All Americas
Guatemala's military to tackle internal threatsGuatemala isn't the only Latin American nation to use its army to fight internal armed groups, but guest blogger James Bosworth聽warns that 'protect the population' should be part of the mission.
Honduras: home to the most violent city in the hemisphere?Amid rising crime, the Peace Corps pulled out of in Honduras this week.- Garbage piles up in 'green' Mexico CityMexico City closed its last major dump in December in hopes of making the city 'greener,' but trash truck circulation and neighboring states refusing the capital's waste has led to one stinky situation.
What Guatemala's new president wants from the USFormer Gen. Otto Perez Molina, who will be inaugurated as Guatemala's president today, plans to push for renewed US military aid, raising concerns among critics of his legacy from Guatemala's civil war.
Growing Catholic divide over Mexico drug warA bishop is among those alleging human rights abuses by state, but the church stands behind President Calder贸n's military-led crackdown on the Mexico drug war.- Hezbollah in Latin America: an over-hyped threat?The indictment of a Lebanese man accused of running a money-laundering and drug-trafficking ring for Hezbollah in Colombia has sparked fresh concerns about the Islamic militia group's connections to organized crime in Latin America.
In Haiti, cautious hope around effort to find families new homesThe 16/6 program in Haiti helps families who have lived in tents since the 2010 earthquake move to proper shelter amid long waits for their former homes to be rebuilt.聽- Why Mexico is touting an 11 percent increase in drug-related murdersIn previous years, drug-related killings have climbed as much as 110 percent.聽
Haiti struggles to 'build back better' two years after earthquakeMany of those displaced by Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake have been relocated, and buildings and roads repaired. But reconstruction in Haiti has been complicated by deep economic and social problems.聽
Brazil cleans house: now what?Brazil's President Rousseff has had a good year in cracking down on corruption. Will the momentum last?- What's Ahmadinejad getting out of his Latin America tour? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad鈥檚 Latin America trip, a whirlwind four-nation tour that began in Venezuela on Jan. 8, is now taking him to the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The trip is his fifth visit to the region since 2007 and has prompted alarm in some corners of the United States that Iran is using the region as a staging ground to attack US interests.However, many who study Iran鈥檚 relationship with Latin America, in particular Venezuela, say fear of an Iranian threat in the Americas is overblown, at least at this point. Here are four reasons why:
- How Mexico's Zapatista guerrillas stayed clear of organized crimeMexico's Zapatistas are distinct from most other rebels groups in Latin America, having remained within a democratic framework without getting involved in organized crime to secure funding.
US expels Venezuelan diplomat as Ahmadinejad makes Latin America tourVenezuela's consul general to Miami was expelled today amid accusations that she assisted with a cyberattack 鈥� coordinated by Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela 鈥� against the US.聽
Iran is not the only 'pariah' looking to Latin AmericaTaiwan courts continued recognition as an independent country from select Latin American nations, while Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to bolster ties to regional allies.
US foes unite: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega cozies up to Iran's AhmadinejadPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran will be the guest of honor at the inauguration of Nicaragua's newly-reelected president, Daniel Ortega.- Chile textbook controversy: Pinochet's rule now a military 'regime,' not a 'dictatorship'Chile textbooks will now use the softer term 'regime' to characterize Gen. Pinochet's rule. But revulsion against Pinochet's human rights abuses remains widespread.聽
- Fidel Castro death rumor shows paradoxes in CubaAs 2012 kicks off, blogger Anya Landau French weighs in on the Cuban economic and social developments that she will assess as she visits Havana next week.
Joran van der Sloot murder trial in Peru postponedJoran van der Sloot's trial was postponed today in Lima, Peru. Joran van der Sloot is accused of killing a Peruvian woman in 2010 and is suspected in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba five years earlier.聽
Dim forecast for security in Honduras in 2012Despite Honduran efforts to promote police reform and check organized crime, the country has become a major transit point for cocaine, and the future of its democratic institutions looks bleak.- Brazil's bright economy clouded by low productivityBrazil performs poorly on productivity measures in part because of high tariffs.