The Americas: Recent Episodes
Voice of America
Hurricane Ida made landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast state of Louisiana Sunday as a Category Four storm, with 240-kilometer-per hour winds on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. The storm’s arrival comes 16 years after Hurricane Katrina’s onslaught. As Arash Arabasadi reports, memories of Katrina still loom large.
As Haiti recovers from a quake that struck the country nearly two weeks ago, relatives bury a girl near the ruins of her house. She’s among the more than 2,200 people killed by the 7.2 magnitude quake. Elsewhere, women say they fear for their safety and that of their children. More with VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo.
Migrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia are flooding the streets of Necoclí, a town in Colombia across the Gulf of Urabá from the Panamanian border. More than 11,000 migrants are stranded at the port as more arrive with plans to travel north to the United States. Jair Diaz filed this report from Necoclí, narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smits.Camera: Oscar Cavadia David Parra also contributed to this report.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Haiti on Saturday morning, leaving hundreds dead, injured or missing, taking down buildings and cutting off communication to at least two cities. VOA's Carolyn Presutti tells us more.
The Association of Journalists of El Salvador is warning about increased assaults on the press. For VOA, Claudia Zaldaña reports from San Salvador.
The body of slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise was laid to rest in the northern port city of Cap-Haitien today. Moise was gunned down in his home in Port-au-Prince on July 7. The assassination underscored the continuing influence of foreign actors in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has our story.
Overdose deaths in the U.S. averaged more than 10 people per hour of 2020, amid a continued tide of illegal narcotics, many of them smuggled into the country from Central America. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb traveled to the region with the top U.S. admiral for Latin America, where the drug war is still raging amid many other challenges.
When widespread protests broke out in Cuba Sunday, hundreds of Cuban Americans in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood took to the streets in support. Those street demonstrations in Miami have continued. Liliya Anisimova has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.Camera: Liliya Anisimova
One day after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, the U.S. said it would respond to requests for help in investigating the attack. Experts said the U.S. should resist any temptation to intervene militarily in Haiti as it has in times of past upheaval. VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, says “professional killers” speaking Spanish shot and killed Haitian President Jovenal Moise on Wednesday morning. He appealed to the international community for help to find them and bring them to justice, as VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. Producer: Kimberlyn Weeks
The United Nations reports that by the end of 2020, the number of people around the world who had been forcibly displaced from their homes totaled 82.4 million, the highest number on record. VOA's Laurel Bowman has more on the U.N.'s annual report ahead of World Refugee Day on Sunday, June 20.
As the pandemic advances in Brazil, poverty gains ground. Despite having one of the world’s largest economies, nearly 13 percent of the country’s population is surviving on just over eight dollars a day. For VOA, Edgar Maciel in Sao Paulo visited one of Brazil’s poorest favelas — and reports on how families are coping. Camera: Edgar Maciel
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Guatemala and Mexico this week on a trip that spotlights migration issues at the southern U.S. border. Michelle Quinn reports.
Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Guatemala and Mexico on Sunday in a bid to lower migration from the region. She is expected to focus on bolstering economic development and humanitarian relief and strengthening good governance and civil society. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Central American leaders to tackle corruption, poverty and drug trafficking to improve the lives of their citizens and stem migration to the United States. Blinken made the appeal in Costa Rica, where he met with the region’s leaders, as VOA’s Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.
Violent confrontations continue between armed groups on the Colombia-Venezuela border, displacing thousands of people. One Venezuelan nurse is crossing into Colombia to help those in need. For VOA, Jair Diaz has the story from Arauquita, Colombia, in this report narrated by Cristina Smit. Camera: David Hernandez, Oscar Cavadia
On Wednesday, a group of US senators introduced legislation that would provide financial help to US government workers suffering from brain damage connected to the mysterious Havana Syndrome. Daria Dieguts reports on this mysterious affliction.
