Manuel Rueda photo at NPR. Caption: “As the FARC enters politics, its now disarmed Marxist militants have taken on a more moderate tone. Their logo, which used to bear two rifles, now has a red rose, a symbol used by some social democratic parties in Europe and the U.S.”

(Even more here)

January 30, 2018

Colombia

Nationwide there were 170 social leaders assassinated in 2017, an increase of about a third from the year before

While a campaign by the FARC (the group’s new name forms the same acronym in Spanish) may be controversial, it is absolutely legal

Ending the conflict with the E.L.N., most here agree, will most likely prove to be even more of a challenge than ending the one with the FARC was

Ecuador

Mr. Moreno compared his old boss to Napoleon, who espoused democratic ideals but turned into a despot

Mexico

Fencing in urban areas has deterred border crossings. But even in areas with little fencing, the number of apprehensions dropped sharply in recent decades

In 2003, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Mexico agreed to place Mexican security agents on certain flights, but said it would never allow U.S. officials on board its commercial airlines

Venezuela

“They want relief, not necessarily to force Maduro from power”