Carnival in Trinidad
In the Caribbean, there’s a popular saying: “When the people of Trinidad and Tobago aren’t celebrating Carnival, they’re preparing for it.” It’s easy to believe when you see just how much planning goes into the month-long holiday, which climaxes with three days of festivities in Port of Spain just before Ash Wednesday (March 6–8 in … Read more
Education
Articles: Educational Entrepreneurs’ Dilemma by Fernando M. Reimers School reform needs innovation. Inertia and resistance to change threaten to close it off. Full text available. Failing Grade by Jeffrey M. Puryear and Tamara Ortega Goodspeed How well are Latin American students performing compared to their peers in other countries and regions? We really don’t know. … Read more
The Need for Reform in Mexico’s Congress
Pedro Ferriz de Con (one of the most influential voices in Mexico’s radio airwaves) and I rarely see eye-to-eye on a number of issues. However, the dire need for a more efficient Mexican Congress seems to place us on somewhat common paths. For about a year now, Ferriz de Con has been rallying support for … Read more
Dollarization: Ecuador’s Monetary Management
Ecuador’s 10-year experiment with dollarization is at a crossroads. Unless public spending can be reined in and the government can come up with a sound budget, the experiment could collapse in the medium term. That would be a severe setback. A January 2009 survey by the Market polling firm suggests that 80 percent of Ecuadorans … Read more
Bolivia’s Radical Decentralization
Bolivia under President Evo Morales is undergoing revolutionary change. Since it assumed power in 2006, much of the international attention on the Morales government has focused on its socioeconomic policies. But those policies may ultimately leave less of a political imprint than the transformation of the country’s governing structures. In fact, the most profoundly radical … Read more
Violence Targets Another Honduran Journalist
News director for Channel 19 in El Paraíso, Honduras, Luis Arturo Mondragon, was assassinated last night as he sat with his son outside his home. This brings the number of media professionals killed this year to nine. Mr. Mondragon had been the target of threats in the weeks leading up to his death for his … Read more
From Lima: Campaign Season and New Construction
You know it is election season in Peru when the number of public works projects (obras) increases so much that traffic comes to a virtual standstill. That’s how Lima is today ahead of the municipal and regional elections that will be held in October 2010. Much is at stake as the outcomes are a telltale … Read more
Polls Point to MAS Gains in Bolivian Elections
Bolivian President Evo Morales’ Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party secured modest victories in yesterday’s regional elections and won control of at least five of Bolivia’s nine departments, according to exit polls. Although official results will not be released for nearly three weeks, candidates from the MAS party have reportedly won clear statistical majorities in the … Read more
Colombia Frente al Nuevo Congreso: ¿Triunfarán los Herederos de la Parapolítica?
Mientras la campaña presidencial estaba congelada por cuenta del trámite de un referendo reeleccionista para saber si el presidente Álvaro Uribe sería candidato por tercera vez, proyecto que se cayó en la Corte Constitucional—a paso lento y en medio de algunos escándalos—avanzaban las campañas al Congreso de la República que por fin llegan a su … Read more
Medellín: Front Line of Colombia’s Challenges
Nestled in the Andean foothills of northwestern Colombia, more than 250 miles of mountainous terrain from Bogotá, Medellín is a city transformed. A unique combination of progressive businesses, an active and engaged civil society and visionary political leaders have worked together to lead what was once the poster child for narcotics trafficking, lawlessness, corruption, and … Read more
Entrevista Exclusiva con la Escritora y Periodista Peruana Gabriela Wiener
Dicen que no existe el momento ideal para traer hijos al mundo, pero cuando la cronista peruana Gabriela Wiener estaba embarazada, todo parecía jugar en su contra: acababa de perder su trabajo en una revista, su situación legal en España se balanceaba en la cuerda floja, le detectaron un cáncer a su padre, se enteró … Read more
Bolivia: De Cara A Las Elecciones Presidenciales
Después de las relativamente tranquilas celebraciones del Día de la Patria en Bolivia, la atmósfera empieza a cargarse de nuevo ante la proximidad de las elecciones presidenciales previstas para diciembre. Las encuestas mencionan a candidatos como el ex vicepresidente aymará Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, el alcalde de Potosí René Joaquino, los ya conocidos políticos Samuel Doria … Read more
Los Cien Más Influyentes de Bolivia
En su último número, la revista CA$H publicó una lista de las 100 personas más influyentes de Bolivia. Se trata de una lista sesgada, pues la empresa que la lleva a cabo sólo consulta a 200 “líderes de opinión” en el eje troncal del país (La Paz, Santa Cruz y Cochabamba). Es, digamos, un pantallaza … Read more
Chilenos asesinados en Florida: Más allá del dolor
La madrugada del jueves 26 de febrero de 2009 ha quedado en la memoria de todo Chile. Un grupo de jóvenes chilenos, parte del programa Work and Travel se encontraban reunidos en un departamento en Miramar Beach, Florida. Sin música fuerte, ni disturbios, estaban en una reunión de amigos, disfrutando de un momento agradable, cuando … Read more
Democracy’s Growing Pains
Twelve Elections: Two Messages The rounds of elections in 2005–2006 carry two messages, the presidents say. The first was positive: Latin Americans remain committed to elections as the path to political change. Even the sharp political differences, clashing political visions exposed by the electoral campaigns, and the persistence of stark inequalities did not dampen citizens’ … Read more