Brazil, like many countries across the world, has suffered economic devastation during the pandemic with skyrocketing unemployment and poverty. But an unexpected trend has emerged with analysts at the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange reporting a huge jump in investment by small investors —a phenomenon driven largely by influencers. For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo.Camera: Edgar Maciel Producer: Marcus Harton
The Long Beach Convention Center in California serves as a temporary home to about 700 unaccompanied migrant children. This local community is trying to help each one. Genia Dulot has the story. Camera: Genia Dulot
Protests against Haitian President Jovenel Moise's plan to reform the constitution are mounting in the Caribbean nation. As the Moise government prepares for a June referendum, the opposition is urging voters not to participate. VOA’s Sandra Lemaire reports. Camera: Renan Toussaint and Matiado Vilme
Mexico is about to legalize marijuana for recreational use, turning the Latin American nation into the world’s largest market for the drug. The move comes after Mexico’s lower house of Congress passed a legalization bill early in March; the country’s Senate is expected to approve a similar measure in coming weeks. Mike O’Sullivan looks at what legalization of the cannabis plant means for Mexico and the United States, the country’s northern neighbor.
As the Biden administration reviews its policy toward Cuba, the latest opinion survey in Florida confirms recent previous polls showing most Cuban American voters now oppose re-engaging with the communist island nation. The apparent harder line toward Havana represents a shift from the Obama years as was evident in the 2020 elections. Liliya Anisimova filed this report narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Liliya Anisimova
With 79,000 new COVID cases reported daily over the last few days, Brazil is emerging as the world’s worst hit country as scientists warn that a fast-spreading variant called P.1 — that first appeared in the Amazon rainforest — may be one of the world’s most dangerous. For VOA, Edgar Maciel in Sao Paulo reports hospitals in most of the country’s 27 federative entities are beyond capacity and people are dying without ever being treated. Camera: Edgar Maciel Producer: Henry Hernandez
Mass protests and gang violence have roiled Haiti for months and many people blame the president for not doing enough to stop it. As Sandra Lemaire reports, ongoing kidnappings and jailbreaks are threatening to derail elections planned for summer.Camera: Matiado Vilme, Sandra Lemaire, Reuters, AP
China has become a major supplier of vaccines to Latin America, and the United States has come under criticism for not sharing its vaccine supplies with its neighbors. As VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports, the White House says the Biden administration is now working on a plan to start sharing.
Searches begin with a name and municipality. Sometimes only a name. They look through public records, birth certificate information, and often must ask community leaders for help.They are known as “defenders” — lawyers in Central America working for U.S.-based nonprofit Justice in Motion, traveling far and wide to find and reunite parents whose children were taken from them at the U.S.-Mexico border.Their journeys take them to villages near streams, valleys, and forests. They often brave storms and damaged roads.“Many times, we obtain more information from records of the people here in Guatemala through birth certificates and we can see where the parents are from,” attorney Aroldo Palacios told VOA. “In other cases, we have to go to the community leaders and try to ask if they know a certain person.”Palacios reflects on the stories he heard from migrant parents deported under former President Donald Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for illegal border crossings. The 2018 program led to the separation of more than 5,000 migrant children from their parents. While nearly all parents were sent back to their home countries, their kids remained in U.S. custody.“As lawyers, they teach us to be strong, not to have too many feelings involved,” Palacios said. “But there were situations that were quite tragic.”While most migrant children separated in 2018 are once again with their parents or other close family members, the Biden administration has pledged to reunite the remainder, who number roughly 500.“We’re going to work to undo the moral and national shame of the previous administration that literally, not figuratively, ripped children from the arms of their families, their mothers and fathers at the border,” President Joe Biden said last month.Biden created a task force to speed efforts to reunite families. First lady Jill Biden reportedly has taken a personal interest in the effort.But finding parents from throughout Central America and matching them with children still in the United States is no easy task. Legal avenues for parents deported without their children are limited. Under U.S. law, anyone deported is barred from reentry for a period of five years.Obtaining waivers to the five-year rule for deported migrant parents is one of several projects overseen by Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. Gelernt, who fought the “zero tolerance” policy since its inception, has a to-do list for the Biden administration.“The first is to help ...
