Colombian Cabinet Members Resign Amid Farmer Protests
Sixteen members of Colombia’s Cabinet resigned on Monday ahead of a likely Cabinet reshuffle by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in the wake of a growing crisis in Colombia’s farming sector. As a nationwide farmers’ strike stretches into its third week, Santos is reportedly working on an accord with farmers to deal with the protests, … Read more
Martin Luther King and Modern America’s Defining Moment
Fifty years ago (August 28), Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his legacy “I have a dream” speech. Events are planned in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, and elsewhere, commemorating this landmark address. Speakers are expected to highlight Dr. King’s philosophy for promoting change, how the civil rights movement and its accomplishments defined modern America, and … Read more
Montreal’s Non-Partisan Gay Pride Parade
Normally, a gay pride parade would go unnoticed in Montreal. Actually, in many cities across North America, we have become accustomed to the annual ritual of the multicolored, multi-uniformed and occasionally shocking outfits in favor of gay pride and gay rights. While much progress has been made in the last decade to advance the cause … Read more
CARICOM and Reparations
European governments were unlikely to be pleased to hear the call for reparations issued by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of state last month. The Caribbean countries jointly released a statement calling for forward action on a plan to pursue reparations for “repairing the damage inflicted by slavery and racism.” Is this really the best path … Read more
Texas’ Anti-Abortion Law: the Impact for Latino Voters
Perceptions of solidly conservative Texas shifted dramatically in late 2012, when President Barack Obama won a landslide re-election largely thanks to the 71 percent of Latino voters who supported him. Democrats immediately seized on the opportunity, making comprehensive immigration reform a pillar of the president’s second-term policy agenda and launching an aggressive campaign to solidify … Read more
Southern Cone Countries Top AQ’s 2013 Social Inclusion Index
Uruguay, Chile and Brazil are three of the five most socially inclusive countries in the hemisphere according to the 2013 AQ Social Inclusion Index, which was published today in the newly released Summer issue of Americas Quarterly. Although Chile and Brazil score lower than in the 2012 Index, the three Southern Cone countries rank in … Read more
[i]AQ[/i] Videos: The 2013 Social Inclusion Index
Descarga el PDF del Índice en español. Descarga el PDF del Índice en español. In a series of video interviews below, AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal, AQ Editor-in-Chief Christopher Sabatini and AQ Editor Alana Tummino discuss the results of AQ‘s 2013 Social Inclusion Index, which draws from household survey data, public opinion surveys, statistics … Read more
Monday Memo: Peru Protests – Bachelet and Matthei – Colombia Peace Talks – Cholera in Haiti – Mexican Vice-Admiral Killed
Likely top stories this week: demonstrators protest in Peru; a Chilean lawyer investigates the death of Michelle Bachelet’s father; FARC–Colombian government peace talks resume; a new report faults the UN for Haiti’s cholera outbreak; and assailants kill a Mexican vice-admiral. Protesters and Police Clash in Peru: Thousands of demonstrators clashed with hundreds of riot police … Read more
Humala Swears in Three New Women Cabinet Ministers
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala swore in three new female Cabinet ministers on Wednesday, giving the Cabinet an equal number of male and female ministers for the first time in Peru’s history. Peru’s Cabinet now comprises nine female ministers out of a total of 18. The three new ministers include Mónica Rubio, a former social protection … Read more
Affirmative Action in the Americas
Read a sidebar on affirmative action and public opinion in the hemisphere. The Americas present many contrasting approaches to affirmative action. In the United States, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its constitutionality, while at the same time narrowing the ability to use race in the Fisher v. Texas case. In contrast, several Latin American countries are … Read more
Energy in the Americas
Articles: Power Shift by Jason Bordoff and Michael Levi Will the Western Hemisphere overtake the Middle East? (video available) Full text available. The Rising Global Thermostat: What business can do to lower the temperature by Ban Ki-moon What business can (and should) do to lower the temperature. Full text available. The Irrelevance of Global Climate … Read more
Miners, Students Protest in Chile
Thousands of protestors—with estimates as high as 150,000 people—marched through the streets of Santiago yesterday to voice their frustrations over social inequality, living wages and the country’s pension system. The demonstration was part of a nationwide strike organized by Chile’s largest labor union, the Central Union of Workers (Central Sindical Unitaria de Trabajadores – CUT) … Read more
Canadian Leadership Following Flooding and a Train Derailment
In the past few days, U.S. media networks have been reporting on the tragic events in Lac Mégantic, Québec, where a runaway, unmanned train carrying crude oil from North Dakota (73 wagons) barreled through a quiet tourist village of 6,000 inhabitants, derailed and exploded, leaving devastation in its trail. At the time of this writing, … Read more
Bachelet Declares Support for Abortion in Limited Cases
Former President Michelle Bachelet, the Nueva Mayoría pact’s candidate for Chile’s November presidential election, expressed her support on Monday for legalizing abortion in cases of medical emergency and rape. Her opponent, former Economy Minister Pablo Longueira and candidate for the incumbent Alianza por Chile coalition, has vowed to maintain the current policy of prohibition. Reproductive … Read more
