Latin America

World News

'Homesick Hijacker' To Appear In Miami Courtroom

5:11am November 07, 2013

by Greg Allen

Nearly 30 years ago, William Potts hijacked a plane to Cuba. He is scheduled to be in court in Miami on Thursday. It's the first time he's been in the U.S. for nearly three decades.

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Demonstrators who are critical of the Catholic Church and favor abortion rights take part in a protest in Rio de Janeiro during Pope Francis' visit to Brazil on July 27. Abortion is illegal in Brazil with rare exceptions. Some lawmakers are attempting to

World News

Brazil's Restrictions On Abortion May Get More Restrictive

12:15pm October 29, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Latin America has some of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the world. Many countries in the region have a total ban. In Brazil, abortion is illegal, but there are some exceptions. A new bill is trying to roll those exceptions back.

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A street vendor fries food for lunch customers in Mexico City on July 10. Mexico has now surpassed the United States in levels of adult obesity, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

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Following Bloomberg's Lead, Mexico Aims To Fight Fat

11:10am October 24, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

In the battle against the bulge, lawmakers in Mexico are taking aim at consumers' pocketbooks. They're proposing a series of new taxes on high-calorie food and sodas. Health advocates say the higher prices will get Mexicans to change bad habits, but the beverage industry and small businesses are fighting back.

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Elise Andrew started a popular Facebook page about science.

The New And The Next: Six-Second Comedy And A Spin On News

2:27pm October 23, 2013

by NPR Staff

This week, Ozy co-founder Carlos Watson tells NPR's Arun Rath about the latest trend in Uruguay's YouTube scene and one young woman who gained a following with her love of science.

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Woman prepare food for orixas in the kitchen of the Candomblé temple. The priest and the people dressed as the spirits pass through to enter the main room for the ceremony.

Brazilian Believers Of Hidden Religion Step Out Of Shadows

5:45pm October 09, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion, has been widely practiced by people of African descent in Brazil but mostly in secret — until now. After centuries of slavery and discrimination, Brazil's Afro-Brazilian community is proudly celebrating its African roots.

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Maria Carlotta Santa Maria is a single mother in Mexico and is the sole wage earner in her household. Women like her are becoming more common there, and the stigma once associated with having children out of wedlock is fading.

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As Stigma Eases, Single Motherhood In Mexico Is On The Rise

7:25pm October 07, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Single moms have faced a tough time in Mexico for generations. But as in the U.S., the number of households headed by a woman has been rising, and now accounts for a quarter of all families in Mexico.

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Dressed in the black and neon orange colors of the new transit police, these women are slated to replace a force of notoriously corrupt traffic cops in Mexico State.

World News

Mexican State's Anti-Corruption Plan: Hire Female Traffic Cops

7:25pm October 07, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

In the central State of Mexico, authorities are trying a new approach to fight corruption: replacing notoriously crooked male traffic cops with women. But the state hasn't authorized the female force to issue tickets yet, and some question whether women will avoid bribery any more than men.

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Trade Dispute With Mexico Over 'Dolphin-Safe' Tuna Heats Up

11:38am October 04, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

The fight over Mexican tuna, and whether it is truly fished using dolphin safe practices, rages on. Mexico recently won a two decade long fight to get its tuna labeled dolphin safe. The WTO this month ruled in its favor. But the U.S. still refuses to allow Mexican tuna with a dolphin safe label on store shelves. Mexico says it's had enough and is preparing to retaliate with trade sanctions on U.S. imports. Ensenada, Baja California, was once the thriving heart of the Mexican tuna industry.

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Cuban Athletes Can Finally Go Pro (Outside Of Cuba)

5:17pm September 27, 2013

For the first time in over 50 years, Cuba is letting its athletes sign professional contracts in other countries. Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis talks to Robert Siegel about the historic announcement.

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The wild population of the golden lion tamarin, which lives only in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, fell to just 200 in the 1970s. Conservationists have helped the species rebound, but the monkeys are still at risk as development encroaches on their remaining h

Beloved Brazilian Monkey Clings To A Shrinking Forest

11:15am September 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

Brazil's Atlantic Forest, home to the golden lion tamarin, was once a massive ecosystem stretching along the Brazilian coast. But centuries of human activity have encroached upon the forest, leaving the future of this tiny, lion-maned monkey in doubt.

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