Did an Anti-LGBT Panic Help Defeat Colombia’s Peace Deal?
When thousands of Colombians protested on August 10 to demand the resignation of the country’s openly gay education minister, few saw any greater political significance. But as the world struggles to understand why Colombians voted “No” on Sunday to a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, the seemingly unrelated … Read more
Six Reasons Colombia Said “No” to FARC Peace Deal
It was a shock result. But a reexamination of why Colombians voted “no” to a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) by a margin of just 54,000 votes on Sunday sheds some light on why almost all pundits got it wrong – and what might happen next. Here are six reasons … Read more
As Colombia Votes on Peace, Child Soldiers Struggle to Adapt
They may call themselves the “generation of peace,” but young Colombians are actually among those least likely to support their government’s recent peace agreement with FARC rebels, which will be put to a plebiscite vote on October 2. Part of the reason, observers say, is that many young Colombians have not experienced the conflict as … Read more
This Week in Latin America: Colombia’s Peace Accord
Sign up here to get This Week in Latin America delivered to your inbox every Monday. Peace Deal: Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos will sign an agreement today to end his country’s 52-year war with the FARC. Santos’ tumultuous four-year peace process has come at significant financial and political cost, and touched off fierce debate about how the guerrillas will be held to account after they disarm. Polls suggest … Read more
This Week in Latin America: Cease-fire in Colombia
Sign up here to get This Week in Latin America delivered to your inbox every Monday. Laying Down Arms: A “definitive,” bilateral cease-fire in Colombia’s 52-year war with the FARC began this morning after the two sides agreed to a final peace deal on August 24. The deal will be put to a plebiscite vote on October 2, with campaigning both for and against already … Read more
Rethink the War on Drugs, President Santos Says
In the new issue of Americas Quarterly, we asked people, “What would you tell the next U.S. president about Latin America?” To see other authors’ responses, click here. Dear Mister / Madam President, I want to take this opportunity, before your term, to discuss an important matter for both of our nations and many other … Read more
Threats to Environmental Activists Put Colombia’s Indigenous at Risk
While Colombia has made remarkable strides in reducing violence over the last two decades, the country remains a dangerous – and even deadly – place for environmental activists. According to a report released June 20 by the advocacy group Global Witness, at least 26 land and environmental activists were killed in the country in 2015. … Read more
How Colombia’s Drugs Battle With Novartis Could Change Healthcare in Latin America
An ambitious healthcare reform in Colombia may be facing its toughest challenge yet: the pharmaceutical industry. In a bold step with wide repercussions for Latin America’s healthcare sector and drug patent law, Colombia’s Ministry of Health in late April moved to unilaterally end Swiss drug giant Novartis’ patent on the expensive cancer treatment Glivec after the … Read more
10 Things to Do: Medellín
Colombia’s second-largest city, Medellín, has experienced a major transformation in the last 20 years. Once notorious for crime and violence, the “City of Eternal Spring” is now winning acclaim as the poster child for innovation in Latin America, drawing tourists, investors and entrepreneurs from around the world, thanks to significant government investment in transportation and … Read more
Interview: Ingrid Betancourt on Colombia-FARC Peace
Since being held captive for six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), former senator and presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt has come to believe the nation’s best path forward is through peace negotiations between the rebel group and the government. So it is appropriate that themes of reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness run throughout … Read more
AQ Top 5 de Chefs Jóvenes: Silvana Villegas
Read in English Usted no encontrará gran cosa en el menú de Masa que no sea completa y apasionadamente tradicional. Precisamente esa es la intención de Silvana Villegas. La chef de 31 años y copropietaria de una de las panaderías y restaurantes más populares de Bogotá se propuso como misión llevar el miche levain, el … Read more
AQ Top 5 Young Chefs: Silvana Villegas
Leer en español See the rest of the AQ Top 5 You won’t find much on the menu at Masa (“dough” in Spanish) that isn’t completely, passionately, traditional. That’s how Silvana Villegas intends it. The 31-year-old chef and co-owner of one of Bogotá’s most popular bakeries and lunch spots has made it her mission to … Read more
This Week in Latin America: Obama in Havana, Venezuela in Crisis
Sign up here to get This Week in Latin America delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Cuba, Argentina Host Obama: Cuba and Argentina each play host to U.S. President Barack Obama this week, with human rights issues shading both visits. Today, Obama will hold a working meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro, who will then host a state dinner … Read more
This Week in Latin America: Brazil’s Environmental Disaster
Sign up here to get This Week in Latin America delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Samarco Settlement: Nearly four months after a burst mining dam in Brazil killed 19 people and caused a wave of toxic sludge to pollute major water sources, mine owner Samarco Mineração S.A. is expected Monday to announce a financial settlement with the Brazilian government. Joint … Read more
Uribe: Colombia Peace Deal Is “a Capitulation” to FARC
It’s been a challenging few years for Álvaro Uribe. His 2002-10 presidency of Colombia is still credited with a historic drop in violence and robust economic growth rates. But since leaving office with an approval rating upward of 75 percent, Uribe has watched the country move in a different direction. His chosen successor Juan Manuel … Read more