Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

Panama

José Raúl Mulino, the protege of President Ricardo Martinelli, won Panama's presidential elections and will be the next president.
REACTION: José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama’s Presidency

The former security minister and running mate of Ricardo Martinelli won with more than 34% of the vote. Analysts share what this means for Panama’s politics and economy.

Caribbean

The Caribbean’s Economic Future Depends on Building Climate Resilience

Uniquely vulnerable to extreme weather, island nations are seeking funding for projects to drive development while boosting resilience.

El Salvador

Claudia Ortiz is one of the few political opponents of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele
The Lonely Life of El Salvador’s Opposition

Lawmaker Claudia Ortiz is leading the political dissent. Her recent campaign—and the ruling party’s attempts to defeat it—show what’s ahead for a backsliding democracy.

Latin America

A view of the Taiwan Strait, from the closest point in China to Taiwan’s main island, in Jan. 2024. China-Taiwan Tension, the Unseen Risk for Latin America
China-Taiwan Tension, the Unseen Risk for Latin America

The region is ill-prepared to confront the potential economic consequences of a conflict.

Podcast

AQ Podcast: What Biden 2.0 Would Mean for Latin America Policy

A review of Biden’s policies towards the region and what might change if he is reelected in November

Ecuador

President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa arrives at Carondelet Palace in Quito.
Now Empowered, Noboa Can Still Avoid Authoritarian Drift

Ecuador’s president gained a resounding endorsement for “mano dura” policies against organized crime in Sunday’s referendum. A delicate democratic balance is at stake.

Visual Essay

When Mexico City’s Salsa-Dancing Pensioners Became Political Kryptonite

A showdown over dancing in a public plaza brought a halt to Sandra Cuevas’s rapid ascent—and continues to hang over her Senate campaign.

AQ Q&A

Q&A: Bringing End-of-Life Care to Rio’s Favelas

AQ talked to the founder of an organization that provides palliative care in the Rocinha and Vidigal favelas.

Cultura

A Son of Mexico’s Elite Bids for Literary Stardom in the U.S.

In Nicolás Medina Mora’s debut novel, a failed attempt at Americanization yields critical reflections on two North American elites.

Cultura

Why Was Argentina’s 2001 Default So Contentious?

A new book retraces the 15 years of grueling litigation that followed but doesn’t emphasize the contractual changes it provoked.

Cultura

AQ’s Spring Playlist: Hearing Voices

AQ’s music critic highlights the lingering power of the human voice in this roundup of tracks old and new.

Visual Art

When Latin America Took the “Talking Cure”

An exhibition in London traces the history of psychoanalysis in the region, from dream-interpreting radio shows to Freud’s Peruvian connection.

Ecuador

Salazar, 42, is Ecuador's first career prosecutor to ascend to the top job.
Ecuador’s Crusading Attorney General Is Facing Her Toughest Challenge Yet

Diana Salazar’s investigations have taken down major figures. But a wave of drug-related violence is changing what defending the rule of law looks like.

Mexico

Migrants travel through Tapachula in southern Mexico in Oct. 2023. The next administration in Mexico should work more closely with its neighbors to address migration.
Mexico Needs a New Strategy for the Northern Triangle

The next administration should work more closely with its neighbors to address migration.

Podcast

AQ Podcast: Why Argentines Seem to Be Sticking With Milei

Despite recession and inflation, Milei has maintained his popularity. The reason for that lies in part in a lack of alternatives.