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142. What Can We Expect from the New Progressive Wave in Latin America?
- Author:
- Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
- Abstract:
- What are the challenges, limits, and contradictions facing Latin America’s new wave of progressive governments? How does this differ from the earlier wave that began with the election of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez twenty-five years ago?
- Topic:
- Progressivism, Hugo Chavez, and Regional Politics
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
143. Chrysalises: Feminist Memories from Latin America and the Caribbean
- Author:
- Dona Nina, Arlen Siu, and Las Bartolinas
- Publication Date:
- 03-2023
- Content Type:
- Case Study
- Institution:
- Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
- Abstract:
- In this publication, we are setting out to recover histories, struggles, and resistance in Latin America and place ourselves in moments of the history of Nuestra América 1– ‘Our America’ – when women have been on the front lines of the battle to build a more just world. This history encompasses an enormous diversity of sectors, geographies, climates, flavours, and sounds, an entire universe of people, of dissidents, who, step by step, have walked the path of history. We are setting out on a path to recover the history of struggles, resistance, insurrections, and revolutionary dreams that have been led by women and LGBTQ+ people throughout the region at different times in order to find the seeds of the popular Latin American feminisms that exist today. These feminisms emerge from popular, collective struggles that are born as vital means of self-defence on the fringes of the peripheries. To speak of popular feminisms in Latin America and the Caribbean means thinking about all that women and LGBTQ+ people do every day as they fight for the common good in places where precariousness prevails. It is to speak of that intersection where the communal becomes a fundamental space to guarantee life, always in tension with the pedagogy of cruelty that governs our societies. Popular feminism raises the banner of the collective over the individual; it transforms everything that must be transformed for the decent life that the ‘nobodies’ deserve. In addition to being organisers and leaders of national processes in various social sectors, popular feminists have set to work vigorously alongside hundreds of comrades to create and sustain a continental platform of social movements as part of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, or ALBA (which translates as ‘dawn’). Founded one dawn on Venezuela’s Margarita Island by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, ALBA is a polysemic concept that is dear to our region. The continent’s platform of popular organisations, known as ALBA Movimientos, seeks to understand the continent’s current context through the eyes of struggle and mobilisation. Of course, in order to do this, it is essential to have material that reclaims the history of the struggles of the women and dissidents of Nuestra América who preceded what today is a struggle for the transformative power of history in every corner of our region.
- Topic:
- History, Feminism, Memory, and Resistance
- Political Geography:
- Latin America and Caribbean
144. Colonialism and Racism in Twenty- First-Century Mexico
- Author:
- Federico Navarrete
- Publication Date:
- 09-2023
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Brown Journal of World Affairs
- Institution:
- Brown Journal of World Affairs
- Abstract:
- Born in 1821, Mexico is one of the oldest nation-states in the world. Mexico is characterized by a strong national identity that is well-known outside of its borders. This identity defines it as a proudly independent nation with a distinct mixed-race Mestizo population. This article will criticize two central elements of the image that Mexico has built for itself as an independent nation. The first element presents Mexico as a post-colonial state that constructed a new republican order for its popula- tion, treating all individuals as equal. The second element presents Mexico as a Mestizo nation, its population and culture being the result of a confluence between its original Indigenous and Spanish communities, transcending the racism inherited from its colonial past. However, different voices and groups in contemporary Mexican society are challenging these definitions and fighting against internal colonialism and racial discrimination.
- Topic:
- Discrimination, Colonialism, Identity, Racism, and Post-Colonial
- Political Geography:
- Latin America and Mexico
145. A shared EU-US economic agenda for the world: Engagement as an imperative
- Author:
- Lauri Tähtinen
- Publication Date:
- 12-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
- Abstract:
- It is time for the European Union and the United States to build a shared, positive economic agenda towards third countries. Such an agenda would build upon the bilateral relationship but not focus on it. It would still be shared, even if the parties may have distinct reasons for supporting different aspects of it. The first elements of a shared economic agenda are evident in the EU-US Trade and Technology Council projects for Jamaica and Kenya. However, the political window for further alignment between the US and the EU, as well as for European trade deals, may be closing in 2024. Future initiatives should take into account major economies such as Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia. The entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement should be a high-level priority for both Washington and Brussels. The current state of the EU-US relationship is characterized by a divergence in technology, industrial policy, and environmental policy. To move onto a path of convergence, Washington must reassess its exaggerated fears regarding the regulatory power of the EU, and use the spread of European standards as a means towards shared ends.
- Topic:
- Environment, Industrial Policy, Science and Technology, Bilateral Relations, European Union, and Economic Policy
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Latin America, and United States of America
146. Cost of Violence Study: Costa Rica
- Author:
- Andrés Fernández Arauz and Camelie Ilie
- Publication Date:
- 12-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
- Abstract:
- Costa Rica faces an unprecedented challenge in the form of escalating violence concentrated within specific regions of the country. This report delves into the country’s administrative divisions, shedding light on its eighty-two cantons, where critical security data is localized. Recent statistics up to September 2023 underline a concerning situation. While violence in Costa Rica remains lower than the regional average for Latin America, it is the country in the region where violence has grown the most since 1995.
