Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas
 

FARC and Colombian Government Agree to Truth Commission

On Thursday, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC—Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrillas and the Colombian government announced an agreement to establish an independent truth commission to investigate human rights violations committed during Colombia’s 50-year internal conflict. The 11 anticipated commissioners, to be elected by a seven-member committee, will carry out investigations for a … Read more

Guerrero, Mexico, protests, security

Security Challenges Threaten Elections In Guerrero, Mexico

In late 2014 and early 2015, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party—PRI) faced violent protests and demands for his resignation after the disappearance of 43 student teachers in the town of Iguala in Mexico’s southwestern Guerrero state. The turbulence led some academics, such as John Ackerman, to hastily predict the … Read more

 

Colombia Recognizes Sexual Violence Victims

On Monday, Colombia commemorated the first annual National Day for the Dignity of Female Victims of Sexual Violence caused by the Internal Armed Conflict in an effort to highlight the toll the country’s ongoing conflict has taken on women. Colombia’s National Victims Registry estimates that during Colombia’s five-decade-long civil war, members of armed rebel groups … Read more

police body cameras

Will the widespread use of body cameras improve police accountability? No

Information technology is shaped by the organization that uses it. It is also shaped by the practices of the people who use it in their work. New kinds of information technology, or ways of processing work-related information, are thought to make work routines more efficient. In police work—just as in the work of doctors, lawyers … Read more

 

Increased Militarization of Citizen Security in El Salvador: Responding to the Surge

Central America’s so-called Northern Triangle has been at the center of attention for the past two weeks, and not particularly for the right reasons. Stories of corruption, impunity, deteriorating security, and the revival of the ghost of presidential re-election covered newspaper headlines throughout the isthmus. The news coming out of the region comes at a … Read more

 

Peruvian President Humala Ends Conflict With Chile Over Espionage

After more than two months of diplomatic tension between Peru and Chile over accusations that Peruvian naval officials had sold secrets to Chilean intelligence, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala announced yesterday that the countries have resolved the dispute. Humala said that he “recognizes the constructive attitude and dialogue of President Michelle Bachelet’s government in deploring these … Read more

 

Colombia Resumes Air Raids on FARC after Attack Kills Ten Soldiers

On Wednesday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered the resumed bombing of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—FARC) after an early morning attack by the rebel group killed at least 10 soldiers and left 17 injured. In the deadliest clash since the FARC announced a unilateral cease fire nearly four … Read more

 

Government Clashes with Guatemalan Indigenous Leaders Over Radio Station

The murder of Indigenous activist Pascual Pablo Francisco, whose body showed signs of torture when he was found dead on March 27 in the northern department of Huehuetenango, is the latest episode in a long-standing conflict between the Guatemalan government and the Mayan Q’anjob’al community over the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the K’anbalam … Read more

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AQ Slideshow: Mexicans Protest On Ayotzinapa Anniversary

On March 26, several hundred protesters gathered around the Angel of Independence in Mexico City to mark the six-month anniversary of the disappearance and apparent massacre of 43 students in the town of Iguala in Guerrero state. Diego Martínez, a skinny 24-year-old medical student standing at the top of the stairs of the monument explained, … Read more

Six Months after Ayotzinapa, Search for Justice Continues

March 26 marked the sixth straight month that Mexicans around the world have mobilized to express their dissatisfaction and frustration with the wave of violence, impunity and corruption that has swept the country in the past decade. According to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, more than 23,000 Mexicans are currently registered as missing, journalists … Read more

 

Politics and the ISIS Resolution Extension

When the Canadian House of Commons adopted a resolution back in early October 2014 to join the coalition to combat ISIS beyond its foothold in Syria and Iraq, there was a provision for a renewal of the commitment in six months.  This Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced a new motion to extend Canada’s role … Read more

 

Monday Memo: Peru Spying Allegations—Argentine Debt—Costa Rican Energy—Venezuelan Opposition—Mexican Missing Students Case

This week’s likely top stories: Intelligence chiefs to be replaced in Peru; Citigroup is permitted to process Argentine debt payment; Costa Rica sets global clean energy record; former Spanish PM to defend Venezuelan opposition leaders; Ayotzinapa victims’ families visit Amnesty International. Peruvian Intelligence Chiefs Fired amid Spying Allegations: The Peruvian Presidency of the Council of … Read more

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