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Colombia's 'Lord of the Fruit' leads fight to save native plant species

Society 2025-04-25

Colombia's 'Lord of the Fruit' leads fight to save native plant species

Colombia hosts 3,000 edible plant species, but one in 10 is at risk of extinction. In 2024 alone, deforestation for farming and coca cultivation wiped out forests the size of Hong Kong.

Chinese state-owned firm with corrupt past builds El Salvador's National Stadium

Economy 2025-04-24

Chinese state-owned firm with corrupt past builds El Salvador's National Stadium

As construction advances on the National Stadium in San Salvador, critics say El Salvador's deals with China are shrouded in secrecy and shut out local workers.

Caught in the crossfire: Indigenous residents along Colombia-Ecuador border face cartel violence

Crime & Justice 2025-04-23

Caught in the crossfire: Indigenous residents along Colombia-Ecuador border face cartel violence

Indigenous communities on the Ecuador-Colombia frontier face escalating violence as criminal organizations tighten their grip, forcing youth into their ranks, turning villages into human shields and spreading fear across ancestral lands.

Environmental concerns mount over China's Amazon railroad project

Environment 2025-04-22

Environmental concerns mount over China's Amazon railroad project

The project would cut through untouched rainforest, threatening isolated Indigenous communities and increasing the risks of illegal land seizures, logging and drug trafficking, according to researchers.

Empowered by sewing: Guatemalans find alternatives to migrating

Society 2025-04-21

Empowered by sewing: Guatemalans find alternatives to migrating

Instead of a perilous US journey and smuggler debt, Guatemalans found a better life locally through learning to sew, avoiding likely deportation.

Bojaya massacre: Forgotten Colombian town still haunted by war, drug trafficking

Security 2025-04-18

Bojaya massacre: Forgotten Colombian town still haunted by war, drug trafficking

In forgotten towns like Bojaya, violence still has a grip as armed groups fight over drug routes. Children suffer the most.

Paraguayan gold rush embitters tea producers

Environment 2025-04-17

Paraguayan gold rush embitters tea producers

For centuries, the Guarani people have grown yerba mate on their ancestral lands. Today, they say that gold mining is poisoning their environment with mercury and arsenic.

Labor abuse, deaths run rampant on Chinese vessels plundering South American waters

Human Rights 2025-04-16

Labor abuse, deaths run rampant on Chinese vessels plundering South American waters

Chinese fishing crews in South American waters face slave-like conditions, marked by poor medical care, extreme isolation, and exhaustion.

China buys Brazilian soybeans from deforested farms, misusing 'green loan'

Environment 2025-04-15

China buys Brazilian soybeans from deforested farms, misusing 'green loan'

Cofco secured a loan tied to environmental goals but bought grain from suppliers linked to deforestation in the Cerrado and Amazon.

Peruvian schoolchildren live in fear of extortion gangs

Crime & Justice 2025-04-14

Peruvian schoolchildren live in fear of extortion gangs

Hundreds of private schools in Peru have gone online as extortion surges, with gangs like Venezuela's Tren de Aragua accused of terrorizing towns.

Debt, corruption and China's shadow loom over Ecuador's presidential election

Politics 2025-04-14

Debt, corruption and China's shadow loom over Ecuador's presidential election

Ecuador's next government faces a critical debt challenge stemming from past Chinese infrastructure deals and agreements.

China's AI push: Digital censorship at home, expanding influence in Latin America

Science Technology 2025-04-10

China's AI push: Digital censorship at home, expanding influence in Latin America

As China accelerates its advances in artificial intelligence -- sparking global concerns over free speech and ethics -- Venezuela's authoritarian regime is moving to adopt Chinese AI technologies to further its political agenda.

Hizbullah bolsters alliances with Latin American drug cartels in tri-border region

Terrorism 2025-04-09

Hizbullah bolsters alliances with Latin American drug cartels in tri-border region

The terrorist organization channels profits from drug trafficking, say observers.

China's cyber espionage infiltrates strategic networks across Latin America

Security 2025-04-08

China's cyber espionage infiltrates strategic networks across Latin America

During 'hunt forward missions' in Latin America and the Caribbean, experts detected malware linked to the Chinese Communist Party on multiple foreign partner networks.

Seizure of illegally mined minerals shines light on links between FARC dissidents, China

Crime & Justice 2025-04-08

Seizure of illegally mined minerals shines light on links between FARC dissidents, China

Illegally mined coltan flows into international markets through opaque supply chains, making it nearly impossible to trace. Many shipments ultimately reach China, a major global processor of the mineral.

China's environmental double standard: protection at home, destruction in Latin America

Environment 2025-04-04

China's environmental double standard: protection at home, destruction in Latin America

A recent report highlights that Chinese investments are currently contributing to the degradation of at least seven wetlands across five Latin American countries.

Declining exports raise concerns over Ecuador-China Free Trade Agreement

Economy 2025-04-03

Declining exports raise concerns over Ecuador-China Free Trade Agreement

Flagship exports like shrimp and bananas have faced setbacks due to phytosanitary restrictions, weak Chinese demand and persistently low prices.

Huawei in Latin America: A factory of deception, espionage and corruption

Science Technology 2025-04-01

Huawei in Latin America: A factory of deception, espionage and corruption

As scrutiny of the company intensifies, recent cases raise concerns about transparency, corporate ethics and Beijing's expanding military influence in Latin America through firms like Huawei.

Amazon dolphin therapy: Aiding people with disabilities in Brazil

Health 2025-04-01

Amazon dolphin therapy: Aiding people with disabilities in Brazil

Patients include autistic youth, individuals with cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, and those who have lost limbs.