- Topic:
- Security, Violence, and Peacebuilding
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, Central America, and Costa Rica
147. Amérique latine. L'année politique 2022
- Author:
- Olivier Dabène
- Publication Date:
- 01-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI)
- Abstract:
- Amérique latine. L’Année politique 2022 est une publication de l’Observatoire politique de l’Amérique latine et des Caraïbes (Opalc) du CERI-Sciences Po. Il prolonge la démarche du site www.sciencespo.fr/opalc en offrant des clés de compréhension d’un continent en proie à des transformations profondes.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Environment, Political Economy, Sovereignty, Regional Integration, Transnational Actors, and Social Policy
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
148. The Resilience and Sustainability Trust: Early Learning and Challenges from Costa Rica and Rwanda
- Author:
- Andrew Wainer
- Publication Date:
- 07-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development (CGD)
- Abstract:
- In 2022, as part of the IMF’s recent efforts to re-channel Special Drawing Rights, it created the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), facilitating the transfer of concessional finance from high- to lower-income countries for climate resilience and pandemic preparedness. It is the first new such facility following the polycrises of the early 2020s. Demand for the RST is strong and learning from its pilots can inform how future RST financing can be used most effectively. This research provides case studies of two RST pilots: Costa Rica and Rwanda. Lessons from the pilots are not only relevant for future RST recipients. The RST is operational, and therefore, uniquely worthy of analysis in terms of how additional financing—above and beyond the RST—can be effectively integrated. Our analysis finds that the RST is becoming the IMF’s de facto climate finance facility; is government-driven; is being awarded to countries with strong governance and climate credentials; and that authorities are banking on using the RST to attract additional climate finance. At the same time, the RST faces the challenges of being too small to confront climate resilience; has questionable priorities in terms of supporting climate over poverty reduction in low-income countries; is almost tripling the number of IMF program conditions some countries are facing; and is escalating IMF policy influence over governments in an area where the IMF has limited experiences.
- Topic:
- International Monetary Fund, Finance, Sustainability, Resilience, COVID-19, and Sustainable Development
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Latin America, Rwanda, and Costa Rica
149. Forest-Based Carbon Markets: Pitfalls and Opportunities
- Author:
- Julián Cárdenas and Juan Jose Guzman Ayala
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development (CGD)
- Abstract:
- Forest-based carbon markets could become an important source of income for countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Estimates indicate that under a high carbon prices scenario, the value of the forest-based carbon credit market could increase from US$1.3 billion in 2021 to US$25 billion per year by 2030. Apart from the climate and monetary benefits, forest based carbon markets also have pitfalls that must be avoided. Without the right institutions in place, at the national and local level, forest projects can generate negative externalities, such as population displacement, increases in food prices, and biodiversity degradation. The value chain in carbon credits involves a number of high value-added upstream and downstream activities that tend to take place outside the countries where the projects are located. Industrial policies are required for host countries to receive a higher share of the revenue stream, including in areas such as structuring, monitoring, verification, and surveillance. Countries need to promote actions in labor training, research and development, and access to long-term capital. The paper proposes the creation National Carbon Federations as institutions to resolve several market failures, while preventing conflict, ensuring adequate savings of the additional income, and strengthen democratic governance. These organizations can also provide key public goods, so that local communities benefit from the development of carbon credits from tropical forests.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Climate Finance, Forests, and Carbon Markets
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
150. Partners in Crime: The Rise of Women in Mexico’s Illegal Groups
- Author:
- International Crisis Group
- Publication Date:
- 11-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- More and more women are joining the criminal outfits battling for turf in Mexico, heightening the dangers these groups pose. To arrest this trend, and to help offenders leave these groups, authorities should cooperate with civil society to provide alternative pathways to earning a living.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Women, Organized Crime, and Gender
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, North America, and Mexico
151. Informe Iberoamérica 2023
- Author:
- Marcos Criado De Diego, Daniel Gayo Lafée, Marisa Ramos Rollon, Erika Rodríguez Pinzón, Loreno Ruano, and José Antonio Sanahuja
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Fundación Alternativas
- Abstract:
- Hoy la realidad de los países que conforman la Asociación Estratégica entre la UE y la CELAC es completamente diferente. Si bien tomaron contacto en la última Cumbre Iberoamericana en República Dominicana, prevalecieron las fracturas y las diferencias entre países y posturas. Ambas regiones enfrentan un contexto desafiante. Ha aumentado el riesgo de fragmentación en bloques geopolíticos y económicos. América Latina y el Caribe están ante el dilema de pertenecer al hemisferio occidental o fortalecer su integración intrarregional. Europa con desafíos inéditos, ante una agenda influída totalmente por el conflicto entre Ucrania y Rusia con una fuerte desaceleración de su crecimiento a un magro 0,1% para 2023, con gastos militares crecientes para apoyar a Ucrania lo que implica dejar atrás otras prioridades de desarrollo y con dilemas sociales para preservar su sociedad de bienestar. América Latina y el Caribe por su parte, es hoy una región más desigual, más pobre, más endeudada, más polarizada y más desconfiada. Enfrenta múltiples crisis sufriendo los impactos del conflicto de Ucrania con altos niveles de inflación (7,7% en promedio) a pesar de que los precios de combustibles y alimentos parecen haber llegado a su límite. El impacto de la pandemia, la crisis climática, las disrupciones en las cadenas de suministro, el endurecimiento de las políticas monetarias y el financiamiento internacional y la deuda pública y privada y baja recaudación fiscal agobian hoy día a esta región. Los riesgos económicos han aumentado junto con la incertidumbre y el desencanto social generando mayor polarización política.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Climate Change, Inequality, and Russia-Ukraine War
