Blog entries

President Alan García of Peru announced on Monday his belief that Bolivian President Evo Morales has successfully negotiated an “under-the-table” maritime deal with Chile that will grant sea access to the landlocked republic. The announcement provoked swift denials from both governments and is the latest development in the acrimonious diplomatic relationship between Bolivia and Peru. … Read more

On Wednesday, a ban went into effect in Mexico City that prohibits the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in all stores. The law affects all production facilities and service providers in a metropolitan area with approximately 19 million inhabitants. Mexico City is the second city in the Western Hemisphere to enact such a ban, following … Read more

Cité Soleil is a flat, dense slum built out of cardboard and tin on Port-au-Prince’s western shore. Children play in the sewage; working-age men and women sit in the shade, escaping the searing midday sun, waiting for something to happen; young boys catch seagulls and pigeons with nets, and bring them home for dinner. Since … Read more

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Washington and Bogota Agree on Defense Pact On August 14, the United … Read more

Two weeks ago I started a serialized essay on Latin America’s middle class that will appear every other week on the AQ blog. As I wrote at the time, Latin America’s middle class has received a lot of attention of late, including worry about its size, praise and high expectations for its growth and debate … Read more

In 2008, in the midst of the debate over oil reform, Mexican President Felipe Calderón promised to build a new refinery. Now, one year down the road, the refinery’s location and a $9 billion investment have finally been chosen in a process that was the victim of a slow-moving bureaucratic machine. Whenever it had seemed … Read more

Marina Silva, a former environment minister who left President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government in 2008, announced today that she is leaving the President’s Workers’ Party (PT) and “in talks with the Green Party in this period of transition” —a move toward what may be a possible presidential run in next year’s election. According … Read more

In a greater effort to target tax-evasion and thwart potential efforts of smuggling and corruption, the Mexican government has replaced its 700 customs agents with over 1,400 newly trained and better-educated customs inspectors who have undergone extensive background checks. Announced on Sunday, Mexico’s customs authority spokesman Pedro Canabal said that “this change is part of … Read more

On Sunday, José Luis Escobar Alas, the Archbishop of San Salvador, responded to those who want to reopen the murders carried out during the country’s civil war (particularly that of former Archbishop Oscar Romero) saying that a repeal of the Amnesty Law would bring about a “difficult situation” for the country. He said that “as … Read more

Even now that Bogotá and Washington concluded their talks over the U.S.-Colombian military deal on Friday, questions linger over how and why it sparked so much controversy.  The general consensus—even by the Pentagon’s own admission—is that Bogotá and Washington mangled the public message.  Now that more details are coming out about the deal, it’s clear … Read more

Two separate explosions on Wednesday afternoon left seven people injured in La Paz, including Armonia Colque, wife of opposition leader Fidel Surco and two police officers. Although no one has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, President Evo Morales has voiced his belief that the bombings were carried out by the “neo-liberal right” as part … Read more

Después de las relativamente tranquilas celebraciones del Día de la Patria en Bolivia, la atmósfera empieza a cargarse de nuevo ante la proximidad de las elecciones presidenciales previstas para diciembre. Las encuestas mencionan a candidatos como el ex vicepresidente aymará Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, el alcalde de Potosí René Joaquino, los ya conocidos políticos Samuel Doria … Read more

Es la tercera vez en cinco años que el Presidente Venezolano Hugo Chavéz mete en el congelador las relaciones con Colombia. Por eso la palabra crisis en esta frontera binacional ya no es nueva. Retiro de embajadores y personal diplomático, amenaza de expropiaciones a empresas colombianas en Venezuela, suspensión de importaciones (10.000 carros que no … Read more

Guatemalan police report that the number of female homicides is on the rise, with nearly 500 victims so far this year—a pace that is likely to eclipse the 672 such murders in 2008. Known as “femicide,” these murders are attributed to machismo violence carried out through juvenile gangs and groups of organized crime. Their targets … Read more

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. North American Leaders Meet in Guadalajara The leaders of Canada, the United … Read more