President Cristina Fernandez Kirchner followed in the footsteps of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, bringing in a new leftist wave of populism to Argentina. Kirchner’s efforts to censor the media, degrade …
A Bleak Future for Democracy in Venezuela by Katherine Clement @ University of California, Los Angeles
In March of 2017, the Supreme Court of Venezuela made a decision that served to highlight the bleak future of Democracy for the nation. In their decision, the Supreme Court took over the …
A New President and Referendum in Ecuador: An Ebbing Pink Tide? Or More of the Same? by Sandra Sugata @ Columbia University
In a referendum that came on the heels of Lenin Moreno’s presidential victory, an overwhelming majority of Ecuadorian voters hammered the final nail in Rafael Correa’s proverbial political coffin. …
Catching the “Bad Hombres”: The United States undermines its own efforts by Roxana Sanchez @ Brown University
Trump’s infamous comments during the 2016 presidential elections about Mexican immigrants and his stubborn efforts to build an expensive wall on the US-Mexico border are not reflective of true …
Entertainment in the Americas: Popular Icons and an “Incumbency Advantage” by Rachel Risoleo @ Brown University
In 2015, 2016, and 2017, three “political outsider” presidential candidates rose to prominence in the Americas: Guatemala’s Jimmy Morales, the United States’ Donald Trump, and Honduras’s Salvador …
The Peace Deal in Colombia: Undemocratic Action Can Lead to Democratic Consolidation by Dakota Fenn @ Brown University
Colombia has seen an upward trend in democracy according to Freedom House scores, and much of its recent progress can be attributed to a reduction in conflict stemming from the peace agreement with …
Ortega’s Long Game: Democratic Backsliding in Nicaragua Goes Unnoticed by Cody Dune-McGlashan @ Brown University
From a cursory glance, Nicaragua appears to be doing better than ever. Economic growth continues in the 4-5% range and the homicide rate is even lower than neighboring Costa Rica. Clearly the country …
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire: Honduras, Bolivia, and Executive Aggrandizement in 2017. By Amalia Perez @ Brown University.
Honduras, the will of the Honduran people, and the state of the country's democracy are — as we speak — under attack by the country's president, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvaro. A 6 PM curfew has been …