Manuel Rueda

Manuel Rueda is a freelance journalist based in Bogota, Colombia where he has been living for the past five years. Manuel has covered the peace deal between Colombia's government and the FARC rebels, Venezuela's political crisis and how Colombia is adapting to the arrival of more than one million Venezuelan migrants. He is a dual citizen of Colombia and Venezuela and always ready to travel. Last year he also produced stories in Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Brazil.  


Migrants deported by the US to Panama are still looking for a country to call home

Migration

In February, the US deported nearly 300 asylum-seekers to Panama. Most of the deportees had come to the US not from Panama, but from Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, in many cases fleeing civil wars and religious persecution. In Panama, some religious institutions have taken them in. 

Costa Rican coffee farms struggle with labor shortages because of immigration restrictions

Lifestyle

USAID freeze could lead to instability in Latin America and encourage migration

Foreign policy

Earth homes make a comeback in a Colombian town

The Big Fix

Deportations create tensions between the US and Latin America, with China possibly benefiting from the situation

Immigration

Thousands flee their homes in northeast Colombia amid worst security crisis in a decade

Conflict & Justice

A series of attacks against civilians has forced Colombia’s government to break off peace talks with one of Colombia’s largest rebel groups as fears mount that fighting between rebel groups in the Catatumbo region could spread to other parts of the country.

Closing the Darién Gap with a barbed-wire fence

Immigration

Panama has started to build a barbed-wire fence in the Darien jungle between South and Central America. The goal is to stop migrants from reaching the US. But by blocking the trails most frequently used by the migrants, the fence could reroute people on their journeys, pushing them to take dangerous detours.

Panama has relocated islanders affected by rising sea levels — and says many more villages also need to be moved

Climate Change

Panama has built a new village for the residents of Gardi Sugdub, an island in the Caribbean that is expected to sink due to climate change.

Colombia joins efforts to boycott Israel — but other countries in the region take a more cautious approach 

Israel-Hamas war

Countries across Latin America are increasing their support for Palestinians as the current war between Israel and Hamas continues. Some leaders in the region have described the conflict as an uneven fight between a powerful nation and a group of people that is struggling to obtain its independence.

Migrants take to social media to document their risky journey to the US

Migration

The Darien jungle, between North and South America, has become one of the main routes for migrants heading to the United States, with more than 520,000 people crossing just last year. Many are now documenting their migration journeys with their phones and posting videos on social media platforms. From Bogota, Manuel Rueda reports.

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