Category: Latin America/Caribbean

Pervasive protests affirm civic activism, but carry serious risks

     

People all over the world are resorting to mass demonstrations to express grievances and press unmet demands, notes Aryeh Neier, President Emeritus of the Open Society Foundations and a founder… Read more »

How authoritarian populist Morales ‘went too far’ for Bolivia

     

Bolivia’s political crisis deepened Sunday as President Evo Morales resigned amid allegations of “serious irregularities” during last month’s election and pressure from the country’s armed forces. Morales faced mounting protests in the… Read more »

A new infrastructure of democracy? Open societies’ resilience is strategic priority

     

Had Ronald Reagan’s Westminster speech merely articulated the case for democracy, it would be remembered as one of many well-written and inspiring presidential addresses. It was, on the contrary, much… Read more »

Would ‘exit ramp’ for Maduro accelerate Venezuela’s transition?

     

The United States this week imposed sanctions on five Venezuelan officials in the latest step to pressure Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro to step down as the country’s leader, VOA reports… Read more »

What’s behind Latin America’s ‘Autumn of Discontent’?

     

Latin America was primed to explode. Economic malaise, social media, corruption, and foreign meddling combined to fuel raging protests from Chile to Haiti. What’s next for beleaguered democratic regimes in… Read more »

‘Brazil Apart’: Who ended ‘false starts’ to democratization?

     

The election of leftist Alberto Fernández in Argentina could strain relations with Brazil—the other largest member of the Mercosur trade bloc, which recently struck a free-trade deal with the European… Read more »

Cubazuela: A strategic occupation with global implications

     

Hundreds of representatives from governments, agencies and charity groups are gathering in Brussels for a “solidarity conference” to drum up support for millions of Venezuelans who have fled the political… Read more »

Explaining the global protest wave

     

Sixty-three people died over the weekend in a crackdown by security forces against ongoing anti-government protests [HT: CFR], according to the semi-official Iraq High Commission for Human Rights. Iraq is… Read more »

Latin America risks becoming ‘land of militarized democracies’

     

Latin America used to be known as the land of the military junta. It is now at risk of becoming the land of militarized democracies, according to Javier Corrales, a… Read more »

Poverty & Freedom: Inequality feeding democracy’s susceptibilities to degeneration?

     

Enhancing global prosperity must begin with supporting locally-led initiatives that eliminate institutional barriers to freedom—and give citizens greater choice over their future, according to a new book. Governments and philanthropists… Read more »