Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

Integration

Southeast Asian leaders at the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May: To Rethink Latin America’s Integration, Look to ASEAN
To Rethink Latin American Integration, Look to ASEAN

Asia’s 10-nation bloc provides a viable blueprint that could supercharge regional economies.

BRAZIL

Artist Adriana Varejão mixes tropical and baroque aesthetics at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library.
A Brazilian Artist Invites Us to Meet Mythical Amazonian Creatures Face to Face

Adriana Varejão brings Amazonian folklore and colonial critique to Manhattan.

Latin America

Tractor trailers at the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge port of entry, on the US-Mexico border in Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on US trading partners worldwide, his biggest assault yet on a global economic system he has long bemoaned as unfair. Photographer: Justin Hamel/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Trump’s FTO Policy Creates New Risks for Doing Business in Latin America

Companies operating in the region must now pay closer attention to the concept of “material support,” two experts write.

Trade

A cargo ship and tugboat sail through the Cocoli Locks at the Panama Canal in Aug. 2024. How U.S. Tariffs Are Rewiring Latin American Trade
How U.S. Tariffs Are Rewiring Latin American Trade

A post-WTO trade order is emerging. The region’s ability to respond could define its role in the new global economy.

Colombia

Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay attends a Centro Democrático party event in Bogotá in August 2023.
Colombia’s Democracy Faces a Defining Test

The attack on presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay deepens the nation’s political divide and security crisis.

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing in May.
How China Is Seeking Dominance in Latin America

Beijing’s five-pillar plan marks a new era in China-CELAC relations and more, an expert writes.

Infrastructure

Soybeans are loaded onto a ship on the Paraná River in Rosario, Argentina in January
U.S. and China Spar for Influence on the Paraguay-Paraná River System

A surge of projects along a major South American waterway is attracting geopolitical competition and boosting regional growth.

Mexico

President Claudia Sheinbaum casts a ballot at a polling station during the judicial elections in Mexico City.
Mexico’s Judicial Election Is a Blow for Democracy

The vote ends three decades of checks and balances, returning the nation to a competitive authoritarian regime.

Chile

Crowds celebrate in Santiago after another government rejection of the Dominga mining project in 2023.
Momentum for Red Tape Reform in Chile Picks Up

Significant permitting reform for mining and other sectors is likely to materialize, but the details are uncertain as November elections loom.

Podcast

AQ Podcast | A Crossroads for Mexico’s Security 

Mexico’s security crisis is in focus after the murder of two officials and rising U.S. pressure. In this episode, a look at how President Sheinbaum is tackling organized crime.

Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro takes part with First Lady and candidate for the National Assembly, Cilia Flores, in a march marking the end of the electoral campaign on May 22, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. On May 25, Venezuelans will vote in the local elections for 285 members of the National Assembly, 24 governors, and 260 legislators to state legislative councils.
Hardliners Are Poised to Dominate New Phase of U.S.-Venezuela Relations

The regional elections and the suspension of Chevron’s oil license will further isolate Maduro’s regime, writes an expert.

Brazil

Rally to mark International Women's Day in São Paulo, Brazil, on March 8, 2023. The Alarming Rise of Gender-Based Violence in Brazil: Despite increased public awareness of the problem, the number of victims remains high.
The Alarming Rise of Gender-Based Violence in Brazil

Despite increased public awareness of the problem, the number of victims has reached a record high level.

Ecuador

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa speaks in Quito on May 15
Ecuador’s Noboa Will Begin a Second Term with an Improving Economy

Despite difficult external conditions and other challenges, positive economic tailwinds offer opportunities to drive long-awaited reforms.

U.S. Policy

U.S. President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House on April 14, 2025. U.S. Silence on Human Rights in Latin America Carries Substantial Risks
U.S. Silence on Human Rights in Latin America Carries Substantial Risks

The Trump administration’s policies are undermining regional stability and its own ability to lead, writes a former U.S. ambassador to the OAS.

Mexico

When Recession Is Not Mexico’s Biggest Problem

The trade war unleashed by the U.S. requires more than monetary or fiscal responses from the Sheinbaum administration.

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