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Procura-se: um presidente brasileiro (sano) que possa acabar com a violência

Read in English RIO DE JANEIRO — O feed mais importante do Twitter na capital carioca hoje em dia é chamado Onde Tem Tiroteio. Numa tarde recente, no espaço de poucas horas, ele enviou os seguintes alertas para seus 36.000 seguidores: “Tiros sendo ouvidos em Botafogo, próximo ao Santa Marta e a Cobal. Atenção na … Read more

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What Trump’s “America First” Means for Latin America

Smart great powers ensure their safety by befriending smaller neighboring countries. China is engaged in a high-profile charm offensive to overcome long-standing animosities and draw its Southeast Asian neighbors into its orbit, through trade agreements and massive infrastructure projects. The Russia of Vladimir Putin is working hard to regain influence in territories of the former … Read more

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Wanted: A (Sane) Brazilian President Who Can Stop the Violence

Ler em português RIO DE JANEIRO – The most vital Twitter feed here these days is called Onde Tem Tiroteio, or “Where There Is a Shootout.” One recent afternoon, in a span of just a few hours, it sent these alerts to its 36,000 followers: “Shots heard in Botafogo, near Santa Marta and Cobal. Attention … Read more

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The Trouble With Cuba’s New Economy

When Raúl Castro steps down as Cuba’s president in February 2018, he will hand off to his successor the unfinished task of reforming the economy. It is Cuba’s most urgent need and, at the same time, an increasingly controversial one. Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president in 2008 amid serious structural economic problems on … Read more

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Why It’s So Hard to Keep the Lights On in Puerto Rico

The third week of September was the longest of my life. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 and almost immediately plunged the island into darkness – downing telephone lines, flooding roads and shutting down the power grid. My grandparents were home in Patillas, on Puerto Rico’s southeastern coast, when Maria made landfall. Days … Read more

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Mexico 2018: Can AMLO Really Get to 20 Million Votes?

A question institutional investors often ask regarding Mexico’s presidential elections next year is: Can Andrés Manuel López Obrador actually win? Most polls do indeed put the leftist former mayor of Mexico City, known popularly by his initials, AMLO, ahead of hypothetical adversaries today. But the road to the 20 million votes he likely needs to … Read more

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The One Big Trend in Latin America’s Coming Elections

“Anybody who tells you they know who will win is misinformed,” a Mexican political analyst recently told me in a debate about next year’s presidential elections. In a scenario where only 2 percent of Mexicans trust political parties and only 4 percent believe the country is on the right track, she said, anything can happen. … Read more

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Could Hurricane Maria Force a Change in Puerto Rico’s Relationship to the U.S.?

Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico, was the third major storm to hit the U.S. in a month. It followed fast in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, which concentrated their damage on Florida and Texas. Their quick succession highlighted the vast differences between Washington’s response to a disaster that hit the commonwealth, … Read more

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Claudia López: Colombia’s 2018 Elections Are About Who Can Defeat Corruption

Claudia López isn’t one to be shy. In 20 years of public life – as a student leader, a journalist, and now as senator for Colombia’s Green Party – the 47-year-old has earned a reputation for speaking her mind, particularly when it comes to corruption in politics. Now a candidate for presidential elections in 2018, … Read more

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Why Are Latin America’s Right-Wing Governments Struggling?

Since the commodity boom ended four years ago, right-wing presidents are becoming the norm in Latin America. But their performance in office has been anything but stellar. Why? And what can these governments do to recover before it’s too late? After a decade in which most countries in Latin America were ruled by left-wing governments, … Read more

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Why We Need a NAFTA for the Digital Age

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was originally negotiated in 1994, four out of five of the largest U.S. companies built automobiles. Google, Facebook and Amazon hadn’t been born. E-commerce, as such, didn’t exist.  That’s part of why NAFTA renegotiations are more than just a political football: they are imperative for the region … Read more

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China’s Strategic Play in Brazil

China’s $1 trillion plan to remake the global order astonishes not only for its audacious scale, but also its geographic reach. The “One Belt, One Road” initiative is the backbone of a transformative geopolitical and economic agenda. President Xi Jinping’s brand of globalization dispenses with the old liberal order and is bending international trade in the country’s favor. The plan involves massive infrastructure projects in over 60 … Read more

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After Earthquake, Mexicans Vent Anger at Their Political Class

When Avelino Mendez, a local political leader, stopped by San Gregorio Altapulco to inspect the damage done by last week’s severe earthquake, he expected to find the southern Mexico City community grieving for its 13 dead. They were mourning. But they were also irate, and chased the portly chief of the Xochimilco borough through the … Read more

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Brazil’s Unpredictable 2018 Election: What Investors Should Watch For

This week, we saw the clearest proof yet that Brazil’s extraordinarily unpredictable 2018 presidential election is going to be a wild ride for investors. A poll by the National Transport Confederation (CNT, in Portuguese) put leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the lead in all possible scenarios – assuming that his legal … Read more

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Attacks Against CICIG Show Why Guatemala Still Needs It

The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) has been key in Guatemala’s fight against corruption. The UN-backed body has, over the past 10 years, taken on complex tasks that the state recognized could not be accomplished independently: It has investigated the operation of illegal security forces and illicit economic political networks; it has collaborated … Read more