The assassination of Haiti’s president and protests in Cuba this month are in line with a long tradition of summertime crises in the Caribbean. But this year’s political unrest is likely to have more far-reaching effects than previous bouts of instability. MEXICO CITY – In the Caribbean, summer is when things happen. As the weather heats… Seguir leyendo Latin America’s Summer of Discontent
Categoría: Project Syndicate
The Post-Pandemic Safety Net
Apr 5, 2021JORGE G. CASTAÑEDA The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a rebirth of Keynesianism and the welfare state in Western Europe, Japan, Canada, and parts of Latin America, and changed the terms of US debate in ways that previously seemed almost unthinkable. Three examples show how the narrative is changing. MEXICO CITY – With the… Seguir leyendo The Post-Pandemic Safety Net
Sin título
From Riots to Reform in America Jun 3, 2020JORGE G. CASTAÑEDA Mass protests and rioting following the killing of yet another African-American by a white police officer have compounded multiplying crises in the United States. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, a looming economic depression, and persistent racism, the American social contract has never been in more… Seguir leyendo Sin título
Latin America’s Critical Election
Mar 12, 2020 JORGE G. CASTAÑEDA The Organization of American States has come to play a pivotal role in Latin America, including by monitoring elections, defending human rights, and isolating authoritarian regimes. As a result, the OAS’s upcoming election of a secretary general is one of the most important in its 72-year history. MEXICO CITY –… Seguir leyendo Latin America’s Critical Election
Is America Ready for a Welfare State?
Jorge G. Castañeda Several leading Democratic candidates in the 2020 US presidential race favor introducing elements of a modern welfare state in health care, childcare, and education. Whether a Democrat wins or loses in 2020, social democracy has re-emerged in American politics for the first time since the 1930s. MEXICO CITY – As a foreigner… Seguir leyendo Is America Ready for a Welfare State?
Defending Democracy in the Americas
Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s inauguration as president of Mexico will soon be followed by Jair Bolsonaro’s accession to the presidency of Brazil and US President Donald Trump’s completion of two years in office. In each case, a populist leader’s rise could have been prevented, which should serve as a lesson for democrats everywhere.
Justice or Democracy in Brazil?
Brazilian authorities have banned former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from running for reelection, owing to a corruption conviction. Unfortunately, this strict interpretation of a statute Lula himself signed could open the way for an election result that ultimately subverts the rule of law – and takes democracy down with it.
Mexico Gets Its Own Trump
Of the three main contenders in Mexico’s presidential election, none was as ill-prepared as the winner, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to manage the bully in the White House. Now Mexicans will have to face the consequences of their choice, just as their country – more than most – must face the consequences of Americans’ choice in 2016.
The Regional Repercussions of Honduras’s Botched Election
Once again, a serious breach of representative democracy has occurred in Latin America. Despite all the regional legal tools that have been created in recent years, an unfair and scarcely free election was probably stolen, or at best, tainted to the point that the result cannot be considered reliable.
Latin America’s Annus Mediocris
From a peace agreement in Colombia to major cross-border anti-corruption efforts, 2017 was shaping up to be a banner year for Latin America. Then came Donald Trump, whose threats of military intervention in Venezuela, together with anti-trade and anti-immigration policies at home, sent shock waves throughout the region.