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Venezuelans Abroad: When Every Vote Matters

The October 7 elections pitting President Hugo Chávez against Mesa de la Unidad Democrática (Coalition for Democratic Unity—MUD) candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski promises to be close, and every vote will count. With almost 700,000 eligible voters overseas—215,000 of them in the U.S.—mobilizing the expat community is key, particularly for the opposition: nine out of 10 … Read more

The Uphill Battle of Justice Reform

The strength and quality of democracy depend on how well judiciaries perform and function. In Latin America, after more than 20 years of judicial reforms, there have been some notable achievements. But there is a long way to go before judiciaries can adequately carry out their responsibilities to resolve conflicts, define and interpret rights and laws, and provide the … Read more

The Paradox of Girls’ Educational Attainment

Women’s socioeconomic and political progress advanced dramatically across the globe in the last half of the twentieth century, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. Yet gender disparities remain high, and bridging those gaps has been a slow process. This is partly explained by negative stereotypes and misguided perceptions of gender roles—both still prevalent in … Read more

Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

Dear Subscribers: In anticipation of the relaunch of AS/COA Online, the Weekly Roundup will take a summer break. Look for a revamped version of the Roundup by Fall 2012. Paraguay’s Presidential Impeachment Causes Outcry On June 22, Paraguay’s Congress impeached President Fernando Lugo after a land conflict earlier in the month that left 17 dead. Lugo … Read more

Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Clock Ticks Down on Rio+20 The UN Conference on Sustainable Development—known as Rio+20—adopted … Read more

La crisis de la policía boliviana

La jerga delincuencial de los policías bolivianos En Bolivia, los policías destinados fuera de su lugar de origen pagan un “diezmo” (10 por ciento de su salario) a sus superiores. Llaman “saludar” cuando pagan por obtener determinado cargo; “aceitear” cuando exigen dinero para agilizar algún trámite; y “formar” cuando piden a un funcionario presentarse a … Read more

Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

Peru Declares State of Emergency amid Mining Protests The Peruvian government declared a state of emergency yesterday in the southeastern province of Espinar after a week of protests left at least two dead and 70 injured. Espinar residents are protesting a $1.5 billion expansion of the Tintaya copper mine, claiming that the mine’s Swiss owner … Read more

Cricket and Central America’s Gangs

The ability of sports to unite and promote shared goals has enabled athletes to reach parts of society that have often felt excluded. Could cricket be used to stem gang membership in Central America? Cricket dates back to the sixteenth century where it was first played in southern England. By the eighteenth century, it was … Read more

Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Chile Proposes New Tax Code to Fund Education Chilean President Sebastián Piñera introduced … Read more

Race and Ethnicity by the Numbers

*Watch an AQ Q&A interview with Judith Morrison. Despite growing recognition that racial and ethnic groups across the Americas are disproportionately poor, government interventions that address their needs have been inadequate. Yet if the region’s current economic growth is going to be sustained, it will require policy tools that address the exclusion of these groups … Read more

Generation Ni/Ni: Latin America’s Lost Youth

The youth unemployment rate today in Latin America and the Caribbean stands at a remarkable 15 percent. These 8 million unemployed are part of what may be called a global “lost generation” of young people at risk of social exclusion—all of whom lack opportunities, resources and access to formal labor markets. In 2011, 75 million … Read more

The Future of Electoral Observation

Free and fair elections are the accepted litmus test of a well-functioning democracy. For nations experiencing the difficult rite of passage from nondemocratic regimes, the presence of outside election monitors who can assure the world—and a country’s citizens—that the electoral process was indeed free and fair is crucial. Since the early 1990s, the United States … Read more

Social Exclusion and Political Change

Overcoming widespread poverty and inequality is not just a moral imperative. It is key to political and economic development. Social exclusion acts as a drag on sound and sustainable economic growth by preventing large segments of the population from fully contributing to the formal economy. And even if formal political rights exist on paper, social … Read more

Graciela Dixon

Graciela Dixon is the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Panama, the first Afro-Panamanian woman to hold that position.

Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas

From Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online’s news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup. Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email. Summit Advances Cooperation Despite Lack of Declaration The Sixth Summit of the Americas … Read more