Despite Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro’s mounting efforts to hang on to power and run the country like the tropical Mussolini, Venezuela’s economic and social realities are a ticking time bomb. When the day comes, the next president will be left with the aftermath of an economic, social and political explosion that will take years to fix. Continue Reading
Michel Temer is now the official president of Brazil until the end of the term in 2018. Temer is no one’s favorite. But despite his wide unpopularity, most Brazilians seemed to believe that anyone would be better than Rousseff. Continue Reading
I was in Cuba earlier this month, traveling with a group of students from Rice University. During my trip, I had the opportunity to talk to bus and taxi drivers, owners of casas particulares (Cuba’s version of a bed-and-breakfast), artists,… Continue Reading
One could argue that blaming Berta Cáceres’ death on the Honduran government and the private companies involved in the Agua Zarca dam is a matter of perception. However, what is beyond opinion is the fact that Honduras has the world’s highest number of female homicides, has the world’s highest murder rate, and is the world’s most dangerous country per capita for environmental activists. Continue Reading
A little over a year after the United States and Cuba began to normalize relations, travel and other restrictions for Cubans and Americans are starting to ease. Reestablishing diplomatic relations after half a century has had positive consequences: the restoration… Continue Reading
On Thursday, Guatemala woke up to news of President Otto Pérez Molina’s resignation. For months Guatemalans have been out on the streets in peaceful protests against the country’s corruption scandals. In a region where political elites have historically enjoyed impunity,… Continue Reading
One month ago yesterday, Alberto Nisman, Argentina’s special prosecutor investigating the country’s worst terrorist attack, was found dead of a gunshot wound to his head. To commemorate his mysterious death, a group of prosecutors held a pro-Nisman “march of silence”… Continue Reading