I'm a freelance writer, journalist and consultant based in Paraguay. Since 2014, I’ve travelled widely across Latin America on assignment, producing front-page features and appearing on prime-time slots for the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, the Guardian, The Economist and many others.

I’m the author of PATRIA: Lost Countries of South America, a new history of the continent. It was a Financial Times Best Book of 2024. The Telegraph gave it five stars. Marie Arana called it “a magnificent contribution to the Latin American canon.” I discussed the book on the Rest is History podcast, where Dominic Sandbrook called it “absolutely wonderful”.

I’m the founder of The Paraguay Post, an independent source of news, analysis, and bespoke intelligence on South America’s fastest-growing economy. We won Paraguay’s National Environmental Journalism Prize for our investigation into narcotrafficking in the Mbaracayú Forest Reserve.

I studied history at university, and love chasing stories off the beaten track: whether on foot, in the saddle, in the archive or with a paddle. I was born and raised in Dorset, southwest England.

Get in touch: with tips, feedback, commissions, queries, or just to say hi, you can reach me on laurie.a.blair@gmail.com. I’m also on X @laurieablair, Instagram @printsoflblair, Substack and Linkedin.