Luke Taylor is a freelance journalist covering Colombia, Venezuela and wider Latin America. He is particularly interested in the relationship between political and military conflict and issues such as deforestation, the international drug trade and migration.
Invasive ‘Cocaine Hippos’ Are Being Sterilized in Colombia
To deal with invasive hippos that were brought to Colombia by drug lord Pablo Escobar—and that threaten the country’s biodiversity—the nation’s government is sterilizing, exporting and euthanizing the animals
Colombia’s ‘Cocaine Hippo’ Population Is Even Bigger Than Scientists Thought
The most comprehensive census yet of the hippos in Colombia that are descended from several imported by drug-cartel leader Pablo Escobar reveals that there could be twice as many of the invasive animals as previous estimates indicated
England’s Rush to Reopen Is a Cautionary Tale for the U.S.
Stripping back nearly all public health restrictions comes as the virus still poses a threat
Why Uruguay Lost Control of COVID
Complacency and a coronavirus variant help to explain why the country, once a pandemic success story, couldn’t withstand the surge now rocking South America
Reckless Rush to Reopen Threatens Chile’s Exemplary Vaccination Strategy
Easing restrictions without clear risk communication undercuts some of the country’s hard-won progress in fighting the pandemic
Scandal over COVID Vaccine Trial at Peruvian Universities Prompts Outrage
Researchers gave shots to politicians and family members, violating trial regulations—and damaging public trust
A City in Brazil’s Amazon Rain Forest Is a Stark Warning about COVID to the Rest of the World
Manaus and cities like it will continue to generate dangerous viral variants if vaccination campaigns are not expanded to broadly reach all nations, rich or poor