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was among of former President Donald Trump’s most outspoken ideological allies when Trump was in office. Now, with President Joe Biden in the White House, many in Brazil are expecting changes that some dread and others welcome. For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo. Camera: Edgar Maciel Producer: Marcus Harton
Venezuela’s currency, the bolivar, is worth almost nothing these days. That’s forced the country’s citizens to figure out new ways to put food on their tables. Adriana Nunez Rabascall reports this story narrated by Cristina Smit.
Among those seeing an opportunity for change in Venezuela under the new U.S. administration is Leopoldo López, one of the leaders of the Venezuelan opposition who fled the country in 2020. López now lives in Madrid and sat down for an interview with VOA. Alfonso Beato has more on his interview, in this report narrated by Roderick James. Camera: Alfonso Beato, Miguel Angel Trejo
Brazil has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and tens of thousands of people are listed as missing – many of them at the hands of drug traffickers and other armed groups. Families say they often get little help from police, and many are turning to the Internet and social media apps to find their loved ones. For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo.Camera: Edgar Maciel
Honeybees in Bolivia’s mountains are in trouble. Their natural habitat is disappearing, being replaced by an environment they cannot call home. One couple in one of the country's forest regions is fighting to save them. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports.
Thousands of Brazilians hit the beach this past weekend in Rio de Janeiro, despite warnings from authorities bracing for a new wave of COVID-19 cases. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Colombia is warning potential migrants from Venezuela about an increase in sexual trafficking and exploitation cases in Colombia. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story.Camera: Nelson Abril
A new generation of digital influencers is emerging in Brazil’s favelas, or shantytowns, where some people are showing that the reality of their poverty is no longer something to be dressed up or hidden. For VOA, Edgar Maciel in Sao Paulo reports on some favela residents who have tapped into the power of realism. Camera: Edgar Maciel
Soccer legend Diego Maradona died Wednesday less than a month after celebrating his 60th birthday. Although worshipped by many for his soccer prowess, it was his personal demons that grabbed headlines later in life. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports. Producer: Robert Raffaele
One week after the devastation caused by Hurricane Eta in the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, hundreds of families are struggling to get back on their feet. Donaldo Hernandez in Nicaragua has this report for VOA, narrated by Cristina Smit. Camera: Houston Castillo
Social activists in Brazil say the coronavirus pandemic is causing an increase in the number of homeless people in country’s largest city, Sao Paulo. Many lost their jobs and found themselves risking their health by crowding into long lines for food distribution. At the Sao Miguel Arcanjo Church, volunteers try to help, but it's a tiny effort against a mountain of challenges facing the population. Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo.Camera: Edgar Maciel
As the Northern Hemisphere prepares for colder months ahead, in the Southern Hemisphere spring is beginning to blossom. Indigenous Bolivians in the Andes Mountains believe a centuries-old celebration of burnt offerings brings them closer to the goddess of earth and fertility. In 2020, the ceremony includes asking the goddess to rid them of COVID-19. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
Canal 12 is one of the few independent TV stations in Nicaragua. But it could be forced to shut down if the Nicaraguan Justice Department seizes what it says is some $350,000 the station owes in taxes. If that happens, observers say it will continue a trend by the government of President Daniel Ortega of censoring the media and harassing journalists who are critical of the government. VOA’s Donaldo Hernandez in Managua filed this report, narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.
After the United States, Brazil has the world's highest number of COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases — turning the South American nation into a coronavirus hotspot. Despite this grim situation, Brazil’s biggest cities — São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro — have decided to reopen businesses, even as epidemiologists warn that the rising death toll from the pandemic could grow exponentially. For VOA, Edgar Maciel reports from Sao Paulo. Camera: Edgar Maciel, Courtesy TV Brasil Produced by: Rod James
The practice of mining precious metals and stones from the Earth dates as far back as recorded human history. The prized possessions of previous eras give clues to a culture’s technological advancement. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports on a mineral-mining operation recently discovered in underwater caves in Mexico.
Confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths have been soaring in Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico. But the region faces another obstacle: lockdowns have already taken a massive toll on its very large informal economy as laborers, street vendors and domestic workers struggle to survive through the shutdown. Megan Janetsky reports from Medellín, Colombia.Camera: Megan Janetsky Produced by: Barry Unger
Nicaraguan cases of COVID-19 continued to increase dramatically over the past three weeks. Doctors and specialists in the country warn that with winter, which is about to start in the Central American country will bring a bigger burden to the already weak health system. Donaldo Hernandez put together this report adapted and voiced by VOA’s Cristina Smit.Camera: Donaldo Hernández
The government of Colombia is allowing businesses to reopen is some parts of the country where there are no covid-19 cases. But some small towns with no reported cases - like Toro in the southwest part of Colombia - are still implementing mandatory quarantine measures. Voice of America Spanish reporter Angélica Trejos reports from Toro in this story narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit. Camera: Angélica Trejos Producer: Cristina Caicedo Smit
In Bolivia, elderly residents in poor neighborhoods are receiving surprise visits from strangers bearing gifts. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar tells us, the aim is to make life a little easier for the people most vulnerable to the pandemic.
The government of El Salvador is being criticized for its zero-tolerance policy of enforcing COVID-19 quarantine regulations. Following an extension of social distancing rules into coastal regions, where most of the most impacted people live, there are charges now of government overreach. Voice of America reporter Enrique López has more, narrated by Ben Cento.
In the Mexican state of Michoacan this year, the suspicious death of a prominent communal leader at the Monarch butterfly’s World Heritage reserve rocked the conservation world. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias went to Michoacan and found that in this place of beauty, there was an underside of lawlessness, corruption and poverty that could threaten the sustainability of the biosphere.
As countries around the world cope with the coronavirus outbreak, Venezuela is among some of the nations that is especially unprepared to deal with the potentially devasting impact of the pandemic. The South American country’s top hospital lacks almost everything to care for patients – a situation that has existed for some years because of the country’s ongoing political, economic and humanitarian crisis. Medical staff say their hospital isn’t prepared, while the mother of a sick toddler is scared for her baby. Cristina Caicedo Smit narrates this report from Caracas by Rafael Hernandez.
Ecuador is struggling to cope with mounting cases of coronavirus infections, now numbering more than 4,400, according to a Johns Hopkins University monitoring site. Almost 250 people have died from the illness, with the port city of Guayaquil the hardest hit. So many people have died there that the morgues are filled, and the bodies of other victims are going uncollected. For VOA, reporter Nestor Aguilera filed this account from Ecuador in this report narrated by Ben Cento.
Mexico has seen a drastic increase in coronavirus cases in the last few days, prompting the government to announce strict social distancing guidelines. However, up until about a week ago, the Mexican government had done very little to prevent the spread of the disease. VOA reporter Iacopo Luzi spoke via Skype with two doctors about how the country is dealing with this health emergency
Security measures have increased on the Colombia-Venezuela border after both governments decided to close the International Simon Bolivar bridge in Cucuta in mid-March to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. An estimated 40 thousand Venezuelans had been crossing each day to buy food, medicine or supplies. Now most Venezuelans have to take other, often dangerous routes to cross the border into Colombia. Cristina Caicedo Smit narrates this report filed by Hugo Echeverry from Cucuta, Colombia.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has gotten a boost after a four-day visit to Washington where he met with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials. It's been a year since the United States and other Western nations threw their support behind Guaido with little success in pushing Nicolas Maduro from power. VOA’s Ardita Dunellari reports on Guaido's latest diplomacy push to gain new momentum for his opposition movement
Residents in Mexican town form a militia to combat cartels’ organized crime. Masked kids of militia members join and train alongside their adult counterparts.
John and Laura Hunter live in southern California and over the past few years they've been heading out into the desert on the U.S.-Mexico border, trying to make sure people making the trek to the U.S. from South and Central America have what it takes to stay alive during their passage. But not everyone agrees with the help the migrants are getting. Genia Dulot has the story.
For the past 20 years, young people in Venezuela have been on the front lines of protests to demand change in the socialist-run country. But many university students interviewed by VOA in Caracas say they are disillusioned by the lack of change and have stopped taking part in protests because of government repression and fears for their safety. From Caracas, reporter Adriana Nunez Rabascall has the story, narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was in London on Tuesday as part of a surprise international trip to revive support for forcing the resignation of the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolas Maduro. One year ago, Guaido was recognized by the U.S. and over 50 countries as Venezuela’s interim president after Maduro blocked opponents in the last presidential election. However, VOA’s Brian Padden reports that tough U.S. sanctions and diplomatic pressure imposed a year ago have not succeeded to break the socialist president's hold on power.
