Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas
Costa Rica

10 Things to Do: San José, Costa Rica

Costa Rica, smaller than West Virginia, boasts over 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity, an environmental abundance that brings in over $2 billion in annual revenue from tourism. San José, the capital, is a convenient jumping-off place for trip to the country’s volcanoes, rainforests and pristine Pacific beaches — as well as an excellent introduction … Read more

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Film Review: Ixcanul

What’s behind the volcano?” María, an adolescent Mayan girl, asks her mother as they go about chores on the coffee plantation where they live and work in the film Ixcanul (“Volcano” in the Kaqchikel Maya language). The omnipresent volcano looming in the sky above her home in the Guatemalan highlands symbolizes an obstacle to María, … Read more

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Peru’s Favorite Street Food Goes Global

Anticuchos are a bite-size introduction to Peru’s cuisine—and to its rich ethnic heritage. A blend of indigenous, Spanish and African influences, the popular Peruvian kebabs originated as an Incan delicacy made with llama meat cut into small pieces and spiced with local ají peppers and herbs. In colonial times, African slaves toiling in Peru’s mines … Read more

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India’s Rising Presence in Latin America

Until recently, China’s $264 billion trade with Latin America has dominated the attention of the region’s policymakers, analysts and media. Now, as the Asian giant’s economy slows, opportunity is opening up for a new player on the region’s doorstep: India. The Indian subcontinent, whose one-billion-plus population is expected to surge past China’s by 2025, has … Read more

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One Entrepreneur’s Tale of Red Tape in Mexico

While the concept of food trucks in Mexico is relatively new, street food is culturally part of our identity. In fact, the Tianguis, a word of Nahuatl origin meaning open-air market, dates back to the pre-Hispanic era in Mexico. Nevertheless, there’s no legal framework for food trucks in Mexico City, even though there are now … Read more

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How Syrian Refugees Are Succeeding in Latin America

The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the great humanitarian causes of our time. In Latin America, many countries have welcomed migrants with open arms. In this special section from our first issue of 2016, AQ looks at the success stories, the challenges, and the ways all of us could do more to help. We … Read more

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Syrian Refugees in Uruguay Face an Uncertain Future

To see our entire feature on Syrian refugees in Latin America, click here. Uruguay’s invitation in late 2014 sounded like a dream to the Alshebli family, who had been living in a cramped Lebanon apartment for more than a year since they fled Syria. Not only would all 17 Alsheblis receive asylum, they would also … Read more

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5 Ideas to Boost Latin American Refugee Policy

To see our entire feature on Syrian refugees in Latin America, click here. Many Latin American countries deserve the world’s gratitude for opening their doors to Syrian refugees. Their generosity and humanity stand out at a time when many other countries are turning people away. But what happens aft er the refugees arrive? How can … Read more

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Russia Is Beating China to Venezuela’s Oil Fields

This article is adapted from our 1st print issue of 2016. For a trial subscrition to AQ for just $1, click here. The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, had long envisioned China becoming Venezuela’s biggest oil-sector production partner. So when Rafael Ramírez, then president of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), announced in January 2013 that … Read more

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Es hora de tener mayor transparencia en América Latina

Read in English Durante las últimas décadas, diversas investigaciones han demostrado el enorme impacto nocivo de la corrupción en el desarrollo económico, político y social de los países. Sin embargo, a pesar de toda la evidencia existente –cuyos sólidos argumentos revelan que la corrupción incrementa la desigualdad y la pobreza-,  esta sigue diseminándose en nuestros … Read more

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