Wanted: A (Sane) Brazilian President Who Can Stop the Violence
Ler em português RIO DE JANEIRO – The most vital Twitter feed here these days is called Onde Tem Tiroteio, or “Where There Is a Shootout.” One recent afternoon, in a span of just a few hours, it sent these alerts to its 36,000 followers: “Shots heard in Botafogo, near Santa Marta and Cobal. Attention … Read more
China’s Strategic Play in Brazil
China’s $1 trillion plan to remake the global order astonishes not only for its audacious scale, but also its geographic reach. The “One Belt, One Road” initiative is the backbone of a transformative geopolitical and economic agenda. President Xi Jinping’s brand of globalization dispenses with the old liberal order and is bending international trade in the country’s favor. The plan involves massive infrastructure projects in over 60 … Read more
On Corruption, They Still Don’t Get It
If you were a Mexican attorney general allegedly hiding your Ferrari from tax authorities, a former Brazilian minister trying to squirrel away $16 million in ill-gotten cash, or a Uruguayan vice president accused of using official funds to buy jewelry – well, you just had a very bad week. All of them got caught, in one … Read more
Argentina’s Milagro Sala: Criminal, or “Political Prisoner”?
SAN SALVADOR DE JUJUY – As Argentina’s crucial midterm elections approach, the country’s growing political divides are on full display. Nowhere is this more clear than in the case of Milagro Sala, a prominent activist in Argentina’s remote northwest who once enjoyed vast influence bolstered by the patronage of then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner as well … Read more
Michel Temer’s Reform Agenda in Brazil: A Rundown
As a foreign correspondent in Brazil, I have spent most of the past year talking about a handful of issues that dominate the headlines. There is an enormous appetite – both abroad and domestically – for news about the “Car Wash” corruption probe and its impact on President Michel Temer’s government. Who will go to … Read more
Rio’s Olympics Were a Raging Success! Really!
No matter what you may have read elsewhere, Rio de Janeiro’s 2016 Olympic Games were a massive success. OK, so the event was billed by former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as Brazil’s time to shine, “an opportunity without equal, increasing Brazilians’ self-esteem, consolidating recent achievements and inspiring new progress.” On that front, it’s … Read more
After Victory on Abortion, Chile’s President Eyes Marriage Equality
With just six months left in office, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet’s progressive agenda may finally be taking shape. On Aug. 28, Bachelet became the first Chilean president to propose legislation to extend the right to marry to same-sex couples. At a signing ceremony in Santiago, she said it was “neither ethical nor fair to put … Read more
Brazilian Diplomacy: From First in Class to Disappearing Act
Brazilian foreign policy has always been an unpredictable affair. In the 1930s, dictator Getúlio Vargas had sympathies with Nazi fascism, even modeling labor laws after Benito Mussolini’s and fostering a militant wing vaguely resembling Adolf Hitler’s. But he ended up siding with the Allies during World War II. In the 1970s, during another authoritarian period, … Read more
In Argentina, the Ghost of Populism Haunts Investors Ahead of Elections
This piece has been updated. Every morning María Graciela Ottaviani sets up a cart by the beach in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where she sells popcorn to the tourists that flock to the coastal city. It’s not easy work for the 71-year-old, who recently broke an elbow when she fell on the stairs. But ever … Read more
18 na America Latina: Da favela para o mundo, através das redes sociais
Read in English Sabrina assume o centro do palco. Sob pequenas luzes de Natal coloridas, com um sorriso largo e bochechas arredondadas moldando o rosto, ela parece ter menos que seus 19 anos. Mas quando começa a recitar sua poesia, sua voz entra na cadência dura do rap para contar uma história bem adulta, sobre … Read more
18 in Latin America: From a Favela to the World, Via Social Media
How Sabrina turned love of community, a way with words and a talent for communication into a career.
Brazil Is Tired. Guess Who Benefits?
Everywhere you go in Brazil, it’s the same thing. Circles under the eyes, hushed voices. A shrug. “Fazer o que?” In the bakeries of Eastern São Paulo. In courtrooms. In President Michel Temer’s government. Outside shuttered storefronts. At City Hall. In the 50-person line for jobs at a yogurt shop. In corporate suites. The anger … Read more
Brazil Is Tired. Guess Who Benefits?
Everywhere you go in Brazil, it’s the same thing. Circles under the eyes, hushed voices. A shrug. “Fazer o que?” In the bakeries of Eastern São Paulo. In courtrooms. In President Michel Temer’s government. Outside shuttered storefronts. At City Hall. In the 50-person line for jobs at a yogurt shop. In corporate suites. The anger … Read more
Rio de Janeiro’s Party Is Over. Who Pays the Bill?
I teach at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most important educational institutions in Brazil, with more than 30,000 students. Broad programs of affirmative action have ensured that many of those students are from poor backgrounds, often the first members of their families to go to college. They are part of … Read more
Survivors of a Massacre in Paraguay Looking for Justice, Five Years Later
Marina Cué, a lightly-wooded parcel of land amid stunted fields of soybean in the district of Curuguaty, eastern Paraguay, seems like an oasis of calm today. But the casings from high-calibre rounds that locals still find in the grass tell a different story: that of a forced eviction here involving 300 heavily-armed police and a … Read more