On the day his Senate impeachment trial formally began, U.S. President Donald Trump scored a bipartisan victory Thursday as the Senate passed a North American trade pact, known as USMCA. The international accord replaces the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and governs trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico. VOA’s Ardita Dunellari looks at what this pact is expected to deliver both for the U.S. economy and for the president's re-election campaign.
Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has accused the government of Nicolás Maduro of trying to bribe lawmakers to vote against his re-election as National Assembly president in an effort to put Maduro loyalists in the parliament and gain control of Venezuela's last democratic institution. Guaidó, who last year declared himself Venezuela's interim president, made the comments in an exclusive interview with VOA. Alvaro Algarra and Adriana Nunez in Caracas contributed to this report by VOA's Cristina Caicedo Smit.
The U.S. is standing firmly with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, as both he and a rival lawmaker, Luis Parra, claim to be the country's parliamentary speaker after two separate votes. The constitutional crisis in Venezuela has deepened after security forces loyal to socialist leader Nicolas Maduro blocked Guaido from entering the National Assembly chamber on Sunday ahead of a leadership vote. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the State Department.
Venezuela's well-known newspaper, "El Nacional", known for its critical line against the Maduro government, is facing new threats. The newspaper halted its print version after a top government official filed a lawsuit against it in 2018 and now says he plans to take control of it. VOA's Cristina Caicedo Smit narrates this report by Carolina Alcalde in Caracas.
It has been more than two years since Venezuelan authorities arrested a group of CITGO executives, all of them dual U.S.-Venezuelan nationals. The family of one executive, Tomeu Vadell, lives in a small Louisiana town that recently held a vigil to draw attention to the detention. For VOA, Jorge Agobian has more from Lake Charles.
U.S. President Donald Trump appears intent on following through with his plan to formally designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. His announcement has put the Mexican government on the defensive. VOA’s Ardita Dunellari looks at the political impact of such a move and its effect on bilateral relations with Mexico.
Three years had passed since the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the revolutionary armed forces FARC. After years of conflict, Colombians thought this agreement would change the country for the better. Nevertheless, the process is still ongoing and a new wave of violence against local leaders and journalists is erupting in different parts of the country. VOA's Celia Mendoza reports in Bogota, Colombia
Surging violence by criminal gangs in Central America has led to an increase of asylum seekers at the southern U.S. border. As local authorities in Honduras and El Salvador struggle to counter the gangs and drug smugglers, the U.S. military is trying to help. VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb visited the troops working to improve security in Honduras and El Salvador.
The presence of tanks in the streets of Chile, the resignation of Bolivia’s president Evo Morales and clashes in Ecuador are some of the violent incidents and political turmoil occurring in Latin America over the last few weeks. VOA's Cristina Caicedo Smit reports on why all of this is happening at the same time.
Fresh protests erupted Wednesday in Bolivia just hours after opposition Sen. Jeanine Áñez was sworn in as interim president. The United States recognized Áñez as Bolivia's temporary president. The country's longtime leader, Evo Morales, said he was removed by a coup and that he would continue to fight. He spoke from Mexico where he was granted asylum. The leftist leader resigned Sunday after weeks of protests over a disputed presidential election result. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports Morales still has supporters in his country, especially among indigenous Bolivians.
Exiled Bolivian president Evo Morales arrived Tuesday in Mexico, which granted him asylum after he resigned the presidency on Sunday and fled his country. Mike O'Sullivan reports, Bolivian opposition leaders say they are working to ensure a peaceful transition despite continuing tensions.
Mexican President Andres Obrador has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's call to wage war on organized crime in his country. Trump offered U.S. help in an effort to wipe out drug cartels in Mexico in response to a massacre of nine U.S. family members on a road in northern Mexico. The Mexican president said Mexico would act with "independence and sovereignty" in pursuing the criminals behind the attack, but rejected the idea of going after them with arms. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports the increasingly aggressive behavior of Mexican drug lords raises questions about who controls the country.
