John Otis

John Otis appears in the following:

Facing death threats, a Colombian mayor makes a daring visit to the town he runs

Friday, September 22, 2023

Mayor Edilberto Molina relocated to a nearby town last year after drug-trafficking guerrillas threatened to kill him. He's not the only Colombian politician forced away by threats from criminal gangs.

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How a Colombian mayor governs his town from exile

Friday, September 22, 2023

Reporter John Otis catches up with one Colombian mayor who faces so many threats from criminal groups — that he's been forced to govern — largely from exile.

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A rapid transit system is finally being built in the Colombian capital Bogotá

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

When you're stuck in the traffic, think of Bogotá. One study claims the Colombian capital has the world's worst rush-hour traffic. After more than 80 years of vacillating, Bogotá is getting a metro.

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Fernando Botero, Colombian artist famous for rotund and oversize figures, dies at 91

Friday, September 15, 2023

Colombian artist Fernando Botero has died at the age of 91. "I don't paint fat women," he once told Spain's El Mundo newspaper, "I am interested in volume, the sensuality of the form."

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In Peru, discovery of ancient ruins outpaces authorities' ability to care for them

Saturday, July 29, 2023

"Everywhere you dig, you will find something — because Lima was home to great civilizations," says a museum director in the capital. "But it's impossible to save everything in a poor country."

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Many ancient ruins in Peru's capital of Lima are falling into disrepair

Friday, July 28, 2023

The top tourist destination in Peru is the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu. Not so well known is that the capital Lima also holds many ancient ruins — so many that that they can't all be taken care of.

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Venezuela's opposition is preparing for next year's general election

Sunday, July 23, 2023

After years of political gridlock, Venezuela's opposition is coming together ahead of next year's general election to try to defeat the country's authoritarian leader.

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All the prison's presidents: Peru's special jail for ex-leaders is all full up

Sunday, July 09, 2023

In Peru, so many former leaders have been accused of crimes that the country has designated a small prison specifically to house them. It's a symbol of corruption, but also of political dysfunction.

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Peru's special jail for ex-leaders is all full up

Saturday, July 08, 2023

In Peru, so many ex-presidents have been accused of crimes that the country has designated a small prison specifically to house them. It's a symbol of corruption, but also of political dysfunction.

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In Peru, President Boluarte's government is blamed for human rights abuses

Friday, July 07, 2023

President Dina Boluarte took over from her impeached predecessor, and now she herself is under fire for alleged human rights abuses.

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How Indigenous kids survived 40 days in Colombia's jungle after a plane crash

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Led by their eldest sibling, who is 13, they managed to find food and shelter. All four, including a year-old baby, stayed safe until Colombian special forces and Indigenous guides rescued them.

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How 4 children lost in the Amazon jungle for 40 days were able to stay alive

Friday, June 16, 2023

It's an incredible tale of terror, hardship and endurance. Four Colombian children survived a plane crash and 40 days in the Amazon rainforest before being found alive.

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4 children are hospitalized after surviving 40 days in the Colombian jungle

Monday, June 12, 2023

The children are recovering at a hospital in Colombia after being found alive in the Amazon — 40 days after the plane they were on crashed. Questions remain over how they managed to survive.

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Here's one route where immigration has slowed since Biden's new U.S. border rules

Friday, June 09, 2023

A popular immigration passageway saw a drop right when the U.S. passed new rules imposing criminal prosecution and requiring proof an asylum-seeker was previously denied in another country.

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Why migrant traffic through a dangerous jungle passageway is slowing down

Wednesday, June 07, 2023

A Colombian town at the start of the Darien Gap, one of the most treacherous migrant routes in the world, has seen a drop in migrants after the U.S. recently implemented the new immigration rules.

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How a drugs lord's 'cocaine hippos' got out of control in Colombia

Monday, May 08, 2023

A drugs lord's exotic pets got out of control in Colombia — it's the tale of the so-called "cocaine hippos."

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At a summit aimed at restoring democracy in Venezuela, an opposition leader was missing

Saturday, April 29, 2023

We'll take a look a the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela - its effects in the region but also, in the U.S., with more Venezuelans trying to migrate.

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Venezuela starts to see some perks of renewed ties with Colombia

Tuesday, April 04, 2023

Cross-border trade between Colombia and Venezuela has slowly opened up after the countries reengaged following years of bad relations.

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Inside the emerald mines that make Colombia a global giant of the green gem

Saturday, March 11, 2023

NPR ventures into a Colombian emerald mine — which used to be more dangerous, with potential explosions inside and gunfights outside. The CEO, a former U.S. diplomat, says he wanted to change that.

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Rare good news from the Amazon: Gigantic fish are thriving again

Wednesday, December 07, 2022

Conservationists say a sustainable fishing program has helped the recovery of the local pirarucu — which can be up to 10-feet long and weigh 450 pounds.

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