All Americas
- Heading to Summit of the Americas: Obama, Ch谩vez 鈥� and robotsSome 32 police agencies representing 27 countries are sharing security technology like robots for the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, a good sign for regional integration, writes a blogger.
Why some Rio residents yearn for an iron-fisted druglordAfter the police occupation of a large Rio de Janeiro favela last year, there is a new spike in crime, the result of poor police coordination, says guest blogger Julia Michaels.
For FARC hostages, a combined hundred years of solitudeThe FARC released 10 hostages yesterday, each held for over a decade. The release was a step in the right direction, says Colombia's president, but a peace deal is not imminent.
FARC hostage release: Peace agreement ahead in Colombia?10 police and military hostages of the FARC were released yesterday, some seeing their family for the first time in 14 years. Though a positive sign, this may not mean immediate peace in Colombia.
'Chile's Matthew Shepard': country rallies around gay rights after murderThe brutal murder of 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio has sent support for gay rights soaring in Chile, which has lagged behind many of its neighbors in addressing discrimination.
Falklands War: Why the battle continues 30 years laterSome 30 years after the Falklands War, Prince William's deployment and the recent discovery of oil have increased attention on the battle between Argentina and the UK for control of the islands.
FARC hostage release raises hopes for Colombia peace talksThe release of all hostages is a condition for opening talks with the FARC to end decades of internal conflict in Colombia, but analysts say peace talks won't begin any time soon.
Guatemala's president surprises critics by renewing UN commission on impunityThe International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala has proved effective in the struggle to fix Guatemala鈥檚 justice system, but many had feared President Perez would dismiss its work.
Pollution threatens South America's Lake TiticacaGrowing urbanization is threatening Lake Titicaca along the Boliva-Peru border, and endangering those who depend on it for agriculture and drinking water.
The pope in Cuba: a reporter's notebookBeyond the frustrations of reporting in Havana lies the real story: Cuba, for all its romance and beauty, remains an authoritarian state, writes Girish Gupta.- Follow the money: Government influence on private media in ArgentinaThe Argentine government was the largest ad buyer for private media in 2010, and some say their financial influence damages the potential for independent reporting.
- Indicted: US soldiers offer to serve as hired guns for Mexican gangsFour former and current members of the US military offered training, supplies, and assassinations-for-hire to DEA agents posing as Zetas, writes guest blogger Geoffrey Ramsey.
Pope in Cuba: Trip shows how church playing balancing actThe pope did not meet with dissidents. But his trip was about building on gains the church has won in Cuba, says guest blogger Anya Landau French.
Fidel Castro, excommunicated in 1962, meets with Pope BenedictFormer Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who once outlawed religion, met with Pope Benedict XVI today. Benedict's visit is part of a new Catholic strategy in a changing Cuba.
Pope schedules last-minute meeting with Fidel CastroPope Benedict XVI's decision to meet with the former Cuban leader angered Castro critics because, they say, it gives the Cuban government legitimacy.
Pope in Cuba: Will he raise case of jailed American?Many are watching to see if the pope mentions the case of imprisoned US aid worker Alan Gross. But the delicacy of his trip to Cuba makes it unlikely, writes guest blogger Girish Gupta.
Problem in securing Rio slums? Announcing police arrival ahead of time.Brazil's Pacifying Police Units will enter a Rio favela this month to step up security. But announcing the 'clearing' of a favela gives powerful drug traffickers time to flee before security forces arrive.
Panama Canal expansion to ease international trade, with a grain of saltThe economic impacts of the canal expansion have been widely cited, but environmental repercussions like the contamination of drinking water with salt water may be overlooked.
In Nicaragua, teachers make only half as much as market vendorsNicaragua's Sandinista government vowed a 'battle for sixth grade' to combat one of the world's highest dropout rates. But their goals are not reflected in the budget.
Catholicism in a communist land: Pope Benedict XVI travels to CubaCuba was declared an atheist state after the 1959 revolution, but many dissidents are looking to Pope Benedict XVI to help bring more political reform to the island.
