Region Archives - Page 5 of 138

Much Ado About Nothing: Accurately Assessing Lula’s Recent International Overtures

In a global economy shaped by inflationary trends, energy shortages, and market instability, Lula’s domestic success will depend to a significant degree on his international achievements. While Bolsonaro obscured the relevance of country in the global arena, Lula expanded Brazil’s presence in the early 2000s by enlarging the list of economic partner and diversifying strategic partnerships, particularly in the global South.

admin June 23, 2023

Colombia is Vulnerable to the Influence of Corrosive Capital

Colombian President Gustavo Petro introduced a new element of political risk into investment decision-making for institutional investors and other funds. The myriad of social reforms the government seeks to pass… have made Colombia too risky for some investors. However, while traditional investors are put off, other investors—including those with questionable practices in their home countries and with a greater appetite for risk—now see Colombia as a more attractive destination for their capital, as it can bring along high rewards.

admin June 23, 2023

Kirchnerism is in Crisis, But Peronism Will Survive

With inflation and poverty rising, the acute state of currency reserves, open confrontation between government officials, and a vice president that constantly questions the president’s legitimacy, we may be witnessing the end of Kirchnerism’s 20-year-long hegemony over Peronism.

admin June 22, 2023

To Understand Mexico’s Tragedy, be Wary of the Strongman Theory

The causes and explanations of how Mexico has regressed to a far more dysfunctional country lie in the somewhat hidden, not-so-thrilling everyday representations of weakness and impotence—the day-to-day stories of stranded and neglected citizens trying to survive government corruption and incompetence. The challenge of being treated as citizens, not thanks to but despite the government, reveals Mexico’s dysfunction

admin June 21, 2023

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance

Lula’s work to create a de facto anti-U.S. illiberal alliance of Latin American leftist regimes and extra-hemispheric U.S. rivals further comes at a time in which those countries geographically closest to the United States—including Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and parts of the Caribbean—are moving away from political and security cooperation with the US, and toward a deepen embrace of the PRC.

admin June 20, 2023

A Global Americans Review of Development and Stabilization in Small Open Economies

Worrell’s Development Stabilization in Small Open Economies is highly recommended not only for Caribbeanists, but also those interested in challenges faced by small open economies, students, and policymakers—including those in multinational organizations.

admin June 14, 2023

The Impact of Russia’s Ukraine Invasion on Latin America

Today, the impact of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and its ongoing military activities against Ukraine’s population and infrastructure to occupy the country is consistent with the relationship Latin America has had with Europe historically. The effects flowing from that interdependence have been significant and multifaceted against a backdrop of a region-making an effort to distance itself from them.

admin June 13, 2023

The Advance of China and Authoritarian Populism in Honduras

In Latin America, it is strategically important that the United States distinguish between principled left-oriented democratic regimes versus those which seek to manage the alarm of Washington and Western investors as they pursue a fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-market, anti-U.S. course. It is time for Washington to recognize that the Honduran regime of Xiomara Castro, Mel Zelaya, and their Libre movement, are on the latter path.

admin June 9, 2023

The Dangers of Deep-Sea Mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

The rush to begin deep-sea mining is unjustified and dangerous. Many of the areas targeted for mining are virtually unexplored, and the consequences of mining are unknown and unpredictable.

admin June 8, 2023

Muerte Cruzada and Ecuadorian Democracy

Despite its novelty, the act did not plunge the country into crisis as some critics warned, nor did it mark a death knell for Ecuadorian democracy, as others argued. To the contrary, muerte cruzada acted as a constitutional release valve, helping dissipate popular discontent and providing a democratic exit for an unpopular president who was facing his second impeachment trial and third motion for impeachment in two years.

admin June 7, 2023