Erika de la Garza

When it comes to Cuba, the United States is finally catching up to Latin America and the rest of the world. Heads of state throughout Latin America have praised President Obama’s announcement Wednesday that Washington and Havana hope to restore diplomatic relations in the near future. December 17, 2014, will forever be the historic day when the Cold War’s last outpost in the Western Hemisphere began to crumble. After more than half a century of a highly restrictive policy toward Cuba that ranged from an economic embargo to prohibiting most travel by U.S. citizens to the island, the United States has finally admitted the policy’s failure. Continue Reading →

It comes as no surprise that Costa Rica’s presidential election, held February 2, resulted in a runoff — only the second in the country’s history. Continue Reading →

The recent announcement by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that the organization would stop kidnapping for ransom is a cause for celebration and renewed hope. Although the FARC’s drug trafficking and illegal gold mining operations still generate violence across Colombia, this is clearly a firm step toward reopening the possibility of peace talks in a country torn by decades of internal conflict. Continue Reading →