The World from PRX

A portrait of a woman named Lucia BenavidesLAB

Lucía Benavides

ReporterThe World
Lucía Benavides is a Barcelona-based reporter, producer and writer. Originally from Argentina, she was raised in Texas from a young age. She has years of experience in radio reporting, feature writing and international coverage — having filed from Spain, Italy, Ireland, Senegal and Russia. Before Barcelona, Lucía worked at the NPR affiliate in Austin, Texas.
The Neapolitan tradition of interpreting dreams to play the lotto
How the Beatles inspired a rock revolution in Argentina
Despite liberal abortion law in Spain, setbacks persist
In Catalonia, a St. Valentine’s Day with a literary twist
Lindgren literary award goes to a Swedish illustrator
COVID restrictions continue to keep families apart
How US sailors brought mass tourism to Barcelona
Pardoning witches in Spain
Should schools in Catalonia use the Catalan language?
Spain becomes first European country to count femicides
Spain’s La Palma begins rebuilding after monthslong volcanic eruption
Feminst tango creates new space for artists
Spain celebrates world’s biggest lottery 
Scatalogical Christmas traditions reign in Catalonia
Audio diary captures childhood migration
Spain looks to renewables amid energy price hikes
The Beatles’ influence on Argentine rock music
Mushroom hunting in Spain draws growing crowds 
Italy implements ‘COVID pass’ for workplace
In Spain, Columbus Day is about national pride
Spain vows to rebuild Canary island affected by volcano
Tiny Catholic republic in Europe legalizes abortion
Texans now turn to online abortion pill providers
Abortion rights gain traction in Malta
Activists push for long-term implementation of tele-abortions in Spain
Rapper’s prison sentence inspires free speech protests across Spain 
Spain grants equal parental leave to fathers 
Is the Royal Spanish Academy still relevant? 
Spain’s Canary Islands scramble to manage surge in migration
A new effort recognize women painters in Spain
Abortion rights are under attack in Italy
Ships of the US Navy Sixth Fleet visit Barcelona, Spain, in 1956. 
History
How US sailors kicked off Barcelona’s tourism industry in the 1950s
In Viladrau's town center, where 14 women out of a town of 100 were accused of witchcraft and executed.
Justice
Catalonia pardons women accused of witchcraft 400 years ago
View of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands of La Palma, Spain
Natural disasters
Residents remember their losses as they rebuild from La Palma’s volcanic eruption
An image of male and female legs dancing in the final round of the stage category during the Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. 
Music
Feminist tango collectives take center stage in Argentina
During the month of December, the Tió de Nadal is placed under a blanket and fed every night. On Christmas Eve, he "poops" out presents.
Culture
Barcelona celebrates a very merry ‘scatological’ Christmas
Lucía, age 3, records herself on a tape recorder with the help of her mother, Ida.
Migration
From Argentina to US to Spain: A personal history told through childhood audio diaries
Los Gatos live in concert, 1968. 
Music
How the Beatles inspired a rock revolution in Argentina
Pep González, a longtime mushroom forager, on a hunt for mushrooms in the forest.
Food
Foragers in Catalonia embrace a new mushroom-hunting season after last year’s strict lockdown
A demonstrator holds a paper doll representing regional Catalan President Quim Torra, as they celebrate a holiday known as "Dia de la Hispanidad" or Spain's National Day in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 12, 2019. Spain commemorates Christopher Columbus' arrival
History
Biden proclaimed Oct. 11 Indigenous Peoples’ Day. But Spain still honors Columbus as part of its National Day.
A worker cleans the ash from the tables of a restaurant as lava flows from a volcano on the Canary island of La Palma, Spain on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. 
Infrastructure
Spain vows to help rebuild La Palma after devastating volcano eruption 
Activists of the "Unione Donne Sammarinesi" San Marino's women union camp celebrate in San Marino, Sept. 26, 2021, the victory in a referendum to decriminalize abortion in certain circumstances.
Abortion
San Marino votes to legalize abortion, ending a 150-year-old ban
A man walks past electricity pylons at an electricity sub station in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. 
Energy
As energy prices soar in Spain, residents seek renewable alternatives
Doctors for Choice in Malta gather to advocate for a bill to decriminalize abortion in Malta.
Reproductive rights
Abortion is illegal in Malta. Activists are trying to increase access.
Misoprostol drug, the most common abortion pill
Reproductive rights
Catalonia’s temporary tele-abortion services are a game-changer for women with limited access
Demonstrators march near the Arch of Triumph during a protest condemning the arrest of rap artist Pablo Hasél in Barcelona, Feb. 22, 2021.
Free speech
Protesters in Spain say rapper’s arrest is an attack on freedom of expression