John Otis

El Salvador's troops deployed in congress. Bolivia's army advised the president to step down. Brazil's leader surrounds himself with top brass. The armed forces have made a comeback across the region.

For decades, many Latin American countries had military dictators. In recent years, democratically elected civilians took control. Now, those civilian governments are bringing back the army.

The public radio stations "can be fundamental in constructing peace," says Juan Pablo Madrid, an analyst at Bogotá's Foundation for Press Freedom. But some employees are facing threats from gangs.

FARC guerrillas agreed to disarm in a 2016 peace deal, and Colombia's government promised to protect them. But in the years since, nearly 200 former FARC rebels have been attacked and killed.

Nature has taken over this onetime penal colony turned national park, surrounded by waters popular with divers for their sharks, rays and whales. A resort manager calls it a "mini-Galápagos."

The guerrilla war is over in Colombia and that's opening up some formerly off-limits places for tourism, including an island that formerly housed a penal colony.

Protesters in Colombia took to the streets for a fifth straight day Monday, angry over economic issues, police violence and corruption. It is the latest Latin American nation to experience unrest.

Unrest continues in Colombia as thousands protest the government. A bomb exploded Friday night at a police station, killing three.

Bolivians go to the polls Sunday. President Evo Morales is running for a fourth term, fueling fears of creeping authoritarianism. His main opponent is Carlos Mesa, himself a former president.

There's not a ton of room to grow grapes in Bolivia; many of its vineyards are located in mile-high mountain valleys and foothills. The country's wine output may be small, but it's winning big awards.