MiamiHerald.com: Americas

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03/13/07--00:01: Pollution sickens children in Dominican Republic (chan 1020914)

The illegal battery smelter so contaminated children here that some of them have been found with what are supposed to be fatal levels of lead in their blood. But they are alive -- many of them with eye problems, seizures, severe learning deficiencies and blank stares like Johan's.


02/04/08--13:38: Latin America's Money Man (chan 1020914)

With oil enriching Venezuela's coffers, President Hugo Chávez is lavishing billions on other countries, boosting his socialist-tinged image.


08/24/08--14:18: Andres Oppenheimer (chan 1020914)

Our prize-winning columnist also answers your questions online Thursdays at 1 p.m.


09/08/08--15:56: More Miami Herald coverage (chan 1020914)

Click on the SPECIAL REPORTS tab on the green MULTIMEDIA line to see more in-depth reports by The Miami Herald


09/08/08--15:58: More Miami Herald Cuba coverage (chan 1020914)

More Miami Herald Cuba coverage


09/08/08--16:00: More Miami Herald coverage of Haiti and the Caribbean (chan 1020914)

More Miami Herald coverage of Haiti and the Caribbean


10/06/08--15:36: Vodou shrub is alternative fuel (chan 1020914)

For generations, Vodou practitioners in rural Haiti have sworn by the mystic qualities of Jatropha, an indigenous plant believed to purge evil spirits and release the trapped souls of the dead. But the shrub may soon be in bigger demand as a source of biofuel


10/06/08--15:38: Paquita la del Barrio sings of the wrongs that men do (chan 1020914)

The titles of her songs speak volumes: Wicked Men, Low Blow, Pure Pain and Hypocrite. Then there's her mega hit: Two-Legged Rat. Rife with tales of abusive husbands, impotent lovers and cheating boyfriends, these lyrics have made Francisca Viveros Barradas -- better known as Paquita la del Barrio -- much more than an artist. She has become a sociological phenomenon.


10/08/08--16:37: Crop fields hold hope in Haiti (chan 1020914)

The roots of this country's food crisis lies next to Mesidor Sagesse's humble field, where large-scale farming was long ago abandoned in favor of imported ''Miami'' rice.


11/12/08--12:51: Full coverage of Americas Conference (chan 1020914)

The Miami Herald's coverage of the 2008 Americas Conference, which drew hundreds of participants from the hemisphere.


12/03/08--11:30: Haiti children face malnutrition crisis (chan 1020914)

Read all of The Miami Herald's Staff coverage of the malnutrition crisis faced by Haitian children


12/18/08--14:36: The changing face of immigration (chan 1020914)

In this four-part series, The Miami Herald explores the impact of a changing immigration landscape on illegal immigrants, their families and their communities, from South Florida to Latin America and the Caribbean


02/16/09--14:21: Venezuela's Feb. 15 vote to end term limits (chan 1020914)

Read The Miami Herald's full coverage of the key vote, and its aftermath


03/04/09--08:30: Colombian drugs behind Guinea-Bissau murders? (chan 1020914)

The murder of the president and the Army chief on Monday raises questions about the nature of the instability in the African nation.


03/09/09--14:51: A key to Colombia peace: Reintegrating ex-fighters (chan 1020914)

Programs that help former FARC rebels and paramilitary troops reenter society is seen as crucial to the nation's long-term peace. The U.S. is on board, checkbook in hand.


03/15/09--18:50: Colombian blogs use acid humor to reflect polarization (chan 1020914)

Whether they criticize President Uribe or his opponents, bloggers from Bogotá and other cities employ irreverent humor—borrowing from the British and Argentine traditions—to illustrate Colombia's political tensions. “Behind the liberty that their pseudonyms give them, (the bloggers) loosen the reins of their political passions," the weekly magazine Semana says.


05/20/09--05:06: Ecuadoran town a hub for drug-running rebels, Colombia says (chan 1020914)

Authorities in neighboring Colombia contend that the Ecuadorean border town of Puerto Nuevo is the thriving nerve center for an elite Colombian rebel unit that helps keep a 44-year-old insurgency alive by trafficking cocaine through Ecuador's ports.


07/13/09--06:19: Tensions linger between Colombia and Ecuador (chan 1020914)

Ecuador today will begin imposing stiff tariffs on hundreds of Colombian imports, the latest round in a festering dispute between the neighbors.


09/10/11--05:58: A long mission to ‘Mars’ for Colombian man (chan 1020914)

While the future of U.S. manned space flight in doubt, one Colombian is coming back from ‘Mars.’