Chile canceled the hosting of two important international meetings in the capital, Santiago, because of ongoing protests across the South American country. Chile's President Sebastián Piñera said Wednesday his country will not host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November or the COP25 environmental summit in December, as his government has to deal with the unprecedented unrest that has left about 20 people dead and led to the resignation of eight cabinet ministers. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
An international conference has concluded in Brussels with the European Union pledging an additional 150 million euros [166 million USD] to address the Venezuelan migration crisis. The United States also contributed to the effort. Experts at the conference estimate that by the end of next year more than six million Venezuelans will have fled their country. From Brussels, VOA reporter Celia Mendoza has more.
Hyperinflation and the continuing economic and political crisis in Venezuela is driving more Venezuelans to travel to the Colombian border to buy food and other supplies. Even though the government has raised the minimum wage, it is still not nearly enough and most Venezuelans continue to struggle. VOA's Cristina Caicedo Smit reports.
Canadian voters went to the polls on Monday to select a new Parliament. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party faced tough competition from the Conservative Party led by Trudeau critic Andrew Scheer. The vote was largely seen as a referendum on Trudeau's Liberal government. Trudeau claimed the victory early Tuesday. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
Walking through fire, burning, and cutting themselves. These are just a few of the ways thousands of Venezuelans pay tribute to a legendary indigenous goddess. Believers of the cult say it all helps communicate with their ancestors. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi shows us what it's all about.
The Trump administration's tighter economic sanctions against Cuba and a reduction of oil imports from Venezuela have made it harder to get fuel in the communist-ruled island. This is not the first fuel shortage Cuba has experienced during its almost 60 years of communism, and Cubans are once again using more horses and other old-fashioned means to travel and run farms and factories. VOA's Jim Randle narrates our story.
There are thousands of Venezuelans stranded at the border after the Ecuadorian government imposed new rules that bar people from entering the country without a visa. But many of the refugees are stuck because they can't afford the $50 fee to get a visa. VOA's Celia Mendoza reports from the Rumichaca International Bridge in Colombia.
As the political and economic crisis in Venezuela worsens, more teachers have been leaving the classroom and moving out of the country - frustrated over the low pay and lack of supplies in schools. This is putting parents in a tough position, as VOA's Adriana Nuñez Rabascall reports from Caracas. Cristina Caicedo Smit narrates her report.
"El Nuevo Diario," one of Nicaragua's oldest newspapers is shutting down, after close to 40 years of printing and informing Nicaraguans. Newspaper executives reported they closed due to economic circumstances and challenging times for journalists in the Central American country. VOA's Donaldo Hernández has this report narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.
After months of preparation, the first round of virtual courts started hearing cases on Monday in the border city of Laredo, Texas. The migrants cross the border from Mexico for a brief video appearance before a judge. The asylum seekers then return to Mexico while their cases make their way through the legal system in the U.S. The virtual courts are part of the Homeland Security Department's new rules under the so-called Migrant Protection Protocol. VOA's Celia Mendoza has more from Laredo.
In Colombia, the recent decision by some FARC guerrilla leaders to again take up arms - and the continuing violence directed at former fighters, political candidates, and human rights activists - have raised fears about the future of peace in that South American nation. As VOA's Celia Mendoza reports from Bogota, there are questions whether the government of President Iván Duque has the political will to fully implement the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC that ended five decades of conflict.
While the political and economic crisis worsens in Venezuela, countries in the Western Hemisphere continue to be economically impacted by migrants seeking refuge and asylum. To help alleviate some of the burden, the United States Navy has deployed the Comfort hospital ship to assist countries like Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica. VOA’s Cristina Caicedo Smit visited the ship on one of its last stops, Trinidad and Tobago.
One week after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, leaving some islands in total ruin, relief operations are in full swing. The official death toll stands at 50, but with a reported 2,500 people still missing, that number is likely to climb. VOA's Arash Arabasadi spoke via Skype with the Salvation Army and International Medical Corps, both on the island of Grand Bahama.
