El Salvador

Huge Crowd In El Salvador For Beatification Of Slain Archbishop

10:38am May 26, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The ceremony for Oscar Romero — who was gunned down during Mass in the capital, San Salvador, in 1980 — is the last step before being declared a saint by the Vatican.

Maria del Pilar Perdomo holds up a framed portrait of the slain Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, during a procession on March 24 to mark the 35th anniversary of his assassination in San Salvador, El Salvador. Romero was killed in 1980 whi

What Archbishop Romero's Beatification Means For El Salvador Today

11:49am May 23, 2015

by Carrie Kahn

Saturday's ceremony ends a long fight for recognition of the staunch defender of the poor, who was assassinated in 1980. But some say the violence-wracked country is no better now than it was then.

Queue Listen Now

Catholics march in San Salvador on March 22, 2014, during the commemoration of the 33th anniversary of Romero's murder.

Decades After His Murder, An Archbishop Is Put On Path To Sainthood

8:28am February 06, 2015

by Sylvia Poggioli

Pope Francis has declared slain Archbishop Oscar Romero a martyr. Previous popes declined to do so, possibly because of Romero's role in liberation theology.

Queue Listen Now

A new study finds that strenuous labor in the sugar cane fields of Central America is contributing to a mysterious form of kidney failure. Above: Workers harvest sugar cane in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua.

New Clues To Mysterious Kidney Disease Afflicting Sugar Cane Workers

11:48am February 04, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

What's causing the ailment that has struck 20,000 farmhands in Nicaragua and El Salvador? Pesticides? Alcoholism? Rat pee spreading an infection? A study from Boston University provides some answers.

In November, women in El Salvador marched for the freedom of 17 women accused of abortion, including Carmen Guadalupe Vasquez Aldana. She was pardoned this week.

30-Year Sentence Lifted For Woman In El Salvador Abortion Case

5:40pm January 22, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

Carmen Guadalupe Vasquez Aldana had steadfastly denied having an abortion. She said her unborn baby had died due to medical complications. This week, Congress pardoned her after seven years in jail.

Alex Sanchez with his wife, Blanca, and sons Duvan and Irvin. Sanchez has been eligible to live and work legally in the U.S. since 2001, when his home country, El Salvador, experienced a major earthquake.

For Some Immigrants, Temporary Life In U.S. Can Mean A Long Stay

6:45pm January 13, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

A little-known program allows some immigrants to stay in the U.S. when a disaster strikes their home country. Designed to be short-term, Temporary Protected Status can sometimes last for many years.

Queue Listen Now

In the markets of San Salvador, El Salvador, you can have your palm read, you can buy plumbing tools ... and you can purchase abortion pills.

Even When Abortion Is Illegal, The Market May Sell Pills For Abortion

9:22am September 24, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

An ulcer drug is dramatically changing the face of back-alley abortions in developing countries and cutting the rate of maternal deaths. Misoprostol is widely available even where abortion is banned.

Queue Listen Now

Christina Quintanilla looks out at the lake near her hometown of San Miguel in eastern El Salvador.

Why A Teenage Mom Was Jailed In El Salvador After A Stillbirth

11:23am September 23, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

Christina Quintanilla faced up to 50 years in prison after an anonymous hospital worker accused her of having an abortion.

Queue Listen Now