Colombia urgently needs help with the economic integration of Venezuelan immigrants

Colombia’s landmark Estatuto de Protección Temporal for Venezuelan migrants and refugees has brought relief to many Venezuelans in Colombia who require legal status to find jobs, secure access to the public health system, and sign up for a bank account, among other benefits. While Colombia could do more to ensure the full social and economic integration of this migrant population, the government is hamstrung by its own fiscal constraints, high unemployment, and political polarization. The international community must heed this urgent call to action before it is too late.

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admin August 11, 2021

Governance and electoral continuity and change in the Caribbean

The Caribbean has long enjoyed a reputation for being one of the most democratic regions in the world. Despite the Caribbean’s seeming confidence in the ballot, however, countries in the region nevertheless face considerable challenges in keeping their democracies alive. Elections alone do not make a democracy; rather, there are many other factors that must be taken into consideration in order to ensure good governance.

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Scott B. MacDonald August 5, 2021

Otra oportunidad perdida: la reforma tributaria en Colombia

Las crisis económicas son siempre una oportunidad para impulsar reformas estructurales. En la historia reciente de América Latina sus dos grandes crisis—los años 30 y la década perdida de los 80—han terminado con cambios profundos en sus sistemas de desarrollo y con importantes reformas económicas. Colombia, sin embargo, no ha seguido ese mismo patrón.

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admin July 30, 2021

The Chilean Constituent Assembly: The Identity Experiment

The 155 delegates to Chile’s constitutional convention share an obvious goal—drafting a constitution—but it is far from clear whether they share a common view on much else. What will their unprecedented focus on personal and collective identities mean for Chile’s new constitution and the future of Chile’s existing institutional order?

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admin July 21, 2021

Colombia’s potential as a global breadbasket is stymied by a lack of rural reform

A persistent lack of development in rural areas continues to be a major impediment for Colombia as it seeks to reach its potential for growth in the agricultural sector and achieve its human development goals in the countryside. This reality only underscores the urgent necessity of structural agrarian reform in Colombia, an initiative which no recent government has had the appetite nor the political capital to attempt. As the official commencement of the 2022 electoral campaign grows nearer, rural issues are likely to become even more central to the Colombian political discourse. Will real change finally follow?

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admin July 14, 2021