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Can’t We Give Venezuela’s Opposition a Little Credit?

Venezuela’s opposition is perhaps one of Latin America’s most criticized political forces. Even within the opposition itself, critics abound. Every opposition voter I meet has a long list of complaints about the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD, in Spanish), the grand coalition of parties that since 2008 has led the opposition to Chavismo and now President … Read more

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Why Brazilian Politics Needs a Radical Makeover

Brazil is one of the top 10 economies globally, but it fails to meet too many of its population’s basic needs. It is one of the OECD countries with the highest public spending on education – yet Brazilian students perform worse on international tests than those in other OECD countries. Half of all Brazilians still lack access to basic sanitation and 35 million lack … Read more

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Caribbean Housing Is Expensive and Scarce. Here’s How to Change That.

The Caribbean is caught in a housing trap. The cost of living is high: building a house in Kingston is three times more expensive than in a typical Latin American city. This has left ten million people in The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago without … Read more

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Why Protesters in Venezuela Should Resist Responding to Violence with Violence

Most Venezuelans taking part in today’s “mother of all marches” against President Nicolás Maduro are planning to do so peacefully. Even the country’s most outspoken opposition leaders are using the language of nonviolent resistance. Not everyone is on board. Government security forces have cracked down violently on dissent; regime-backed paramilitary groups attacked marchers and have … Read more

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“The Maduro Diet”: A Photo Essay from Venezuela

Venezuela’s political and economic crisis has done deep and lasting damage to its population’s health. In the past year, 74.3 percent of the population has lost weight — an average of 8.7 kilograms (19 pounds) per person – because of food scarcity, according to a recent study by three of Caracas’ largest universities (UCAB, USB … Read more

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Brazil’s Foreign Policy Is “Back In the Game”

Latin America faces many challenges to ensure a better life for its citizens. The best tool to tackle such challenges is improving democratic governance, which does not always find fertile ground to thrive. The main obstacle to democratic governance continues to be populist politicians and their shaky commitment to democracy. The making of a democratic … Read more

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Conoce a 5 de los jueces más valientes de Latinoamérica

Read in English Odilon de Oliveira tiene 68 años y está preocupado por su jubilación– pero no por las razones que uno se imaginaría. Siendo uno de los jueces brasilerosmás vocales, de Oliveira ha mandado a docenas de narcotraficantes conocidos a prisión por largos períodos. Pero su trabajo ha venido con costos— él y su … Read more

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Meet 5 of Latin America’s Bravest Judges

Leer en español Odilon de Oliveira is 68 years old and worried about retirement – but not for the reasons you think. One of Brazil’s most outspoken criminal judges, de Oliveira has sent dozens of the country’s most wanted drug traffickers to prison for extended stays. But that work has come at a cost – he … Read more

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5 Latin American Movies to Stream This Weekend

From tales of getting away to a story about staying put, these five Latin American movies make for perfect holiday weekend viewing – whatever your plans. (All currently available on Netflix U.S.) Semana Santa (2015)Though at times somber and introspective, Semana Santa, the debut feature from Mexican director Alejandra Márquez Abella, contains enough humor and hopeful … Read more

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‘Ingobernable,’ the Netflix Take on Mexican Political Scandal

Going along with the twists and turns of Ingobernable requires something more than the suspension of disbelief: the debut episode includes the first lady of Mexico eluding secret service agents and running through the streets of Mexico City undetected (and in heels) thanks to the sly use of a popped-up jacket collar and some well-timed escapes out … Read more

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3 Winners and Losers From Brazil’s Latest Corruption Revelations

After months of anticipation, Brazil’s Supreme Court released on Tuesday the names of dozens of politicians who will be investigated as part of the ongoing probe into corruption at state oil company Petrobras. The list is a veritable who’s-who of Brazilian politics, and includes nearly a third of President Michel Temer’s Cabinet and a third … Read more

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How Will Trump Deal with China’s Rise in Latin America?

While the Pentagon and President Donald Trump were planning a cruise missile attack on Syria last week, another member of the U.S. military command was calmly appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Although the commander of the U.S. Southern Command rarely receives much public attention, Admiral Kurt W Tidd’s remarks are worth noting for … Read more

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Why Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Doesn’t Look Finished Quite Yet

While it’s tempting to describe President Nicolás Maduro’s government as crazy or erratic, a closer analysis reveals that decision-makers in Caracas operate according to a clear – and effective – set of principles. Indeed, Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez have long been aware of the fact that high-profile ruptures of democratic order – such … Read more

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As Threats to LGBT Brazilians Rise, These Trans Singers Take Center Stage

It’s one thing to perform for hundreds of spectators at Salvador, Brazil’s world-famous carnaval. It’s quite another to take the stage as a transgender woman in a region that has become a focal point of rising violence against Brazil’s LGBT community. That reality wasn’t lost on trans musicians Assucena Assucena and Raquel Virgínia as they … Read more

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The Controversy That Could Swing Ecuador’s Election

A decade ago, Rafael Correa was sworn in as president of Ecuador in the Andean village of Zumbahua. In the presence of fellow “pink tide” socialist presidents Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, five indigenous priests sprinkled him with sacred herbs and evoked the spirits of the moon and sun to provide him with positive energy. But … Read more