Latin America Report

In South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean are a local story - and the Latin America Report, which was a weekly WLRN feature from 2013 to 2023, looked at how the two often intersected and affected each other politically, economically and culturally. Its award-winning reports included the six-part Migration Maze series, which examined new U.S. policies to address illegal immigration at its source in Central America instead of at the border; the three-part series Escape From Venezuela, examining the Venezuelan refugee crisis in South America and Venezuelan exile efforts to alleviate it; and reporting from Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria 2017, which revealed how Florida Puerto Ricans essentially filled the aid needs that U.S. relief efforts couldn’t.

Miami's fixated on Biden's Cuba moves — but his Venezuela move matters, too.

President Biden's Cuba policy changes got wall-to-wall South Florida coverage last week. His Venezuela move, not so much — but it could be just as consequential.

05-24
08:16

Bitcoin boosters see Latin America as 'cryptopia.' Does the idea have any currency?

El Salvador wants to build Bitcoin City; Cuba hopes to skirt the U.S. trade embargo. But so far Latin America looks like anything but a cryptocurrency utopia.

05-03
08:30

The controversial sale of Miami's Radio Caracol halts — but the controversy doesn't

Cuban and Latino Democrats scored a rare victory in their effort to counter right-wing Spanish-language radio in Miami. But is it really the win they hope for?

04-26
08:30

Iguanacorn Dreams: Miami's upstart tech joins Latin America's tech startups

Tech startups are helping Latin America's battered economy recover from the pandemic — and Miami's aspiring tech economy is helping them get that done.

04-12
11:30

Miami's International Queer Tango Festival invites LGBTQ dancers to the milonga

After years of feeling excluded from the elegant Argentine dance, gay and trans partners are bringing more creativity to its traditionally male and female roles.

04-05
08:25

Being a republic would be symbolism for Jamaica — but powerful enough to change it?

Britain's queen is a figurehead in Jamaica, but could the psychological effect of dumping her as the Caribbean island's head of state put it on a more developed path?

03-29
08:30

New year, new elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Will the left roll on in 2022?

In 2021, leftists won presidencies in every Latin American election but one, including Peru and Chile. In 2022, they could take Brazil and Colombia too. Why?

01-04
08:30

Protest, pandemic, Haitian tailspin: a look at 2021 in Latin America and the Caribbean

The good news in Latin America and the Caribbean: much of the region turned vaccination tragedy into triumph. The bad news? Just about everything else.

12-28
08:35

Las Posadas tradition returns to Homestead as a community rises from the pandemic

The traditional Christmas procession festival, cancelled last year by COVID-19, is an expression of Mexican and Latino identity — and, lately, an immigration statement.

12-14
08:30

FARC Fight: Biden learns — again — that South Florida is a Latin America policy minefield

Biden's decision to remove Colombian guerrillas from the U.S. terrorist list sparks a new disinformation spree in Florida — and more Latino lessons for Democrats.

12-07
08:30

Honduras looks set for its first woman president. What could it mean for immigration?

Leftist Xiomara Castro is routing her conservative rival in the vote tally for Sunday's election. Can she improve Hondurans' lives — and stem migration to the U.S.?

11-30
08:30

U.S. diplomat helping Haiti rebuild its police: elites tied to gangs are 'on notice'

Assistant Secretary of State Todd Robinson has the daunting task of helping Haitians restore their collapsed security — so they can restore their collapsed country.

11-23
08:30

Feid-ing in: Colombia, Latin America are riding a wave of protests — and protest music

This is the second of two reports on a potent new synergy between protests and protest music in Latin America, from Cuba to Colombia, San Juan to Santiago.

11-19
11:23

'Patria y Vida,' up for a Latin Grammy, leads a protest music boom in Latin America

This is the first of two reports on a potent new synergy between protests and protest music in Latin America — from Cuba to Colombia, from San Juan to Santiago.

11-16
11:30

Cubanía Calling: 'Picturing Cuba' is a thorough look at Cuban art — and identity

Florida International University Cuban Research Institute head Jorge Duany has put together one of the few (if only) comprehensive Cuban art histories. It will be featured at the Miami Book Fair.

11-12
08:30

Abortion-rights advocates hope a video campaign can help tip Colombia's court

Colombia's Constitutional Court is expected to rule in the coming weeks on whether to legalize abortion. Can social media sway justices, as well as public opinion?

10-26
08:30

Why Alex Saab's extradition to Miami threatens Venezuela's kleptocracy in Caracas

Alex Saab — Venezuela's alleged money-laundering master — could turn up the heat on Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime if he sings to U.S. officials.

10-19
08:26

'Sea of dreams.' Guyana's prime minister addresses its oil boom — and its Venezuela crisis

Prime Minister Mark Phillips sees no contradiction in Guyana being both a fossil-fuel leader and a climate-change mitigator. But will Venezuela try to grab its oil?

10-12
08:30

Cuba's exporting vaccines, but will countries import them without WHO approval?

Cuba has started selling its COVID-19 vaccines abroad. It insists its trials show they're safe and effective — so why hasn't the World Health Organization said so too?

10-05
08:30

Civil Society Solution: Can Non-Governmental Groups Fix Haiti's Governmental Crisis?

With Haiti's government, economy and public security in collapse, "civil society" organizations propose a reboot of their democracy. Will the U.S. buy into it?

10-04
08:30

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