The good folks at Coca-Cola insist their product taste the same no matter if it is consumed from a soda fountain, can, plastic or glass bottle. That’s a saccharine claim, according to my palette. I’m not alone in my preference for the glass-bottled variety, a Popular Science study has concluded it the “most inert” of […]
This week, President Lula kicked off his tour of the Middle East, the first time a Brazilian head of state has been to Israel. His visit began on Sunday in Israel, and Lula will continue on to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders and to Jordan to conclude his trip. In Israel, President […]
Late last month the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a lengthy report that described a weakening of democratic freedoms and rights in Venezuela. In its overview, the Commission stated that the country experiences: “political intolerance; the lack of independence of the branches of the State in dealing with the executive; constraints on freedom […]
In so many ways this event mirrored bilateral relations today, cordial, but increasingly thorny as an accumulating list of important issues, from immigration to international trade and non-proliferation, lead more and more Brazilians to the conclusion that the United States is part of the problem, not the solution.
United States immigration policy may not be very keen on welcoming Mexico’s huddled masses, but it has few qualms with Mexican entrepreneurs. E- and L-series visas offer a relatively quick path to legal immigration for Mexicans—provided they are willing to front the cash to open their own businesses. Capital investments of several hundred thousand dollars, […]
In Brazil, nicknames are very common, especially for famous people and even politicians. President Lula da Silva received his nickname when he was young, since the common nickname for Luiz, his given name, is Lula (similar to calling a person named Robert, Bob). However, given that lula means squid in Portuguese, the president has really […]
In a break with judicial procedure in Mexico and the United States drug kingpin Osiel Cárdenas, former head of the Gulf Cartel, was sentenced to 25 years in a secret hearing in Houston this week. He pled guilty to five counts, including drug dealing, money laundering, and attempted murder of federal agents. He also forfeited […]
Had the Brazilian government not insisted in its policy of engagement with Iran, despite the crescendo of criticism lodged by the likes of Oppenheimer, then everyone’s cards would already be on the table with little room for negotiations. Let’s just hope that the newcomer, Brazil, is holding the best card in the house.
A private meeting between the Venezuelan and Colombian leaders apparently ended in a shouting match on Monday. They were both attending a Latin American summit in Cancun, Mexico. An already tense discussion appeared to blow up when Chávez raised the issue of Colombian paramilitaries. The explanation of the words used is critical, since the meeting […]
After a bruising 2009, Mexico’s economy should return to positive growth of around 3% this year, but the path to sustainable development remains uncertain. Reforming state-owned industries risks massive political backlash, but improving Mexico’s trade regime offers promise without the peril. What trade strategies can boost Mexico’s growth? Several prospects have been bandied about. Talk […]
Likely a further sign of his government’s economic woes, President Hugo Chávez’s administration is offering oil contracts to foreign companies. The response to the bidding for concessions was not as strong as it has been in the past, as many companies have been burned by Chávez’s expropriation of assets. Still, Chevron and Repsol (of Spain) […]
A report issued on Monday by the Mexican Council of Bishops expressed concern over the militarization of many Mexican cities and venality among law enforcement. Human rights, the report argued, were increasingly at risk of violation because of the protracted presence of federal troops in Cuidad Juarez, and elsewhere. The report comes in the wake […]
Brazil’s success in diplomacy, international commerce, and becoming a world player have been in part dependent on President Lula’s success during his administration. Now, with an election coming up this year, there is a possibility that the tides will change and Brazil may change its course with new leadership. José Serra, the governor of São […]
After years of decisions and appeals before the World Trade Organization, Brazil is preparing to levy sanctions on U.S. imports and intellectual property rights because of illegal export subsidies provided by the U.S. government to domestic cotton producers. Brazil initially brought the case before the WTO to demonstrate the harmful impact of such subsidies upon […]
Ramiro Valdes, a Cuban revolutionary closely tied to Fidel Castro for decades, is now working with the Venezuelan government in Caracas. Valdes currently serves as Cuba’s Minister in communications and information. The Venezuelan opposition is incensed, pointing out Valdes’ previous role as Interior Minister in Cuba, where he was in charge of surveillance and accused […]