South America
Decades of Financial Crises Keep Argentines Holding Billions in Cash Outside the Banking System
Argentina has one of the strongest cash cultures in the world, and it is not by accident. It stems from decades of economic crises, currency collapses, and a deep, well-earned distrust of banks. Even though the government is trying to...
Argentina’s Glacier Protection Rollback Sparks Fears Over Water and Mining Risks
High in the Andes, Argentina’s glaciers act like frozen water banks, slowly feeding rivers and streams that communities, farms, and ecosystems rely on during dry months. But a controversial new reform is changing how those glaciers are protected, sparking protests...
Brazil’s Prison Reading Program Offers Sentence Reductions Amid Systemic Challenges
Brazil’s prison system is back in the spotlight—not just for overcrowding or violence, but for an unusual program built around books. Known as remission through reading, it allows incarcerated people to reduce their sentences by reading and writing about books,...
Oil Pollution in Colombia Threatens Ecosystems and Local Communities
Colombia is one of the biggest oil producers in Latin America, and oil is a huge part of what keeps the economy running. But all that oil production has come with some pretty serious environmental problems — rivers, wetlands, and...
Inside The Global Banana Industry and Its History of Labor and Pesticide Controversies
Bananas are everywhere. You can grab them at almost any grocery store for practically nothing. But the story of how they get there is very different. In Latin America, the Philippines, parts of Africa, and other major growing regions, large-scale...
Women Power the Coffee Industry Yet Remain Locked Out of Leadership and Profits
If you look at the coffee industry, women are literally everywhere — harvesting, managing processing, and holding farms and families together — yet they’re still treated like background players in an industry they help sustain. The problem isn’t effort or...
