Latin America News

The U.S. Department of State reissued a travel advisory cautioning against travel to Peru on July 18. Certain areas in the South American country have increased risk, according to the State Department. The advisory was similar to the one issued for Colombia in June. “Crime, including petty theft, carjackings, muggings, assaults, and violent crime, is...

By Carlos Eduardo Pina On January 23, when U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela, he thought deposing President Nicolas Maduro from power would be easy. He had a simple, three-thronged plan: declare Maduro’s presidency illegitimate by exposing the irregularities in the election that brought him to power, establish a transition...

Colombia is working to halt scores of slayings of community leaders by criminal groups and remnant bands of rebels following the country’s historic 2016 peace deal, President Ivan Duque said on Friday, during a visit from the UN Security Council. The peace agreement with Marxist FARC rebels ended a half-century conflict that killed some 260,000...

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s right-hand man Diosdado Cabello has ruled out early elections despite talks between representatives of the government and the opposition in Barbados. Maduro’s removal from office has been a key demand of the opposition, which is led by Juan Guaido, the National Assembly head who declared himself acting president in January. But...

As it has for almost a decade, Venezuela’s murder rate leads all South American countries. In fact, its rate of more than 81 homicides per 100,000 residents is the highest in the world, far ahead of El Salvador’s 51 and Honduras’ 40. Trailing Venezuela in South America are Colombia and Brazil, both with murder rates...

Talks between the Venezuelan opposition and the government of President Nicolas Maduro to resolve the country’s political crisis will resume this week in Barbados but the countries most affected by the millions of Venezuelans leaving home have low expectations for the results. The Norwegian foreign ministry, which has been acting as a mediator, said the...

Amid the worst economic meltdown in Venezuela’s history — a crisis that has forced thousands of businesses to shut their doors — one unlikely product is flying off the shelves: the equivalent of Venezuelan tequila. Called cocuy, the alcoholic beverage was first produced by indigenous groups 500 years ago. It has long been stigmatized as...