All Americas
First LookStreet singer captures heart, plight of Venezuela's growing diasporaVenezuelans have fled their country en masse since 2015, but out of the will to survive has emerged singer Reymar Perdomo and her song “Me Fui” – a catchy, joyous tune that has become a viral sensation and raised the profile of Venezuelan migrants.
Why Guatemala’s 180 on corruption matters for Central AmericaA president vowing to clean up corruption has changed his tune since he came under scrutiny. Whether the country’s other institutions allow investigators to stay the course could reverberate beyond its borders.
To bring refugees west, Americans look north – to CanadaThe US may be admitting fewer refugees in recent years, but Americans are still finding ways to bring families from the Middle East to safety in the West. The trick: They’re helping them reach Canada, not the US.
How much should a former church’s past affect its future use?As religious buildings hit the real estate market in an era of shrinking congregations, some are weighing how to strike a balance between the buildings’ former purposes and communities’ modern needs.
Not just a Western effort: immigrants helping immigrantsThe media often frames the effort to aid migrants around what citizens of the West are doing, but migrants themselves are also aiding their peers – sometimes even before they've completed their own journeys. Part 12 of On the Move: the faces, places, and politics of migration.
Jamaica: Special security zones are decreasing murders – but at what cost?Jamaica's creation of Zones of Special Operations to deal with deadly gang violence has shown results. But there have been accusations of police violence and a clampdown on civil liberties. Is the trade-off worth it?
First LookMexico commits to house US asylum seekers, but how well?Mexico will allow Central American refugees to stay in Mexico as their asylum claims process in the US. The move, seen as a concession to President Trump by Mexico's new leftist president, raises questions about Mexico's ability to provide sufficient humanitarian aid.
Stuck between China and US, Canada finds itself ‘alone in the world’Canada's standoff with China over a telecom executive's arrest is important for Ottawa. But it is perhaps equally if not more important for what the incident says about Canada's souring relations with the US.
Prescription art: Take in two museums and call me in the morningCan sending patients to view art be a therapeutic tool? Physicians in Montreal are working with one of Canada's most prestigious museums to find out, testing new ways of thinking about treatment and healing.
Why an Argentine leader seeks to break the pull of populismPresident Macri promised to make Argentina a ‘normal’ country, far removed from the populist boom-and-bust economic cycles of the past. But populism's pull may be stronger than he bargained for.
A reporter's backstory – finding a way to humanize a global crisisSeventy million people have been displaced by political violence, war, and persecution, emptying their savings and risking their lives to reach new lands. The Monitor told some of their stories in our series On the Move: the faces, places, and politics of migration, with 10 journalists covering more than a dozen countries.
How a border ‘shutdown’ would look from a border townFor many, daily border crossings are a way of life: Hundreds of thousands of people and a billion-plus dollars in goods legally cross the US-Mexican border every day, making closures a blow to both sides.
First LookCanada arrests executive of Chinese tech companyThe CFO of Huawei Technologies is facing extradition to the US after allegedly violating terms of sanctions on Iran. The move comes as delicate negotiations proceed between the US and China to avert a continued trade war.
On Mexico border, asylum-seekers take organizing into own handsAt the border, volunteers – asylum-seekers themselves – manage a list of those waiting to begin a review process by US immigration officials. It’s a system with potentially dangerous drawbacks. But observers call it better than the chaotic alternative.
With new president's inauguration, leftist leadership comes back to MexicoLeftist leaders have been common in Latin America – except in Mexico, which hasn’t had one since 1940. That will change Saturday with Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s inauguration. But why has it taken so long?
First LookUS-Mexico relations at crossroads as Obrador takes officeCrisis or opportunity? Mexico's new president promises bold reforms at home, but his leadership could spark new tensions with the US as President Trump continues to rail against trade agreements, border security, and asylum policy.
Letter from Buenos Aires: Soccer fan violence leaves G20 host with jittersArgentina hoped hosting this week's G20 economic forum would showcase how far it's come in recent years. Could a poorly timed confrontation among soccer fans throw that plan off course?
At a dinner party play in Quebec, politics is the main courseDuring times of intense political polarization, meaningful dialogue often suffers. In Canada, a theatrical “dinner party” offers a radical idea: an opportunity to transcend differences by simply listening.
First LookIn exile and disarray, Venezuela's opposition adopts new strategiesVenezuela's dire economic crisis is forcing a transformation of the political opposition against the incumbent Maduro government, which they see as irresponsive and increasingly authoritarian.
First LookTijuana residents protest the arrival of migrant caravanSome residents of border city Tijuana expressed their displeasure over the arrival of the Central American migrant caravan with signs and physical assaults. With only 100 asylum applications processed per day, the influx is expected to last for at least six months.
