Latin America

World News

Gangs Flex Their Muscle On Violent Streets Of El Salvador

4:39pm April 14, 2016

by Kelly McEvers

The country of El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Street gangs control huge swaths of cities, and last year, they flexed their muscle in a startling way.

Police arrest gang members suspected of involvement in the shootings that killed eight bus drivers and one other transit worker in San Salvador last July.

World News

City, Interrupted: How Gang Killings Brought San Salvador To A Halt

2:48pm April 14, 2016

by NPR Staff

To exert control, the gangs targeted bus drivers. The ensuing bloodshed stopped the buses, tied the city in knots and vividly demonstrated why El Salvador has one of the world's highest murder rates.

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Mexico City's already congested subway has become even more crowded since the government has limited the number of cars on the street to combat smog.

In Mexico City, The Return Of Terrible Smog

9:02pm April 13, 2016

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico City has its worst smog in more than a decade. The government has ordered cars off the street one day a week, but city planners say that isn't a long-term solution.

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Demand For Beer Increases In Cuba As More U.S. Tourists Visit

7:21am April 13, 2016

With the sudden influx of Americans, the island is facing a shortage. Thanks to "Yanqui" capitalism, bars, cafes and gas stations across the country are running low on beer.

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World News

Brazil's President Is One Step Closer To Being Impeached

6:38am April 12, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

A congressional commission in Brazil has voted to recommend that President Dilma Rousseff face impeachment proceedings. The group's decision sets the stage for a full vote of the lower house.

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Teenagers sit on a new sign reading "Cidade Olimpica" (Olympic City) in Rio de Janeiro's port district last October. Ahead of this summer's Olympic Games, the port district is undergoing an urban renewal program. Ticket sales have been slow, and many Braz

Brazil's Latest Headache: Ticket Sales Lag For Rio Olympics

6:04pm April 11, 2016

by Catherine Osborn

The Summer Games open Aug. 5 in Rio de Janeiro, but the country's many problems seem to be turning off ticket buyers in Brazil and abroad.

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World News

Mexican Candidates No Longer Have To Be Tied To Traditional Parties

6:08am April 11, 2016

by John Burnett

The U.S. is not the only country where voters are tired of politics as usual. For the first time, Mexican ballots will be full of independent candidates free from the established parties.

World News

Peru Heads To The Polls To Choose A President

5:12pm April 10, 2016

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru's jailed former president, has been the front-runner in the lead up to the country's presidential election Sunday. Journalist Simeon Tegel explains the campaign.

Two-month-old Lara, who was born with microcephaly, is examined by a neurologist at the Pedro I hospital in Campina Grande, Paraiba state, Brazil, on Feb. 12.

Brazilian Doctor Crafts System Hailed As 'Way Forward' For Combating Zika

12:27pm April 10, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Pediatric cardiologist Sandra Mattos had set up a network of doctors and hospitals working with tiny heart patients via telemedicine. Her system now also helps remote Zika sufferers.

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Politics & Government

A Former Mexican President Looks At Trump And Sees A 'Dictator'

12:09pm April 10, 2016

by NPR Staff

"We know about dictators in Latin America," Mexico's former president, Vicente Fox, tells NPR. "So I really want American citizens to really consider, is that really the best option that you have?"