaragua made the greatest gains in happiness of any country — to the surprise of some Nicaraguans.

U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati (center), Canadian CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani (left) and Mexican Football Federation President Decio De Maria present their unified bid for the 2026 World Cup at a news conference in New York City o

U.S., Canada And Mexico Declare Combined Bid To Host The World Cup

8:18pm April 10, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

With their powers combined, the three countries aim to return the World Cup to North America in 2026. Under the proposal the U.S. would host 60 matches, with 10 apiece hosted by Canada and Mexico.

World News

Competition Heartbreak: A Tenth Of A Point Changes Rio's Carnival Winner

8:29am April 10, 2017

by Philip Reeves

A Samba school in Brazil partied for days after winning Rio's Carnival competition for the first time in 30 years. But a judge made a mistake, and the prize must be shared with another samba school.

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Juan Pablo Guanipa is running for governor of the western Venezuelan state of Zulia, and as he campaigns in Maracaibo, the state capital, people complain of food shortages and hyperinflation.

World News

Opposition Parties In Venezuela Prepare For Elections, Hoping They Will Come

6:29am April 08, 2017

by John Otis

Venezuela's ruling party is threatened by an opposition fueled by an economic crisis and related public anger over fuel and food shortages. It's kept power in part by stalling all manner of elections.

A chile-rubbed pork taco is topped with french fries in the Merced market in Mexico City. The taco costs 10 pesos — less than 50 cents. Cheap, high-calorie food is contributing to Mexico's obesity problem.

Health & Safety

Pork Tacos Topped With Fries: Fuel For Mexico's Diabetes Epidemic

5:00am April 08, 2017

by Jason Beaubien

Mexico knows how to fight infectious diseases. Tackling a chronic condition like diabetes is a new — and daunting — challenge.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses supporters Friday in the southern province of Hatay. Erdogan says the U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base is a "concrete step" but argues that it's not enough.

How Is The Rest Of The World Reacting To The U.S. Strike On Syria?

4:40pm April 07, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

From Iran to China, from France to Bolivia, see where the world is coming down on the U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base.

World News

Venezuelan Crisis Brings Crime, Social Issues To Brazilian Frontier Town

4:31pm April 07, 2017

by Philip Reeves

Venezuelans are fleeing their nation in droves, which is having a big impact on their South American neighbors. Pacaraima in Brazil was a remote rural community whose residents slept with their doors unlocked. Now the mayor has declared a state of emergency, saying it's become a Wild West frontier town, awash with crime and social problems.

Dr. Tonatiuh Barrientos Gutierrez, an epidemiologist in Mexico City, jogs near his home in the southern part of the capital. He says it's hard to run on the city's streets.

In Diabetes Fight, Lifestyle Changes Prove Hard To Come By In Mexico

11:10am April 07, 2017

by Jason Beaubien

To curb diabetes, Mexico is trying to get people to cut down on soda, eat more healthful foods and exercise. But changing people's habits is easier said than done.

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A bakery worker grabs a bags of bread in Caracas, Venezuela, last month. Venezuelan bakeries are the latest industry to find themselves in the cross-hairs of President Nicolas Maduros administration, as bread lines grow in the capital Caracas. The governm

World News

Venezuela's Bread Wars: With Food Scarce, Government Accuses Bakers Of Hoarding

5:42am April 07, 2017

by John Otis

Authorities control flour, and bakers say there isn't enough. But officials say bakers are diverting flour to more profitable brownies and trying to bring down the government.