11/04/11--21:53: From the Miami Herald archives: Alfonso Cano rises to power in 2008 to replace longtime FARC commander Manuel Marulanda (chan 1020914)

In 2008, Alfonso Cano replaced long-time rebel FARC commander Manuel Marulanda. His leadership came to an end on Friday, when Colombian authorities reported he was killed in Cauca.


11/04/11--23:05: FARC leader Alfonso Cano killed in Colombia (chan 1020914)

Alfonso Cano, the top leader of Colombia’s FARC guerillas, was killed in a military operation, the government said.


11/09/11--14:39: Colombian paramilitary leader sentenced in Miami to 33 years for drug trafficking (chan 1020914)

A Colombian paramilitary leader was sentenced to 33 years in Miami federal court after pleading guilty to cocaine smuggling and related narco-terrorism charges.


11/17/11--13:13: Colombian ad campaign aimed at FARC child soldiers (chan 1020914)

As Colombia keeps ratcheting up pressure on the FARC guerrillas, it’s rolling out a new ad campaign designed to stem the flow of child recruits.


11/19/11--19:07: Miami federal lawsuit accuses Colombian warlord of murders in homeland (chan 1020914)

A lawsuit filed in Miami federal court is the first in the nation to accuse a convicted Colombian paramilitary leader and drug trafficker of committing violent acts against people in his homeland.


11/29/11--11:02: Colombian FARC hostage describes narrow escape (chan 1020914)

In one of his first interviews since escaping from Colombia’s rebels after 12 years, Luis Alberto Erazo described his narrow escape.


12/09/11--18:59: Prison camp discloses secret discipline unit (chan 1020914)

In releasing a photo of the so-called discipline unit called “Five Echo,” the military at Guantánamo was showing to the public a detention block the media don’t see.


12/14/11--15:07: Study shows shrinking power of Colombian cocaine trade (chan 1020914)

Drug trade isn’t the economic driver many suspected, according to the report.


12/15/11--19:14: Last of seven fake cheerleaders from Colombia sentenced in Miami (chan 1020914)

Nine adults and seven juveniles, posing as a visiting cheerleading team from Colombia, have little to cheer about now.


12/19/11--15:43: Jim Wyss (chan 1020914)

Inside South America, a blog from our bureau chief


01/08/12--16:36: Venezuelan consul in Miami ordered to leave U.S. by Tuesday for discussing cyber-attacks (chan 1020914)

The Obama administration on Sunday expelled Venezuela's consul general in Miami after allegations surfaced that she discussed possible cyber-attacks on U.S. soil while she was stationed at her country's embassy in Mexico.


01/09/12--17:54: Iran, Venezuela call U.S. a global danger (chan 1020914)

Amid fresh concerns about Iran’s nuclear intentions and a growing diplomatic squabble, Iran’s president began a four-day Latin American trip in Venezuela.


01/13/12--17:30: Chávez: ‘There will be no consulate in Miami’ (chan 1020914)

The decision, which is in response to the expulsion of consul Livia Acosta, impacts more than 200,000 Venezuelans in the Southeast.


01/15/12--09:04: Venezuela: Consulate officials in US threatened (chan 1020914)

Venezuelan exiles with links to terrorism have threatened officials at the South American country's consulate in Miami, the foreign minister said Sunday.


01/17/12--17:36: Chavez defends Venezuela's new military chief (chan 1020914)

President Hugo Chavez defended his new military chief on Tuesday, saying renewed allegations that he aided drug traffickers and Colombian rebels were part of a smear campaign against the general.


01/19/12--14:24: Helicopter crashes in Venezuela, 5 killed (chan 1020914)

A helicopter has crashed during a tour of the tabletop mountains of southern Venezuela, and an official says five people have been killed.


01/19/12--15:49: Prison deaths spike in Venezuela's violent prisons (chan 1020914)

The number of inmates killed in Venezuela's notoriously violent prisons soared to 560 last year, a watchdog group said Thursday.


01/20/12--10:58: U.S. reacts to Cuban dissident’s death (chan 1020914)

The U.S. State Department Friday deplored the death of Cuban dissident Wilman Villár, “a young and courageous defender of human rights,” and said it “highlights the continuing problem of political repression, and political prisoners, in Cuba.”


01/20/12--21:00: International jazz festival in post-quake Haiti promotes music, education among Haitian musicians (chan 1020914)

An international jazz festival in Haiti hopes to attract fans and artists with support of local embassies in the earthquake-ravaged country. The festival is more than a marketing tool, say organizers.


01/21/12--07:13: Reunited Haiti family carries on 2 yrs after quake (chan 1020914)

The American missionaries arrived in a beige bus in the days after the earthquake, promising a better life for the children of this village in the mountains above Haiti's capital.


