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US takes over key mortgage firms
President Bush says the US is taking over two mortgage giants because they posed "an unacceptable risk" to the economy.
Caribbean lashed by Hurricane Ike
Thousands of people hunker down across the Caribbean as Hurricane Ike pounds the region, on course for Cuba.
Canadian PM calls snap election
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls an early election in a bid to strengthen his minority government.
US rivals to make 9/11 appearance
US presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain say they will appear together on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
US Boeing workers strike over pay
Workers at the world's biggest aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, go on strike in the US.
Venezuela plans Russia navy visit
Venezuela says it plans to hold joint naval exercises in its territorial waters with Russian forces in November.
Heart sisters' Palin song anger
Rock band Heart object to US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin using their track Barracuda at a rally.
Spears and Brand set for MTV show
Britney Spears will join Russell Brand to kick off the MTV Video Music Awards show in Los Angeles later.
Silent movie star Page dies at 98
Actress Anita Page, who starred alongside Buster Keaton and Joan Crawford, dies aged 98 in Los Angeles.
First-known footage of rare frog filmed in Costa Rica
An incredibly rare frog is filmed for what is thought to be the first time, writes BBC reporter Rebecca Morelle.
McCain's gamble
John 'Wayne' McCain rolls dice with the 'Barracuda'
Anxious Democrats
Matt Frei, presenter of BBC World News America, analyses the anxiety afflicting the Democrats as they meet for convention week.
Boxing: Win for Colombia's Breidis Prescott
Amir Khan is knocked out inside the first minute of his WBO intercontinental lightweight title defence by Breidis Prescott.
Tennis Open: Rain forces women's final delay
Former champion Serena Williams will take on second seed Jelena Jankovic in the US Open final on Monday after rain washes out Saturday's schedule.
Haiti ordeal
Aid workers struggle to provide emergency aid
Final stretch
As convention fever fades, race for US presidency begin
Track record
Will Missourians pick US president yet again?
Now we are 10
As Google turns ten it looks to its next decade
Fall from grace
Jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff's ties to Republican party
Frog blog
Watch your step: Costa Rica's jungle is full of spiders
US rules out new economic package
White House says it does not see need for new measures to stimulate economy despite sharp rise in unemployment.
Polish agents tell of CIA jails
Polish intelligence sources confirm for the first time that the CIA ran a secret facility on Polish soil.
US lifts some Belarus sanctions
Some sanctions imposed by the US on firms working with Belarussian companies are lifted, US officials announce.
US Libya relations in 'new phase'
Relations between the US and Libya have entered a "new phase", says US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
Spain seizes Colombia 'drug lord'
An alleged Colombian drugs lord, known as Beto the Gypsy, is arrested in Spain
Argentine commuters torch trains
Passengers set fire to train carriages in Argentina over delays, but the government blames left-wing activists for the unrest.
Disgraced US sprinter leaves jail
US sprinter Marion Jones leaves prison after serving a six-month sentence for lying about steroid use and involvement in a drugs fraud case.
McCain vows to fight to change US
John McCain promises "change is coming" as he accepts the Republican party's candidacy for the White House.
Chavez takes over fuel transport
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez approves a plan to take over the firms that distribute fuel to households and petrol stations.
Job market jitters add to US woes
Downbeat US employment ad retail data adds to economic jitters despite more positive figures from the service sector.
Argentina buys back flag carrier
Aerolineas Argentinas is back in state hands 18 years after the troubled airline was sold to the private sector.
Opec invites Brazil to join group
Iran invites Brazil, which recently announced major untapped oil sources offshore, to join oil producers' cartel Opec.
Voters' views
Republicans reflect on the party's convention
Hurricane Palin
McCain weathers storm over his running mate
California tackles 'cactus crime'
California police tackle cactus crime wave
Brazil faces oil wealth decisions
As Brazil finds new oil reserves, where will the profits go?
BBC News | World | Americas | UK Edition
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The World: Two Colombias, at War and at Peace
As Bogotá revives, reminders of distant carnage dare to intrude.
