Colombia
The "spilled sandwich tray": a novel way to make money in Bogota
A historic Colombian hospital lies in ruins, squatted by its former nurses
Colombia’s “internal refugees” struggle to make their voices heard
Insect diet may be the solution for a hungry world
'Ingrid of the Jungle': the wacky comic version of Betancourt's story
What if Ingrid Betancourt had travelled to the Colombian jungle after agreeing to a fake high-profile kidnapping? What if Nicolas Sarkozy had orchestrated her rescue to boost his popularity ratings and to settle an old score with former primer minister Dominique de Villepin? Read more...
Can cable cars cut crime in Rio’s favelas?
After trying in vain to bring down the rampant crime rate in Brazil's favelas by imposing a heavy police presence, president Lula da Silva is now taking an entirely different approach. His new plan is to build cable cars. Read more...
Latin America’s most dangerous form of transport
Farmers in the Andes are more than resourceful when it comes to mastering the mountain range's near-impossible terrain. To get from steep hill to steeper hill, they use "garruchas" or "tarabitas" - a prized form of transport in the mountainous regions of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, but not without its design faults. Read more...
Burn your president for New Year’s Eve
Travel by car in Colombia, Ecuador or Venezuela during the Christmas holidays and you'll find yourself being stared at by scarecrows holding empty liquor bottles and dummies of world leaders. Stuffed with sawdust and gunpowder, the human-sized creatures known as "Año viejos" (Old years) meet a burning end as the centrepieces of New Year's Eve celebrations. Read more...
Chavez or no Chavez, they're crossing the border
Worsening relations between Colombia and Venezuela led to a decision on November 3 by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to close the border between the two countries. Instead of giving in to the obstacle, however, residents from either side are finding every way round it. Read more...
War drawn by those who wage it
At first sight they seem to be children's drawings of jungles, mountains and rivers. But on closer inspection the details come into focus: people pleading for mercy before being executed, women being raped, hostages tied up, giant cemeteries... Read more...