01/21/12--12:46: Venezuelans protest closure of Miami consulate (chan 1020914)

Venezuelans living in Florida are protesting the closing of their country’s consulate in Miami following the expulsion of the office’s chief diplomat.


01/21/12--18:24: Consulate closure has repercussions in South Florida (chan 1020914)

From college students to entrepreneurs and pensioned retirees, there are thousands of Venezuelans whose finances fell into limbo after the decision made by the government of President Hugo Chávez to close its consulate in Miami, a measure that threatens money transfers from the oil-producing country.


01/23/12--05:19: Oil rig arrives off Havana; drilling 70 miles from Keys (chan 1020914)

An offshore oil drilling operation has begun less than 90 miles from the coast of Key West.


01/23/12--09:09: UN rights chief says U.S. must close Guantánamo (chan 1020914)

The U.N. human rights chief says the U.S. government must close the Guantánamo Bay prison as President Barack Obama promised a year ago.


01/23/12--12:53: Former CIA officer accused of terror leaks (chan 1020914)

Justice Department also says its investigation cleared Guantánamo defense attorneys for former CIA captives of wrongdoing in the investigation.


01/23/12--13:59: Haiti leader launches power program (chan 1020914)

Haiti's president said Monday he hopes to double the number of rural households that receive electricity within two years by offering people small loans to buy solar kits.


01/23/12--18:00: Catholic bishop, priest reportedly protected dissidents from pro-government mob (chan 1020914)

A pro-government mob was reportedly waiting outside a church for activists, but they were protected by a Catholic bishop and priest.


01/24/12--08:49: President Obama has nominated a career diplomat with extensive experience in Africa as the U.S. next Haiti ambassador (chan 1020914)

A career diplomat with extensive experience in Africa has been tapped by President Obama to serve as the U.S. ambassador in Haiti.


01/24/12--09:04: Lopez bows out of Venezuela presidential race (chan 1020914)

Opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez bowed out of Venezuela's presidential race on Tuesday, saying he will support his leading rival as the opposition seeks to field a single candidate to challenge President Hugo Chavez.


01/24/12--13:25: Venezuela touts anti-drug effort, deports suspects (chan 1020914)

Venezuela on Tuesday deported three suspected drug smugglers wanted in the United States, Canada and Colombia, touting the moves as proof the government of President Hugo Chavez is making strides in fighting trafficking.


01/24/12--15:30: Haiti creates nationwide food program (chan 1020914)

Haiti's government has kicked off a program that it hopes will provide meals to 2.2 million school children across the country.


01/24/12--21:00: 2 Cuban migrants escape Cayman detention (chan 1020914)

Two Cuban boatpeople who escaped from a detention center in the Cayman Islands remained at large Tuesday and might have found a way to leave the Caribbean territory, officials said.


01/25/12--07:45: Castro lambasts US Republican primary candidates (chan 1020914)

Fidel Castro is lambasting the Republican presidential race as the greatest competition of "idiocy and ignorance" the world has ever seen.


01/25/12--08:52: Some local Haitians turn to Voodoo in quake aftermath (chan 1020914)

As local Haitians strugged to cope wih the aftermath of the country’s devastating earthquake two years ago, many turned to Voodoo to help deal with their anxieties.


01/25/12--11:50: Brazil offers visas to Haitians drawn by prospect of jobs (chan 1020914)

The Brazilian government created a special visa program after thousands of Haitians were stranded in remote Amazon towns. It will also issue work visas to Haitians at its embassy in Port-au-Prince.


01/25/12--12:15: Venezuela's Attorney General Carlos Escarra dies (chan 1020914)

Venezuela's justice minister says that the attorney general has died of a heart attack.


01/25/12--13:50: EU and Haiti sign deal to lengthen rural highway (chan 1020914)

The Haitian government and European Union have signed an agreement for building a road to connect the capital with the country's second largest city.


01/25/12--17:14: Cuba court: Gross set up Wi-Fi nets for Jews in three cities (chan 1020914)

The defense lawyer for U.S. government contractor Alan Gross says the new court document shows that his client is not guilty.


01/25/12--17:16: New CEO for Haiti Digicel telecom company (chan 1020914)

Haiti’s largest cell phone operator and one of the Caribbean’s most profitable is getting a new chief executive officer.


01/25/12--17:56: Romney, Gingrich call for policy to end the Castro dictatorship (chan 1020914)

Both GOP hopefuls were courting Cuban-American voters during campaign swings through South Florida to outline their Latin American policies.


01/26/12--02:00: Is oil drilling in Cuban waters safe? (chan 1020914)

With Scarabeo 9, a Spanish company’s leased oil rig, in place for exploratory drilling off the Cuban coast, response plans are being firmed up in case a spill reaches the United States.