Cuba Rejects American Offer of Hurricane Aid
The Cuban government rejected an offer of disaster aid from the United States after having accepted aid from Russia and other allies.
A Little Insult Is All the Rage in Venezuela: ‘Pitiyanqui’
President Hugo Chávez’s use of a term that roughly translates as “little Yankee” as a contemptuous synonym for “sellout” or “oligarch” has caught on in Venezuela.
Storm Surge Left 500 Dead in Haiti
Almost 500 people died when more than 16 feet of muddy water swept through the town of Gonaïves this week, propelled by torrential rains from Tropical Storm Hanna.
Mexican Court Rules Against Wal-Mart
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that the country’s top retailer violated the Constitution by paying a worker in part with store cards usable only in Wal-Mart stores.
Mexico Court Is Set to Uphold Legalized Abortion in Capital
A ruling upholding the law would be a setback for the government of President Felipe Calderón, which filed a legal challenge after the law was approved.
Bolivian Is an Uneasy Ally as U.S. Presses Drug War
President Evo Morales, a former coca grower, is both a partner in U.S. anti-drug policy and an antagonist.
As Food Prices Soar, Brazil and Argentina React in Opposite Ways
In Brazil, the government is encouraging farmers to produce more for export while prices are high. But Argentina is focused on encouraging farmers to sell more at home.
Saturday Profile: For Wealthy Brazilian, Money From Ore and Might From the Cosmos
João Carlos Cavalcanti, the Brazilian mining magnate, meditates for three hours a day and says he draws strength from the “cosmos” -- when he is not collecting expensive cars.
Freed Colombian Grapples With Recalling and Releasing Pain, and Resuming Life
Ingrid Betancourt said she filled her days with prayer and activities to give herself a sense of stability during her years of captivity with FARC rebels in Colombia.
World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Parliament to Be Dissolved
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Conservative, plans to dissolve Parliament on Sunday and call for a national election on Oct. 14, his office said Friday.
World Briefing | The Americas: Venezuela: Troops Capture Fugitive
Álvaro Araújo Noguera, a former Colombian senator and agriculture minister who fled Colombia after being accused of conspiring to kidnap a regional political leader, was captured.
U.S. Offers Storm Aid to Cuba Only Through Relief Groups
The State Department said that it had offered humanitarian aid to Cuban victims of Hurricane Gustav provided it does not go through the government of President Raúl Castro.
Donors’ Aid to Poor Nations Declines, U.N. Reports
Aid to poor nations has slumped even as higher food and energy prices and slowing global economic growth have made such assistance more urgent, according to a report released Thursday.
A Firing in Guatemala
President Álvaro Colom fired his security chief after the discovery of seven unauthorized listening devices and video cameras in the presidential office and residence.
World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Call for Ban on Some Rifles
A coroner recommended in a report released Thursday that sales of semiautomatic, short-barreled rifles be banned in Canada.
Facing Deadly Fish Virus, Chile Introduces Reforms
Facing sharp criticism, Chile has introduced measures to improve the sanitary conditions of its salmon industry and reduce the levels of antibiotics used to treat the fish.
Ex-Official Faults Politics for Rendition of Canadian to Syria
The former leader of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police blamed political interference in the U.S. for the rendition and subsequent torture of Maher Arar, a Canadian engineer.
In Parts of Canada, Landowners Battle Prospectors
Landowners campaign to change a provincial law that allows anyone who pays the equivalent of $23.50 to dig for pretty much any mineral on private property in much of rural Ontario.
World Briefing | The Americas: Brazil: Police Seize Gang’s Reptiles
While searching for the leader of a drug gang in a poor section of Rio de Janiero, police officers found two caimans that they said were being used to intimidate the gang’s enemies.
Extra Time: Trip to Cuba Is First for U.S. Since 1947
The 20-player United States team is gathering in Miami, where it will train at Barry University before boarding a charter flight to Havana on Thursday.
World Briefing | The Americas: Brazil: Offshore Oil Operation Begins
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil dipped his hands on Tuesday in the first oil from vast new reserves.
World Briefing | The Americas: Bolivia: President Challenged on Vote
The National Electoral Court has annulled a decree by President Evo Morales to hold a referendum Dec. 7 on a proposed new constitution.
