MEXICO: FARMERS TAKE ON THE MINING COMPANIES
Mexican farmers are up in arms against mining companies that threaten their communities.
UN and U.S. Estimates for Cocaine Production Contradict Each Other
UN numbers suggest an increase in land under coca cultivation in Colombia, while "mysterious" U.S. numbers suggest a decrease.
VENEZUELA: ENTRY TO MERCOSUR WORRIES LOCAL PRODUCERS
The Venezuelan government is celebrating its membership of Mercosur, but not everybody is joining the party.
BRAZIL: CULTURAL HERITAGE UNDER THREAT
Brazil's rush to build roads and hydroelectric power stations is wiping out archaeological sites, many of them of great cultural importance to communities today. In a special article for LAB, Bruna Rocha, reports.
Culture is Our Weapon: AfroReggae in the Favelas of Rio
Brazil is a conundrum; even as its culture enjoys an ever higher profile in the West, an undeclared, vicious and often ignored drug war is being fought on the streets of its cities' favelas (shantytowns).
THE HUMAN COST OF THE AMAZON DAMS
Brazil's ambitious programme for hydroelectric dam building in the Amazon region is going ahead. But, says Jan Rocha,the companies are not honouring their commitment to respect the rights of the local population and the workers on their sites.
ARGENTINA: MONSANTO IN THE DOCK
Monsanto and the government's 'soyalisation' programme threaten the health of thousands and have contributed to escalating violence, including four murders, according to respected Argentine human rights campaigners.
BRAZIL: FUNDING FAMILIES, FEEDING MINDS
President Lula lifted millions of Brazilians out of extreme poverty and at the heart of his social policies was Bolsa Familia, his family grant scheme that has been much praised abroad. But how key a role was actually played by Bolsa Familia?
GUATEMALA: INDIGENOUS CHALLENGE
An indigenous group has gone to court to challenge the government's legal right to change the mining law without consulting the indigenous population.The Center for International Environmental Law and MiningWatchCanada report.
GUATEMALA: HISTORIC PUBLIC HEARING
Indigenous communities express their support for the legal challenge to the government's right to change the mining law. Beth Geglia reports.