South America
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...
The man who’s buying up South America
In 1991, an American billionaire, Douglas Tompkins, bought 170 square kilometres of land in Chilean Patagonia. Over the next decade, he bought another 3,000 square kilometres. Counting five other areas in Chile and three more in Argentina, Tompkins owns an estimated 8,000 square kilometres in both countries, making him one of the most important private land owners in the world. His goal? To preserve the land. Read more...
Paraguay's president donates his entire salary to the poor
Posted on Flickr by "Fernando lugo APC"
The socialist wind blowing through South America reached Paraguay this year with the election of leftist Chavez-ally Fernando Lugo. On his first day, the ex-bishop announced that he would be renouncing his entire salary and donating it to the poor. Not like other presidents then... Read more.