World Briefing | The Americas: Venezuelan’s Trial Begins in Miami
A wealthy Venezuelan businessman went on trial on charges that he was part of a scheme to conceal the source of cash for political spending that was carried in a suitcase into Argentina.
National Briefing | Military Justice: 3 Prisoners Let Out of Guantánamo
The Defense Department said it transferred one prisoner to Pakistan and two to Afghanistan.
Canada Looks Poised for Third Parliamentary Election in Four Years
The new elections would be the result of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s failed attempt to persuade the country’s main opposition leader to keep his minority Conservative government alive.
World Briefing | The Americas: Colombia: Car Bomb in Cali Kills 4
A car bomb exploded early Monday near the Palace of Justice in Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, killing 4 people and wounding as many as 20.
World Briefing | The Americas: Mexico: Gains Against Drugs Claimed
President Felipe Calderón, under pressure to crack down on crime, claimed progress on Monday in the fight against drug cartels during an annual report to Mexico’s Congress.
World Briefing | The Americas: Brazil: Suspensions for Domestic Spying
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suspended the entire leadership of Brazil’s intelligence agency on Monday after it was accused of spying on the Supreme Court chief and members of Congress.
Chávez Threatens to Expel American Ambassador
Angered by U.S. assertions that cocaine smuggling through Venezuela has surged in recent years, President Hugo Chávez threatened to expel the American ambassador.
Drug Violence Alters the Flow of Life in Mexico
Life in Mexico is changing in subtle ways as the possibility of drug-related violence lurks everywhere.
World Briefing | The Americas: Mexico: City’s Abortion Law Is Upheld
The Supreme Court upheld Mexico City’s abortion law by an 8-to-3 vote, allowing unrestricted abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy.
World Briefing | Americas: Mexico: Decapitated Bodies Discovered
Eleven decapitated bodies, shirtless and handcuffed together, were found on Thursday and appeared to be the victims of drug-related violence, authorities said.
World Briefing | The Americas: Brazil: Oil Slick Kills 200 Penguins
More than 200 oil-slicked penguins have washed up dead on the beaches of the resort of Florianópolis, and the authorities said people had reported seeing hundreds more dead.
World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Rules for Sea Passage
Prime Minister Stephen Harper moved to strengthen Canada’s disputed control of the Arctic by announcing stricter registration of ships sailing in the Northwest Passage.
Hurricane Heads for Haiti
A powerful hurricane was gathering strength as it headed for Haiti, where it was expected to make landfall later in the day before moving on to the Gulf of Mexico.
Canada Expands Recall of Cold Cuts and Raises Death Toll
Canadian health officials said 12 deaths were linked to tainted meat and have confirmed 26 cases of Listeriosis, a bacterial illness, saying more were expected.
Pilot Reported Trouble Before Crash in Guatemala
The plane broke apart and scattered across a barren field before crashing and killing 10 people, including 5 Americans.
The Saturday Profile: From the Cuban Underground, a Punk Rocker’s Protest Reverberates
Gorki Luis Águila Carrasco’s off-color, ear-splitting lyrics led the Cuban government to charge him with “social dangerousness.”
At a Celebration of Shakespeare, Some Rare Shaw
Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy are turning heads in plays by Bernard Shaw at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Mexico City Journal: Lifting the Veil on AIDS in a Mexican Prison
An American organization has set up an AIDS awareness program inside Mexican prisons, since the myths associated with AIDS are pronounced among the prisoners.
NYT > Americas
Has the Surge Prevented Peace in Iraq?
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has made his earlier endorsement of the
Venezuela Calls Visit of U.S. Drug Czar 'Useless'
The Foreign Ministry rejected the "animosity and hatred" of John P. Walters and reaffirmed its accusations against the D.E.A., calling it "a body that operated in a criminal way in Venezuelan territory."
Voice of Power Threatens Voice of Dialogue
Abu Ghraib. Guantanamo Bay. Shocking arrests and mysterious disappearances. Extraordinary renditions. Will these initiatives really make the world a better place or contribute to irreversibly dividing it?
