President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and Rafael Correa exhibit none of the characteristics of the modern, progressive left—such as, support for indigenous communities’ land rights or LGBT rights—so why are they still called leftists? Because they say so.
Several months ago, former presidents Óscar Arias, Felipe Calderón, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Alejandro Toledo, and Ernesto Zedillo signed an open letter to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressing their concern over the deteriorating human rights conditions in the country and political prisoners such as former Mayor of Chacao Leopoldo López. Here is their letter—though little has changed since they signed it.
Predictably, the rates of financial inclusion are significantly higher across the region for those with a secondary education. But there is one country that counters that trend: Argentina. Why?
Poverty without the violence and economic chaos of Venezuela? CaracasChronicles.com founder Francisco Toro reflects on the different meanings of poverty, inequality, decay, and civility on a stroll through the streets of Kampala’s slums.
El próximo 15 y 16 de junio se llevará a cabo en Washington D.C. la 45ª Asamblea General (AG) de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA). En esta ocasión elegirán 4 nuevos miembros de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) y 4 nuevos jueces de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Esas elecciones también definirán el futuro y fuerza moral de la organización hemisférica.
Structural violence is the social, political, and economic disempowerment of particular social groups—racial, sexual, religious, ethnic, etc. How Latin American governments treat groups subject to structural violence says much about the progress made—and how much work is left to be done. And this concept, ultimately, carries implications for rule of law in the region.
The new OAS Secretary General’s swearing-in speech should give us hope, not just because he talked about the OAS’s role in defending human rights and electoral transparency and inclusiveness, but also because of who he is and Uruguay’s principled position in the hemisphere. His first test will be the Venezuelan legislative elections.
Nisman’s death has also had a profound effect on Argentina’s Jewish community that once again faces age-old accusations of double loyalties, raising questions about their full inclusion in Argentine society. But worse, Nisman’s death and the official reaction have also presented serious risks for broader civil society in Argentina that go beyond the country’s Jewish community.
Given the advances women have already made, a legal change to increase fathers’ roles in the home and thereby free up women to return to their careers offers a powerful means to helping women overcome the barriers to upper level career advancement.
With only one university in the top 100, what does this say about the ability of Latin America to produce an educated workforce that can complete in today’s global economy?
