All Americas
Venezuelan pollsters weigh in on Ch谩vez vs. Capriles battle for presidentIn many countries, a 10-point spread in polls would be considered a victory for the incumbent, but factors like the Amuay refinery explosion and the 20 percent undecided voters make Venezuela different.- Lessons learned from El Salvador's constitutional crisisEl Salvador's National Assembly reelected previously barred magistrates, moving a step toward national consensus that the Supreme Court has the last word on the country's Constitution.
- US agents attacked in Mexico believed to be CIAThe CIA presence in Mexico reportedly increased last year after the US deployed more agents to work alongside Mexican military officials in the fight against drug trafficking organizations.
Colombia sets the stage for FARC peace talksColombia last tried peace talks with the FARC in 1999, but the leftist rebels continued training and recruiting new fighters. Today, political and military conditions may help end the five-decade-long conflict.
Venezuela's refinery explosion: one for the history booksThe films El Revent贸n I and II document the history of oil in Venezuela. Does this weekend's explosion at Venezuela's Amuay refinery call for another sequel?
What will Venezuela learn from its Amuay refinery explosion?After any industrial disaster it's useful to pinpoint what happened so it doesn't happen again. But some see warning signs in the fact that Venezuela's PDVSA already ruled out maintenance problems without an investigation.
Venezuela: Can calls for gun control trump election year divides?Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and illegal firearms are prevalent. More than 130,000 illegal arms were turned into the state last year as part of a pilot disarmament program.
Questions after Mexican police open fire on US officialsMembers of the Mexican Federal Police opened fire on a US diplomatic car on Friday. Was it mistaken identity or an assassination attempt?
Venezuela oil blast evidence of deteriorating infrastructureA Saturday explosion at Venezuela's Amuay refinery, the country's largest, claimed at least 39 lives. Engineers and oil executives say the blast is fresh evidence of deteriorating infrastructure in the country with the world's largest proven oil reserves.
Mexico tunes in to needs of drug war survivorsAfter nearly six years of drug war violence in Mexico some 55,000 people have been killed. Mexico is attempting new ways to reach survivors who may not have considered mental health options.- An interactive homicide map of Guatemala City highlights value of lifeGuatemalan journalist Claudia M茅ndez created a map of homicides in Guatemala to inform the public and illustrate that each person who dies violently there is important.
Crime pays? Mexico's unemployed youth a driving factor in organized crimeEight million youths are unemployed in Mexico, and cartel work can have a big draw: An enforcer for a large cartel can make nearly three times as much as the national average salary.
Brazil: Mushrooming strikes put Dilma to the testA strike by university professors has mushroomed to include employees of some 30 federal sectors who want raises, testing Brazil's President Rousseff just months before municipal elections.
Ecuador's Correa says no hypocrisy in his defense of WikiLeaks' AssangeEcuadorean President Rafael Correa, whose government has closed 14 news outlets since the start of the year, says his free speech defense of Assange isn't hypocritical because different rules apply.
Gentrification: a new word in Brazilian conversationAs Rio prepares for the 2016 Olympics it balances the desire to transform the city with calls to maintain its rich mosaic of communities.
Caracas: The most dangerous city in Latin America - or is it?A guest blogger says that the homicide rate reported from Caracas, which even he declared in an article as the most dangerous city in South America, has been based on overinflated estimates.
Viva Assange! Latin American groups rally around Ecuador's asylum decision.Latin American groups say that Ecuador's decision to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a matter of sovereignty.
Drug cartel violence drives Mexico's troops to once tranquil townsThe Mexican government has dispatched 15,000 troops, and some are headed to places that used to be considered a refuge from the drug-related violence wracking much of the country.
What will Ryan's position on Cuba be as Romney campaign hits Florida?Paul Ryan has a track record on Cuba that is likely to frustrate the politically powerful Cuban-American community.- Assange asylum case ripples through Latin AmericaEcuador's decision to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could have an impact on extradition cases throughout Latin America.
