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Brazil’s Municipal Elections Yield Mixed Results for the Ruling PT

As part of its quadrennial electoral process, Brazil held simultaneous local elections on Sunday in over 5,560 municipalities. In all, roughly 140 million votes were cast—normal turnout, since voting is mandatory in Brazil. Voters chose from among nearly 480,000 candidates to determine the mayors (prefeitos), deputy mayors (vice-prefeitos) and local councils (vereadores) across the country. … Read more

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The Challenges Ahead for Hugo Chávez

After Hugo Chávez convincingly won re-election on Sunday, the margin of victory—over 1.5 million votes, totaling over 10 percentage points—has stunned members of Venezuela’s opposition, leaving them searching for answers. Some pointed to the Consejo Nacional Electoral (National Electoral Council—CNE), which is controlled by chavistas and turned a blind eye to government abuses. Others pointed … Read more

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[i]AQ[/i] Slideshow (UPDATED): Election Photos from [i]Colegio Eugenia Ravasco[/i] in Caracas

Exclusive photos taken this morning of the polling station at Colegio Eugenia Ravasco located on Avenida Principal de los Chorros in Caracas. Additional photos taken this afternoon at the voting centers located at the Colegio Santa Gema and Instituto Universitario Tecnológico Americo Vespucio, both in Caracas. All pictures taken October 7 by Romina Hendlin.

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[i]AQ[/i] Slideshow (UPDATED): Election Photos from [i]Unidad Educativa Santo Tomas de Aquino[/i] in Caracas

Exclusive photos taken at around 11:00 am (local) at the electoral center at Unidad Educativa Santo Tomas de Aquino located in Campo Alegre on the east side of Caracas. The voting is rather calm and very orderly. The majority of the people who signed up at this center have voted already with many beginning to … Read more

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Electoral Legitimacy and Security Ahead of Venezuela’s Presidential Election

Late last week, Venezuelan presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski released a video with his final appeal to voters. Looking straight at the camera, the former governor of Miranda state addressed the fears that prevent some Venezuelans from supporting him fully: being fired from government jobs; being passed over for a social program; or being banned … Read more

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2016 Olympics Central to Rio de Janeiro’s Mayoral Race

When campaign season in Rio de Janeiro officially started on July 6, Rio’s incumbent mayor, Eduardo Paes, looked like a shoo-in. Touting the “Olympic City,” he has campaigned on the idea that Rio’s upcoming mega events—including the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics—will contribute to a boom for a city that is thriving after … Read more

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Latin American Women Driving Region’s Prosperity

Women are increasingly becoming Latin America’s key development partners. Moms, students, working professionals and women from all walks of life are the driving force behind a gender revolution that has made huge contributions to our region’s prosperity. Over the last decade, Latin American countries have made big strides in reducing poverty and bringing down inequality. … Read more

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[i]AQ[/i] Slideshow: Post-Spill Effects in Peruvian Mining Communities

Extractive industries have made a considerable contribution to Latin America’s economic growth this century, especially in countries along the Pacific Rim (i.e., Chile, Colombia, and Peru). Of those nations, perhaps greatest recent impact of the resource boom has been in Peru—contributing a large share to the country’s remarkable GDP growth of 6.9 percent in 2011. … Read more

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President Hugo Chávez’ Campaign Vision for Venezuela: Militaristic and Top Down

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez is running for a third re-election this coming October.  He has already released his platform.  For those hoping to see Venezuela turn more democratic, this platform offers no hope.  The platform is contained in a 39-page document entitled, “Proposal from the Fatherland’s Candidate, Commander Hugo Chávez.” The document is fairly clear … Read more

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Why Did Brazil Underwhelm in the London Olympics?

An examination of the final medal tally at the recently concluded 2012 Olympics shows many countries familiar to the ranks of the top 10. The United States placed first overall, followed by China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, France, South Korea, and Italy. What are the ingredients to these countries’ consistent success in … Read more

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Smart Governance Practices on the Rise in Central America

The latest developments in information and communication technology (ICT) are no longer the rage among just tech-savvy enthusiasts. Municipalities across the hemisphere are also starting to pay attention. In Central America, mayors, municipal councilors and their advisors are embracing ICTs such as websites, social media platforms, mobile text messaging, and video cameras as useful tools … Read more

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Obesity in the Americas: The Trade Effect

Globally, the Americas are leading the way in the obesity and overweight epidemic, with prevalence at or above 60 percent in most countries. Obesity rates among women are even higher. Blame is often pinned on poor individual consumption choices, but evidence increasingly suggests that trade liberalization may be partly to blame. In 2009, Anne Marie … Read more

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The Supreme Court Crisis in El Salvador

El Salvador is facing one of its most challenging constitutional crises since the end of the civil war. The institutional conflict began on June 5, 2012, when the Constitutional Chamber (Sala de lo Constitucional) of the Supreme Court declared the 2006 and 2012 appointments of Supreme Court judges and their alternates to be unconstitutional. Arguing … Read more

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Mexico: A Transfer of Power to the PRI

  The Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party—PRI) appears to be returning to Los Pinos 12 years after its historic transition of power to the Partido Acción Nacional (National Action Party—PAN). With more than 80 percent of votes tallied counted since voting began yesterday, PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto appears set to receive the … Read more

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Tackling Brazil’s Obesity Problem

In recent years, Brazil has encountered a health threat more commonly seen in the advanced industrialized nations: obesity. The emergence of fast-food diets, sedentary lifestyles, as well as federal programs designed to alleviate malnourishment has—rather ironically—contributed to the nationwide spread of obesity. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, which interviewed 54,000 adults across … Read more