Thanks again to Lorraine Caputo for tracking down these stories.

ARGENTINA

Paleontologists have found Tyrannosaurus Rex’s ancestor, Dawn Runner, in the famed site at Ischigualasto. And hey, let’s do this: Check out V!VA’s new guide to Argentina, due out this spring!

CUBA

Cuba is putting on the 20th edition of its uniquely egalitarian International Book Fair this week.

HONDURAS

Honduras has banned smoking in public and many private places. Hondurans can now even call the cops on people smoking at home.

A young Honduran who starred in a documentary about illegal immigration has been granted asylum in the US.

MEXICO

Despite the wave of drug violence ravaging the country, Mexico is still attracting lots of Spring Breakers from the US.

Pardon the tardiness. Your news guy has been on the road this month. Thanks again to Lorraine Caputo for compiling these links.

ANTARCTICA

Russian scientists’ use of drilling to search for microbes in the Antarctic ice has generated controversy. Just wait until they start searching for oil.

ARGENTINA and URUGUAY

After Argentina legalized gay marriage in 2010, a cruise operator there has taken the (inevitable?) next step of offering Latin America’s first gay cruise.

BRAZIL

A fire in Rio de Janeiro destroyed a Carnaval venue and factory producing costumes and floats.

COLOMBIA

Striking truckers blockaded a major access road into Bogota. The article is in Spanish.

CUBA

A pristine coral reef off the coast of Cuba has intrigued scientists.

MEXICO

More monarch butterflies are migrating through Mexico this year, after a drop in the butterfly count last year had scientists and environmentalists worried.

WORLDWIDE

The trope of the “ugly American” may finally be dying. Cry, cry for manufacturers of Canadian flag patches.

CHILE: Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race

Today, the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race will enter its ninth edition.  Teams of four people have 10 days to cover more than 500km of land in a region where the weather is unpredictable and the land untamed.  The route takes racers over land previously unknown to the human eye, and the various disciplines include trekking, kayaking, mountain biking, orienteering and related rope work.  This year, there are 56 competitors from 14 countries.  Past editions have taken racers through the Southern Continental Ice Field, the Strait of Magellaln, Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego, the Beagle Channel and Cape Horn. Check back here after the race to find out about the results. Thanks to Melissa Bennett for supplying this update.

PERU: Contemporary art exhibition in Chachapoyas

An international art exhibition will be launched February 14th in the Peruvian highland city of Chachapoyas. The exhbition, titled “Entre las Nubes (Among the Clouds)” will be held at the city’s central market, and the pieces will serve as the initial collection for a new contemporary art museum to be built in the city. V!VA’s very own Lorraine Caputo is the artist behind one of the exhbition’s featured pieces. The exhibition runs until March 8th, and more information can be found here.

Thanks once again to Lorraine Caputo for compiling these links.

BRAZIL

Photos of an uncontacted indigenous group living on the border between Brazil and Peru have been released in an effort to protect their traditional lands.

Brazilian lawmakers are looking to enshrine the right to pursue happiness in the country’s constitution.  In other (possibly related) news, a clown was seated in Congress after having been found to be literate.

CHILE

Despite the earthquake last year, Chile is still at risk for a major quake.

COLOMBIA

Afro-Colombian hip hop group ChocQuibTown is in the running for a Grammy and has already brought attention to life in the impoverished Chocó region. Check out the single here.

CUBA

A Cuban woman has turned 126 years old, though the Guinness Book of World Records refuses to recognize her as the world’s oldest person. Capitalist pigs!

ECUADOR

The Devil’s Nose train route, a popular tourist destination in Ecuador’s central sierra, has reopened today. Trust us, that’s what this article says.

MEXICO

A rare snowfall has caused major disruptions in northern Mexico.

Mexico will launch a new PR campaign to woo tourists back to the violence-plagued country.