Infrastructure

How the Caribbean Can Prepare for More Violent Hurricanes

This article has been updated The hurricanes that battered the Caribbean this summer left few communities untouched. But the approximately 4.4 million people living in low-elevation coastal zones (LECZs), coastal areas less than 10 meters above sea level, paid a particularly heavy price. Hurricane Irma, for example, destroyed homes throughout the Turks and Caicos, where … Read more

Elections 2018

Mexico 2018: It’s Not the Economy, Stupid

Emerging media consensus is that Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will likely name Treasury Secretary José Antonio Meade as its candidate for president in 2018. Such a move would serve the unpopular ruling party on two fronts: it would muffle inherent opposition to the PRI as an institution (Meade is not a party member), and … Read more

Venezuela

Venezuela’s Default: What Is Maduro Thinking?

The Venezuela debt saga continues to confound investors, with many wondering what exactly the government is hoping to accomplish with its current strategy. The possible explanations range from a search for a new scapegoat for the ongoing economic crisis (with the initials DJT), to a savvy maneuver to reduce the country’s liabilities. Trying to read … Read more

Finance & Economics

What to Make of Venezuela’s Last-Minute Debt Negotiations

AQ spoke to a debt expert on what a default means for Venezuela and the world.

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How a Mall Became a Prison – and a Symbol of Venezuela’s Collapse

The tragic history of Venezuela’s El Helicoide speaks to the promise and privation of a nation in decline.

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Trump’s New Cuba Sanctions Miss Their Mark

After two years of restored diplomatic ties, new U.S. regulations on Cuba are bringing back a thicket of travel, financial and trade restrictions – and a tougher stance toward the island. The goal of these restrictions, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, is to starve the Cuban government of money from travel, remittances and commercial … Read more

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Brazil’s Foreign Policy Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Hibernating.

The government of Michel Temer has dealt Brazilian foreign policy a body blow. Not only has the president traveled abroad less than any of his predecessors since Itamar Franco in the 1990s, but, more importantly, Brazil nowadays contributes remarkably little to dealing with urgent regional challenges. These include the crisis in Venezuela, transnational crime, China’s … Read more

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Estos chicos representaban lo mejor de Argentina

Read in English Yo era prácticamente un niño, tenía 22 años, cuando me mudé a Argentina en el año 2000 con la loca idea de convertirme en periodista. Increíblemente, el Buenos Aires Herald no se apresuró a contratar a un texano sin experiencia, y la economía parecía estar un poco complicada. Solo conocía a dos … Read more

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Brazil’s Economy Is Perking Up (If You Know Where to Look)

After weathering the worst recession of a century, Brazil’s economy is showing signs of life. Unemployment is down, GDP is up, and an important sector is enjoying a sustained comeback: The capital markets for initial public offerings, or IPOs, for Brazil-based companies are the most active they have been in at least six years. The … Read more

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Craft Beer Thrives in a Rio de Janeiro Favela

The bar is small, housed in a converted garage near an entrance to the vast Complexo do Alemão favelas in Rio de Janeiro’s north side. But step inside, and big ambitions are on display: 120 types of beer from places as distant as Belgium line the wall. Despite its outsized aspirations, Bistrô Estação R&R is … Read more

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Four Takeaways From Argentina’s Game-Changing Mid-Term Elections

Investors wondering whether President Mauricio Macri’s tough austerity reforms had popular support heard a resounding “yes” on Sunday, when voters swept his center-right coalition to victory in Argentina’s five largest voting districts in a crucial mid-term election. While Macri’s success was expected, no party has managed this feat in mid-term elections since 1985.   Here … Read more

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Venezuela: The Brutal Truth About Maduro’s Election Victory

By any measure, Sunday’s gubernatorial elections in Venezuela did not go well for the opposition. The regime of President Nicolás Maduro took 17 of a possible 23 seats, with, as of this writing, another still up for grabs. Marred by predictable irregularities and government manipulation, the MUD opposition coalition’s decision to participate failed to pay … Read more

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Why Argentina’s Kirchner Is Poised for a Comeback – Despite Corruption Charges

If Cristina Fernández de Kirchner wins a senate seat in Sunday’s mid-term elections, as she is poised to do, her comeback would be significant: The former president is under investigation in at least eight separate corruption cases. Part of the explanation for why these investigations have not sunk Fernández’s senate bid may lie with Argentina’s … Read more

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Is NAFTA Over Now?

Following Tuesday’s events, it is not an exaggeration to say that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is on life support, and it is unclear whether the patient will even survive into the coming year. Though the advance writing was flashing brightly on the wall, the three lead NAFTA negotiators put paid to the … Read more

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The Next Step in Mexico’s Corruption Fight

Mexicans are fed up with graft, though their elected leaders have been slow to respond. Now, thanks to an increasingly vocal civil society, there are signs that impunity might no longer be certain, and that corrupt officials can expect political consequences for their misdeeds. “Mexico has awakened to notice that many of the dysfunctionalities of … Read more