All Latin America Monitor
- Mexico's storms: Should governments put emphasis on climate change prevention?The destruction from the severe weather double whammy that pounded Mexico sparks questions about whether there could've been more advance preparations.
- Some 30 suitcases of cocaine seized from Venezuela - France flight.Venezuela arrested three low-level military officials after more than a ton of cocaine was found on a flight from Venezuela. The US has long accused military officials there of involvement in trafficking.
- Mexico storms strand thousands of tourists, with no reprieve in sightHurricane Ingrid on the Gulf coast and Hurricane Manuel on the Pacific have slammed Mexico, causing flooding and mudslides that have killed at least 80 people. More rain is expected.
- Brazil cancels US state dinner over spying, steps up surveillance at homeAngered over allegations of US spying in Brazil, President Rousseff canceled her state visit this week. Her government also launched a 'big brother' style domestic surveillance program.
- Uruguay marijuana bill slowly gains public supportThe bill is far from majority approval, but if support continues to grow and it passes, this could provide an important look at how marijuana legalization impacts organized crime.聽
- Venezuela says 'adios' to the Inter-American Court of Human RightsPresident Maduro said the聽decision to leave the court is 'fair and just,' despite claims that it violates the country's Constitution.
- Honduras elections: What would the leading candidate's policies look like?Presidential candidate Xiomara Castro envisions a 'new Honduras,' recalling initiatives of her husband, ousted former President Manuel Zelaya, like convening a constitutional assembly.
- Six months after Ch谩vez, military still plays strong role in VenezuelaHugo Ch谩vez had close ties with Venezuela's military, and hopes for a more progressive civilian policing model under President Maduro seem to be losing out to militarized strategies.聽
- Honduras presidential vote: What if 'None of the Above' wins?Xiomara Castro, wife of former President Zelaya, may lead in three polls, but 'None of the Above' is gaining ground. This voter disenchantment could present a real governing challenge.
- Brazil's foreign minister helps Bolivian politician flee, then resignsAfter 450 days holed up in the Brazilian embassy in La Paz, the Bolivian opposition politician Roger Pinto left the country with the help of unauthorized Brazilian diplomatic action.
- Striking teachers make their presence felt in Mexico CityZocalo plaza, one of the world's largest public squares, has filled with a patchwork of tents and tarps 鈥 and the mayor is hearing from residents who are not happy about it.
- New textbooks in Mexico riddled with errorsThe Education Department has admitted to 117 errors in spelling and grammar in a Spanish language and a geography textbook for elementary schools.
- Bolivia reduces coca crop for second year: UN reportThe results may surprise some in the US government who say that Bolivia is not complying with its commitments to lower drug production and trafficking.
- Nicaragua's canal controversy buildsThe proposal was agreed to in record time. Now Nicaragua's opposition is saying 'wait just a minute.'
- Gun control: Can Venezuela regulate the flow of arms?Estimates on gun ownership in Venezuela range from 1 million to 6 million, and circulation was unregulated until last year. President Maduro recently signed a law that would create a strict gun permitting process.
- BRICS: Myth of the eternal economic boom?Many investors saw the BRICS as the next big economic project that would never fall to the same boom and bust cycles that are at the heart of Western economic models.
- Freedom of information in Venezuela: How hard is it to collect data?Unlike many countries where national statistics agencies make household surveys public, Venezuelan researchers find even the most basic data is restricted.
- Peru's secret gardens reap benefitsIn a Lima, Peru slum, an oasis of urban agriculture blooms beneath high-tension electric wires.
- The human toll of Colombia's conflict: 220,000 lives and countingColombia's National Center for Historical Memory released its report on a six-year study of the deaths resulting from five decades of internal conflict.
- Grassroots media on the rise amid Brazil protests and Pope Francis visitBrazil's M铆dia Ninja is a citizen media group that's been covering widespread protests through live streaming and other social media tools.