HAITI

Donors urged to fulfill pledges to Haiti

At a U.N. Security Council meeting, ex-President Bill Clinton called on nations to make good on their donations to help rebuild Haiti.

UN's deputy special envoy to Haiti wraps up first trip

A prominent Harvard doctor and Haiti advocate completed his first visit to the Caribbean nation Tuesday in his new capacity as the United Nations' deputy special envoy.

CUBA

Activists rally behind Cuba's YouTube rebel

Human rights groups are outraged that a Cuban who created an online sensation by interrupting a video interview has been sentenced to two years for his actions.

VENEZUELA

Chávez visits friendly autocrats

Hugo Chávez is visiting autocratic regimes abroad after failing to make much headway in Latin America recently.

Cuba's economic crisis reflected in drop in sea-borne imports

Cuba's sea-borne imports dropped by nearly two-thirds in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2008, official data showed, highlighting the depths of the island's economic crisis.

U.S. cuts aid to Honduras

The Obama administration cut all nonhumanitarian aid to Honduras on Thursday over the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, making permanent a temporary suspension of U.S. aid imposed after he was overthrown in June.

Cuba trade ban stands despite rising efforts to end it

President Obama's decision in April to lift the limit on visits by Cuban Americans to their homeland was seen by some as a sign that the embargo, centerpiece of U.S. efforts to isolate the island, might be nearing its final days.

CRISIS IN HONDURAS

Would-be Manuel Zelaya successor is Honduras coup's other victim

Elvin Santos -- a leading would-be successor to Manuel Zelaya before the coup that ousted the Honduran president -- has seen his popularity diminish.

Cuba faces toilet paper shortage

There's good news and bad news in Cuba.

The bad news: There's a shortage of toilet paper, and officials in Havana say it will not ease until the end of the year.

CUBAN EXILE COMMUNITY

Juanes: Cuba concert is not about politics

Colombian singer Juanes speaks out about his concert in Cuba -- and the controversy surrounding it.

CUBA

Fidel Castro: U.S. bound to fail in Afghanistan

Cuba's Fidel Castro is criticizing President Barack Obama's stepped-up U.S. war in Afghanistan while backing Obama's effort to provide healthcare coverage for all Americans.

VENEZUELA

Hugo Chávez looms large over golf in Venezuela

Hugo Chávez's hard-line stand against the `bourgeois sport' has led to the closing of many golf courses.

POLITICS IN CENTRAL AMERICA

Nicaraguans make proxy war of Honduran coup

In polarized Nicaragua, lawmakers are linking their domestic political agendas to the drama next door in Honduras -- and the specter of violence is growing.

HONDURAS

Honduras' interim leader: Manuel Zelaya must face charges

In an exclusive interview, Honduras' interim president said he would not allow deposed leader Manuel Zelaya back home unless he `submits himself to the justice system.'

CUBA

Memo: Nixon, Brazil dictator discussed bid to overthrow Castro, Allende

A declassified White House memo details a 1971 discussion involving President Richard Nixon and a Brazilian dictator about collaborating to help overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

HONDURAS

Manuel Zelaya may return to Honduras even if he faces arrest

Ousted President Manuel Zelaya's advisors want him to return to Honduras even if that means he faces imminent arrest.

VENEZUELA

Critics of Venezuelan education law vow to defy it

Critics of a sweeping Venezuelan education bill vowed not to abide by the measure after it was adopted in a late-night legislative session.

VENEZUELA

Report: Venezuela's Hugo Chávez aggressively seizing control of media

An unclassified report lists examples of Venezuelan government efforts to crack down on or seize control of media outlets to stifle criticism.

HONDURAS

Honduras will allow OAS envoys to visit

In a potential boost to the bid to reinstall Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, the country's de facto government will let an OAS delegation into the country.

HAITI

Bill Clinton tells diaspora: `Haiti needs you now'

As he wrapped up a conference in Sunny Isles Beach, former President Bill Clinton told members of the Haitian diaspora that they are crucial to Haiti.