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Alex Leff

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  • International Digital Editor, NPR
Boston, Washington, D.C.
@NPR digital editor, international. Previous journalism in Barcelona, Costa Rica & Boston. Brooklyn born and raised.

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Latin America's posting its worst economic growth in 5 years, but it's not all bad news (CHARTS)

Latin America's posting its worst economic growth in 5 years, but it's not all bad news (CHARTS)

GlobalPost — BOSTON - Much of Latin America will probably be grateful when 2014 is over. The year marks the region's slowest economic growth since 2009, when the global financial crisis started shaking the developing economies south of the border. Latin America's average gross domestic product (GDP) will increase this year by just 1.1 percent, according to a preliminary overview published this week by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ECLAC. That's even slightly lower than recent projections by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

'Homeland' goes to South America: Brody's Venezuela nightmare tower

'Homeland' goes to South America: Brody's Venezuela nightmare tower

GlobalPost — GlobalPost - Cable television's antihero-in-chief, Nick Brody, has finally reappeared. He's badly injured with gunshot wounds from Colombians and takes shelter with sketchy Venezuelans. He's holed up in an unfinished tower in Caracas that's like a purgatory nightmare. Is he a refugee or a prisoner? This is all so unexpected.

Study: Obama would win world vote in a landslide

Study: Obama would win world vote in a landslide

Salon — Salon: Stop the drone attacks. Be tougher on terror. Help immigrants. Boost trade. Fix your economy, and help us fix ours while you're at it. The world has plenty of gripes with the United States. And they cover a lot of ground. How US policies play out overseas has been shaping countries' trajectories for generations, much to the international community's chagrin or delight. Foreign affairs might not be the focus for most US voters, who tend to worry more about the economy and hospital bills.

FARC Decoded: What do the peace talks really mean?

FARC Decoded: What do the peace talks really mean?

GlobalPost — GlobalPost: What do the peace talks between the FARC and the Colombian government really mean? We sat down with our Americas Editor Alex Leff to find out.

Latin America's drug war evolution

Latin America's drug war evolution

Salon — Salon: One burning debate in Latin America stands out amid the usual chatter: Should governments legalize drugs? What was once taboo has now got presidents talking in public and writing charged commentaries. They're trying to frame the new drugs debate in terms that Washington will understand: supply and demand.

RPT-Brazil's coffee consumption seen overtaking US

RPT-Brazil's coffee consumption seen overtaking US

Reuters — Reuters - Brazil could overtake the United States in overall coffee consumption in the next few years as increasing wealth in Brazil is driving a rise in locals' thirst for espressos and cappuccinos, according to the country's coffee association head.

'Til 2013 do us part? Mexico mulls 2-year marriage

'Til 2013 do us part? Mexico mulls 2-year marriage

Reuters — Reuters - Mexico City lawmakers want to help newlyweds avoid the hassle of divorce by giving them an easy exit strategy: temporary marriage licenses.

Central America takes stock of rain damage to coffee

Central America takes stock of rain damage to coffee

Reuters — Reuters - Central America coffee growers are counting their losses after two weeks of rainstorms have felled coffee trees, ruined roads and threatened to spread fungus on plants.

What's happening to a model healthcare system?

What's happening to a model healthcare system?

Salon — SAN JOSE - Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh once vowed to flee to Costa Rica if President Barack Obama's health care reforms took effect. Limbaugh might have overlooked a couple of critical details: Costa Rica's respected universal healthcare system is highly socialized. It's also on the verge of going broke. Costa Ricans credit health care with helping boost its life expectancy to 78.7 years - on par with the richest countries in the world. Costa Rica's broad coverage ranked better than most of the Americas, including the United States, in a 2000 World Health Organization index.

Central America readies shared electricity grid

Central America readies shared electricity grid

Reuters — Reuters - Central America is getting ready to switch on a unified power grid that will reduce expensive oil imports and vault the developing region ahead of Europe in terms of electricity integration.

Central America coffee farmers cut out the middleman

Central America coffee farmers cut out the middleman

Reuters — Reuters - SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - There's a growing movement in Central America where coffee producers are cutting out the middleman, milling beans on their own and hooking up directly with specialty roasters willing to pay top dollar.

Mexican cartels carve bloody swath through Central America

Mexican cartels carve bloody swath through Central America

GlobalPost — GlobalPost - SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - Powerful Mexican drug cartels are carving bloody trails through Central America, already weakened by past wars and present gang problems.

Analysis: Taiwan's Central American allies expand China ties

Analysis: Taiwan's Central American allies expand China ties

Reuters — Reuters - Central American businesses say the isthmus has been held back by its long support of Taiwan, denying the banana and textile exporting countries free access to the world's No. 2 economy. The region has been torn between Taiwan and Beijing.

Costa Ricans Choose Chinchilla and Continuity

Costa Ricans Choose Chinchilla and Continuity

Americas Quarterly — Americas Quarterly: Laura Chinchilla is expected to maintain pro-business and pro-free trade policies while ramping up the fight against crime and narcotics trafficking.

Costa Ricans Choose Chinchilla and Continuity

Costa Ricans Choose Chinchilla and Continuity

americasquarterly.org — Americas Quarterly - Laura Chinchilla was elected Costa Rica's first female president in a colorful election on February 7 that delivered a high vote of confidence to outgoing President Oscar Arias.

China's springboard to American markets

China's springboard to American markets

GlobalPost — Costa Rica - How do you say "pura vida" in Mandarin?

Costa Rica: US warships cause unease

Costa Rica: US warships cause unease

GlobalPost — SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - A U.S. warship capable of deploying more than 1,000 military personnel and dozens of helicopters is headed this way - right for Costa Rica's peaceful Caribbean coast.