A massive increase in the number of people crossing the notorious Darien Gap jungle in Panama has migration experts warning that this summer could set a record for irregular migration.
While democratic elections are held regularly in Peru, critics say that the results often have more to do with settling scores and politicians getting rich than installing effective governments.
Lula da Silva's victory in Brazil caps a four-year run of successes for the Latin American left, which has won power in all but a few smaller countries like Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay. But the electoral map hides deep polarization and populists on both the left and the right stand ready to take advantage.