Mexico 2018: It’s Not the Economy, Stupid
Emerging media consensus is that Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will likely name Treasury Secretary José Antonio Meade as its candidate for president in 2018. Such a move would serve the unpopular ruling party on two fronts: it would muffle inherent opposition to the PRI as an institution (Meade is not a party member), and … Read more
AQ Top 5 Latin American Art Activists: Edel Rodriguez
Known for his raw depictions of Donald Trump, this Cuban artist sees parallels between his past and present.
How a Tennessee Farm Boy Cashed In on the Mexican Revolution
This article is adapted from AQ’s print issue on peace and economic opportunity in Colombia Few stories better illustrate Mexico’s deep-rooted inequalities — and the broken legacy of its century-old constitution — than the giddy career of William O. Jenkins. In 1901, this Tennessee farm boy placed his bets on Mexico. Shortly before crossing the Rio Grande, he had … Read more
Is NAFTA Over Now?
Following Tuesday’s events, it is not an exaggeration to say that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is on life support, and it is unclear whether the patient will even survive into the coming year. Though the advance writing was flashing brightly on the wall, the three lead NAFTA negotiators put paid to the … Read more
The Next Step in Mexico’s Corruption Fight
Mexicans are fed up with graft, though their elected leaders have been slow to respond. Now, thanks to an increasingly vocal civil society, there are signs that impunity might no longer be certain, and that corrupt officials can expect political consequences for their misdeeds. “Mexico has awakened to notice that many of the dysfunctionalities of … Read more
What Trump’s “America First” Means for Latin America
Smart great powers ensure their safety by befriending smaller neighboring countries. China is engaged in a high-profile charm offensive to overcome long-standing animosities and draw its Southeast Asian neighbors into its orbit, through trade agreements and massive infrastructure projects. The Russia of Vladimir Putin is working hard to regain influence in territories of the former … Read more
Mexico 2018: Can AMLO Really Get to 20 Million Votes?
A question institutional investors often ask regarding Mexico’s presidential elections next year is: Can Andrés Manuel López Obrador actually win? Most polls do indeed put the leftist former mayor of Mexico City, known popularly by his initials, AMLO, ahead of hypothetical adversaries today. But the road to the 20 million votes he likely needs to … Read more
Why We Need a NAFTA for the Digital Age
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was originally negotiated in 1994, four out of five of the largest U.S. companies built automobiles. Google, Facebook and Amazon hadn’t been born. E-commerce, as such, didn’t exist. That’s part of why NAFTA renegotiations are more than just a political football: they are imperative for the region … Read more
After Earthquake, Mexicans Vent Anger at Their Political Class
When Avelino Mendez, a local political leader, stopped by San Gregorio Altapulco to inspect the damage done by last week’s severe earthquake, he expected to find the southern Mexico City community grieving for its 13 dead. They were mourning. But they were also irate, and chased the portly chief of the Xochimilco borough through the … Read more
How Mexico’s Anti-Corruption Fight Went Off-Track
Eighteen months ago, I wrote in AQ about the success of Mexico’s citizen-driven corruption fight in Congress. Civil society groups, academics and activists had pushed for the rejection of a watered-down anti-corruption bill and instead presented their own, sharpened version of the legislation. This citizen’s bill, called #Ley3de3 (or #Law3of3) promised not only to help identify, … Read more
18 en Latinoamérica: Cuando problemas económicos amenazan con truncar un futuro alentador
Read in English A los 18 años, Andrés sabe exactamente lo que quiere: un trabajo en un laboratorio de química analítica y una esposa hermosa. Pero sin duda es difícil conseguir esto. Lograr su primera meta, convertirse en químico, significa levantarse a las 4 de la mañana en Puente Viejo, un pueblo rural a dos … Read more
18 in Latin America: When Economic Turmoil Threatens a Promising Career
Leer en español This article is adapted from AQ’s print issue on youth in Latin America. At 18, Andrés knows exactly what he wants: a job in an analytical chemistry lab and a beautiful wife. It sure is hard to get there, though. Reaching that first goal — becoming a chemist — means getting up at 4 a.m. in … Read more
Immigrants Are Dying in U.S. Detention Centers. And It Could Get Worse.
Osmar Epifanio González Gadba, 32, hanged himself in March after three months in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in California while awaiting deportation to Nicaragua. Jean Carlos Jiménez-Joseph, 27, from Panama, hanged himself in ICE custody two months later, after 19 days in solitary confinement. The morning of his death, a … Read more
Pardinas: Mexico Needs an International Commission to Explore Espionage Claims
Mexico is experiencing a dramatic crisis in leadership and should call an international commission to investigate reports that spyware bought by federal agencies to uncover criminal activity was instead turned on critics like lawyers, journalists and anti-corruption activists, said Juan E. Pardinas, one of Mexico’s leading transparency advocates and one of the espionage targets. Pardinas … Read more
If NAFTA Ends, Ford’s Move to China Will Be Just the Start
Ford announced this week that instead of building its new Focus – the best-selling car in the world – in a new $1.6 billion dollar Mexico-based plant, it will ship cars for North American customers from China. Ford has promised that its decision won’t reduce its workforce. Yet even if that is true, American workers … Read more
