Humala Concludes First Official Trip to China
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala concluded a five-day visit to the People’s Republic of China after meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and representatives of top corporations on Monday. The objective of the meetings is to boost bilateral relations and attract strategic Chinese investments in Peru. China is Peru’s main source of foreign investment, and … Read more
Brazilian Doctors Urge Senate to Relax Abortion Restrictions
Doctors in Brazil sparked debate yesterday when the Conselho Federal de Medicina (Federal Council of Medicine) published a petition endorsing the legalization of first-trimester abortions. The council, which represents approximately 400,000 doctors throughout the country, will submit the petition to a Senate commission that is reviewing several amendments to the country’s penal code. The document … Read more
The New Pope and Gay Rights
While naysayers joke that the Cardinals may as well have elected another Italian Pope in choosing a porteño, the move to elect Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, now Pope Francis, is of undeniable significance for the global south. This is particularly true for Latin Americans, who—while accounting for 40 percent of all Catholics—often complain of … Read more
A Historic Vote in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands
Far south of the South American continent and east of Argentina and Chile is an archipelago known as the Falkland Islands, or Islas Malvinas in Spanish. With a thriving economy and unparalleled natural views and sea life, what some consider inhospitable land is actually home to hundreds of families who live in one of the … Read more
World Leaders Arrive For Chávez’s Funeral
More than 30 heads of state traveled to Caracas for the funeral of Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela since 1999 and the architect of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) who passed away on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. Upon his arrival, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, “he was a dear … Read more
AQ Slideshow: Venezuelans Pay Their Respects to Hugo Chávez
Click here to view an expanded version of the slideshow. Throughout the day on Wednesday, enormous crowds took to the streets of Caracas to join the president’s procession from the hospital in which he died to the military academy. The impressive procession traversed eight kilometers of the capital city and lasted seven hours, flooding major … Read more
Latin America Reacts to Chávez’ Death
Latin Americans are mourning the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who passed away at age 58 on Tuesday. Just hours before Chávez died, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro had accused Venezuela’s enemies of “attacking” the leader with cancer and expelled two U.S. Embassy officials for allegedly conspiring against the deceased president. The president’s body … Read more
In Depth: OAS General Assembly
Courtesy of Prensa Presidencial. The 43rd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) is convening in Antigua, Guatemala from June 4-6, bringing hemispheric leaders together to discuss a number of issues, including a comprehensive and integrated approach to drug trafficking and violence in the Americas and the election of three members of … Read more
Human Rights Under Siege in the Americas
For more than 50 years, the human rights system of the Organization of American States (OAS) has served as the last line of defense for citizens facing abusive treatment throughout the hemisphere. It has mediated directly in cases of imminent risk and issued thorough reports that shine light on systemic human rights abuses. Perceived as … Read more
Prisiones: encerrados sin sentencia
Por Richard M. Aborn y Ashley D. Cannon To read an English version of this article, click here. En todo el continente americano, millones de personas desbordan las cárceles en espera de juicio. He aquí siete maneras en que los gobiernos y activistas pueden tratar este creciente problema de derechos humanos. Cada año, en todo … Read more
Roe vs. Wade’s 40th Anniversary and Reproductive Rights in the Americas
On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court passed Roe vs. Wade, a landmark decision that guaranteed a woman’s right to legal abortion services. In the 40 years since its passage, the ruling has allowed thousands in this country to avoid the dire consequences of unsafe and illegal procedures, and has also catalyzed four decades … Read more
Migration: Spain’s Reverse Flows
Latin America has historically played an important role in Spain’s migratory cycles—both as a sender and as a recipient. Spanish political immigration to the hemisphere surged following the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and again after World War II, when Spaniards flocked to Latin America for economic reasons. The flow reversed with the late-1980s economic crises … Read more
From the Think Tanks
How are Latin America’s anti-drug policies resonating among the region’s youth? Asuntos del Sur (ADS), a multinational think tank in Argentina and Chile, surveyed 4,000 people ages 18 to 34 across six countries—Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, and Mexico. The results, published in Estudio de Drogas y Opinión Pública 2012 (Study of Drugs and Public … Read more
Prisons: In Jail, But Not Sentenced
Watch an AQ Q&A with Richard Aborn. Lea una versión de este artículo en español aquí. Each year, millions of people across the world find themselves in jail without being convicted of anything—often for months at a time—as they await trial. Alarmingly, although the rights to liberty, security and equal justice under the law are cornerstones of … Read more
Latin American Leaders Converge on Venezuela, Without Chávez
Though Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will not be present, Uruguayan President José Mujica, Bolivian President Evo Morales, and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega will be in Caracas today for the Venezuelan leader’s intended—and now postponed—inauguration. As the ailing Chávez remains in Cuba recovering from a respiratory infection that followed his December 11 cancer surgery, hemispheric well-wishers … Read more
