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Colombia’s Uncertainty Is Sinking Investment and More
Economic and political instability could spell trouble for growth. However, the government has a new chance to put the country back on track.
![President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa arrives at Carondelet Palace in Quito.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GettyImages-1730496902-300x200.jpg)
Now Empowered, Noboa Can Still Avoid Authoritarian Drift
Ecuador’s president gained a resounding endorsement for “mano dura” policies against organized crime in Sunday’s referendum. A delicate democratic balance is at stake.
![Salazar, 42, is Ecuador's first career prosecutor to ascend to the top job.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AQ0224_PROFILE-300x183.jpg)
Ecuador’s Crusading Attorney General Is Facing Her Toughest Challenge Yet
Diana Salazar’s investigations have taken down major figures. But a wave of drug-related violence is changing what defending the rule of law looks like.
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AQ Podcast: Warning Lights for Brazil’s Economy?
What to expect from Latin America’s largest economy in 2024
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Petro’s Healthcare Move Reveals His New Governing Strategy
The Colombian president’s intervention into major private health insurers reflects growing frustration over obstacles to his reform agenda.
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What Ecuador’s Embassy Drama Means for Noboa
The raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito to seize a convicted former vice president hurts the president’s international prospects, but might help him domestically.
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AQ Podcast | Venezuela: Maduro’s and the Opposition’s Strategies
A look at what Nicolás Maduro and the opposition are hoping to accomplish with the July 28th election, which virtually nobody expects to be free or fair
![Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrives to register his reelection campaign at the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Caracas on Mar. 25.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MaduroCNE-300x200.jpg)
Maduro Gets His Wish: A Divided Venezuelan Opposition
The July 28 vote may hinge on how Machado and Rosales resolve their differences. Otherwise, regime-controlled institutions will most likely dictate the outcome.
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Peru’s Brewing Migration Storm
As Peru’s deeply unpopular Congress erodes democracy, its citizens are increasingly voting with their feet. Washington can prevent a bigger outflow.
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AQ Podcast | The Shifting Sands of Organized Crime in Latin America
An overview of how homicide and other crimes are evolving in the region
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Petro’s Environmental Record Is Full of Contradictions
As this October’s COP16 summit approaches, is Colombia ready to set real commitments to protect biodiversity?
![Ecuadorian soldiers carry out an anti-gang operation in Guayaquil on Feb. 5.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/JIEcuador-300x200.jpg)
Ecuador’s War on Drug Gangs: A Mixed Picture So Far
President Noboa has deployed more than 30,000 soldiers and policemen to contain the chaos. While homicides have fallen, kidnappings and extortion remain high.
![La líder opositora venezolana María Corina Machado habla a sus seguidores durante una manifestación en Caracas en enero de 2024. Incumpliendo el Acuerdo de Barbados, el régimen de Maduro opta por vivir en la pobreza. La oposición se enfrenta a una difícil decisión.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MCM2-300x200.jpeg)
La Oposición Venezolana Debería Inspirarse en un Inusitado Personaje
¿Nombrarán María Corina Machado y los opositores al régimen a un candidato designado para burlar a un dictador que intenta desesperadamente mantenerse en el poder?
![Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado speaks to supporters during a demonstration in Caracas in Jan. 2024. Infringing the Barbados Accord, Maduro’s regime is choosing to live in poverty. The opposition faces a difficult decision of its own.](https://americasquarterly.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MCM-300x200.jpg)
Venezuela’s Opposition Should Draw Inspiration From an Unlikely Figure
Will María Corina Machado and regime opponents name a proxy candidate to outsmart a dictator desperately trying to stay in power?
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AQ Podcast: An X-Ray of Peru’s Tinderbox
A broad look at what’s behind political instability in Peru and what it means for the country’s democracy and the economy