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2016 Olympics Central to Rio de Janeiro’s Mayoral Race
When campaign season in Rio de Janeiro officially started on July 6, Rio’s incumbent mayor, Eduardo Paes, looked like a shoo-in. Touting the “Olympic City,” he has campaigned on the idea that Rio’s upcoming mega events—including the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics—will contribute to a boom for a city that is thriving after … Read more
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Latin American Women Driving Region’s Prosperity
Women are increasingly becoming Latin America’s key development partners. Moms, students, working professionals and women from all walks of life are the driving force behind a gender revolution that has made huge contributions to our region’s prosperity. Over the last decade, Latin American countries have made big strides in reducing poverty and bringing down inequality. … Read more
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[i]AQ[/i] Slideshow: Post-Spill Effects in Peruvian Mining Communities
Extractive industries have made a considerable contribution to Latin America’s economic growth this century, especially in countries along the Pacific Rim (i.e., Chile, Colombia, and Peru). Of those nations, perhaps greatest recent impact of the resource boom has been in Peru—contributing a large share to the country’s remarkable GDP growth of 6.9 percent in 2011. … Read more
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President Hugo Chávez’ Campaign Vision for Venezuela: Militaristic and Top Down
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez is running for a third re-election this coming October. He has already released his platform. For those hoping to see Venezuela turn more democratic, this platform offers no hope. The platform is contained in a 39-page document entitled, “Proposal from the Fatherland’s Candidate, Commander Hugo Chávez.” The document is fairly clear … Read more
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Why Did Brazil Underwhelm in the London Olympics?
An examination of the final medal tally at the recently concluded 2012 Olympics shows many countries familiar to the ranks of the top 10. The United States placed first overall, followed by China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, France, South Korea, and Italy. What are the ingredients to these countries’ consistent success in … Read more
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Smart Governance Practices on the Rise in Central America
The latest developments in information and communication technology (ICT) are no longer the rage among just tech-savvy enthusiasts. Municipalities across the hemisphere are also starting to pay attention. In Central America, mayors, municipal councilors and their advisors are embracing ICTs such as websites, social media platforms, mobile text messaging, and video cameras as useful tools … Read more
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Obesity in the Americas: The Trade Effect
Globally, the Americas are leading the way in the obesity and overweight epidemic, with prevalence at or above 60 percent in most countries. Obesity rates among women are even higher. Blame is often pinned on poor individual consumption choices, but evidence increasingly suggests that trade liberalization may be partly to blame. In 2009, Anne Marie … Read more
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The Supreme Court Crisis in El Salvador
El Salvador is facing one of its most challenging constitutional crises since the end of the civil war. The institutional conflict began on June 5, 2012, when the Constitutional Chamber (Sala de lo Constitucional) of the Supreme Court declared the 2006 and 2012 appointments of Supreme Court judges and their alternates to be unconstitutional. Arguing … Read more
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Mexico: A Transfer of Power to the PRI
The Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party—PRI) appears to be returning to Los Pinos 12 years after its historic transition of power to the Partido Acción Nacional (National Action Party—PAN). With more than 80 percent of votes tallied counted since voting began yesterday, PRI presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto appears set to receive the … Read more
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Tackling Brazil’s Obesity Problem
In recent years, Brazil has encountered a health threat more commonly seen in the advanced industrialized nations: obesity. The emergence of fast-food diets, sedentary lifestyles, as well as federal programs designed to alleviate malnourishment has—rather ironically—contributed to the nationwide spread of obesity. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, which interviewed 54,000 adults across … Read more
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Should Paraguay be Expelled from the OAS, Mercosur and Unasur?
Last Friday, the Congress of Paraguay removed President Fernando Lugo from office. The entire impeachment process lasted a mere two days. The presidents of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina rushed to describe this as a “coup d’état,” while the Brazilian and Uruguayan presidents have called for Paraguay’s expulsion from Mercosur and Unasur due to … Read more
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A Brazil Perspective on Rio+20
All eyes are on Brazil this week as more than 130 world leaders and some 50,000 activists, civil society representatives and business leaders are attending the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro. The conference marks 20 years since the Earth Summit in 1992 concluded, when leaders—optimistic about a post-Cold … Read more
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How the U.S. is Engaging a Strategic and Evolving Region
Christopher Sabatini and Ryan Berger’s CNN op-ed (“Why the U.S. Can’t Afford to Ignore Latin America,” June 13, 2012), commenting on the scant attention the Center for a New American Security’s recent “grand strategy” report paid to the Americas, outlined three compelling reasons why Latin America must figure prominently in the United States’ strategic calculations. … Read more
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Same-Sex Marriage in Chile
Marriage equality for same-sex couples is gaining new momentum in the United States. One month ago, President Obama announced that “same-sex couples should be able to get married.” Meanwhile, major multinational corporations and top consumer brands are also coming out in favor of marriage equality. In February, Proposition 8, a voter referendum that reversed marriage … Read more
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Chile’s Tsunami and the Courtroom Battle
On the morning of February 27, 2010, Interior Minister Patricio Rosende dismissed on national television “absolutely, the possibility of a tsunami,” asking the nation to remain calm only one hour after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck south-central Chile. Meanwhile, a series of waves were heading toward Chile’s shore. Eventually, the all-powerful water would engulf a 375 … Read more
