Americas Now

Americas Now

Join us in uncovering the untold tales that influence our collective future in "Americas Now." Discover the richness, variety, and vitality of the Americas in a whole new way. Every story is a journey, and every journey is an adventure.

Watch free Share
Americas Now
  • Antonio Diaz's First and Last Olympic Games

    He discovered karate when he was a little boy, imitating his father's movements as he trained. That preparation helped him grow up to become a master and a champion. Just as he was about to retire, he decided to chase the Olympic dream. Stephen Gibbs introduces us to an exceptional Venezuelan ath...

  • Guatemalans Learn to Coexist With Active Volcanoes

    First it was the Volcan de Fuego, violently erupting in June of 20-18 and leaving over 430 dead. In 2021 it's the Pacaya volcano, erupting for days and, fortunately, with no fatalities. Harris Whitbeck reports on the lessons Guatemalans have learned from volcanic eruptions.

  • Brazil’s multidisciplinary Olympian

    It's one of the most challenging sports in the Olympics. The Pentathlon comprises five different events: fencing, horseback riding, swimming, shooting and cross-country running. Stephen Gibbs met with a Brazilian Pentathlon Olympian preparing to compete in Tokyo.

  • Most dangerous neighborhoods

    Crime is on the rise in the U.S. According to data collected by the CDC, between 2019 and 2020 the murder rate in the country went up by 30%, the largest increase in more than a century. Out of the 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, 7 are in or around Los Angeles. Two veteran police ...

  • Mexico's migrant massacre

    Over the past decades, human trafficking across the Mexico-US border has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. An elaborate scheme of bad actors with networks stretching over multiple countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, controls the illegal passage of people, preying on th...

  • After 40 Years, The Malvinas Wounds Aren't Closed For Argentineans

    Four decades ago, war broke out between Argentina and England. The conflict erupted because of a territorial dispute over the Malvinas, or as they are known in England, The Falkland Islands. Hundreds of soldiers died on both sides of the confrontation, which lasted over ten weeks. Joel Richards b...

  • 
Stuck in Tijuana: The Migrants Last Refuge

    The San Isidro port of entry lies between Tijuana and San Diego. It's one of the busiest land-border crossings in the world. But on the Mexican side, large flows of migrants cannot cross. And that's led to a fast-growing homeless population. Franc Contreras reports on a housing project for migran...

  • Ingrid Betancourt wants to free Colombia from an “Abduction of Corruption”

    Two decades ago Colombian presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, was abducted by FARC guerillas. She was held captive for six years in the rainforest until she was rescued. She moved to France and stayed far away from politics. But now she's back and running for the highest political position...

  • An Ecuadorean Town Is Sinking Because of Illegal Mining

    A town in Ecuador, aspiring to become a United Nations World Heritage Site, is slowly being destroyed by illegal gold mining. 
    Zaruma, in the country’s south, is collapsing. Huge sinkholes, created by mine shafts below, have swallowed the local school and brought down homes. 
    No one has been able...

  • Mexico launches an historic lawsuit agains U.S. gunmakers

    It's well-known that Mexican drug cartels are heavily armed. What's, not as well known, is their firearms are made in the United States. Mexico is suing weapon manufacturers in the U.S. for what has become an out of control crisis within its borders. Alasdair Baverstock reports.   

  • Haitians trying to migrate to the Dominican Republic

    Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Española in the Caribbean. According to the World Bank, Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its increasingly dire economic situation has caused a rise in migration to the Dominican Republic.

  • Migrants are dying along the route to their American Dream

    As the migration crisis continues along the U.S. southern border, the dangers facing those seeking to enter the United States aren't only in Mexico. Some of the most perilous parts of the journey are on the U.S. side of the border. The crackdown by migration authorities over the years has forced ...

  • One of the world's most dangerous human smuggling corridors

    Illegal migration to the United States was on the rise during the pandemic. Migrants coming from South America normally fly to Mexico or other surrounding countries and continue on foot. But others walk through the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle that connects South America with Central America. P...

  • Mexico’s COVID-19 Collateral Damage: Orphanhood

    Mexico's COVID death toll was one of the world's highest. And according to official data, roughly 1.5 million children lost at least one parent since March of 2020. Alasdair Baverstock reports on Mexico's pandemic orphans. 

  • Skating Toward a Supreme Moment in the Land of His Heritage

    He was born in California but his parents are from China. So qualifying for the Winter Olympics in Beijing was particularly personal for U.S. figure skater Vincent Zhou. His longtime dream? To win a medal in front of his grandparents from both sides of his family. All of them live in Beijing. But...

  • Mexican Cartels Blamed for Increased Violence in Ecuador's Prisons

    Ecuador was left reeling when at least 120 inmates were killed in a Guayaquil jail. Local gangs linked with Mexican drug cartels were behind the slaughter in what is believed to be a fight over territory. The riot was the worst prison massacre in Ecuador’s history. Some of the images in this repo...

  • Colombia's Peace Is Unfinished Business

    During Colombia's internal armed conflict more than 6,000 people were murdered, that's according to the country's Justice Department. The dead were categorized as rebel fighters to inflate the number of combat kills. It's a case that is still under investigation. It has left thousands searching ...

  • Miami and other coastal cities become vulnerable due to climate change

    Is Miami Beach sinking? So what exactly does that mean? The technical term is subsidence. It means the lowering of the surface due to the removal or compaction of materials below it. Sinkholes that open up primarily in central Florida are dramatic examples of subsidence. In the wake of the tragi...

  • Pirates in the Gulf of Mexico

    Pirates and robbing ships at sea may seem like a thing of the past. But in Mexico, a region famous for pirates, the practice continues. And as Alasdair Baverstock reports, these modern-day pirates are well-armed and prepared for maritime warfare.

  • Close and personal with Bolivia's president

    From accounting to banking, public service to politics and from academia to Bolivia's leader. Luis Arce was inaugurated in November of 2020, after a long tenure as the finance minister of former president Evo Morales. Americas Now anchor, Elaine Reyes, sat down with him to talk about the pandemi...

  • A view inside the largest Afghan community in the U.S.

    20 years ago the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon shocked the course of geopolitics. It was particularly threatening for a community in California that saw destruction in both their home country and their host country. Correspondent Mike Kirsch reports on the largest A...

  • COVID-19 Pandemic Devastates Argentina’s Economy

    The pandemic has brought about the biggest shock to the global economy in decades. No country was prepared, but some were less prepared than others. Argentina was already two years into a recession when the first cases of the coronavirus were detected. And the country is notorious for its economi...

  • COVID-19 and the new traveling trend

    COVID-19 vaccinations are starting to increase in most Latin American countries. But for months there was a scarcity of vaccines. Thousands traveled north looking for inoculations. Airports were full and airfares rose to pre-pandemic levels. Alasdair Baverstock has the story.

  • Labor Shortage Threatens Service Industry

    Working remotely became a necessity during the pandemic. And many workers are so used to working from home, they don't want to leave. John Zarrella visited some businesses offering jobs that nobody wants.