Searching for Solutions to Mexico's Skyrocketing Violence
The escalating violence represents an ugly offensive by Mexican drug gangs retaliating against the government's increased determination to combat drug trafficking and drug-related violence.
Latin America: 'Restraining the Media Brings About Dictatorship'
Some sectors still think authoritarianism is the way toward development and justice. There is need to fight such blindness, to remind them of the meaning of corruption, violence, and lack of freedom.
Brazil's Nuclear Ambitions: Worrisome?
On Thursday, July 31, Brazilian authorities gave the final go ahead to the civilian nuclear power company, Electronuclear, to continue construction of the country's third nuclear power plant.
Blackwater: The Real 'Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy'?
Blackwater's success is helping fill the coffers of some of the country's most influential conservative political figures and prompting some observers to call it the "future of war."
Bolivia: Tensions Rising as Vote Looms
While the opposition forces are yet to mobilize in the streets around the referendum campaigns, they have begun an intensive publicity campaign attacking the government's record.
U.S. Recession, Drug War Violence Cause Crisis in Mexico Tourism
Though it maintains a positive public relations spin on tourism prospects, the Mexican government realizes serious problems exist with the long-standing reliance on United States tourism.
Hydro Project Approved in Chile's Puyehue National Park
If allowed to stand, the decision will set a potentially disastrous precedent, opening the floodgates for development in all of Chile's national parks and other protected areas.
Colombia: A New Beginning
Although problems persist, in particular cocaine trafficking, as well as allegations of human rights abuses by government forces, Colombia is undergoing something of a renaissance.
Peru: The Cold War of ALBA
The region of Puno is no stranger to poverty, lack of doctors, and, in some areas, deficient basic utilities such as electricity. Support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is ever present, however.
You Don't Mess With the Racism
Adam Sandler's new flick takes Hollywood chicanery and stereotypes that denigrate Arabs to an unprecedented level—surpassing hit flicks like The Kingdom, The Siege, and others.
'The Owl and the Hawk': A Plan to Avoid Another 9/11
The POP plan calls for all nations to deny entry to any passport holder whose government refuses to assume financial responsibility for criminal acts committed by the passport holder.
U.S. Farm Bill 'Too Little, Too Late' for Developing World
The legislation broke new ground but the amount-$60 million over four years-was a fraction of the $300 million President Bush had sought for one fiscal year and will be spent on a pilot program.
Who's Running Foreign Policy in Washington?
Perhaps it helps to be a seasoned Kremlinologist to know who in the politburo on the Potomac is initiating and implement policy on Iran or any other topical international issue.
Vacation? How to Plan the Trip of a Lifetime
Ada Letelier provides her insights into some of the pros and cons of traveling in an organized group, especially for those who have never had the pleasure of traveling in this manner.
Youth Views: Is War as Diplomacy Obsolete?
The United States needs to look outside of the "military might" box when it comes to foreign engagement and take an active lead in developing soft power approaches to mitigate conflict.
Vacation? How to Plan the Trip of a Lifetime
By vacation, I do not mean staying at home and getting up late until it's time to return to work. If you don't leave your home-indeed, if you don't leave the state-then you are not on vacation.
Critics Contend that Argentine Farmers' Grain and Meat Export Strike Wrongfully Blamed by President for Government's Irresponsible Mismanagement of Economic Policy
Fernandez repeatedly has declared that inflation has been exaggerated by outside observers and blamed
Big Stakes in November Elections in Venezuela
The pro-revolution forces face a big challenge in securing an overwhelming victory in the November regional elections in order not to lose ground to the United States-backed opposition.
Insite Saves Lives: An Interview With Liz Evans
"We accepted that narcotics are both dangerous and illegal. What we argued, though, was that because of those facts, Insite is a crucial access point to health care and treatment. And the judge agreed."
U.S. Decision to Reactivate the Fourth Fleet a Matter of Concern
The decision of the U.S. Navy to reestablish the Fourth Fleet, after almost 60 years on standby, in order to have a higher profile in Latin America and the Caribbean raised concern in the hemisphere.
