The cliff diving Mecca of Acapulco has come to symbolize Mexico’s ailing economy. The sheer cliffs of La Quebrada are famous for the professional divers who hurl themselves over the 140-plus foot cliffs. If they time the waves wrong, they can go splat. Tourists can watch the spectacle from a nearby restaurant carved into the […]
In an editorial within today’s Washington Post, Edward Schumacher-Matos presents a nice summary of what might be considered a waning in the power of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez. As Schumacher-Matos describes, on a number of fronts other South American nations have been acting counter to Chávez’s wishes. Ecuador, though considered an ally, has reached out […]
Golf in Venezuela has again come under pressure after President Hugo Chávez recently labeled it “a bourgeois sport”. The links are considered by the President, and his supporters, to be the playing fields of the wealthy and elite. An article in the New York Times further describes the situation. Interestingly, it appears that some of […]
President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela continues to criticize the recent agreement allowing access by a limited number of United States military forces and contractors to Colombian military bases. The accord, signed last Friday, enables the US to support anti-narcotics operations, and to replace its previous base at Manta, Ecuador. Chávez has used particularly strong language […]
Last week Venezuela’s National Assembly pushed forward on a law to extend the socialist nature of the country’s educational system. At the local level this gives greater control over curriculum development to the country’s Communal Councils, which are strongly pro-government. Many members of the Assembly who support the legislation say they do so in order […]
Little is set to change in North American relations, over a week after President Calderón hosted President Obama and Prime Minister Harper. Many press accounts acknowledge this, some arguing that the leaders opted “to punt” on the difficult issues. The summit’s failure to produce meaningful change is hardly surprising. In fact, the mundane outcome is […]
A recent New York Times article rightfully praised the bus rapid transit system now widely used in Bogotá. Known as Transmilenio, it has been credited in part for the transformation of the Colombian capital, which has become increasingly organized and safe during the past decade. It is estimated that 7,000 fewer buses are now on […]
On Monday most presidents of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) met at a summit in Quito to discuss issues of regional interest. Notably, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia was not in attendance due to his country’s strained relations with Ecuador. One topic not on the official agenda but raised during discussions was the […]
In starting a new blog on Venezuela perhaps the first question that comes to mind is: why should those of us drawn to international relations dedicate attention to this country? Perhaps known immediately for an often boisterous president, importance in global oil production, and its array of international beauty queens, Venezuela also holds much more […]
President Felipe Calderón is trying his hand at regional power broker. Deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya called on Mexico yesterday to bolster his presidential claims, hoping that Mexico can exert the necessary diplomatic pressure to return him to office. Costa Rican President Óscar Arias notably failed to broker a change in Zelaya’s status over the […]
The current issue of Foreign Affairs contains a timely article on Mexico’s plight by Council on Foreign Relations scholar Shannon O’Neil. “The Real Risk in Mexico” explores the dual trends of drug-related violence and democratic development. Over the past decade Mexico has been beset by drug-related violence. Concurrently, Mexico ended 70 years of one-party rule […]
As border enforcement stiffens, fewer ‘safe’ routes are leaving workers and drug traffickers corralled side-by-side in northern Mexico. This precarious arrangement likely contributes to the recent drop in Mexican immigration. More and more often unarmed workers are being assaulted and robbed by traffickers, adding to the perils of border crossing. During the day, motley clothed […]
The latest chapter in Mexico’s struggle with drug gangs is shocking in scale. The arrest of Arnoldo Rueda Medina, a co-leader of La Familia, sent the drug syndicate on a rampage against the state in Michoacán. Monday morning 12 bodies were found and quickly identified as federal police officers. The 11 men and one woman were off […]
Sunday’s election exposed a disoriented left in Mexico. The PRD, the largest left-of-center party, nearly won the presidency in 2006. Now a shell of its former self, having acquired just 12% of the vote on Sunday it will shrink from 123 to 75 seats in the lower house. Rather than gelling to form a cohesive […]
The centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party was the big winner in Mexico’s mid-term elections held Sunday, as widely forecast. Results show the party, known as the PRI, gained 37% of the vote, while President Calderón’s conservative National Action Party (PAN) garnered 28%. The left-wing Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), which enjoyed substantial support in the 2006 presidential […]