All Americas
- Mexican cartels move into Ecuador – Colombian trafficking turf
Mexican and Colombian criminal groups could start battling for control of drug trafficking routes in Ecuador, something that could further threaten the country's precarious security situation.
Argentina: Oil nationalization and currency controls divide a nationMonths after Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s nationalization of the YPF energy company and controversial economic policies, where does Argentina stand?
View from Mexico: The presidential debate on immigrationOn the eve of the first US presidential debate, Mexicans weigh in on where President Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney stand on immigration – and offer policy proposals of their own.
Cuba reforms: Important changes, but pace is slowCuba released many political prisoners and expanded personal economic rights this year. But everything won't change at once: The socialist country has a bloated state bureaucracy that moves slowly.
- Where to go for the straight skinny on Venezuela's election
As politically-charged Venezuela heads into elections, objective analysis is hard to come by. A new report from two think tanks is an exception, writes WOLA.
New force pushing refugees: Flight from organized crime in Latin AmericaViolence perpetrated by criminal groups led to 5.6 million Latin Americans living in displacement in 2011, mainly in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, according to a displacement monitoring center.
Election system in Venezuela: High tech, but low trustWhen Venezuelans go to the polls on Sunday to elect their next president, they will be using one of the most sophisticated voting systems in the hemisphere. But could the machines give Chavez an edge?
Chavez dirty tricks? Venezuela prints a confusing ballot.Ballots are already printed for Sunday's election in Venezuela, but the opposition candidate's photo is shown in at least four places where, if marked, the vote will not be counted for his party.
An Argentine abroad challenges President Kirchner over currency controlsAt a Harvard University event, Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner responded with gusto to a question about her government's strict currency controls.
- Brazil: As prison populations grow is it time to rethink policy on drugs?
A new São Paulo think tank is urging Brazilians to rethink the country's drug policy. Brazil's drug law changed in 2006, but many say it has backfired as the drug-related prison population has boomed.
Haiti bans plastic bags and styrofoam containersHaiti's government has announced a ban on importing, manufacturing, and marketing plastic and foam containers as of Oct.1 in an effort to do away with 'rivers of debris' across the country.
Mexico stops the Taliban - 'El Taliban,' that isMexico arrested 'El Taliban,' one of its most wanted drug traffickers, on the same day that the country's president urged the UN to reassess narcotics prohibition.
Brazil arrests top Google executive for YouTube video violation of election lawUnlike other countries where an arrest like this might be considered an intimidation tactic by the president, this arrest was ordered by a judge who is relatively independent of the Brazilian government.
Wikileaks' Assange marks Day 100 inside Ecuadorean embassyEcuador says it will host Assange in its London embassy indefinitely, but the decision to continue supporting the Wikileaks founder could have negative repercussions for the Andean nation.
Nicaragua: Central Bank says economy up 30 percent under SandinistasThough growth for Central America's smallest economy is good news, some economists say it is still insufficient to reduce poverty in Nicaragua.
- International Monetary Fund warns Argentina on bogus statistics
The IMF recently threatened to give Argentina a 'red card' for fudging its growth and inflation rates.
- Loco for cocoa: Artisanal chocolate looks to Mesoamerican roots in Nicaragua
Artisanal chocolate is taking off, with many small chocolatiers taking production back to the basics.
What are Mitt Romney's foreign policy goals in Latin America?Romney has highlighted policy issues in Latin America ranging from Iran's influence in the region to security problems in Mexico. How much do his views differ from those of Obama and Bush?
'El Loco' Barrera: What does the capture of Colombia's last big drug lord mean?One of Colombia's top drug traffickers – Daniel 'El Loco' Barrera – was captured by Venezuelan, Colombian, US, and UK officials. It's a great sign of regional cooperation, but other traffickers will likely fill the void.
- US Drug Enforcement Administration may reopen office in Uruguay
The reported move suggests Uruguay is playing a bigger role in trafficking drugs to the US. It is not a major producer but traffickers from nearby countries increasingly use it as a transit zone.
