Latin America

World News

Protests Dwindle In Brazil Due To Lack Of Leadership

9:52am July 03, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Small-scale protests are continuing in Brazil but the massive movement has died down as quickly as it flared up. One of the reasons is protest confusion. The perils of having no leadership are that people don't know what protests are real.

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A family photo of Victor Tomas Barrios, who was killed by police when he was 17 years old, in this exact spot in Cagua, Venezuela. Victor is one of nine men in the Barrios family that was murdered by the police.

World News

In Venezuela, A Family Blames The Police For Their Misery

5:05pm July 02, 2013

by Steve Inskeep

The high crime rate throughout Latin America has many causes. In many countries, residents claim that police and security force members are part of the problem. In Venezuela, one family says the police are linked to multiple killings that have devastated the family.

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Members of the 18th Street gang announce a truce during a press conference at a prison in San Pedro Sula, on May 28. The gang is involved in drug trafficking that has brought terror to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

World News

Honduras Claims Unwanted Title Of World's Murder Capital

5:03pm July 02, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

When visiting San Pedro Sula, the bloodiest town in Honduras, it's advisable to arrive early in the morning, when the drug gangs are still asleep.

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Colombian army soldiers patrol Medellin's Loma de Cristobal neighborhood after warring gangs forced dozens of families to flee. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world, but officials embarked on innovative projects designed to make life b

World News

Once Home To A Dreaded Drug Lord, Medellin Remakes Itself

5:03pm July 02, 2013

by Juan Forero

The Colombian city was the world's murder capital in the 1990s, but it managed to turn its fortunes around. Homicides were cut by 80 percent and made big gains on a number of fronts. But the city still faces many challenges in a region plagued by violence.

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Images from posters made by relatives show 10 of the 12 young people kidnapped in broad daylight from a bar in Mexico City on May 26. No one has claimed responsibility for the brazen abduction.

World News

Mass Kidnapping Puts Mexican Legal System On Trial

5:00pm July 02, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

Mexico City has largely been spared the drug violence in other parts of the country. But a brazen daylight abduction of 12 young people from a Mexico City bar is putting the spotlight on one of the capital's roughest neighborhoods, and putting the popular mayor on the defensive.

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Construction is underway on the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo, shown here June 12. The stadium will be the venue for the opening ceremony and game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and many migrants are among the laborers working on the project.

World News

Amid Construction Boom, Migrants Flow Into Brazil

5:34am June 27, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

For decades, Brazilians migrated to Europe and the United States in search of better jobs and opportunities. But as Brazil's economy has grown, more and more of the world's desperate are coming to Brazil.

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World News

Protests Allow Brazilians To Feel Part Of Global Movement

11:54am June 24, 2013

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Brazil's government has been caught by surprise by the size and scale of recent protests. But analysts say they shouldn't have been. In a connected world, what happens in one part of it — say Turkey — can inspire social movements as far away as Brazil.

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Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's new film is called I'm So Excited.

World News

'I'm So Excited': Pedro Almodovar's Spanish Metaphor

8:29am June 23, 2013

by Jasmine Garsd

The legendary film director's new film is about a group of passengers stuck on an airplane. It's a comedy: In between panicking, the passengers find time to fall in love, make love — and come out of the closet. It's also a return to the filmmaker's Spanish roots.

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World News

Brazil Protests Continue

10:59am June 22, 2013

Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Brazil Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota about the mass protests taking place in that country over corruption and the rising cost of living.

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Enrique Lima is a co-founder of Publish 88, a Mexican startup that develops software for publishing companies.

World News

Mexico's Tech Startups Look To Overcome Barriers To Growth

6:18pm June 18, 2013

by Mónica Ortiz Uribe

In the past decade, Mexico's tech industry has flourished, growing three times faster than the global average. Most of that growth has been fueled by demand from the United States. But as Mexico's startups strive to make it in foreign markets, they say they need more engineers and ways to finance their growth.

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