Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas
 

Mexico: No Country for Old Tourists?

Mexicans are used to hearing this: “in spite of the violence and insecurity, the Mexican economy is booming and attracting foreign direct investment.” After a recent visit to Monterrey, even Thomas L. Friedman wrote for The New York Times about this in “How Mexico Got Back in the Game,” providing a positive outlook on Mexico’s … Read more

 

Peña Nieto Launches Life Insurance Program

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto followed through on a campaign promise yesterday by launching an innovative life insurance  program designed for single, female-headed households. The program, titled Seguro de Vida para Madres Jefas de Familia (Life Insurance for Female Heads of Family), will be overseen by the Secretariat of Social Development (Sedesol) and the Family … Read more

 

La nueva presidencia y los derechos humanos en México

El nuevo periodo presidencial en México abre con un pesado legado de amenazas a los derechos humanos. Ante esta situación, el presidente entrante, Enrique Peña Nieto, ha sido cuidadoso de tomar una retórica distanciada de aquella del combate al crimen organizado enarbolada por su predecesor Felipe Calderón y ha proclamado una nueva era de “Estado … Read more

 

Can Canada’s Papal Candidate be an Agent of Change?

As Cardinals gather for the conclave in Rome to choose the next Pope, there is growing speculation about Marc Ouellet, a potential Canadian candidate from Québec. The former Archbishop of Québec and current papal legate to Latin America is seen as a serious contender to replace Pope Benedict XVI. A conservative intellectual from the Québec … Read more

 

Mexico’s Supreme Court Ruling a Step Toward Greater Tolerance

If there is one thing Mexico’s men are famous for, it is the celebration of being macho. We see this everywhere: In telenovelas, the butch and handsome male protagonist becomes the hero only after he conquers the lovely señorita by wooing her with his macho chivalry. It is common to hear traditional male fathers telling … Read more

 

Un nuevo “Quinazo”: La caída de Elba Esther Gordillo

En los primeros días de su presidencia, Carlos Salinas de Gortari dio un golpe espectacular al conseguir la encarcelación del entonces todopoderoso líder del sindicato de los trabajadores petroleros, Joaquín Hernández Galicia, conocido como “La Quina”, a quien se acusó de diversos delitos del orden federal. Al asunto se le llamó popularmente “el quinazo”. Sin … Read more

 

Mexico’s New Government Faces Ongoing Security Problems

Early last month, Mexico’s new government published its first report on the drug-cartel related violence that continues to affect the lives of residents in many parts of the country. The report explains that during the first two months of Enrique Peña Nieto’s presidency, Mexico experienced more than 2,000 organized crime-related murders. The country tallied 1,139 … Read more

 

The Health of Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty

OTTAWA- Jim Flaherty, Canada’s finance minister, stunned Canadians when he revealed in an interview about a month ago that he had a serious skin condition but that he was still up to his high-powered job. For months, the minister had tip-toed around questions about his health. But his changing appearance gave it away. His face … Read more

 

A Window of Opportunity for Education in Mexico

On Monday February 25, having achieved the needed support in Congress, President Enrique Peña Nieto put into effect an education reform that will transform the public education system at its core. If enacted correctly, the reform will allow the country to take important steps forward and proactively tackle one of its most relevant social issues. … Read more

 

Profile: Patricio Villareal

Mexican entrepreneur Patricio Villareal has discovered something most of those opposing health care reform in the United States could never imagine: making basic health care accessible and affordable can be a profitable business. In 1994, Patricio and his brother Ricardo co-founded Imagen Dental, a company that provides world-class dental, optical and hearing services to middle … Read more

 

Peña Nieto’s Reforms Take on Teachers’ Union

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed major education reforms into law on Monday, limiting the power of the teachers’ union. By modifying two articles of the constitution, the overhaul allows the government to hire and fire teachers, and aims to gather reliable data on schools, teachers and students in Mexico’s education system, which serves an … Read more

 

Québec and the Workings of Canadian Federalism

With the election of a pro-sovereignty party in Québec last September, the questions about Québec’s future within the Canadian federation have once again surfaced.  While there is no referendum about Québec’s future on the horizon—in part because the ruling Parti Québécois made only a vague commitment in last year’s election campaign to conduct such an … Read more

 

Tequila Sunrise for Mexico’s International Affairs

For generations, world leaders looked to the United States for consent before approaching Latin American leaders.  U.S. presidents James Monroe and Teddy Roosevelt threatened to make war if external powers sought to interfere in Latin America—and European powers, for the most part, followed the script.  The tradition continued after World War II and throughout the … Read more

 

Searching for Justice Beyond Immigration Reform

Some version of immigration reform is almost certain to pass within the next year. President Obama, Republicans and Democrats alike are all strongly supportive of the idea and have each offered formidable, bipartisan proposals. If successful, this will be the first major change in U.S. immigration law since President Reagan’s signing of the Immigration Reform … Read more

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