New Military Deals May Show Shifting U.S. Policy
In late March, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield said the U.S. is close to signing bilateral military accords with two unspecified countries in Latin America. Brownfield did not specify whether military collaboration meant having troops on the ground or the provision of equipment and/or advisory services. But this is an important difference. In October … Read more
Obama’s Latin American Policy: Talking Like It’s 1999
When it comes to Latin America, the Obama administration’s change in tone from the early days of the last administration has been tremendously important. The emphasis on multilateralism has helped to salve long-standing wounds. The emphasis on broader social goals and the willingness to listen has echoed the growing demand to be listened to south … Read more
Entrevista sobre las relaciones entre Colombia y los Estados Unidos en la era posturibe
Brian Nichols, Ministro Consejero de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Colombia, habla en esta entrevista sobre lo que se espera de la relación entre la administración de Barack Obama y el mandatario de Colombia en la era post-Uribe. Continuación en las políticas de extradición y antidrogas. TLC, aún en vilo. (Esta entrevista fue originalmente … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From the 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. Shift on Drug War Strategy Stems from Clinton’s Mexico Trip U.S. Secretary … Read more
Latin American Gays: The Post-Left Leftists
When most straight people are forced to think about gay people, they usually think of one thing first, sex. A political scientist might focus instead on a different question: how do gays perform in politics? Judged from their political achievements this past decade, the answer is, at least for Latin American gays: they’re pretty good. … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From the 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. In Wake of Consular Killings, Calderón and U.S. Ambassador Visit Ciudad Juarez … Read more
Honduras in the Central American Spotlight
Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes called for Honduras to be readmitted into international forums at yesterday’s meeting of countries located in Central America’s northern triangle. The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador met with other politicians and business leaders from the three countries (Panama also sent business representatives) to discuss trade ties and diplomatic ties. … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From the 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. Haiti Reconstruction Costs Higher than Anticipated A new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) … Read more
Gay in the Americas
Tolerance for minority rights is the hallmark of liberal democracies. Indeed, without such tolerance, democracy is fatally flawed. Creating an atmosphere of tolerance for minorities is one of the key challenges in constructing and deepening democracy in our hemisphere. The shameful treatment of African Americans in the United States, for example, persisted for decades after … Read more
Aviation: Mixed Signals For Latin America’s Aeronautics
Even in the best economic times, it is impossible to untangle and interpret the contradictory trends in Latin American aviation. Now, in what is for many industries a time of slow economic recovery, the aviation industry is looking promising. New flight routes, new equipment purchases and higher passenger traffic indicate that 2010 may be a … Read more
The Techie
Our generation expects gratification. Previous generations did not have instant access to information nor the ability to communicate with the same level of immediacy that the Internet, mobile phones and BlackBerries give us today. We have become less forgiving of delays and inefficiencies. But the flood of instant information has its risks. This is particularly … Read more
United States Seeks Noriega Extradition Following Court Decision
The U.S. government has asked a Miami federal judge to grant Manuel Noriega’s extradition to France after the Supreme Court decided not to consider the former Panamanian dictator’s appeal. Noriega is charged with laundering money through French banks. His attorney, Jon May, will ask the Miami court for a rehearing on February 19, based on … Read more
Truth or Dare in Costa Rica’s Presidential Campaign
Costa Rica’s presidential campaign has become quite tense in the lead-up to the February 7 elections, but it also has turned rather goofy. One of the latest displays of wackiness took the form of a lie detector test, which several leading candidates actually agreed to take on national television. I was eating dinner at a … Read more
Voices from the New Generation
Articles: The Digital Integrator by Paulo Rogério “If we are able to influence public opinion through media outlets we will be able to overcome the black community’s traditional lack of political voice.” Full text available. The Third Man by Adrián Pérez (Argentina) “We have an opportunity to create a different Argentina, in which democracy is … Read more
Weekly Roundup from Across the Americas
From the 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. Honduras Tries to Turn Page with Lobo’s Inauguration Seven months after the … Read more
