Why a Mexican Education Program for Syrian Refugees Only Has One Student
How Essa Hassan became the unwitting symbol of Mexico’s efforts — or lack of them — to assist Syrian refugees.
The Real Reason Behind Rising Violence in Mexico City
Until recently, Mexico City was considered an oasis in a country beset by skyrocketing violence. Even though one in two Mexican adults said they stopped going out at night for fear of being mugged or worse and one fourth of all adult Mexicans were victimized in 2014, the capital was largely exempt. In posh neighborhoods like … Read more
AQ Top 5 Corruption Busters: Viridiana Rios
This article is adapted from our 1st print issue of 2016. For an overview of our Top 5 Corruption Busters, click here. Last April, Mexico’s Congress passed a sweeping anticorruption law that would, among other things, increase oversight on public officials and establish a special prosecutor to take on corruption cases. The Sistema Nacional Anticorrupción … Read more
Alberta’s Left Turn
Until this year, Alberta was known as Canada’s most conservative province. But in May, Albertans elected for the first time the left -of-center New Democratic Party (NDP) to run their government. The huge change at the top for Canada’s fourth-largest province in terms of population — and the country’s leading petroleum producer — will have … Read more
Corona Capital
Eighty thousand people trudging around a rain-lashed muddy field may sound like a scene from a bleak World War I docudrama, but it’s actually a pretty fair description of last year’s Corona Capital music festival in Mexico City. The perseverance of the fans in the face of a meteorological wet blanket says something about the … Read more
Cuba: Open for Business, But…
Now that U.S. and Cuban flags fly over reestablished embassies in Washington and Havana, the question on many minds is: Is Cuba open for business? The short answer: Yes, but with caveats. In leading four Americas Society/Council of the Americas business delegations to the island over the past three years to explore possible investment opportunities, … Read more
Dismissed as a Drug Crime? How Mexico’s “Old” Media Covered Ruben Espinosa’s Death
Hours after photojournalist Rubén Espinosa and four others were found dead in a Mexico City apartment on July 31, much of Mexico’s traditional media had settled on a theory: This was a run-of-the-mill drug crime. In a video newscast titled “They didn’t kill him because he was a journalist,” Luis Cárdenas López, a reporter for … Read more
Dream Chasers: Immigration and the American Backlash
Immigration is part of the DNA of the United States. Whether motivated by the search for economic opportunity or by religious and political freedom, immigrants have been flocking to U.S. shores for over 400 years. Yet debates about “who belongs” and “who should be allowed in” are as old as the nation itself. Sometimes the … Read more
A Potential Turning Point for Gender Violence in Mexico
The often overlooked struggle to address violence against women in Mexico may have reached a turning point this week, after the country’s secretary of the interior approved “gender violence alerts” for 11 municipalities in Mexico state. The alerts, which some local governments have been requesting for several years, provide municipalities with federal funding and technical … Read more
Gregoria Flores, United States
While many were surprised when tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children arrived at the U.S. southern border seeking asylum last year, it had a sadly familiar resonance for Gregoria Flores. “I know what it’s like to apply for asylum here when you have no one supporting you,” said Flores, 47, who arrived alone … Read more
Rescuing Mexico’s Floating Gardens
Technicolor boats bumping their way along crowded canals. Floating mariachis. Big Gulp-size micheladas. For many visitors—whether they come from across town or across the globe—this trinity of elements is at the core of Xochimilco’s appeal. Forgotten by most is the fact that the rows of chinampas (manmade islands) that form the famous canals of this … Read more
The TPP: Almost There
It took more than five years, but the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is now near the finish line. Congressional passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) earlier this summer gave U.S. officials the mandate to conclude the TPP talks and revived procedures to expedite its ratification. The trade pact could be signed later this year. The TPP … Read more
Mexico Goes Global
Given the lack of progress on global trade talks in recent years, the future of international trade likely depends on regional initiatives. Mexico is well-placed to be a standard bearer. Over the past two decades it has become a major global trading power, boasting a network of free-trade agreements with 44 countries. It is also … Read more
This Week in Latin America: U.S. and Cuba Establish Ties—Venezuela’s Opposition Blocked—Another FARC Ceasefire—Argentina’s Elections
Here’s a look at some of the stories we’re following this week: U.S. and Cuba Establish Ties: The U.S. and Cuba re-established official diplomatic relations today for the first time since 1961. Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba’s foreign minister, is in Washington DC to mark the occasion, and will meet with Secretary of State John Kerry … Read more
Can Mexico City’s Regulations Help Uber Gain Footing Elsewhere in Latin America?
Two months ago, hundreds of frustrated taxi drivers blocked traffic in Mexico City to call for government regulation of mobile-based car services like Uber. On Wednesday, those regulations arrived, as the city announced a slew of new rules to regulate the rapidly-growing industry. But despite a list of regulations that includes new permit fees and a 1.5 percent tax … Read more