Canada: The Foreign Minister and the Femme Fatale
What is odd is how a top government minister could be intimately involved with someone with such a shady past without the relationship being red-flagged by Canadian internal security agencies.
Car Culture Can Change: An Interview With Paul Keeling
Keeling is the son of climate change pioneer Charles David Keeling, who began atmospheric CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, in 1958. He met with Am Johal to talk about climate change and highway expansion.
Colombian 'Democracy' and 80 Years of Murdering Workers
The ratification of a free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States has been hampered in part Colombia's 80-year long history of undemocratic dealings with unionists.
When Free Speech Doesn't Come Free
The attacks against Carter, Finkelstein, Walt, and Mearsheimer serve as a few well-known examples of the consequences writers and intellectuals face when they breach the line and criticize Israel.
Vote Sizing Heats Up Colombia
In April, Douglas Batista, Steve Glickman, and seven other organizers toured Columbia in two 1980's era compact cars, piquing interest for democratic reform with musical events and T-shirts.
Latin American and Canadian News from World Press Review
World News Review
August 25: Argentina's buybacks
The economy ministry has already spent an estimated $280m in the last two weeks buying back debt. Now it will launch a new phase of the operation: surprise auctions, announced 24 hours in advance
August 18: The oil is ours
Few would question that a recent, apparently massive undersea oil and gas discovery off Brazil requires new rules, but some are less certain that it requires the creation of a new state-controlled company
August 11: Chorus for change in Argentina
Until now, business leaders in Argentina have largely gone along with official inflation figures, in spite of intensifying doubts about murky methodology and dubious reliability. But now, with July price data due out on Monday, the captains of industry are publicly calling for change
August 4: Chávez's tightening grip
Banco Santander was planning to sell its Venezuelan subsidiary anyway, so Hugo Chávez's decision to nationalise the country's third largest bank is not as alarming as it appears at first glance
July 28: Lula's cursed inheritance
While monetary policy in Brazil under Lula has been consistently tight, fiscal policy has been fast and loose and the structural reforms left undone by the previous government have made almost no progress, says Jonathan Wheatley.
July 21: Another Brazilian rate hike
Brazil's central bank is set to continue raising interest rates this week as inflationary pressure persists. Indeed, Henrique Meirelles, president of the central bank, thinks other central banks should join Brazil's focus on inflation
July 14: Venezuelan largesse
Chávez on the advance in Central America and the Caribbean; Petrobas workers strike in Brazil; the trouble with farmers in Argentina; and Mexico's drug challenge.
July 7: Ingrid - a new Mandela?
After her hero's welcome in France and an upcoming meeting with the Pope, Ingrid Betancourt plans to write a play about her years as a captive of left-wing Farc guerrillas. But following her spectacular release, Ms Betancourt's long term plans are more ambitious: it seems very likely that she will resume her efforts to become president of her country
June 30: Consensus time in Argentina?
It is consensus time in Argentina's farm conflict, says Vice President Julio Cobos, who has emerged in the past fortnight as an unlikely mediator in the nearly four-month-old dispute
June 23: A new approach in Argentina?
Official talks and hearings in Buenos Aires over how to solve Argentina's crippling farm dispute are likely to mark a turning point for President Cristina Fernández and her still-influential husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner
June 16: Tighter money
Nowhere perhaps is the threat of higher inflation taken more seriously than in Latin America, a continent where rising prices regularly undermined political stability during the 1970s, 80s and early 90s
June 9: Has Brazil's currency peaked?
Brazil's plans for a massive sovereign wealth fund to counter the strength of its currency, Venezuela's rotating finance ministers, and rising fuel subsidies in the region.
