Latin America

World News

Haitian soup joumou awarded protected cultural heritage status by UNESCO

8:13am December 18, 2021

A famed Haitian soup has been awarded "protected cultural heritage status" by UNESCO. Scott Simon talks to Dominique Dupuy, Haitian ambassador to UNESCO about joumou.

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Piñatas: A staple in Christmas traditions

6:08pm December 17, 2021

by Alejandra Marquez Janse

Piñatas are a common element in parties across different countries and especially in Mexico around Christmas time. The story of their origin combines cultures, traditions and religions.

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Birds fly past as a fire consumes an area next to the Trans-Pantanal highway in the Pantanal wetlands near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, on Sept. 11, 2020.

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Nearly 17 million animals died in wildfires in Brazil's wetlands last year

5:06pm December 17, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The estimate comes from scientists who examined the number of carcasses they found up to 48 hours after a fire event. The rate of climate change makes such wildfires inevitable, they say.

Haitian migrants say Mexican authorities are keeping them from traveling to the U.S.

5:03pm December 16, 2021

by Carrie Kahn

Haitian migrants who crossed into Mexico from Guatemala are being prevented by Mexican authorities from traveling north to the U.S. The migrants say they are treated much worse than Latino migrants.

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While Chile prepares for a presidential election, a new constitution is being drafted

5:50am December 16, 2021

by Philip Reeves

A constitutional assembly elected by the people in Chile is writing a post-Pinochet constitution, in the midst of a divisive presidential election.

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Former Olympian Michelle Kwan speaks before then-candidate Joe Biden at a rally in Manchester, N.H., on Feb. 8, 2020. On Wednesday President Biden said he'll nominate Kwan for ambassador to Belize.

Biden will nominate Michelle Kwan and Caroline Kennedy for ambassador posts

5:17pm December 15, 2021

by Alana Wise

The president will nominate Kwan, a two-time Olympic medalist figure skater, to serve as U.S. ambassador to Belize. He's tapping Kennedy to be ambassador to Australia.

Deported activists allowed back into the U.S., saying ICE retaliated against them

6:40pm December 14, 2021

by Joel Rose

A few months ago, Claudio Rojas was allowed back into the U.S. He's one of several activists deported but then allowed to return after arguing that immigration authorities retaliated against them.

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Migrants head toward a border checkpoint on the Belarusian-Polish border on Nov. 15. U.S. officials have accused Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of taking advantage of desperate migrants.

Authoritarians are using migrants as weapons. The White House frets it's on the rise

5:57pm December 13, 2021

by Franco Ordoñez

The White House is concerned migrants will be increasingly used as a geopolitical tool as migration increases because of instability and climate change.

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The legacy of Vicente Fernandez, king of ranchera music, who died on Sunday

5:10pm December 13, 2021

by Carrie Kahn

The King of ranchera music, Vicente Fernandez, died Sunday. He leaves tens of millions of devoted fans throughout the Latino world.

Latin Grammy winner to Cuban leaders: 'We're done with your lies and indoctrination'

4:44pm December 13, 2021

by Elisa Baena

Afro-Cuban rapper Yotuel Romero discusses the song that won Song of the Year and inspired protesters in one of the biggest waves of demonstrations in Cuba in decades.

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