Topic: Central America

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Do volcanoes destroy the ozone layer?

Researchers say that a volcanic eruption in Central America could thin the ozone layers for several years.
Latin America Monitor Judges kick up constitutional crisis in El Salvador

El Salvador's Constitutional Court has shown itself to be independent, but the country still lacks a national consensus that the decisions of these independent judges are the ultimate authority.
Eyes are on the sky during transit of Venus

Across the United States, the general public has caught astronomy fever as they watch this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Hurricane season looks to be near-normal this year

Several factors are contributing to the near-normal hurricane outlook. Among them, sea-surface temperatures in regions where the Atlantic's tropical cyclones form, and conditions in the tropical Pacific that have an extended influence over weather patterns elsewhere.
Half as many women die during pregnancy, childbirth as in 1990

Worldwide, maternal mortality has been cut in half in the past 20 years, says a new UN-World Bank report. India and Nigeria accounted for about one-third of the 287,000 deaths in 2010 attributed to problems during pregnancy or childbirth.
The New Economy As Chinese wages rise, US manufacturers head back home

By 2015, Chinese wages will be high enough that it will be just as cheap to manufacture goods for the US market in America. Some US manufacturers aren't waiting.
Latin America Monitor Slain American's legacy continues in Nicaragua

Ben Linder, the only US citizen killed by US-backed contras during Nicaragua’s war in the 1980s, continues to inspire a new generation of foreign activists working with the country's poor.
Latin America Monitor Interpol launches anti-piracy operation across the Americas

There is evidence that drug trafficking organizations in countries including Mexico and Colombia have moved into counterfeiting, writes guest blogger Hannah Stone.
Latin America Monitor With US money, El Salvador to begin wiretapping to stop organized crime

The US has given a $5 million grant to make the wiretapping possible, writes a guest blogger.
Latin America Monitor Building on success: How El Salvador is trying to keep gang violence down

El Salvador has proposed a program to train tens of thousands of former gang members for the workforce. But some are questioning why criminals should get special help, writes a guest blogger.
Change Agent Transition Towns moves communities beyond sustainability to resiliency

The 320 Transition Town initiatives in 14 countries focus on urban agriculture, crowdfunding, and other social enterprises, using a 12-step model to organize a community toward a sustainable, resilient future.
Latin America Monitor Coast Guard siezes 'narco-sub' in Caribbean

Some 80 percent of cocaine leaving South America goes by sea, highlighting the importance of maritime routes to traffickers, writes a guest blogger.
Latin America Monitor El Salvador's first 'murder free' day in three years: The first of many?

The Salvadorian government allegedly made a truce with gang leaders. Giving criminals impunity for reduced violence may weaken the legitimacy of the state, but it's saving lives, writes a blogger.
Secret Service scandal sheds light on sex tourism in Latin America

Large events like the Summit of the Americas and upcoming Olympic games in Brazil can drive up the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking.
Opinion Bigger scandal in Latin America than US secret service: US drug hunger

The secret service prostitution scandal overshadows renewed calls at the Summit of the Americas for the US to stanch its drug consumption. A viral 'Drug Violence 2012' video (think 'Kony 2012') would help young Americans connect US drug use to violence in Central and South America.
Difference Maker Ma Jun helps Chinese find out who's polluting and shame corporations into cleaning up

2012 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Ma Jun enlists ordinary Chinese to help clean up China's pollution.
Drug policy and Cuba headline Summit of the Americas (+video)

The Sixth Summit of the Americas saw what Mexico's Calderón called a 'radical' change: candid conversation about differences over drug policy and Cuba.
Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
The Monitor's View Lift Latin America's 'drug curse'

At the Summit of the Americas, Obama will likely be asked to discuss alternatives to the get-tough tactics on the drug trade – even to endorse legalization. He should point to Latin America's successes in giving economic alternatives to drug trafficking.
Global News Blog Soccer player defects from Cuba, requests asylum in US

Soccer player defects: A Cuban national soccer player disappeared while his team was playing in an Olympic soccer tournament in Tennessee.
Latin America Monitor Report: US should minimize military aid to Central America, strengthen courts, police

A new Council on Foreign Relations report examines criminal violence in Central America.
Mexico and US trade accusations on border violence

President Obama and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon traded barbs after a three-party meeting that included Canada.
Panama Canal expansion to ease international trade, with a grain of salt

The economic impacts of the canal expansion have been widely cited, but environmental repercussions like the contamination of drinking water with salt water may be overlooked.
In Nicaragua, teachers make only half as much as market vendors

Nicaragua's Sandinista government vowed a 'battle for sixth grade' to combat one of the world's highest dropout rates. But their goals are not reflected in the budget.
Mexico earthquake: How quake-prone is the region?

Mexico earthquake history shows that the same faults that caused Tuesday's Mexico earthquake can produce even bigger events, like one that struck in 1985.