Category: Dispatches

180th Ex-FARC Guerrilla Member Is Killed in Colombia, Increasing Pressure on Peace Process

On Tuesday, the rural community of Santa Lucía in northern Colombia held a ceremony to grieve the death of another ex-combatant. Manuel Gonzalez was the 180th FARC guerrilla member to […] Read More >

As Protests Against Local Government Flare Up Across Paraguay, a 17-Year-Old Student Leads the Charge in One Town

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay—In recent weeks, the town of Mayor Otaño in southeastern Paraguay has been the scene of a dramatic protest over alleged misuse of public funds by local authorities. And […] Read More >

Behind the National Strike in Colombia

This article was co-published with NACLA. On Aug. 7, 2018, former senator Iván Duque — a relatively young politician with little experience — assumed office as Colombia’s president. Since then, […] Read More >

Evo Morales Wins Bolivia’s Election, but Fraud Allegations Tarnish the Victory

LA PAZ—After days of anxiety and protests, President Evo Morales has narrowly won Bolivia’s presidential election. To win, Morales needed a 10% lead over his closest rival, former President Carlos […] Read More >

Amid Call to Rearm, Ex-FARC Combatants Hesitate to Give up on Peace

ICONONZO, Colombia — Like millions of other Colombians, Gonzalo Beltrán woke up on Aug. 27 to the news that a group of former commanders of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces […] Read More >

After 6 Years of Struggle, First LGBT Couple to Request Marriage in Ecuador Says ‘I Do’

QUITO, Ecuador — Pamela Troya was preparing for an interview with a human rights defense organization in Quito in June when a fellow LGBT activist burst into the studio screaming.  […] Read More >

The Dam that (Almost) Brought Down Paraguay’s President

The past two weeks have brought Paraguayans a political earthquake and a crowd of new household names, all connected to a bilateral energy deal signed with Brazil in May and […] Read More >

Canada’s Broken Pledge to Mexican Human Rights Defenders

This story, written by Urooba Jamal and José Luis Granados Ceja, was originally published in NACLA. After his father was murdered a decade ago over his opposition to a Canadian-owned […] Read More >

Bolsonaro Doubles Down on Threats to Brazil’s Indigenous with New Policy

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stepped up his assault on Indigenous land rights last month, continuing a trend that started before his presidency and has accelerated […] Read More >

With the Help of Nuns and a Lawyer, a Paraguayan Indigenous Group Wins Back Their Ancestral Territory

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay—In early May, the Jejyty Miri Indigenous community in Paraguay received the good news they’d been waiting for. After three years of struggle over their 500-hectare territory near the […] Read More >