Nicaragua

A U.S. Coast Guard crew (foreground) with six Cubans who were picked up in the Florida Straits in May. A larger Coast Guard vessel is in the background. The number of Cubans trying to reach the U.S. has soared in the past year. Many Cubans believe it will

Cuban Immigrants Flow Into The U.S., Fearing The Rules Will Change

4:18pm December 29, 2015

by Greg Allen

One consequence of improved relations is that Cubans believe it will soon be harder to immigrate to the U.S. This year has seen the largest influx of Cubans in more than two decades.

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More than 500 Cuban immigrants hoping to reach the United States live at this school-turned-shelter in northern Costa Rica after Nicaragua, a Cuban ally, closed its border to them.

Cubans Rushing To Enter U.S. Hit Roadblock In Central America

9:20am December 09, 2015

by Carrie Kahn

Thousands from the island, fearful the U.S. will change its preferential immigration policy, are trying to come here from the south — but many are stuck at the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border.

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Renewable energy sources — such as the Eolo wind park about 75 miles south of the Nicaraguan capital, Managua — generate about half of the country's electricity. Officials predict that figure could rise to 80 percent within years.

Nicaragua's Renewable Energy Revolution Picks Up Steam

4:26pm March 11, 2015

by John Otis

A few years ago, Nicaragua was almost totally dependent on imported fuel. Now the country's fierce winds, sun and volcanoes generate nearly half the country's electricity, and perhaps 80 percent soon.

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Residents shout slogans during a protest march against the construction of the planned interoceanic canal, in San Jorge, Nicaragua, in October.

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Nicaragua's New Canal Could Be Environmental Disaster, Report Says

2:05pm February 12, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Scientists believe the project, which is reportedly underway already, could destroy a million acres of rainforest and contaminate Central America's largest source of drinking water.

Protesters burn tires to demonstrate against the inter-oceanic canal in Rivas, Nicaragua, on Dec. 22, 2014. HKND Group, a Chinese company, began work on a $50 billion canal, an ambitious rival to the Panama Canal.

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Nicaraguan Canal Project Unearths Ancient Relics, Animosities

3:38pm February 06, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

The Chinese company building the shipping route has handed over more than 15,000 pre-Columbian relics to the Nicaraguan government. It's one of the least controversial stories related to the project.

A new study finds that strenuous labor in the sugar cane fields of Central America is contributing to a mysterious form of kidney failure. Above: Workers harvest sugar cane in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua.

New Clues To Mysterious Kidney Disease Afflicting Sugar Cane Workers

11:48am February 04, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

What's causing the ailment that has struck 20,000 farmhands in Nicaragua and El Salvador? Pesticides? Alcoholism? Rat pee spreading an infection? A study from Boston University provides some answers.

A statue of Jesus Christ called "Cristo Rey" is prominently located near the entrance of the Dimitrov neighborhood, which used to be so violent, people joked the Christ was being held up at gunpoint.

With A Soft Approach On Gangs, Nicaragua Eschews Violence

7:59pm October 28, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

Despite being in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, Nicaragua remains relatively peaceful. Analysts credit its style of policing, which has rejected the iron fist policies of neighbors.

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Bluefields sits along Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast. It's a place where six in 10 people live in extreme poverty.

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Nicaragua Follows Its Own Path In Dealing With Drug Traffickers

5:25pm October 27, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

Unlike its Central American neighbors, Nicaragua hasn't waged a head-on military battle with the cartels. The country suffers less violence, but critics says it effectively tolerates trafficking.

Afghan rebels, or mujahedeen, climb on a Soviet helicopter they shot down in 1981. U.S. assistance helped the rebels drive out the Soviet forces. But the chaotic conditions in Afghanistan allowed al-Qaida to take root in the 1990s.

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When The U.S. Backs Rebels, It Doesn't Often Go As Planned

10:35am September 23, 2014

by Greg Myre

As the U.S. begins to arm and train Syrian rebels, here's a look at the very mixed record of U.S. support for rebel movements from Angola to Afghanistan.