Latin America

World News

Violent Clashes Break Out At 4 Prisons In Northern Brazil

6:43am May 29, 2019

NPR's Noel King talks to Brazilian-based reporter Catherine Osborn about the explosion of gang violence in four prisons in northern Brazil in which nearly 60 inmates died.

Queue Listen Now

Family members of inmates wait and pray in front of the Puraquequara prison in the city of Manaus, the capital of northern Brazil's Amazonas state, on Monday. Dozens of inmates were killed in four jails in northern Brazil on Sunday and Monday, authorities

World News

Opinion: Brazil's Prison Massacres Send A Dire Message

7:01pm May 28, 2019

by Robert Muggah

Once again, Brazil's prisons are in the spotlight because of mass killings. The penitentiary system is badly understaffed, overcrowded and needs reforming, says security expert Robert Muggah.

World News

How Mobile Internet Has Given New Platforms To Cubans Critical Of Their Government

5:18pm May 28, 2019

by Carrie Kahn

3G internet availability, while still spotty and expensive, has given rise to new political openings in Cuba. That includes unprecedented public criticism of the government and organizing a non-sanctioned protest.

Queue Listen Now

World News

After Failed Coup, Maduro Moves Against Members Of Venezuelan Opposition

5:18pm May 27, 2019

by John Otis

Rather than arresting rival Juan Guaido, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is targeting lower-ranking members the opposition party stripping their legal immunity and threatening them with arrest.

Queue Listen Now

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó is pictured under a national flag during a gathering with supporters on April 30, 2019. Delegates for both Guaidó and Nicolás Maduro are slated to hold direct talks in Norway this week aimed at ending the crisis

World News

Delegates For Maduro, Guaidó To Meet For Talks On Ending Venezuela's Political Crisis

8:46pm May 26, 2019

by John Otis

Representatives for President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó are slated to hold direct talks in Norway this week aimed at breaking months of political gridlock.

Immigrant asylum-seekers wait for aid at the Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center after being released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in McAllen, Texas. Migrants told NPR conditions in the CBP holding cells were unhealthy.

'Thank God We're OK.' Migrants Tell Of Conditions In A Texas Holding Facility

12:12pm May 23, 2019

by John Burnett

The facility was shut down for 24 hours after 32 detainees got sick with the flu. A 16-year-old who had gotten sick there later died at another Border Patrol station.

Teenage Boy Is The Latest Migrant Minor To Die In U.S. Custody

8:35am May 21, 2019

by Joel Rose

A 16-year-old migrant boy has become the fifth minor since December to die after being apprehended at the southern border. Officials said he was found unresponsive during a routine welfare check.

Queue Listen Now

World News

Venezuelan Factory Mixes Rum With Rugby To Stem Crime

7:42am May 21, 2019

by Philip Reeves

A famous rum factory in Caracas organizes rugby tournaments for impoverished young men. The factory started the program years ago as an effort to get gang members off the streets.

Queue Listen Now

World News

'Throughline' Examines The Rise And Fall Of Venezuela

6:36am May 21, 2019

The latest episode of NPR's podcast Throughline looks back on the influence of two Venezuelan revolutionaries, turned authoritarian leaders, and their policies that led us to where we are today.

Queue Listen Now

News Brief: Migrant Death, Huawei Ban, Iran Sanctions

5:53am May 21, 2019

A fifth migrant minor dies in U.S. custody. The White House eases a ban on Chinese company Huawei. And the U.S. tracks deals with Iran after it reimposed secondary sanctions against the country.

Queue Listen Now