Did an Anti-LGBT Panic Help Defeat Colombia’s Peace Deal?
When thousands of Colombians protested on August 10 to demand the resignation of the country’s openly gay education minister, few saw any greater political significance. But as the world struggles to understand why Colombians voted “No” on Sunday to a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, the seemingly unrelated … Read more
What Went Wrong in Rio’s Favelas?
Correction appended below This article is adapted from AQ’s most recent issue, “Fixing Brazil.” To receive the print edition at home, subscribe here. Standing in the doorway of her mud-and-bamboo cottage at the very top of a favela called Babilônia, Maria Regina Luiz peers out cautiously. She was born and raised on this steep hillside … Read more
Uruguay Is Latin America’s Social Inclusion Leader. Here’s Why.
Leer en español This article is adapted from AQ’s most recent issue, “Fixing Brazil.” To receive the print edition at home, subscribe here. A small country sandwiched between larger neighbors has claimed the number-one spot in Americas Quarterly Social Inclusion Index TM — for the third year in a row. So, what does Uruguay keep getting right? Simply … Read more
Why the LGBT Community Will Remember Rio 2016
If you’re looking for signs that LGBT inclusion in the sports world is on the rise, the Rio 2016 Olympics are a good place to start. Despite concerns surrounding the host city, the competition itself has gone off (mostly) without a hitch; for LGBT people in Brazil and around the world, it’s been downright monumental. … Read more
Despite Pope’s Comments, a Good Week for Trans Rights in Latin America
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) advocacy groups expressed disappointment this week after comments by Pope Francis were released showing the Catholic leader’s unease over the growing social acceptance of transgender rights. During a private meeting last week, the pope said the idea of teaching schoolchildren they can choose their gender was “terrible” and that … Read more
Infographic: The ‘Disastrous’ State of Latin America’s Prisons
Flames and plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the Juiz Plácido de Souza penitentiary in Pernambuco, Brazil on Saturday after a violent inmate rebellion left six dead and at least 11 injured. Local news outlets reported several possible causes for the incident, but severe overcrowding was almost certainly a factor: the prison, built … Read more
A Shaken Dominican LGBT Movement Finds Strength After Orlando
The Dominican Republic’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community was shaken after the nightclub shooting in Orlando a month ago. At least four victims were from that small country, and the attack underscored the discrimination many LGBT activists feel in their own, largely conservative society. In a particularly ill-timed display of opposition to LGBT … Read more
Incluya a los indígenas en las discusiones sobre cambio climático
Leer en inglés Estimado(a) Sr(a) Presidente(a): Los pueblos indígenas somos los que menos hemos contribuido al cambio climático pero los que más sufrimos sus consecuencias. Las catástrofes climáticas han puesto en riesgo nuestras fuentes de alimentación y medios de vida tradicionales. Pero nuestros problemas palidecen ante la crisis global de mayores proporciones que no sólo … Read more
One Transgender Refugee’s Journey through Central America
A transgender refugee’s personal journey is interrupted when violence forces another to begin. A photo essay. A transgender refugee’s personal journey is interrupted when violence forces another to begin. – See more at: http://americasquarterly.org/content/a-trying-transition#sthash.NZeRcYoo.dpuf
Centroamérica no mejorará mientras los temas de las mujeres no sean una prioridad
Read in English El fracaso de América Latina en prestar atención a las mujeres está rezagando a la región. A pesar del gran éxito en la reducción de la pobreza y de la desigualdad de ingresos durante la primera década del siglo 21, la amplia brecha de género en la región continúa siendo un freno … Read more
Jair Bolsonaro: Pro-Torture, Anti-Gay and Brazil’s Future President?
Brazil’s outspoken Jair Bolsonaro has a widening path to the presidency, posing a growing concern to the LGBT community.
Central America Won’t Get Better Until Women’s Issues Become a Priority
Leer en español Latin America’s failure to pay attention to women is holding the region back. Despite great success in reducing poverty and income inequality in the first decade of the 21st century, the region’s yawning gender gap continues to be a brake on future development. No clearer example of this exists than in Central … Read more
Peru’s LGBT Community Frustrated By Violence, Presidential Election
With less than six weeks to go before Peru’s presidential election, gay rights activists are fighting to put LGBT inclusion on the national agenda and find a candidate to rally behind. It isn’t easy, says Carlos Polo in Lima. Over Valentine’s Day weekend, Polo was beaten by police while kissing his boyfriend during a small … Read more
Free College in Chile! So What Are Students So Mad About?
On Tuesday, 80,000 university students in Chile received the good news that they were eligible for tuition-free education as part of a new program enacted by President Michelle Bachelet. The moment should have been a high point for the country’s vocal – and powerful – student movement, which for years has been protesting for better … Read more
