"I saw they had a good future," Alvarado remembers. "It was very lucrative, because the salary of an official was three times the salary of a normal person." He became a police officer in 2003, when he was twenty years old. At the time, Venezuela was ruled by Huge Chavez; Alvarado remembers that Chavez's socialist policies kept individuals from owning two cars but welcomed large American oil and aeronautic companies. In 2013, Chavez died and was replaced by Nicolas Maduro. Alvarado says that right away, the change in leadership began...

Pedro Marcos Raymundo knows what it’s like to work in hazardous conditions. Since moving to South Florida in 2014, the Guatemalan man has worked in electricity, plumbing, any construction work he can find. During roofing jobs, he often won’t be able to get down to get a drink of water or rest in the shade. Under the heat of the sun, headaches and stomach pains set in. The metal roof sheets and building supplies get hot, burning his skin. Raymundo works without helmets, rope or harnesses. “As undocumented workers, we...

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said that her country refuses to "engage in a meaningless contest of dollar diplomacy with China" after Honduras opened ties with Beijing on Sunday, ending relations with Taiwan that date back several decades. "It is with deep regret that today we end our diplomatic relations with Honduras," Tsai said in a statement on Sunday.

Taiwan will close its embassy and consulate in Honduras, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said at a news conference in Taipei on Sunday.

TAIPEI—Honduras has established diplomatic relations with China and formally cut ties with Taiwan, following through on a pledge this month to shift its official recognition to Beijing.

With the loss of Honduras, Taiwan now has 13 diplomatic partners, most of them small states in Central America and the Pacific, with the Vatican its only official partner in Europe.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras President Xiomara Castro announced Tuesday that her government will seek to establish diplomatic relations with China, which would imply severing relations with Taiwan. Castro said on her Twitter account that she instructed Honduran Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Reina to start negotiations with China and that her intention is “to expand the borders with freedom.” Honduras is one of the few remaining allies of Taiwan, and Castro’s announcement represents a change on its diplomatic views.