John Otis

An American negotiator played a key role in helping Colombia end it's half-century war between the government and the FARC guerrillas. Here's how he did it.

Drug czar Pablo Escobar's son studied to be an architect. But his late father's notoriety interfered with business, so today he's a speaker urging kids to stay away from drugs.

Opposition leaders hope to put a million people in the streets in a show of rejection of the government. Foreign reporters hoping to cover the demonstration were turned away at the airport.

Colombia's government and the FARC rebels have signed a peace accord aimed at ending more than 50 years of conflict. But multiple steps remain, including a referendum, before the deal is implemented.

The 50-year-old guerrilla war between Colombia and FARC rebels is coming to an end. Negotiators have signed a peace pact, and the public will decide whether to accept it in a referendum on Oct. 2.

Venezuela produces its own version of the hit game show franchise Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? In a country with runaway inflation, the top prize of 1 million bolivars is worth about $2,000.

After 52 years of conflict, Colombia's civil war is now over. President Juan Manuel Santos tells NPR how he worked out the deal with the FARC rebels.

The Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group, the FARC, officially declared the end to the war that raged for more than 50 years and killed more than 200,000 people.

As food becomes increasingly scarce, hungry Venezuelans have carried out dozens of riots this month, ransacking stores that have little on their shelves.

Fifty years of conflict between the government and FARC rebels may soon end in Colombia. Nearly four years of negotiations in Cuba are heading toward a peace deal that could be signed next month.

The country's largest beer producer, Empresas Polar, halted operations because the government restricted access to imported barley. But the president has pinned the entire food crisis on Polar.

Reporter John Otis reflects on the changes in Venezuela since he first arrived there 19 years ago. The country now confronts triple-digit inflation and its largest bank note is worth less than a dime.

Day after day, there is less food on the shelves, less power to turn on lights or run businesses and more anger over the difficulties. But opposition efforts to recall the president are being stymied.

Venezuela is in freefall. There's no food, medicine or power. The president is accusing the U.S. of instigating the shortages through what he claims is economic sabotage. The U.S. is warning of a possible coup in the South American nation.

Former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is returning to Colombia for the first time since being freed in a dramatic 2008 commando raid after being held captive for six years by the FARC. She now lives in Paris, but there is speculation she might jump back into Colombian politics.

Venezuela's government announced all civil servants should only work on Monday and Tuesdays as a way to save energy. The two-day work week comes during a severe drought, food shortages and electricity crisis.

A half-century of guerrilla conflict is coming to an end in Colombia. In its wake, tourists are returning — especially birders. Colombia is home to 1,900 bird species, more than any other country.

As the Zika virus spreads, many fear Venezuela is downplaying the number of cases. Given the secrecy and politics that shroud most government-run institutions there, it's hard to know for sure.

The government of Colombia and leftist guerrillas say they will begin formal peace talks aimed at ending a five-decade conflict which has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The country has oil, natural gas and rivers for hydroelectric power. Yet it's suffering crippling electricity cuts, adding to its economic woes.