Chile’s Constitutional Convention elections: institutional uncertainty and the long shadow of October 2019

Two things stood out when Chileans went to the polls for last October’s national plebiscite on the drafting of a new constitution. First, nearly 80 percent voted in favor of commencing the process to eventually draft a new constitution, signifying a fairly broad popular consensus that the path toward fixing the country’s ills would be an institutional one—quite a relief after the experience of the 2019 protests. Second, there was a high voter turnout: over 7.5 million Chileans, more than 50 percent of eligible voters, cast a ballot, marking the highest turnout since 2009 (in the middle of a pandemic, no less).

Read More »

What will be the alternative to Bolsonaro?

Vaccine developments at the beginning of 2021 represented a crucial step toward overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, and inaugurating a new era for all of Brazil. Nevertheless, another task remains crucial for the country: the development of an alternative to the government of President Jair Bolsonaro.

Read More »

Lessons from Paraguay and Guyana’s brushes with Chinese vaccine diplomacy

The ambition and capability of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to affect the political affairs of nations across Latin America and the Caribbean have only grown during the global pandemic. Recent events in Guyana and Paraguay show that COVID-19 vaccines have influenced governments, either directly or indirectly, toward Beijing’s political preferences.

Read More »

Brazil’s rising oil production

Brazil produced an average of 2.94 million barrels of oil per day in 2020. The South American country is now the seventh-largest crude oil producer in the world, and the largest in Latin America, with current trends indicating further growth for Brazil’s oil industry.

Read More »

Countdown to 2022

The beginning of 2021 has brought with it a deepening of the health, economic, and social crises in Brazil. With the 2022 elections on the horizon, political players consider several approaches to lift Brazil from crisis.

Read More »

Chinese advances in Chile

Both the positive aspects and the limits of Chile’s relationship with China merit further attention by other nations in the Western Hemisphere, both in terms of how to achieve benefits from engaging with China through strong, transparent institutions and what to guard against.

Read More »

New directions in the deepening Chinese-Argentine engagement

The December 2019 inauguration of President Alberto Fernández and Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in Argentina returned to power a Peronist government that has not only moved the nation in an increasingly left-populist direction, but has also opened the door for a substantial deepening of the country’s already significant relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Read More »

El Día Internacional de la Educación

El 24 de enero marca la importancia de la educación como respuesta a los obstáculos que deben enfrentar las comunidades alrededor del mundo y nos recuerda el desafío de garantizar una educación inclusiva, equitativa y de calidad para todos.

Read More »
Scroll to Top