John Otis
Stories
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The mother of Colombian corals
Known as the mother of Colombian corals, at 70, marine biologist Elvira Alvarado is still diving — and pioneering "coral IVF" to help save endangered reefs.
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Former Colombian guerrilla leaders convicted
In Colombia, former guerrilla leaders rebels have been convicted of mass killings and kidnappings but will serve no prison time. For victims, the verdict underscores how elusive justice can remain in the aftermath of war.
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Colombia's lone Amazon port faces drying river and rising tensions with Peru
Colombia's only Amazon port town could soon be cut off from the river that keeps it alive. As drought and a shifting river spark a tense border dispute with Peru, locals are scrambling to adapt—and politicians are raising flags, literally.
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Trump says U.S. Navy struck an alleged Venezuelan boat carrying drug shipment
Days after sending U.S. gunboats to South American waters, President Trump said the U.S. Navy struck a vessel in the southern Caribbean carrying what he described as a Venezuelan drug shipment.
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How a flat tire scam in Colombia can lead to costly car repairs
Bandits on motorcycles secretly spread sharp objects on the road to puncture car tires. Then, they offer to lead marooned motorists to nearby mechanics suspected of being in on the con.
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Flat-tire scam in Bogota leads motorists to repair shops that rip them off
Bogota's police crackdown on the tire puncturing scammers wreaking havoc on the Colombian capitals unsuspecting motorists
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Colombia deploys armed drones in escalating fight against drug gangs
In Colombia, drug gangs are waging a new kind of war — by air. Armed with cheap drones, they're targeting rivals in a dangerous escalation.
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In Peru, criminal gangs are targeting schools in poor neighborhoods for extortion
The president of one of Lima's largest parent-teacher associations says at least 1,000 schools in the Peruvian capital are being extorted and that most are caving into the demands of the gangs.
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More than a thousand schools in Peru have faced threats from criminal gangs
In the South American nation of Peru, going to school can mean going up against gangsters. Criminals demanding extortion payments are threatening to blow up schools and kill their teachers.
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Former Colombian soldiers help unearth civilian victims of guerrilla war
