All Latin America Monitor

A British train robber made Rio famous as a hideaway in the 1970s, but nowadays foreigners like Devla Imperatrix arrive in droves, armed with dreams and money to invest, writes a blogger.

Four earthquakes have rattled Mexico City in four months. The Monitor's Mexico City bureau chief explains how the frequent aftershocks have kept earthquakes on the mind.

In lead up to Summit of the Americas, a new indicator measures 'social inclusion' based on variables like access to education and jobs in 11 Latin American countries.

A new video that depicts kids living a gritty life in the adult world – including muggings, corruption, and drug violence – has shocked Mexicans who normally are inured to crime, a blogger writes.

Drug policy isn't on the agenda for this weekends Summit of the Americas in Colombia, but it's a topic on everyone's mind, writes guest blogger Steven Dudley.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff spoke at Harvard University on the connection between country's rapid economic growth and education.

Pundits don't care about detailed US-Brazil cooperation agreements, writes guest blogger Bosworth. They want big announcements on free trade deals and nuclear issues.

Wealthy communities across Latin America put up gates and fences to fend off criminals. In Venezuela, rising crime has led poor neighborhoods to do the same, dividing the country further.

Many think extradition to the US is a trafficker's worst nightmare, but many negotiate with US law enforcement for more lenient sentences resulting in dramatically reduced jail time, says a blogger.

One of Brazil's greatest assets is its culture and people, and they'll be there no matter what happens to the economy or in international politics, writes guest blogger Rachel Glickhouse. 

A new Council on Foreign Relations report examines criminal violence in Central America.

Some 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.

After 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.

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.

The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala has proved effective in the struggle to fix Guatemala’s justice system, but many had feared President Perez would dismiss its work.

Beyond the frustrations of reporting in Havana lies the real story: Cuba, for all its romance and beauty, remains an authoritarian state, writes Girish Gupta.

Four 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.

The 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.

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.

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.