President Trump threatens to curtail development assistance from migrant-sending countries
Here are three reasons why President Trump’s stated plan to reduce development assistance to countries that fail to reduce illegal immigration is not only nonsensical, but also dangerous.
May 21st in Venezuela: What happens the day after an election foretold?
Despite the pleas of the U.S. and the Lima Group, it’s unlikely that the Maduro government will postpone the May 20th elections. But there are several steps that can be taken afterward to help Venezuela heal.
After Peru’s president, regional anti-corruption wave finds next targets
Kuczysnki is the latest casualty of a growing anti-corruption wave sweeping Latin America and the Caribbean, and he’s unlikely to be the last. While the backlash might finally herald the end of the era of political impunity in the region, it could also have uncertain and harmful consequences for democratic stability and due process.
Despite all the downsides, the Venezuelan opposition should field a candidate in the elections
By refusing to participate, the Venezuelan opposition has lost an opportunity to provide an option to voters and mobilize domestic and international democrats.
Why bureaucracy matters: We still don’t know what happened in the Kushner-Videgaray meeting
In yet another break with standard diplomatic practice, there have been no press releases or briefings since Jared Kushner’s return from Mexico. This is not the way diplomacy in a democracy is, or should be, conducted.
Why President Maduro may have just killed bitcoin fever
Venezuela’s inevitably doomed plan to save its economy by issuing its own kleptocurrency may well undermine the fragile foundations of other booming cryptocurrencies.
The flawed logic of the Trump administration’s cuts to exchange programs
The Trump administration’s proposal to cut the State Department’s budget for educational and cultural exchange by 75% is bad. Its justification is even worse.
Tillerson’s Attempt to Mend Ties in Latin America
While the secretary of state may have secured support for tighter sanctions on Venezuela, it was a narrow victory.
The weaponization of corruption and its very real risks
Far from celebrating the wave of anti-corruption sentiment and investigations, we should fear for the future. The backlash could make the region a petri-dish for populism.
Re-electionistas: In Bolivia and Honduras, thirst for power trumps ideology
Recent events in Honduras and Bolivia show the corruption of institutions knows no ideological boundaries.