Book Review: The Salvador Option
Despite decades of military support and millions in development aid, for many Americans El Salvador remains a caricature, caught somewhere between an episode of Gangland and the milieu of sex, alcohol and jungle violence portrayed in Oliver Stone’s 1986 film, Salvador. Those Americans who do spare a thought for the tiny country are prone to … Read more
Why Central America’s Drought Is Harder On Women
Over the past 18 years, Rosalita García has nursed all 10 of her children back to health after bouts of malnutrition. But her three-year-old son’s recent hospital visit in Chiquimula, Guatemala has the 37-year-old mother more worried than usual. “I was able to feed my kids better before because it rained,” García told AQ. “But … Read more
Latin America Could Cut Its Murder Rate By 50 Percent. Here’s How.
Many deaths are unavoidable. Natural disasters and incurable illnesses can claim lives suddenly, without warning. But there is one untimely death that can be avoided – homicide. It is time for Latin America and the Caribbean to set a bold goal to bring down the murder rate. The region is one of the world’s deadliest. It is home … Read more
What Puig’s Olympic Gold Really Means for Puerto Rico
On Saturday afternoon, I was sitting with my blanket gripped tightly to my face as my boyfriend patiently repeated (for the fifth time) the difference between a game and a set. Like many other Puerto Ricans, it was the first time I had watched tennis, and I kept forgetting the rules. For the 8 million … Read more
Here’s What Latin Americans Want to Tell the Next U.S. President
“Heal the relationship with Mexico.” “Fix the war on drugs.” “Help us lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” We asked Latin Americans: If you could tell the next president of the United States anything, what would it be? Those are just a few of the responses we’re publishing in the new issue of Americas Quarterly, entitled … Read more
AQ Top 5 Latin American Academics: Agustín Lage
See the rest of the AQ Top 5 When the world’s first therapeutic lung cancer vaccine was announced in 2011, it may have appeared to come from one of the least likely places: Cuba, whose access to investment and goods has been restricted by more than a half-century of harsh U.S. sanctions. But to anyone … Read more
Ayude a los boomers a retirarse en América Latina
Leer en inglés Estimado(a) Sr(a) Presidente(a): Los baby boomers de Estados Unidos a menudo parecen representar las importaciones de mayor crecimiento en México. En la región del Lago de Chapala, en donde vivo, una cifra estimada de más de 10,000 estadounidenses –o el doble de ese número dependiendo de la época del año– llaman “su … Read more
Telmary Díaz Demands That You Listen
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here The worldwide influence of Cuban rhythms such as son and rumba can make it easy to overlook how music continues to evolve on the island itself. Telmary Díaz’s 2013 sophomore release, Libre, is a showcase for this … Read more
Ibeyi Is Ready for the World. Is the World Ready for Them?
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here It wasn’t long after they released their eponymous debut in 2015 that the French-Cuban duo Ibeyi was catapulted into pop music consciousness by none other than the Queen B herself, Beyoncé. The reigning queen of pop … Read more
“I Was Destined to Be a Percussionist”
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here This interview originally appeared in Spanish in OnCuba magazine. Music flows through Yissy García’s veins. The daughter of drummer Bernardo García, founding member of the popular band Irakere, García was born in Cayo Hueso in Havana, … Read more
Clara Porset: Revolutionary by Design
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here Legend has it that the idea for Cuba’s national arts schools was born over beers and a round of golf between Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara in the early days of the Communist revolution. Walking … Read more
El Bote/The Dump
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here El Bote ¿El detritus algo importa? ¿Tampoco la luminosidad por estos páramos? Dondese instalarían las depuraciones. Y polvo en el camino, o fango. ¿Hurgan los moradores? El humo desasido. Moscas. Porque se ha visto revolotear al ave carroñera, y perros, … Read more
Miami, Beyond the Palm Trees
This article is part of AQ’s debut culture supplement, Cultura. To see the rest of the issue, click here The following is an excerpt from Andrés Neuman’s How to Travel without Seeing: Dispatches from the New Latin America, available August 30, 2016 from Restless Books. Guatemala airport. Preboarding zone. American Airlines counter. When the agent … Read more
All Eyes on Cuba in AQ’s New Culture Issue
Americas Quarterly is proud to unveil Cultura, a new twice-yearly supplement featuring contributions from established and emerging voices in Latin American arts and letters. Building on the Americas Society’s 50-year history at the forefront of artistic exchange, we hope to offer a window into the unique energy of our hemisphere. In the inaugural issue, we … Read more
