Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas
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Gringo Stay Here!

Lea una versión en español aquí. “Why do they hate us?” This question1, on so many U.S. citizens’ minds over the decade following the September 11, 2001, attacks, is often asked about Islamic extremists and even the broader Muslim world. Among the most common responses is that “they” resent U.S. foreign policy in the Middle … Read more

 

Profile: Patricio Villareal

Mexican entrepreneur Patricio Villareal has discovered something most of those opposing health care reform in the United States could never imagine: making basic health care accessible and affordable can be a profitable business. In 1994, Patricio and his brother Ricardo co-founded Imagen Dental, a company that provides world-class dental, optical and hearing services to middle … Read more

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[i]Multinacionais brasileiras: competências para a internacionalização[/i] by Afonso Fleury and Maria Tereza Leme Fleury

Brazil, the country of the future” was a sarcastic cliché popular among Brazilians to describe a country striving to reach an economic potential that always seemed just out of reach. The past decade, however, offered hope that Brazil was finally fulfilling the cliché’s promise. As hyperinflation became a distant memory, the hemisphere’s largest country joined … Read more

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No Lost Causes by Álvaro Uribe Vélez

During his eight years of government, former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe took micro-management to levels never seen before. “I’ve always believed in combining a macro vision with involvement in the small details of execution,” writes Uribe in his presidential memoir, No Lost Causes, written with the help of Brian Winter. “In retrospect, when I look … Read more

 

Aerospace: An Emerging Mexican Industry

Airplanes have many parts, from seatbelt buckles and massive brake pads to thousands of precision-shaped screws. In fact, Boeing, the U.S. aerospace behemoth, brags that its 747s are composed of 6 million individual pieces. Multiply that by 35,000—the number of new airplanes needed to meet world demand over the next 15 years—and the opportunities for … Read more

 

Innovation: The Case of Chile

How do you “start up” a start-up ecosystem? That was the question facing Chile in 2010, as the Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (Chilean Economic Development Agency—CORFO) and the Chilean Ministry of Economy looked for ways to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Despite Chile’s strong economic performance, its business culture did not have a history … Read more

 

Migration: Spain’s Reverse Flows

Latin America has historically played an important role in Spain’s migratory cycles—both as a sender and as a recipient. Spanish political immigration to the hemisphere surged following the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and again after World War II, when Spaniards flocked to Latin America for economic reasons. The flow reversed with the late-1980s economic crises … Read more

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Politics Innovator: Edwin Escobar, Guatemala

Edwin Escobar dreams of turning Villa Nueva—Guatemala’s second most populous city—into the “next Bogotá.” The vision of the new mayor of this colonial-era city, just 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the capital, might seem like conventional political rhetoric. But Escobar, who took office just last year, is not a conventional politician. A self-described “serial … Read more

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Business Innovator: Bedy Yang, United States/Brazil

Silicon Valley may be the technology capital of the world, but Brazilian cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are giving the Bay Area a run for its money. A booming economy and an increasingly connected middle class that grew by 50 percent from 2003 to 2009 have made Brazil a logical new hub … Read more

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Civic Innovator: Álvaro Herrero, Argentina

Álvaro Herrero could have pursued any career of his choice. His impressive academic credentials include a law degree from the Universidad Nacional de la Plata in his native Argentina, an MA in Latin American studies from Georgetown and a PhD in political science from Oxford. But in 2005, he opted instead for a job as … Read more

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Arts Innovator: Andrea Baranenko, Venezuela

Latin America is moving forward, but Venezuela is moving in the opposite direction,” says Andrea Baranenko, a 28-year-old Venezuelan filmmaker whose recent documentary, Yo Indocumentada (I, Undocumented), exposes the struggles of transgender people in her native country. The film, Baranenko’s first feature-length production, tells the story of three Venezuelan women fighting for their right to … Read more

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