Latin America

U.S. Soccer Team Faces Argentina In Copa Semifinal

12:37pm June 22, 2016

The United States soccer team faces off against Argentina in the Copa semifinal game Tuesday night. NPR's Audie Cornish interviews Houston Chronicle reporter Martin Hajovsky about the match.

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Brazilian physiotherapist Igor Simoes Andrade poses for a picture next to jaguar Juma as he takes part in the Olympic torch relay in Manaus, Brazil, on Monday.

World News

Jaguar Used In Olympic Torch Ceremony Escapes, Is Shot Dead

12:31pm June 22, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The Brazilian army says a soldier fatally shot the jaguar, which had slipped out of its leash shortly after it was displayed as part of an Olympic torch relay event in the Amazonian city of Manaus.

Marcelo Barreto holds the Olympic torch in Bicas, Brazil, as part of the Olympic flame relay on May 16. The first-ever Summer Games in South America begin Aug. 5 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lighting Our Way To The Summer Olympics

11:36am June 22, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Brazil has a flair for both spectacle and athletic excellence. But the country also faces questions about its preparations and its political stability.

World News

Venezuelan Opposition Moves On Maduro Recall Amid Food Crisis

5:42pm June 21, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Girish Gupta of Reuters about the growing food crisis in Venezuela, and the state of the recall effort against President Nicolas Maduro.

An angry man outside a grocery store argues with a policeman in Caracus, Venezuela, on June 8 amid the country's ongoing food shortages. After waiting for hours, customers began protesting, an increasingly common occurence in Venezuela, which is suffering

World News

As Food Crisis Worsens, Venezuelans Loot Almost-Empty Stores

1:16pm June 20, 2016

by John Otis

As food becomes increasingly scarce, hungry Venezuelans have carried out dozens of riots this month, ransacking stores that have little on their shelves.

Vanessa, currently homeless, rests on a Rio de Janeiro street on Friday where construction of a new light rail system has been delayed. The state government of Rio de Janeiro today declared a state of "calamity" ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games which b

Rio's Governor Declares 'State Of Calamity' Ahead Of Olympic Games

9:30am June 18, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Just seven weeks before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the governor of Rio de Janeiro has declared a "state of calamity." He says the state's government is bankrupt.

Cleaners in Rio de Janeiro collect debris from Guanabara Bay that washed up onto the beach last December. The bay, which will host sailing events at the Olympics in August, is heavily polluted.

For Olympic Sailors And Fishermen Alike, Rio's Dirty Bay Sets Off Alarms

4:49pm June 17, 2016

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Guanabara Bay will host the Olympic sailing competition in August. But it's so heavily polluted, it threatens the livelihoods of those who depend on its waters.

For decades, Nitza Villapol hosted Cocina al Minuto, a popular cooking show in Cuba. In the decades after Fidel Castro took power, she adapted her cooking, teaching Cubans how to make do without certain ingredients while instructing them in how to use onc

Nitza Villapol: The Woman Who Taught Cubans To Cook With Just About Anything

8:06pm June 16, 2016

by Suzanne Cope

For over 40 years, Villapol hosted a popular cooking show in Cuba, her recipes shifting to reflect the realities of life under the revolution. No meat? No problem — she fried plantain peels instead.

People walk past graffiti art in the Providencia community of Rio, a favela that dates back to 1897.

Health & Safety

Is The Risk Of Catching Zika Greater In Poor Neighborhoods?

7:00pm June 16, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

A statement of advice for visitors to the Olympics, from WHO, initially said to avoid impoverished areas to reduce the risk of Zika. Does research back it up?

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Eight months pregnant, Mara Torres stands next to a mosquito net placed over her bed in Cali, Colombia. Health officials in Cali have delivered mosquito nets to pregnant women to help protect them from the bites of mosquitoes that can transmit dengue, chi

Zika Infection Late In Pregnancy Carries Little Risk of Microcephaly

9:52pm June 15, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Scientists tracked nearly 600 pregnant women in Colombia, who were reportedly infected with Zika during their third trimester. None of these women gave birth to a baby with apparent problems.

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