6 Nicaragua's Pulse of Politics and Poetry by Timothy Pratt photographs by Ernesto Salmerón
Twenty years after the Sandinista Revolution, this country's changing heartbeat reverberates in the voices of its prolific artists

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14 Island Allies of a Revolution  by Saul Ricklin photographs by Michael Ventura
From munitions shipments to the first salute of the new nation, the West Indies played a key role in the American battle for independence

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22 Stalwart State of Nature by Parisina Malesta photographs by Jorge Provenza
The diversity of Venezuela's territory, from dense tropical forest to rugged mountains, calls for an innovative, forward-looking conservation agenda

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30 Ayacucho on the Rise by Catherine Elton photographs by Alejandro Balaguer
With the return of its rich folk art and new development, this once war-torn colonial city in Peru is again a popular tourist destination

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40 Echoes of a Village Exodus by Lowry McAllen
Small settlements throughout Zacatecas, Mexico, will grow silent as more residents emigrate to the U.S., leaving behind an irreplaceable life-style

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46 Writer on the Rivers of Time  by Caleb Bach
The poetic narratives of Juan José Saer capture life in the backwaters of Paraná, while evoking infinite spaces and universal characters

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