June 2: Looking for trouble in Argentina
Argentine farm leaders meet on Monday to assess their next moves in a 13-week conflict over export tariffs and decide whether to lift a damaging export strike that has made waves in international grains markets and dented their country's reputation as a reliable supplier of agricultural commodities
May 25: Marulanda's death
The death of Manuel Marulanda, the 78-year old chieftain of the Farc, Latin America's oldest guerrilla movement, brings the end of the four decade old war a step closer
May 19: A brighter future for the Amazon
Carlos Minc, Brazil's new environment minister, won't have his feet under his desk before the government auctions a concession to build and run the second of two controversial hydroelectric power stations in the heart of the Amazon
FT.com - Latin America agenda
FT.com - Latin America agenda
Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival to begin Sept. 12
In the film "Paraíso Travel,” a young immigrant named Marlon finds himself lost and broke shortly after arriving in New York and being separated from his girlfriend, the cunning and sexy Reina, played by Angélica Blandón. He meets an older...
How 'Blindness' director Meirelles is a movie poster
When Fernando Meirelles began filming "Blindness" many months ago, he did what any savvy auteur would do these days. Hire a top-notch director of photography? (Well, yes, he did that.) Bone up on a few back issues of Cahiers du...
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels opens its doors to mariachi camp
Joacim Naranjo plays the trumpet pretty well. But the 16-year-old from East Los Angeles found himself flapping his sore lips like a horse as he and a half dozen other boys tried to master the rapidly cascading sounds of a...
In Mexico, a police victory against smuggling brings deadly revenge
Juan Jose Soriano, deputy commander of the Tecate Police Department in Mexico helped U.S. authorities find a drug-smuggling tunnel. The next morning, gunmen shot him 45 times in his bedroom, writes Richard Marosi. The veteran officer told only a few...
Bolivia's Morales faces a challenge from fellow Indian
Instability continues in Bolivia, according to Patrick J. McDonnell. The colonial town of Sucre in the south-central highlands, renowned as the cradle of Bolivian independence, has become a front line in a new battle that is threatening to rip this...
U.S. national team makes a rare trip to Cuba to win 1-0
Sixty-one years have slipped by since the one and only time the United States played Cuba in a soccer match on Cuban soil, reports Grahame L. Jones. Saturday night the two countries squared off again, at crumbling Estadio Pedro Marrero...
Trouble in Colombia's armed forces
The world is still celebrating Colombia's spectacular July rescue of 15 hostages (see the La Plaza post here) held for years in the jungle by leftist insurgents, which will go down in history as a textbook example of planning, cunning...
A Brazilian boost for Iraqi soccer fans
Tens of thousands of fans poured into the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday in celebrations that lasted well after dark -- a novelty in the violent capital. Why? Because Brazilian Jorvan Vieira is coming back to coach Iraq's national soccer...
Cubans arrested for decapitations in Mexico
Following the grisly discovery last month of 12 headless bodies in southern Mexico, two Cubans have been arrested for alleged involvement, according to Times wire reports. The Cuban man and woman were arrested on a beach in Cancun and investigators...
LAX tightens security measures after alleged smuggling
Airport officials and federal authorities said Thursday that they have tightened security at Los Angeles International Airport because of the recent arrest of an elevator mechanic suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States, reports Dan Weikel. Officials for...
San Diego officer accused of helping drug traffickers
A San Diego police officer has been arraigned in federal court on charges of passing information about drug investigations to drug traffickers, reports Tony Perry. Juan Hurtado Tapia, 38, was arrested Tuesday by agents of the FBI and the Drug...
Mexico's drug violence is bad for business
The drug violence that continues to sweep across Mexico isn't only damaging citizen confidence in the country's government and public security. It also is taking a toll on Mexico's economy, according to Treasury Secretary Agustin Carstens. The Mexican government estimates...
Latin America's success could lie in education, education, education.
Latin American could have a lot to learn from Finland, argues Miami Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer. Here, he details a recent visit to Finland, which "ranks first among 179 countries in Transparency International's index of the least corrupt nations in...
Illegal immigrants have the right to unionize, says L.A. Times edtiorial
Remember the raid on illegal immigrants working in the Agriprocessors meatpacking plants in Postville, Iowa, in May? Nearly 400 people were arrested that day by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The raid was apparently one of the biggest of its...
L.A. turns 227
Happy birthday, Los Angeles. El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula would have 227 candles on its birthday cake today, if anyone had thought to bake it a cake. Or even to remember today's anniversary,...
