Topic: Central America

All Content

Latin America Monitor Honduras to reevaluate gun control laws: How will it impact violence in the region?

In Honduras, citizens are allowed up to five personal firearms. Its lax laws contribute to high murder rates and make it a source for the region's arms traffickers.
Change Agent Mobile technology boosts access to clean water for the poor

The widespread availability of mobile phones has enabled the development of low-cost solutions aimed at improving water security and reducing poverty.
MS-13 gang labeled transnational criminal group, a first for US street gang

MS-13 gang is a violent group engaged in the drug, sex, and human trafficking trades in the US. Designating MS-13 gang a transnational criminal organization helps US officials target it more aggressively.
MS-13 gang: Why US Treasury is after the gang's assets

MS-13 gang: The US has designated the violent MS-13 gang as a international criminal group on Thursday, an unprecedented crackdown targeting the finances of the US and Central America group.
With Heriberto Lazcano now dead, are Mexico's Zetas in decline?

The Mexican navy says that it has killed Heriberto Lazcano, the leader of Mexico's feared Zetas drug cartel, but that his body was then stolen by gunmen.
Latin America Monitor Will Chávez victory fulfill Nicaragua's megaproject dream?

Venezuela's long-stalled plan to build an oil refinery in Nicaragua is revitalized with Chávez's reelection. The refinery would give Venezuelan oil a Pacific gateway to China.
Latin America Monitor Mexican cartels move into Ecuador – Colombian trafficking turf

Mexican and Colombian criminal groups could start battling for control of drug trafficking routes in Ecuador, something that could further threaten the country's precarious security situation.
Haiti bans plastic bags and styrofoam containers

Haiti's government has announced a ban on importing, manufacturing, and marketing plastic and foam containers as of Oct.1 in an effort to do away with 'rivers of debris' across the country.
Latin America Monitor Nicaragua: Central Bank says economy up 30 percent under Sandinistas

Though growth for Central America's smallest economy is good news, some economists say it is still insufficient to reduce poverty in Nicaragua.
Loco for cocoa: Artisanal chocolate looks to Mesoamerican roots in Nicaragua

Artisanal chocolate is taking off, with many small chocolatiers taking production back to the basics.
Cover Story How rising food prices are impacting the world

High grain costs, caused by severe drought, are hitting dinner tables from Guatemala to China. But the world has learned valuable lessons since the food shocks of 2008. Will it be enough to prevent social unrest?
Chapter & Verse Old friends Junot Díaz and Francisco Goldman talk shop

Authors Junot Díaz and Francisco Goldman chat with each other and Miwa Messer at The Barnes and Noble review.
Mayan collapse mystery solved? Deforestation exacerbated a drought

Mayan collapse: One new study blames the collapse of the Mayan empire on deforestation combined with drought. Environmental and trade problems caused the Mayan collapse, says another new study.
Blue whales, whale watchers flocking to California coast (+video)

Lured to the shore by a bumper harvest of krill, blue whales are turning out in large numbers along California's shoreline, much to the delight of those wishing to catch a glimpse of the largest known animal.
Latin America Monitor Effects of US drought trickle down through the Americas

As prices of corn and other commodities rise, importing countries like the Caribbean and Central America will likely suffer. But what about major exporters like Brazil and Argentina?
Central American peace accord celebrates 25 years, but has it brought peace?

The Esquipulas peace agreement succeeded in ending political and ideological strife, but it failed to create peaceful societies. Today Central America is one of the world's most violent regions.
Difference Maker One-time skinhead Arno Michaels helps youths respond with compassion

His Kindness Not Weakness outreach program challenges diverse audiences to show the kind of 'warrior' strength needed to practice nonviolence.
Cover Story How Latin America is reinventing the war on drugs

Frustrated with US dictates, countries across the region are floating new ideas to curb drug trafficking, from 'soft' enforcement to legalization.
Backchannels US drought already rippling out into the world

Scuffles in Jakarta markets between tofu producers and soybean traders may be a taste of things to come.
Latin America Monitor Honduras: Contraceptive may be handed out at Catholic church...to pigeons

Nets installed at a Honduran cathedral to keep pigeons from roosting on the historic structure were met by calls of animal cruelty. Now an environmental group suggests using contraceptive feed.
Latin America Monitor Nicaragua zoo starts lion sponsorship program

The Nicaraguan government has blocked zoo funding in the past, so the national zoo is seeking a benefactor for its new African lion. A successful breeding would be a first for Central America.
Latin America Monitor US Drug Enforcement Agency kills another suspected drug runner in Honduras

The DEA shot an alleged drug runner in Honduras – the second since June – but if you rely on Honduran media, you may not have known that, writes a guest blogger.
Paraguay isolated over president's ouster

The trade group Mercosur suspended Paraguay's membership after Fernando Lugo was impeached last week, though it stopped short of sanctions. Paraguay's absence has paved the way for Venezuela to be admitted.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: 10 quotes on his birthday

Read 10 quotes by Saint-Exupéry, author "The Little Prince," of one of the bestselling books of all time.
Latin America Monitor Central America: one of the happiest regions on earth?

According to the new Happy Planet Index, Central America is one of the happiest regions in the world. Don't mind the violence.