Dealing With Trump: Four Strategies for Latin America
Since about 9 p.m. New York time on Nov. 8, when Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania were all bathed in red on TV electoral maps, Latin American politicians and executives have been frantically calling friends and contacts to ask: “How are we going to work with Donald J. Trump?” There’s no foolproof answer, of course, especially … Read more
María Eugenia Vidal and the “Other” Buenos Aires
Leer en español In the Buenos Aires everyone knows, the Buenos Aires of opera houses and bifes de chorizo and nightclubs that don’t dream of opening until 1 a.m., you can almost forget there’s a recession going on. The steakhouses are full, the rose gardens are in bloom, and grand avenues hum with the city’s … Read more
Old School: What a Hostile Mexico-Trump Relationship Might Look Like
Correction appended below Shortly after I moved to Mexico City in 2004, I discovered a fantastic pozole restaurant near a subway stop called “Niños Héroes” – literally, “Boy Heroes.” I took a Mexican friend there and, between slurps of cilantro-y goodness, asked if by any chance he knew the origin of the name. He started … Read more
Here’s a Blueprint for a Trump-Castro Deal on Cuba
President-elect Donald J. Trump has vowed “to terminate the deal” that his predecessor in the White House negotiated with Cuba’s President Raúl Castro. Trump’s incoming chief-of-staff, Reince Priebus, last week added these details in an interview on “Fox News Sunday”: “Repression, open markets, freedom of religion, political prisoners – these things need to change in … Read more
Cardoso: The Era of Elitist and Demagogic Politics Is Over
A version of this article was first published in Portuguese on Poder 360. In a recent interview, Brazilian President Michel Temer invoked the “voice of the streets” to say he would veto a so-called “Caixa Dois” bill – a proposal that would grant legislators amnesty for irregularities involving election financing – if Congress approved it. … Read more
Brazil’s Democracy Is Dominated by Old Men. This Group Wants to Change That.
Brazil’s democracy is under assault. On November 16th, activists stormed the lower house of Congress in Brasília and openly called for the reinstatement of the military dictatorship that reigned from 1964 to 1985. On the very same day, public servants occupied the State Congress in Rio de Janeiro protesting newly introduced austerity measures by the … Read more
The Senator Behind Colombia’s Gay Adoption Fight
With negotiators hurriedly trying to salvage Colombia’s rejected peace deal, one legislator is stirring up conflict of a different sort. For more than a year, Viviane Morales has been pushing a bill that, if passed by Congress and approved in a referendum, would prevent anyone not in a heterosexual marriage from adopting children. Not surprisingly, … Read more
Los Venezolanos y la pregunta del millón: ¿Qué va a pasar?
Read in English Incertidumbre, temor, esperanza. Betsimar, una caraqueña de 55 años, viene de manifestar contra el gobierno en la multitudinaria concentración que se celebró este miércoles en la ciudad, la llamada “Toma de Venezuela.” Mientras camina de vuelta a su casa recapitula: “Volvimos a las calles y allí vamos a seguir.” En menos de … Read more
Venezuela’s Million Dollar Question: What Now?
Leer en español At each new turn, Venezuela’s political crisis appears headed for climax. But amid political maneuvering and demonstrations by both the government of President Nicolás Maduro and his opposition, the mood on the ground in Caracas remains one of uncertainty – and determination. Betsimar, a 55-year-old woman from Caracas, was one of the … Read more
Nicaragua’s New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
It’s election season in Nicaragua, but a visitor to Managua could be forgiven for not noticing. No catchy political jingles blare from car radios, and the only campaign posters and billboards are the same as ever: the pink and baby blue offerings of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Less than a month until … Read more
Venezuela’s Odd Transition to Dictatorship
Venezuela proved last week that it can still defy regional trends. By suspending the process to carry out a recall referendum on President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela became the only country in Latin America since the late 1970s to experience the transition to a full dictatorship. When I started studying Venezuela in the early 1990s, the … Read more
AQ Top 5 Jóvenes Políticos: Patricia de Ceballos
Read in English Patricia de Ceballos podría haber hervido de la rabia después de que su esposo, Daniel Ceballos, el alcalde de la ciudad venezolana de San Cristóbal, fue encarcelado tras una protesta nacional en 2014. Pero decidió no ser, dijo a AQ, “la esposa del prisionero que se queda en la casa y sólo … Read more
AQ Top 5 Jóvenes Políticos: Eduardo Leite
Read in English Cuando Eduardo Leite se lanzó a la alcaldía de la pequeña ciudad de Pelotas en Rio Grande do Sul, el estado más meridional de Brasil, este hijo de profesores universitarios no contaba con una red política apreciable en la cual apoyarse. Así que ¿cómo es que, cuatro años después de su sorpresiva … Read more
AQ Top 5 Jóvenes Políticos: Soledad Chapetón
Este artículo ha sido actualizado. Read in English Cuando Soledad Chapetón derrotó el año pasado al alcalde de turno para convertirse en la primera alcalde mujer de El Alto, Bolivia, le dio un gran golpe al establecimiento político en lo que muchos consideran la ciudad más influyente de Bolivia. La joven ciudad de más o … Read more
AQ Top 5 Jóvenes Políticos: Pedro Kumamoto
Read in English Con tan sólo 26 años, Pedro Kumamoto le dio la vuelta al libreto de la élite que gobierna México cuando ayudó a liderar una cruzada exitosa en contra de su privilegio más sagrado. En julio, cuando el Congreso del Estado de Jalisco votó a favor de quitarles a todos los funcionarios públicos … Read more