L.A. Unified elementary school experiments with dual-language program
Twenty kindergartners gathered expectantly around their teacher Wednesday, the first day of an urban experiment nearly two years in the making at the Los Angeles Unified School District's Aldama Elementary School in Highland Park. They are going to learn Spanish...
Immigrants in Spain squeezed as boom turns to bust
Lured by the promise of wealth in a booming economy, immigrants from North Africa, Latin America and other regions flocked to Spain in the last decade, quickly becoming Exhibit A in the Mediterranean nation's remarkable success story. But the surging...
LAX employee arrested in alleged immigrant smuggling plot
A longtime elevator mechanic at Los Angeles International Airport has been charged with smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States by leading them out of the terminal before they were inspected by federal authorities, reports Anna Gorman this morning. Roberto...
A Greek festival in a Latino area?
As ethnic stereotypes go, it's not such a bad one: More than 50 years later, Anthony Quinn's portrayal of earthy, irrepressible Alexis Zorba, a.k.a. Zorba the Greek, remains a revered embodiment of the Greek lust for life. And each year,...
Mexico police arrest 8 digging tunnel to U.S. border
Mexican authorities have arrested eight men after discovering a sophisticated tunnel, believed to be designed to ferry drugs, that nearly reached into U.S. territory, writes the L.A. Times' Richard Marosi. Baja California state preventive police said Tuesday that they were...
L.A. Times - Latin America Blog
Latin American news from Los Angeles Times correspondents.
Some 300,000 Haitian children impacted by back-to-back hurricanes – UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said today that 650,000 people – some 300,000 of them children – have been impacted by back-to-back hurricanes that have recently battered Haiti, warning that ruined infrastructure has impeded efforts to deliver relief to those in need.
UN rushing aid to Caribbean nations hit hard by severe weather
The United Nations is providing assistance to a number of countries in the Caribbean that have been badly affected by recent severe weather, particularly Haiti which has been the worst hit, the world body's top humanitarian official said today.
Emergency aid expected to reach stranded Haitians, says UN agency
The United Nations food agency expects to be able to send emergency assistance today to Haitians stranded in the flooded northern city of Gonaïves, which was battered by Tropical Storm Hanna on Monday night.
Floating clinic brings vital health care to Ecuador's refugee communities - UN
Isolated communities living in northern Ecuador are now able to receive urgently-needed health care thanks to a new floating clinic launched with the help of the United Nations refugee agency.
Ban sounds note of anxiety over Haiti's continued instability
Efforts to stabilize Haiti have suffered serious setbacks in the past six months as a result of ongoing political disturbances, the delay in selecting a new prime minister and spiralling food prices, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report.
UN mission assists Haitians after second tropical storm strikes in less than a week
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti is assisting local authorities in rescue and relief efforts in the northern city of Gonaives after it was hit this morning by floods and mudslides triggered by Tropical Storm Hanna, the second storm in a week to strike the country.
Haiti: UN Police help local authorities destroy illegal drugs
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti has helped the national police destroy more than 2,000 kilograms of drugs as part of its efforts to work with authorities in the impoverished Caribbean country in the fight against the illegal trafficking of narcotics.
Haiti: UN agencies working to meet urgent needs of Hurricane Gustav victims
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are teaming up to bring life-saving assistance to thousands of people living in temporary shelters in Haiti, after deadly Hurricane Gustav struck the country last week.
Hurricane Gustav strikes children the hardest, warns UN agency
Hurricane Gustav has forced some 6,300 people from their homes in Haiti, where torrential rains pounded the deforested southern peninsula of the country earlier this week, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported today.
Latin America and Caribbean record solid economic growth figures, UN reports
Latin America and the Caribbean have posted positive economic gains for the sixth year in a row, despite the global downturn, with gross domestic product (GDP) rising nearly 5 per cent this year, according to the most recent estimates of the United Nations office in the region.
UN News Centre - Americas
A world of news from the world organization.
