The Andes
Colombia: peace talks with ELN guerillas?
Colombia's government says it hopes to extend the peace process to the ELN guerillas—and claims to have identified the remains of their revered founder, Camilo Torres.
Tag: narco wars
The Andes
New post-conflict ‘Plan Colombia’ foreseen
President Juan Manuel Santos meets at the White House with Barack Obama to mark 15 years since the initiation of the Plan Colombia—and discuss a "post-conflict" aid package.
Iran
AI releases report on death row juveniles in Iran
Amnesty International released a report finding 160 juvenile offenders are currently on death row in Iran, with 73 executions of juvenile offenders carried out over the past decade.
The Andes
Colombia: paramilitary threat to peace seen
As the war between the Colombian state and the FARC guerillas winds down, conflict is escalating with right-wing paramilitaries in the north, leaving hundreds displaced.
Mexico
Was Chapo’s overture to Hollywood fatal?
Chapo Guzmán was apparently tracked down and apprehended after Mexican authorities intercepted his communications with Sean Penn and other show-biz heavies.
Mexico
Mexico: Zapatistas host Ayotzinapa families
The Zapatista rebels in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas marked the anniversary of their 1994 New Years Day uprising by hosting a national activist gathering in their territory.
Greater Middle East
Saudi executions for 2015 set 20-year record
Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in 20 years—overwhelmingly for non-lethal offenses.
Afghanistan
Taliban drive to re-take Afghan opium heartland
The Taliban are pushing deeper into Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province—a strategic stronghold due to its wealth in opium production.
Mexico
El Chapo re-capture: ‘Mission Accomplished’?
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto echoed George Bush's famously premature "Mission Accomplished" line in announcing the recapture of fugitive drug lord "Chapo" Guzmán.
The Andes
Bolivia: first woman serves as military commander
For the first time, a woman was sworn in as chief of Bolivia's military High Command, Gen. Gina Reque Terán—ironically, daughter of the general who led the hunt for Che Guevara.
Afghanistan
Pakistan: anti-narco ops militarize tribal areas
A military campaign against the Taliban in Pakistan's Tribal Areas has left a million displaced over the past year—and is now compounded with anti-hashish operations.
The Andes
Colombia: FARC accused in forced abortions
Colombia is seeking extradition of an alleged former FARC medic arrested in Spain on charges of having carried out hundreds of forced abortions on female guerilla fighters.