01/26/12--06:16: AP Interview: Haitian leader could pardon Duvalier (chan 1020914)

Haiti's president suggested Thursday that he might pardon former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, saying reconciliation for his nation is more important than making the man known as "Baby Doc" pay for his bloody rule.


01/26/12--17:30: Fidel Castro writes again after long break (chan 1020914)

The former Cuban leader produced five columns in three weeks, after a long break that sparked rumors about his health.


01/26/12--18:09: Scientists: Haiti, DR may facing big quake period (chan 1020914)

Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic could be in for a period of periodic powerful earthquakes, according to a scientific study released Thursday.


01/27/12--04:08: South Florida volunteer shot in Haiti (chan 1020914)

A South Florida volunteer was robbed and shot in Haiti while on a volunteer mission, according to a report by <a href ="http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006533283468/so-fla-volunteer-shot-robbed-in-haiti/" target="_blank">WSVN-Fox 7</a> Friday morning.


01/27/12--11:29: Chavez taps hardline generals for inner circle (chan 1020914)

President Hugo Chavez has been filling top posts in Venezuela's armed forces with hardline political loyalists, raising concerns among critics that the military leaders might not accept the results of this year's election if it goes against him.


01/27/12--15:16: Haiti president now says no pardon for Duvalier (chan 1020914)

Haitian President Michel Martelly on Friday backed off a suggestion from an interview a day earlier that he might be open to a pardon for former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier. He said he meant only that he wanted an end to the internal conflict that has long afflicted his country.


01/27/12--16:57: Sources: Chávez ignored drug warnings about Defense chief (chan 1020914)

Venezuelan government’s high-ranking officials informed President Hugo Chávez that they had information directly linking then-Brigadier General Henry Rangel Silva to a vast drug trafficking network operated from military facilities, but their report did not interrupt the speedy ascent of the officer recently named minister of Defense.


01/27/12--21:00: A Havana theater built in 1921 collapsed, killing one man and highlighting Cuba’s desperate housing shortage. (chan 1020914)

A theater opened in 1921 was the second fatal building collapse in 10 days


01/27/12--21:00: Cuba’s Communists meet to update party, not much buzz on street (chan 1020914)

Cuba’s ruling Communist Party opens an unprecedented gathering Saturday that will approve term limits and call for trimming the party’s role in government — and might even hint at who will succeed Raúl Castro.


01/28/12--07:08: Communist Party meets in Havana (chan 1020914)

Granma reports that term limits and the economy are on the agenda of this weekend’s Cuban Communist Party Congress in Havana


01/28/12--08:01: Cuba Communist Party eyes term limits at gathering (chan 1020914)

Cuba's Communist Party closed the first day of its national conference Saturday with declarations of support for the burgeoning private-sector class, tough talk on corruption and vows to be attentive to islanders' complaints.


01/28/12--08:39: Ohio man clings to life at Jackson Memorial after botched robbery in Haiti (chan 1020914)

An American man building an orphanage in Haiti is hospitalized in critical condition at Jackson Memorial after he was shot during a botched robbery attempt at a Port-au-Prince bank.


01/28/12--09:36: Peru: 27 killed in fire at rehabilitation center (chan 1020914)

A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru's capital Saturday, killing 27 people and critically injuring five as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.


01/28/12--10:01: Bahamas police investigate cruise ship death (chan 1020914)

Authorities in the Bahamas say a 26-year-old U.S. tourist has died aboard a Carnival cruise ship and the cruise has been delayed pending the investigation.


01/28/12--10:06: Brazilian bikinis burgeon to fit the fat (chan 1020914)

Tall and tan and young and ... chunky?


01/28/12--12:39: How church, Castros learned to coexist (chan 1020914)

Enrique López Oliva remembers the days when Cuban Catholics hung their religious icons in their grandmother’s rooms, hoping that Fidel Castro’s communist government would not dare punish an “abuelita.”


01/28/12--12:51: Marine selected to head of Southcom (chan 1020914)

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly has been nominated to take charge of the Southern Command, headquartered in Doral.


01/28/12--13:56: Suspect shown by Mexico cops says he beat Canadian (chan 1020914)

A man charged with brutally beating a Canadian tourist at a luxury beach hotel told reporters Saturday that he tried to hold the woman in an elevator and punched her several times in the face when she cried for help.


01/28/12--19:06: Doctors in Peru to remove 'parasitic twin' (chan 1020914)

Doctors in Peru have found a "parasitic twin" in the stomach of a 3-year-old boy, and plan to surgically remove the tissue Monday.