El increíble caso que demostró que la ofensiva de América Latina contra la corrupción va en serio
Read in English ¿Guatemala? ¿De verdad? Confieso: esa fue mi reacción en el momento en que Guatemala fue más lejos que cualquier otro país en la campaña contra la corrupción que ahora se propaga en América Latina. Una cosa es que Brasil o Chile, que tienen una historia más larga de instituciones fuertes, investiguen a … Read more
Es hora de tener mayor transparencia en América Latina
Read in English Durante las últimas décadas, diversas investigaciones han demostrado el enorme impacto nocivo de la corrupción en el desarrollo económico, político y social de los países. Sin embargo, a pesar de toda la evidencia existente –cuyos sólidos argumentos revelan que la corrupción incrementa la desigualdad y la pobreza-, esta sigue diseminándose en nuestros … Read more
Central American Refugees Turn South as U.S. and Mexico Tighten Borders
In July 2014, at the peak of the Central American migration crisis in the U.S., officials in Mexico announced a plan to stem the tide of illegal entries on the country’s porous southern border with Guatemala. Dubbed Programa Frontera Sur, the new policy was partly responsible for a dramatic drop in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving … Read more
This Week in Latin America: Political Crises in Guatemala
Here are a few of the stories we’re following this week: Turmoil in Guatemala: Guatemala’s President Otto Pérez Molina (pictured) may face impeachment over his alleged participation in a wide-ranging corruption scandal involving the country’s customs agency. The president denied any connection with the scheme during a televised address on Sunday night, just days after his former vice-president, Roxana Baldetti, was arrested on fraud charges. The scandal … Read more
Endnotes: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America
Below are the endnotes from Race and Ethnicity in Latin America by Judith A. Morrison (Summer 2015 AQ). The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the institution with which she is affiliated. Molinas Vega, Jose R.; Barros, Ricardo Paes de; Saavedra Chanduvi, Jaime; Giugale, Marcelo; Cord, Louise … Read more
Behind the Numbers: Race and Ethnicity in Latin America
Throughout Latin America, race and ethnicity continue to be among the most important determinants of access to opportunity and economic advancement. Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples in Latin America represent 40 percent of the total population—a sizeable share—yet they remain a disproportionate segment of the poorest of the poor. While a priority for social inclusion measures, … Read more
Getting to Win-Win: FTAs in the Americas
Over the past several decades, many of the hemisphere’s trade agreements have included impressively robust provisions on labor and the environment, but gaps in both implementation and enforcement have raised concerns about their effectiveness. Those concerns are especially timely as the region’s economic policymakers begin discussing efforts to facilitate greater international trade and investment, such … Read more
Democracies and Dictatorships in Latin America
Latin America experienced a dramatic political change in the last quarter of the twentieth century. At the onset of the so-called “third wave” of democracy in 1978, the only democratic regimes were Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela. But by 1995, all the countries in the region, with the notable exception of Cuba, were democracies or … Read more
Brazil, Ecuador, and the Inter-American Human Rights System
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the independent human rights body of the Organization of American States (OAS), experienced a period of intense political turmoil from 2011 to 2013. Criticism of the Commission by members of the OAS—most notably Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela—was echoed by Colombia, Peru and others in their vocal disapproval of … Read more
Monday Memo: U.S.-Cuba Talks — Colombia Peace Talks — Latin American Currencies — New Uruguayan President — Peruvian Ecotourism
This week’s likely top stories:U.S.-Cuba talks promising; New delegation for FARC peace talks; Dollar strengthens against Latin American currencies; Tabaré Vázquez takes office; Peruvian businesses to learn from Costa Rican ecotourism. U.S.-Cuba Normalization Talks Promising: After two rounds of talks—one in Havana last month and the second in Washington DC on Friday—the U.S. and Cuba … Read more
Stay on the Korean Wave, Latin America
The perception Korea once held of Latin America—of lazy workers and inefficient governments—has drastically changed today. From an entire floor dedicated to South Korean music, cuisine and clothes at a mall in Peru, to the first Korean Cultural Center in Argentina, to the United States Ambassador to Costa Rica singing and dancing to Psy’s Gangnam … Read more
El comercio de armas entre Rusia y América Latina
Foto: Andrewy Korchagin (Flickr). Traducido por Martha Alicia Bravo Rusia busca la expansión militar en América para consolidar los tratos comerciales y desarrollar vínculos militares e intergubernamentales más estrechos. Este esfuerzo también produce beneficios colaterales: Rusia ha asignado contratistas y asesores en los ministerios de defensa y cuarteles militares locales, quienes tienen la capacidad de … Read more
A Dash of Color: Latin America’s Color Runs
Chalk it up to the running craze in Latin America. Or to the revitalization of the region’s cities. Either way, the U.S.-based Color Run is turning the hemisphere’s streets into a rainbow of vibrant color. The urban running events—which are billed as “the happiest 5K on the planet”—involve a 3.1-mile sprint through a city while … Read more
Latin America and UN Climate Talks: Not in Harmony
When it comes to climate change, Latin American citizens and their leaders get the big picture. According to surveys, the region’s citizens are very worried about global warming, and its leaders frequently cite climate change as a major national security threat at United Nations conferences. However, the consensus appears to largely end there. National positions … Read more
A Post-Hegemonic Paradise in Latin America?
Click here to view the table of contents for the Winter 2015 issue of AQ. As Latin America tries to get a better grip on the precise contours of the post-Great Recession world order, a few assumptions have calcified into conventional wisdom. The first assumption is that the United States is no longer the hegemonic … Read more
