All Latin America Monitor

With the London Games wrapping up today, the spotlight moves to Rio, the host city of the 2016 Olympics.

Mexico took its first gold medal today with its stunning win over Brazil in soccer, bringing a burst of joy to a struggling nation.

If Mexico can defeat Brazil it will mean the country's first Olympic gold medal in soccer.

As prices of corn and other commodities rise, importing countries like the Caribbean and Central America will likely suffer. But what about major exporters like Brazil and Argentina?

An officer accused of participating in Guatemala's Dos Erres massacre lost his appeal to block extradition to the US, while a former Salvadorian general is fighting potential extradition to Spain.

Guatemala does not have enough guns to arm the latest crop of police graduates, pointing to the financial factors holding back the reform and expansion of the force.

The partnership between state-owned oil companies makes Venezuela a key third party in Argentina's ongoing dispute with a Spanish energy firm.

A Caracas barrio is home to radical self-defense collectives known to patrol the neighborhood at night. Some fear their ideology has taken a new, aggressive turn as Chavez faces reelection.

Erick Barrondo won silver in the 20-km race walk on Saturday. He's the first ever Guatemalan to medal in the Olympics.

Brazilian culture is gaining popularity in the United States with everything from theater to video games. But its image isn't always positive or accurate.

Some 38 people are accused of buying political favors under former President Lula - whose future career could hinge on the trial.

Despite Cuban government reports and public comments from the two survivors of the crash saying it was an accident, a dissident’s family believes someone ran the car off the road.

Colombian cocaine production fell by 25 percent from 2010, according to US data. But a UN report says otherwise. Why the discrepancy?

Brazil's first impact study on its Police Pacification Units reveals that the program has significantly reduced violence, but still needs extensive reform.

El Salvador's gang truce needs to be followed by job training, rehabilitation programs, and humane prison conditions in order to create a sustainable peace, writes a guest blogger.

Critics of Uruguay's marijuana legalization plan say it will bring corruption and create a black market for drugs. But Uruguay is a small and relatively stable, so why not try, asks a guest blogger.

Venezuelan drug lord Walid Makled claims he has evidence of military and government links to the drug trade. Three months into his trial, there are several ticking time bombs to watch out for.

The successes of Brazil's new middle class – including greater access to jobs, technology, and rising purchasing power – could be the source of increased obesity, writes a guest blogger.

Chevron has been in Venezuela since the 1920s when politicians were heavier handed than Chavez. Now, Chevron in Venezuela may be too big to nationalize, writes a guest blogger.

Nets installed at a Honduran cathedral to keep pigeons from roosting on the historic structure were met by calls of animal cruelty. Now an environmental group suggests using contraceptive feed.