All Americas
El Salvador: Why Catholic Church backs a gang truce that government rejectsThe church's call for support is giving some hope that this truce can bring a more permanent peace to El Salvador. Already homicides have nearly halved. But the government says it refuses to negotiate with criminal groups.
Could politics taint slain Salvadoran Bishop Romero's path to sainthood?Pope Francis today approved the beatification of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered in 1980. In the lead-up to March national elections, politicians from opposing parties are drumming up memories - good and bad - of Romero.
Panama: Gossip trumped security in ex-president's wiretap targetsMartinelli, who left office in July, is facing a rising tide of outrage not only over wiretapping – which focused more on gossip than national security – but also over reports of vast corruption.
The ExplainerArgentina's Kirchner proposes intel reform: needed change or diversion?President Kirchner says rogue Argentine spies were responsible for the death of prosecutor Nisman, who was buried Thursday in Buenos Aires. She told the nation that a change to the Intelligence Secretariat is the best way forward.
Honduran official angered by citizen perceptions of crimeHonduras' foreign minister wrote a stern letter after a think tank published a report saying more than 30 percent of Hondurans indicated they were victims of crime last year. Official crime statistics are lower, but many lack confidence in police and don't report all crimes.
Mexico: Missing students are dead, but many questions remainMexico's top law enforcement officer said Tuesday that all 43 students who disappeared four months ago are dead. But no one seems to know why they were killed – or if Mexico is doing enough to prevent such a crime from happening again.
US-Cuba diplomatic thaw puts Mariel port in the spotlightCuban officials voice optimism that even if the US embargo stays in place, the Mariel port special economic zone will attract Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Brazilian, and European companies.
Economy in tatters, Venezuela's Maduro tells citizens 'God will provide'Venezuelans have been hit hard by plummeting oil prices and high inflation, and Maduro outlined no specific solutions in his highly anticipated address to the nation last night.
DNA test setback: Mexicans still stumped by missing students case.Forty-three college students have been missing since September. Critics say the government's investigation, which centers on a conspiracy between local officials and criminal gangs, looks shaky.
What's at stake in the mysterious death of an Argentine prosecutor?Alberto Nisman was found dead Sunday. He was due to present evidence on an alleged cover-up by Argentina's president over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center, and Argentines say they won't settle for 'easy' answers.
Mexico: Scientists challenge claim that 43 students burned at dumpThe case of 43 teacher's college students abducted in Iguala and assumed murdered has gripped Mexico for months. Two scientists say that due to space and fuel constraints, the government's theory doesn't add up.
The challenge of tracking displaced populations in El SalvadorGang violence has uprooted many communities in El Salvador, which gained headlines during last summer's uptick in migration to the US. But, there's no government agency dedicated to registering those who have been forced from their home.
Cuba's latest revolutionary trend: Fine diningPrivate restaurants first appeared in Cuba in 1993 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, but were reined in by authorities who worried that small eateries were pilfering supplies and surpassing the legal limit of 12 chairs.
Would Colombia peace deal curb coca trade? Ask a coca farmer.Nearly 95 percent of cocaine consumed in the US is supplied by Colombia. The government and the FARC guerrillas developed a plan they say could put a stop to coca production. Will farmers buy in?
How Brazil's cell phone boom is shaking up politics and journalismAs Brazil's smartphone market grows, so too does connectivity. Programs like Whatsapp have been used by – and against – politicians, from networking with young voters to revealing scandals.
Will economic woes drive greater realpolitik for Venezuela's Maduro?The recent warming of US-Cuban relations and the fall in international oil prices raise the question of whether Venezuela can put national interests ahead of ideology.
No Internet in Cuba? For some, offline link to world arrives weeklyThe majority of Cubans have no access to the Internet or cable TV, but 'the weekly packet,' an alternative to broadband Internet, provides tens of thousands with foreign movies, TV shows, digital copies of magazines, and websites.
Five years after quake, Haiti struggles to reopen its doors to the worldHaiti is still rebuilding after a 7.0 earthquake that killed tens of thousands. It's also trying to avoid a massive political upheaval that could scare off the very investors it needs.
FocusIn Latin America, new urgency to educate stirs up outdated systemSeeking better schools, Latin America – the world's most unequal region – is trying models like Teach for America.
As oil prices fall, Latin America and China get cozierBilateral trade between China and Latin America has grown 20-fold over the past decade, and China has made more than $100 billion in loans in the region.
