Foreign Policy Blogs

Latin America

Negotiating with gangs- advantages and drawbacks

Negotiating with gangs- advantages and drawbacks

On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]

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Brazil Election 2022- Parallels between Trump and Bolsonaro

Brazil Election 2022- Parallels between Trump and Bolsonaro

In October of 2022, Brazilians will go to the polls to determine if Jair Bolsonaro remains president of Brazil. After three years as president, Bolsonaro has earned a reputation at home and abroad as an erratic far-right populist leader. Initially being elected in 2018, Bolsonaro won the presidency on his conservative values and disdain for […]

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Who Wants to be President?

Who Wants to be President?

While Venezuelans are still suffering from the economic and political collapse of their ever diminishing democracy, the rest of Latin America has been mired in their own types of political problems. What are likely the most striking events have occurred recently in Chile. With a high cost of living and large divide between the wealthy […]

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How the World Treats Brazil

How the World Treats Brazil

Brazil is unique in Latin America as much as it is unique in the world. When working in Washington DC many years ago, the largest events were always the ones where the voice of Brazil was present via their Ambassador to the US. While Latin American allies of the US were often seen as almost […]

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Pensions for Some, but Not for Others

Pensions for Some, but Not for Others

Pension reform is something that has a great effect on the future of Brazilians, Latin Americans and to be honest the rest of us as well. Brazil was always a unique case, a country that built an administrative centre in the middle of the country in the 1950s that is populated by mostly government administrators […]

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Corruption Almost Never Disappears

Corruption Almost Never Disappears

Since the Americas became home to millions of refugees from Venezuela over the last year, a great deal of attention has been given to the situation in the country. With a new government in waiting declaring their legitimacy and international condemnation of the Maduro government, little has changed however in Venezuela or for Venezuelans. Maduro’s […]

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Approaching The Venezuelan Spring

Approaching The Venezuelan Spring

When millions of Venezuelans left their country over the last few months the world finally started to refocus on Venezuela. Since the death of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has not gathered much attention outside of the region. When three million of its citizens crossed the border into Colombia, Brazil as well as the rest of Latin […]

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Mexico’s New Six Year Presidential Experiment

Mexico’s New Six Year Presidential Experiment

  After decades of one party rule under the PRI, two standard six year Presidential terms under the PAN and a brisk return to the PRI to remind voters why they ejected them in the first place, Mexicans came out en masse to vote for the ex-mayor of Mexico City, Manuel Lopez Obrador. As the […]

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Pre-salt reserves make Brazil ripe for investment, but risk remains

Pre-salt reserves make Brazil ripe for investment, but risk remains

On October 27, 2017, new auction rounds for the eight pre-salt blocks in Brazil were launched. As the Brazilian government approved a new regulatory framework for the bidding process to allow more investors, 14 foreign companies and two Brazilian entities were qualified to participate in the auction. As a result of the auction, The National Agency […]

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Ratings upgrade puts pressure on next government to maintain Brazil’s economic recovery

Ratings upgrade puts pressure on next government to maintain Brazil’s economic recovery

Amidst political chaos and uncertainty, Brazil’s economy continues on its path to recovery receiving a vote of confidence by ratings agency Moody’s. There is hope Brazil will be able to continue the necessary economic reforms once a new President takes office next year. On 9 April, two days after former President Lula’s arrest, ratings agency Moody’s improved the […]

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Colombia presidential elections: the rise of right-wing candidate Iván Duque

Colombia presidential elections: the rise of right-wing candidate Iván Duque

Colombian presidential elections will be held on 27 May. Among its candidates, a new-born star is rising with the right-wing candidate Iván Duque, a strong opponent to the peace agreement. Iván Duque: future President of Colombia? According to the latest poll from Polimétrica, run by Cifras & Conceptos earlier this month, right-wing candidate Iván Duque appears most likely to […]

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When Sanctions are Not Enough

When Sanctions are Not Enough

International banking has always been subject to laws and rules that apply where their head offices operate as well as via international rules and standards. For an international law to apply, it often has to be codified within a country, as even if the law is accepted and applied through international agreements or treaties, the […]

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The importance of the FARC’s 2018 political campaign

The importance of the FARC’s 2018 political campaign

On January 27, Rodrigo Londoño began his campaign for president of Colombia. Will this move help the FARC achieve greater acceptance and further the peace process, despite the unlikelihood of a political victory? Rodrigo Londoño is the leader of the FARC, which, in September 2017 became a political party in an attempt to vanquish a […]

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Voce Abusou: Corruption as a Permanent Impairment to Society

Voce Abusou: Corruption as a Permanent Impairment to Society

A well known song from Antonio Carlos e Jocafi could easily run though someone’s mind when reading about corruption in their native Brazil. Voce abusou, or You abuse me is how many citizens feel when members from political parties or elite members of a society take advantage of the public purse. It is not only a […]

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Price-fixing can only worsen the crisis in Venezuela

Price-fixing can only worsen the crisis in Venezuela

Venezuela is closer than ever to a full-blown humanitarian crisis, with its population being unable to satisfy dietary requirements amidst a climate of hyperinflation and collapse of national productivity. The government, instead of formulating a clear exit strategy, is forcing supermarkets and consumer goods manufacturers to cut prices at severe losses, in a move that […]

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