The Voice of Iran in Spanish

The Chinese and Russian government-run TV companies have fast-growing foreign language services. Now, Iran has got in on the act. It has launched Hispan TV, a Spanish language service aimed at Latin America.

Bolt, Crook and Payne: What’s in A Name?

Usain Bolt bolts, Anna Smashnova was a tennis pro, Bob Flowerdew is a gardening expert. Coincidence?

Reporting from Forgotten Latin America

Gerry Hadden has just published a new book titled “Never The Hope Itself: Love and Ghosts in Latin America and Haiti.”

Obama in El Salvador

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President Obama wraps up his Latin America tour in El Salvador. Anchor Lisa Mullins discusses the visit with Robert White, former US Ambasssador to El Salvador. Download MP3

Legalizing marijuana a double standard?

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On Tuesday, Californians will vote on whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The referendum is being closely watched south of the border. For years, Washington has demanded that Latin America take a hard line on illegal narcotics. But as California voters consider a softer approach, some Latin American leaders say it’s time to rethink the drug war. John Otis has more.Download MP3
(Photo: Ryan Bushby)

Colombia violence forces students to quit school

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John Otis reports from Medellin, a Colombian city plagued by gang violence. Hundreds of students there have dropped out rather than risk being shot as they walk to school.Download MP3

Spanish, pure and otherwise

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In this week’s World in Words podcast: you can hear Latin America’s clearest, crispest Spanish in Colombia. So, Bogota is now home to everything from call centers to telenovela production houses. Also, what the spread of Spanish in the United States is doing to both the language and the country. Finally, Dora the Explorer and Kai-Lan: two fictional TV characters who introduce American kids to their first words of Spanish and Chinese.
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Vote for gay marriage in Mexico City

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Mexico City lawmakers voted to make their city the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriages. But the move has many opponents around Mexico. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Jose Carreno, a contributor to the Mexican newspaper Excelsior.

Hondurans hope election will help economy

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The political unrest in Honduras has scared away tourists and foreign investors and it’s driven up unemployment. Hondurans are set to choose a new president on Sunday. Many of them hope the election will defuse the crisis and get the country’s economy back on track. Correspondent John Otis reports from Tegucigalpa. Download MP3

Honduras vote

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President Manuel Zelaya (pictured) was ousted in a coup five months ago. On Sunday, Hondurans will go to the polls to elect Zelaya’s successor. Many Latin American countries have refused to recognize the elections, organized by the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti. Yet some Hondurans consider choosing a new president a first step toward ending the country’s political crisis. From Tegucigalpa, John Otis reports. Download MP3

• FAQ Honduras crisis
• William Troop on Zelaya’s return to Honduras in September

Fourteen walls

Two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world is still plagued by barriers dividing countries, towns, and families. The desire to contain illegal immigration or violent conflict is often used to justify them. The BBC’s Spanish website BBC Mundo presents 14 such walls, we talk with the project’s editor, Juan Carlos. (Audio available after 5PM Eastern)

• BBC Mundo (en español)

Honduras rivals end deadlock

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Ousted Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya and his political opponents have signed off on an agreement that will allow him to return to office and create a power-sharing government. Zelaya has been holed up in the Brazilian embassy in Honduras for weeks during the impasse. Katy Clark finds out more from someone who’s also been in the embassy, Andres Conteris, of the US-based group “Democracy Now en Espanol.” Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• FAQ Honduras crisis
• The World’s William Troop on Zelaya’s return to Honduras in September

Deserting from the FARC

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The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country’s largest guerrilla group known as the FARC, is losing thousands of its fighters. They’re not dying…they’re giving up. Correspondent John Otis reports.

Honduras standoff

Honduras’ interim president said talks may begin Saturday to address the political crisis enveloping the country since the military deposed the country’s sitting president two weeks ago. Anchor Jeb Sharp gets the latest from Jennifer McCoy, director of the Americas Program at the Carter Center in Atlanta. Listen

US stance on political crisis in Honduras

The Obama Administration has condemned this week’s coup in Honduras. That puts the US in the unusual position of siding with traditional foes Venezuela and Cuba. The World’s Katy Clark reports.
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