South America

Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro speaks during a campaign rally in Medellín, Colombia, on April 7. Petro is polling first ahead of the May 29 election.

World News

He's running to be Colombia's 1st left-wing president. Here's what he plans to do

5:13am April 28, 2022

by John Otis

Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro sits down with NPR and talks about his time in a guerrilla group and proposals to tackle poverty and climate change.

The Inca citadel known as Machu Picchu is pictured with the Huayna Picchu mountain in the background.

World News

Historians say explorers got it wrong: It's not Machu Picchu, it's Huayna Picchu

10:04pm March 27, 2022

by Vanessa Romo

A Peruvian historian and an American archeologist say the site's re-discoverer was given bad information when he arrived at the ancient Incan ruins — and we've all been going along with it.

This photo released by the the National Galapagos Park communications office shows lava from the eruption of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on Friday.

Tallest Galapagos volcano erupts, spewing lava and ash

2:54am January 08, 2022

by The Associated Press

Ecuador's Emergency Operations Committee said the eruption on Isabela Island didn't represent a risk to humans or to native local species.

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro speaks to the press at Miraflores Presidential Palace in in Caracas, Venezuela, on Oct. 15.

World News

Maduro's grip on power in Venezuela only gets stronger

12:47pm December 07, 2021

by John Otis

Venezuelan opponents and U.S. officials were predicting his demise years ago. But Nicolás Maduro and his Socialist Party remain firmly in power.

Gegrand Joseph (front), a Haitian who hiked across the Darién Gap five years ago, was deported by the Trump administration and is tackling this same patch of jungle a second time to get back to the U.S.

World News

A once-remote patch of rainforest is now packed with migrants trying to reach the U.S.

10:36am November 19, 2021

by John Otis

More than 100,000 people have crossed the Darién Gap jungle from Colombia to Panama so far this year. The environmental impact and threats from cartels are many.

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Lida María Urrego, here with her 7-year-old daughter Sofia, spent most of her life fighting with the FARC rebels. But since the signing of a 2016 peace treaty, she has been raising a family and guiding tourists near Mesetas.

World News

Tourists In Colombia Can Now Take Jungle Hikes With Ex-FARC Guerrilla Guides

4:44pm July 19, 2021

by John Otis

FARC rebels used to chain their kidnap victims in the jungle until they received ransom. Now tourists pay ex-guerrillas hundreds of dollars to take them hiking and whitewater rafting there.

Brazilian officials said on Monday that if they decide to host the Copa America, teams will play without fans in the stadium.

Copa America Chaos After Brazilian Officials Say Decision To Host Is Not Final

10:16pm May 31, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Facing backlash, Brazil's leaders now say they'll make a decision whether to host the popular soccer tournament on Tuesday. The country remains one of the world's worst pandemic hot spots.

Protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks carry empty coffins during a national strike to protest a government proposal that would raise taxes, in Bogotá, Colombia, on Wednesday.

World News

Protesters March In Colombia Against Plan To Raise Taxes In Pandemic-Wracked Economy

4:53pm April 30, 2021

by John Otis

Even though COVID-19 deaths are spiking and the country is climbing out of a deep economic downturn, the president has proposed new taxes. Colombians are defying restrictions by protesting.

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Coca plants in the Guaviare department, Colombia. The leaves are the raw ingredient used to make cocaine.

World News

Opinion: To End The Drug War, Help Coca Farmers Find A Way Out

11:01am March 05, 2021

by Elizabeth Dickinson

U.S. policy has focused on eradicating the crop used for making cocaine in Colombia. Here's why farmers keep replanting it.

Colombian President Iván Duque unveiled a program last month that will allow undocumented Venezuelan migrants to legally live and work in Colombia for up to 10 years.

World News

Colombia's President On Amnesty For Venezuelans: 'We Want To Set An Example'

8:14pm March 03, 2021

by John Otis

"We want to demonstrate that although we're not a rich country, we can do something that is humanitarian ... but at the same time is an intelligent and sound migration policy," Iván Duque tells NPR.

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