Venezuela In Depth
Photo: AndresAzp (Flickr) Follow AQ Online for continuous Venezuela coverage. A wave of peaceful student protests that began on February 12 for National Youth Day turned violent when three protestors were shot dead. Demonstrators continue to flood the streets in Venezuela to protest against high inflation, rising crime rates and shortages of staple supplies. Plus, … Read more
Venezuela Election Updates
Courtesy of Guillermo Esteves On October 7, Venezuelans went to the polls in a critical election between President Hugo Chávez and former Miranda Governor Henrique Capriles Radonski. This election, the fourth time Chávez faced voters, was the closest race yet for the longstanding Venezuelan president. Stay tuned to AQ Online for ongoing coverage. Read our … Read more
Women and Conflict Prevention in Latin America
Over a decade after a landmark global effort to increase the participation of women in peace and security efforts much of the Americas is still behind the curve. UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSC 1325), passed in 2000, reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in all efforts aimed … Read more
The 2012 Gay Year in Review: The Top-20 Stories from the Americas
In 2012 the Western Hemisphere continued to make headlines in terms of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights. The courts in Colombia and Mexico and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights emerged as LGBT champions, while transgender rights advanced in Argentina and Canada. An openly lesbian woman entered the cabinet in Ecuador, and another … Read more
Chávez Misses Mercosur Summit in Brasilia
Heads of state of Mercosur member countries are meeting in the Brazilian capital today, marking the first time that Venezuela will participate as a full member in the South American trade bloc after Paraguay’s suspension in June paved the way for its membership. But health concerns are preventing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez from joining his … Read more
Members of Argentine Military on Trial for Dictatorship-Era Death Flights
On Wednesday, Argentina began the trial of 68 suspects accused of kidnapping, torture and murder at the notorious Buenos Aires Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada (Navy Mechanics School-ESMA) during the country’s 1976–1983 dictatorship. All but two of the suspects are former members of the Argentine military. Some 5,000 political prisoners are estimated to have … Read more
Get the Story Right: Time for Stories of Fading U.S. Interest to Fade
It gets tiresome hearing the constant assertions by reporters and analysts that U.S. influence in the Americas is ebbing. Not only are they wrong—let alone trite, by now—they miss the actual complexity (and yes, maturity) of U.S. diplomacy in the region today. Ironically, much of evidence cited for “declining U.S. power” is rooted in … Read more
The Road to the World Cup
Although the next World Cup doesn’t kick off until June 2014, the qualifying rounds are already well under way. Between June 2011 and November 2013, 203 teams representing six regional federations will vie for 31 berths in the world’s biggest sports tournament. The federations vary in both qualification method and level of competition. The Confederación … Read more
Finance: Latin America’s Mortgage Market
Since 2003, mortgage credit in Latin America has expanded at an annual rate of 14 percent (adjusted for inflation)—well above rates observed in emerging Asia but below the exorbitant rates seen in emerging Europe before its housing bust. The region’s credit expansion has been accompanied by burgeoning real estate prices and construction activity—now representing more … Read more
They waste energy and political capital.
I have supported, and continue to support, all bilateral and regional deals. But Latin America, the United States and the rest of the world would benefit far more if the time, energy, human resources, and all-too-limited political capital being invested in these deals were devoted instead to achieving a much-needed global deal on trade. While such … Read more
Brazil’s Strategic Leap Forward
During their meeting in Brazil in March last year, U.S. President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff discussed a plan to send 101,000 Brazilian students overseas to study science, engineering, mathematics, and technology-based disciplines. Announced soon after, the initiative, Science Without Borders, has signaled President Rousseff’s interest in marking her tenure by building a … Read more
Ricardo Lagos: Advances in the Social Sciences
This article is part of the Leaders of Social & Political Change series from the Fall 2012 issue of Americas Quarterly. View the full special section. In 1962, the Ford Foundation quietly began work in the Southern Cone. At the time, the predominant economic model in the region, import substitution industrialization, was struggling to keep … Read more
R. Viswanathan
R. Viswanathan currently serves as India’s ambassador to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Romney’s Latin American Trade Plan: The Devil is in the Details
During the last presidential debate, Mitt Romney put the spotlight on an aspect of his five-point economic plan that has received little scrutiny. Romney said forging trade deals with Latin American nations would be a cornerstone of his plan to revitalize the U.S. economy. “The opportunities for us in Latin America we have just not … Read more
Monday Memo: [i]AQ[/i]’s Top Expected Stories for the Week of September 17
Top stories this week are likely to include: Enrique Peña Nieto tours Latin America; United Nations General Assembly gets underway; Venezuela’s presidential election intensifies; European Union continues free-trade talks with Canada; and Paraguay seeks reparations from Mercosur. Peña Nieto Visits Latin America: Mexican President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto departed yesterday evening for his six-country Latin America tour, … Read more