The Bahamians are burying their dead and looking for survivors after Category 5 storm ravaged parts of the archipelago leaving 70,000 homeless
Hurricane Dorian left parts of the Bahamas underwater and in total ruin. First-responders and disaster-relief organizations are mobilizing to deliver aid and assist in search and rescue operations in the Caribbean nation, where at least 30 deaths have been recorded. VOA's Arash Arabasadi spoke with relief personnel and has this report.
Tempers flared in Haiti’s parliament Tuesday as lawmakers resorted to pushing and shoving each other and swearing to vent frustrations over an act of vandalism that stunned the nation in the early hours of the morning. VOA's Sandra Lemaire, Renan Toussaint and Matiado Vilme have more.
As fires continue burning through the Amazon jungle, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has begun accepting aid from the world governments. Voice of America spoke with Nestor Forster, Brazil's interim Ambassador in Washington.
Wildfires have been raging on in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. Environmental organizations and researchers say business interests, emboldened by the country’s new president, are to blame. The government has authorized military intervention. VOA's Arash Arabasadi has more.
Migrants fleeing poverty and the threat of violence have found themselves caught up in fast-shifting U.S. immigration and asylum laws. Under a recently expanded U.S. program, some of those who arrived at a port of entry or were detained upon crossing into the U.S. are forced to await their immigration hearings in Mexico. As a result, migrant families and individuals have found themselves stranded with few resources, second-hand information from acquaintances, and fear for their lives — especially in a Mexican city like Nuevo Laredo known for cartel activity. VOA’s Ramon Taylor and Victoria Macchi report on the widespread confusion that is affecting migrants’ decision to wait and test their chances at asylum, or head home.
Guatemala's President-elect Alejandro Giammattei says he wants to change an immigration agreement between his country and the United States because Guatemala does not have the resources to care for asylum-seekers from other countries. The deal made in July between the outgoing administration of President Jimmy Morales and U.S. President Donald Trump would require migrants from other countries who cross into Guatemala to apply for asylum from there. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
One of the unintended consequences of Venezuela's economic collapse is that many women aren't able to afford basic health services - and even things like sanitary napkins are now increasingly out of reach for many economically strapped women. From Caracas, Adriana Nuñez has this report narrated by Cristina Caicedo Smit.
More than a year has passed since protests against changes to Nicaraguas pension program turned into a full scale socio-political crisis. The government crackdown by President Daniel Ortega has resulted in more than 200 deaths, and forced more than 65,000 people to leave the country. Among them journalists who say they've been targeted. But even though they're not there, many of these journalists are still sending the news back home. VOA reporter Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story.
Shelsea, whose husband was recently detained by ICE inside her family’s home, recounts the moments leading up to his arrest.
Electric power is slowly returning in Venezuela after a devastating blackout that ground activity to a virtual halt in a country beleaguered by a protracted political power struggle. VOA's Arash Arabasadi reports that the Trump administration is renewing calls for the departure of embattled socialist ruler Nicolas Maduro, who remains defiant, insisting that conditions in Venezuela will improve.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is hailing a new chapter in U.S. relations with Latin America following a whirlwind trip to four countries in South and Central America. The top U.S. diplomat, who stopped in El Salvador, Mexico, Ecuador, and Argentina during his trip, said countries that commit themselves to fighting crime and corruption and promoting democracy will reap the benefits. VOA’s Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine traveled with the U.S. secretary of state and filed this report
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to Latin America Thursday with a full agenda. The trip is to focus on counterterrorism cooperation, the ongoing crisis in Venezuela and efforts to reduce the flow of migrants from Central America to the U.S. southern border. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has condemned the conditions of detention in which refugees and migrants are being held on the southern border of the United States - calling them through a spokesperson "utterly appalling" and "inhumane." However, the Trump administration maintains it has improved conditions by increasing the presence of medical providers in the detention centers. Arash Arabasadi has more.
The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is disputing reports of inadequate food, water and sanitation in crowded detention centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. At the same time, some members of Congress are calling for improved treatment of migrants in U.S. custody. VOA's Marcus Harton has more.