The final count was closer than most people expected but Chavez’s anointed successor takes the election.
(MORE: Venezuela’s Election: Even If Nicolás Maduro Won, He Lost)
Latin America
In Hugo Chávez’s Heartland, the Dead President Rules Supreme
Under the sweltering sun of Venezuela’s Los Llanos, a vast savannah famous for its cowboys and revolutionaries, 60-year-old Adán Chávez speaks passionately to a crowd of red-clad supporters. In his voice and rhetoric trembles …
The Rise of Mexico’s Vigilante Militias: Will They Help or Hurt the Drug War?
Frustrated by the government’s lack of progress against criminal gangs, local communities are fielding their own security forces
Cuba’s Yoani Sánchez: What to Make of the Dissident’s World Tour
By all accounts, the world tour of Cuban dissident Yoani Sánchez, which shifts today from the U.S. to Europe, has so far proven a Buena Vista Social Club-caliber success. For those weary of the feckless, half-century-long …
Drug War Do-Over: Can the U.S. Push Trafficking Out of Central America?
As the crackdown on narcotics in Central America becomes increasingly messy, the best hope for success may lie in pushing drug traffic elsewhere
Julio Cu Camara, Mexico City’s Sewer Diver
52-year-old Julio Cu Camara dives into the sewage system in Mexico City about four times per month, working anywhere from 30 minutes to six hours to make repairs. His diving suit and helmet weigh more than 80 lbs., protecting him …
In Honduras, Drums Join the Battle Against AIDS
HIV has devastated the Garifuna people. Now, their indigenous music is helping to break the spell of fear and ignorance surrounding the disease
The New Pope and Argentina’s ‘Disappeared’ of the Dirty War
Argentina is proud of its new Pope but some have questions about how he conducted himself when the country was ruled by the military
Catholics in Latin America Rejoice Pope Francis
Latin Americans reacted with joy on Wednesday at news that the Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope. Bergoglio, who chose the name Pope Francis, is the first pope ever from the Americas.
(MORE: Habemus …
Why the First Latin American Pope Inspires Less Hope Than We Hoped
To their discredit, some princes of the church live like princes. But Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Argentina’s most powerful Roman Catholic prelate, isn’t one of them: he’s a priest who leads a humble lifestyle that reflects his …
Is the Falkland Islands’ Referendum a Farce or a Landmark Moment?
When asked about her identity, Laura Jayne Minto Ceballos, a 19-year-old Falkland Islander studying in the U.K., has a less than straightforward answer. Her father’s family hails from Scotland and her Chilean mother was born in …
Mexico’s New Boom: Why the World Should Tone Down the Hype
I couldn’t be happier that Mexico’s economy is rebounding. After barely 2% average annual growth between 2000 and 2010, the country’s GDP expanded almost 4% in 2011 and 2012. Investment is booming and the middle class is …
After Chávez’s Death, Venezuelans Mourn and Look to an Uncertain Future
The mood outside the Dr. Carlos Arvelo military hospital was somber. Women crowded the entrance, sobbing. Grim-faced men looked on. Many stood in stunned silence while motorbikes streamed by, their horns honking. When approached, …