Region

South America

Political Power and Chloroquine: A Long History

From the times of ancient Rome to the late 19th century, malaria was a deadly infection that no one knew how to cure, until chloroquine was discovered. Trump, Bolsonaro, and Maduro have defended its use against COVID-19, but scientific studies indicate that it is not effective.

It Took Me 16 Days to Walk From Colombia to Venezuela

Tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants returned from Colombia to their native homes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Luis Guillermo Franquiz, a Venezuelan writer, was one of them. He lived and worked in Bogota. For 16 days, he walked to reach the border and crossed it. Luis Guillermo wrote his story.

The Triumph Over the River That Defeated Henry Ford (Spanish)

On the banks of the Tapajós River, one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon, a development policy was implemented years ago to turn the region into an important world corridor for Brazilian soybeans. There lies American car mogul Henry Ford’s failed factory city.

Dylan—A Venezuelan Child Fights Kawasaki Syndrome

Dylan was the first child treated for COVID-19 at Hospital de Niños J.M. de los Ríos, the leading pediatric center in Venezuela. After the infection, the one-year-old boy developed kidney failure and an atypical form of Kawasaki syndrome. Doctors said he could die.

Rio's Evangelical Drug Gangs

Rio de Janeiro's drug gangs are converting to evangelical Christianity. And in the favelas where they act as governments, their faith is becoming a kind of state religion.

The Waiting List: Organ Transplants in Venezuela

With Venezuela's organ procurement system in paralysis since 2017 and the public health infrastructure in disarray, patients have little or no access to organ transplants, and they face illness and even death.

Favela Ballet

A group of young ballerinas from one of the most violent favelas in Rio de Janeiro use dance to strive for a brighter future.

Colombia: After the Peace Deal

After the deal, the hard work: an investigation looking at the successes and failures of Colombia’s peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla group.

Dias Eternos - Women's Time in Venezuelan Prisons

In Venezuela, female imprisonment entails waiting for years—under cramped and deplorable conditions—before being tried and judged. Will these women ever be able to return to society?

The Tragedy of the "Good" Orphanage

We’ve all heard stories about abusive orphanages. But there’s a bigger problem: good orphanages. Rich countries abolished orphanages decades ago. So why do we keep them going in poor countries?

The Amazon’s Climate Tipping Point

Tropical forests are tipping from carbon sink to source, threatening a crucial hedge against runaway climate change in the violent, corruption-stained Brazilian Amazon.

The Prison Next Door

Brazil’s prison system is in crisis. The wives and mothers of inmates at Alcaçuz—some who live right next door to the maximum-security prison—are its unseen victims.

Losing Earth

Thirty years ago, we could have saved the planet. The world was ready to act. But we failed to do what was necessary to avoid a catastrophe.

Guyana: The Terror and the Time

Gaiutra Bahadur reflects on the making of "The Terror and the Time," a film that chronicles the events of 1953 in British Guiana with the election resulting in the suspension of the constitution.