Mexico's PRI leads poll ahead of election
Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) is on course to become the country's most powerful political force following next year's mid-term elections, according to a poll published this week
Mexico-US frontier culture roughly sundered
The ebb and flow that has united and fed communities along the US-Mexico border is becoming increasingly endangered
Argentina in debt repayment U-turn
Cristina Fernández, Argentine president, announced in a surprise U-turn that she would repay the country's $6.7bn defaulted debt to the Paris Club of western creditors using central bank reserves
Brazilian court poised to rule on land clash
Brazil's Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case pitting indigenous people against rice farmers on the country's northern borders
Protests bring Bolivia's reforms to a standstill
Though Bolivia's first indigenous president Evo Morales emerged as the clear winner of a national vote earlier this month in which he faced removal from office, the eastern, whiter and wealthier half of the country is not willing to concede defeat
Paraguay moves up food chain
The landlocked nation's climate and vast tracts of virgin arable land gives it the potential to help feed the world while reaping big rewards for its underdeveloped economy
Caracas gets tough over Cemex assets
Venezuela has expropriated the local assets of Mexico's Cemex after failing to agree about compensation, as President Hugo Chávez continues to take control of "strategic" sectors of the economy
Cuba looks at trimming social welfare
A government official tells the FT that Cubans have been 'over-protected' by a system that subsidised food and limited wages – prompting labour shortages in key industries
Venezuela to seize Cemex unit in takeover fight
Venezuela will take control of cement plants and offices belonging to Mexico's Cemex as of midnight on Monday after failing to reach an agreement in nationalisation talks, the government said
Paraguay president vows to fight poverty
Fernando Lugo, a leftwing former bishop, was sworn in as president of Paraguay, promising to 'work, work, work' to fight poverty, create jobs and restore credibility after 61 years of one-party rule
Morales says victory 'deepens democracy'
Bolivia's president claimed a reinvigorated mandate for constitutional reform after a partial count of Sunday's recall referendum showed he had won more than 60 per cent of a national vote of confidence in his government
Credit crunch 'echoes Latin debt crisis'
US financial regulators are making the same mistakes as their Latin American equivalents in the debt crisis of the early 1980s, according to Andrés Velasco, Chile's finance minister
Climate threat to Brazil's soya exports
A study will add to concern over food shortages when it reveals that moderate temperature rises would cause significant damage to a range of the country's agricultural produce
Venezuela to allow 100% home loans
While the US subprime mortgage crisis has left many bankers shivering, a new law in Venezuela lets banks offer 100 per cent loans to homebuyers
BG in 'material' discovery off Brazil coast
BP Group has made a "material" discovery in the Santos Basin off the coast of Brazil, an area that could be one of the world's next big oil and gas-producing regions
FT.com - World, Americas
FT.com - World, Americas
Danger Lurks in America's Backyard
American foreign policy is concentrated on the Middle East, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, a deadly threat lurks much closer to home.
Russia and Cuba Cooperate on Caribbean Oil Exploitation
Countries unfriendly to the United States are setting up to take the oil the U.S. passed over.
Disorder South of the Border
A cauldron of crises is bubbling over in Mexico; economic and social collapse could affect more than just America's southern neighbors.
A Key to Winning the Drug War
Exposing the empty, violent, seedy wasteland that is substance abuse.
The Threat From Latin America
As South America unifies, it is increasingly looking to Europe rather than the United States.
Is Germany Conquering Latin America?
Economic ties that German corporate agents have been actively establishing in Latin America are about to give the European Union a network of colonies.
Let Them Eat Cake
Famine and revolution go hand in hand.
Argentina Renews Claim to Falklands
Will we soon see a changing of the guard of this strategic sea gate?
Is Chavez Helping Terrorists Go Nuclear?
Hugo Chavez is transforming Venezuela into a hub for nuclear terrorism--and no one is saying a thing!
Border Water Shortage Causes Conflict
The Texas-Mexico dispute over the Rio Grande's water continues. What is the cause of this world's water crises?
If You Think Gas Prices Are High Now...
Signs of a coming oil crunch
The Week in Review
Egypt warms up to Iran, the Vatican throws its weight around, Europe pushes through its cloaked constitution, and the American economy lies under siege.
Iran and Latin America Developing "Narco-Terrorism"
Two of America's biggest threats are beginning to combine.
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