Monday Memo: Gay Marriage in Uruguay – Venezuela and Paraguay – Cuban Prisoners – Immigration Reform – Carandiru Prison
Likely top stories this week: Gay marriage begins in Uruguay; Venezuela is not invited to the Paraguayan president’s inauguration; Amnesty International demands the release of Cuban prisoners; U.S. House of Representatives Republicans reject Senate approach to immigration reform; Brazilian police officers are sentenced for the 1992 Carandiru massacre. Same Sex Marriage Starts in Uruguay: The … Read more
Obama’s Mexico Turn: What Lies Ahead
Latin America, and Mexico in particular, are quickly emerging as new and unexpected partners of Washington’s global strategy, including its Asia pivot. Last month, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera and Peruvian President Ollanta Humala visited Washington soon after President Barack Obama completed a trip to Mexico and Costa Rica. Vice President Joe Biden had returned from … Read more
Monday Memo: Mercosur and Europe – Mexican Reforms – Guantánamo – Peruvian Legislator Arrested – Guatemala Police Station Massacre
Likely top stories this week: Mercosur leaders pledge to withdraw envoys from Europe; Mexican opposition demands electoral reforms; some Guantánamo prisoners break their hunger strike; Peruvian legislator Nancy Obregón to be investigated for Shining Path ties; four are arrested after Guatemalan police station massacre. Mercosur Countries to Withdraw European Ambassadors: At the Mercosur summit in … Read more
The Effect of Edward Snowden-A Canadian Perspective
To some, former CIA and National Security Administration (NSA) employee Edward Snowden is seen as a classic whistleblower, who divulged government secrets that contradict the U.S. Constitution and its 4th amendment. Many who espouse his view—on both the left and right—have applauded his courage and regard him as a hero. To others—especially within the U.S. … Read more
Latin Americans’ Perceptions of the United States and China
U.S. and Chinese leaders recently have each dedicated considerable time to visiting with their Latin American counterparts. In May, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden separately visited five countries: Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Trinidad & Tobago. In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Costa Rica, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago as … Read more
Beyond Obama’s Second Term Blues
Those who never voted for Barack Obama when he ran for President in 2008 or when he sought reelection in 2012 will conclude that Obama’s current second-term blues are just a case of the “chickens coming home to roost.” They never liked him and may actually rejoice in his misfortunes. All of the Republicans’ post-2012 … Read more
The Extraordinary Life of Bobby Kennedy
Author’s note: It is 47 years since Bobby Kennedy was shot, following his victory in the Democratic 1968 Presidential primary in California. Two months earlier, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis. Those were turbulent times. America produced these two incredible leaders, whose work and memory inspire the world to this day. … Read more
It’s Time to Delist Cuba
Each spring, the U.S. State Department releases a report indicating which countries the United States considers “State Sponsors of Terrorism.” Currently the list consists of four countries: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. This year, John Kerry’s ascent to U.S. Secretary of State generated a discussion about taking Cuba off the list. Given Kerry’s generally reasonable position on Cuba in the … Read more
Monday Memo: Guantánamo – Venezuela-U.S. Relations – Colombia Peace Negotiations – Marijuana Legalization – Santos Second Term
Top stories this week are likely to include: Barack Obama will speak about closing Guantánamo Bay; Venezuela says it is open to normalizing relations with the United States; the FARC says that more time is necessary for peace negotiations; an OAS report calls for a discussion on marijuana legalization; and Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos will … Read more
[i]AQ[/i] Slideshow: President Obama’s Visit to Mexico
On his first trip to Latin America since the beginning of his second term, U.S. President Barack Obama spent two days in Mexico, where he met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to discuss economic cooperation, energy and education, among other topics. View an exclusive AQ slideshow of his visit. On May 2, Obama and … Read more
New AQ Looks at Latin America’s Global Presence as Obama Heads to Mexico, Costa Rica
Today, as U.S. President Barack Obama kicks off his sixth visit to Latin America, Americas Quarterly releases its Spring issue, Latin America Goes Global, in which, among other articles on the region’s increasing role in global affairs, Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Roberta Jacobson reveals 10 generally unknown initiatives that are advancing … Read more
The Spies Nobody Knows: Is Havana Harmless?
A few weeks ago, a member of the House of Representatives wrote to President Obama to urge him to delete Cuba from the list of countries supporting international terrorism. In her appeal, Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL) included text from a discredited report prepared by Ana Belén Montes, a confessed spy for Havana who was arrested … Read more
Assessing the Bush Administration in Hemispheric Affairs
Shortly before the end of the Bush administration in January 2009, I met with a senior official covering hemispheric affairs who said point blank, “You’re going to miss us when we’re gone. We actually accomplished a lot more than anyone gives us credit for.” The opening of the George W. Bush Library in Dallas today … Read more
AQ Interviews U.S. President Barack Obama About Trip to Mexico and Costa Rica
On the eve of his sixth trip to Latin America and the Caribbean, President Barack Obama agreed to an interview with Americas Quarterly Editor-in-Chief Christopher Sabatini about his May 2-4 visit to Mexico and Costa Rica. President Obama is using the occasion of his trip to meet with the new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto … Read more