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Latin America
152. The Impact of Populist Executive on the Inflow of Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America
- Author:
- Seungho Lee
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
- Abstract:
- Populist forces have been resilient in Latin America and continue to cause instability and uncertainty across the region. Populist figures in the region first rose to prominence during the period of import substitution industrialization in the 1930s, capitalizing on the growing demands for mass politics and better social benefits from the rapidly expanding urban working class. Populism, which had been rampant in Latin America for more than 30 years since then, seemed to fade into obscurity with military regimes which have dominated regional politics in the 1960s and 1970s. However, after a series of democratic transitions, Latin American democracies witnessed yet another wave of populism. A notable number of candidates with a populist discourse have achieved victories in presidential elections in the 1980s and 1990s. With the wave of democratization and the accumulation of public dissatisfaction due to a series of economic crises, some so-called neopopulists took power in a number of Latin American countries. They attracted voters by combining neoliberal economic policies with the typical “us-versus-them” discourse, demonstrating that any economic ideology can be linked to populist ideas. The new millennium witnessed another tide of populist presidents across the region. While a rapid transition to neoliberal policies led to various socioeconomic problems, traditional parties and politicians could not respond effectively to the emerging problems. This time around, left-wing populist figures dominated the region’s political landscapes, combining populist ideas with so-called 21st-century socialism. While the era of radical left-wing populists came to an end, new breeds of populists appeared one after another and were elected to office in the 2010s. Not many expect that populist executives will cease to exist across the region in the near future. Social and economic inequality is worsening in the aftermath of COVID-19, and the public distrust of established party politics and existing democratic institutions is growing more than ever. All in all, there is fertile ground for populist forces to spread even more, who claim that they are the only ones who can eliminate the "incompetent and corrupt" establishment and truly represent the "virtuous" people. Against this backdrop, there is a growing need to improve our understanding of the characteristics of populist governments that have repeatedly emerged in the region. Among many channels through which populist rule influences Latin American countries, Lee et al. (2022) dedicate one of their chapters to analyzing the impact of populist rule on the inflow of foreign direct investment, a variable of much importance in Latin American economies.
- Topic:
- Foreign Direct Investment, Populism, and Instability
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
153. The INE Debate and the Formation of the Neoliberal Democracy in Mexico
- Author:
- Luiz Alberto Gómez de Souza
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- Although Mexico’s electoral institute was originally born out of struggles for democracy, it has since become a guardian of the neoliberal Mexican state.
- Topic:
- Politics, Elections, Democracy, and Neoliberalism
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, North America, and Mexico
154. The Causes Behind the Ciudad Juárez Migrant Detention Center Fire
- Author:
- Josiah Heyman and Jeremy Slack
- Publication Date:
- 04-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- The fire that killed 40 people on March 27 is the foreseeable consequence of binational immigration enforcement measures by the United States and Mexico.
- Topic:
- Law Enforcement, Border Control, Immigration Policy, and Migrants
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, North America, Mexico, United States of America, and Ciudad Juarez
155. El Salvador: Surfing in the “New Land of the Free?”
- Author:
- Julián Reingold
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- The expansion of the Surf City tourism project towards the eastern and unexploited part of the country raises concerns over democracy, sustainability, and land ownership.
- Topic:
- Tourism, Democracy, Land Rights, Sustainability, and Surfing
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, Central America, and El Salvador
156. Transgressive Notes from Ecuador’s Prisons
- Author:
- Luis Barrios
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- President Guillermo Lasso’s Commission for Penitentiary Dialogue and Pacification was a failure. Now, a new Prison Observatory seeks to generate broad-based solutions to Ecuador’s prison crisis.
- Topic:
- Human Rights, Prisons/Penal Systems, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- South America, Latin America, and Ecuador
157. The Pursuit of Memory and Justice in Bojayá
- Author:
- Marlon Londoño
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- Twenty-one years after the Bojayá Massacre destroyed their town, survivors in the community of Bellavista Nueva in northwestern Colombia recount their story on their own terms.
- Topic:
- Transitional Justice, Conflict, Memory, Justice, and Extrajudicial Killings
- Political Geography:
- Colombia, South America, and Latin America
158. "Rompamos El Silencio"
- Author:
- Julio Ramírez
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- The recent dismantling of the Cuna Nahuat Indigenous language program in El Salvador is the latest in a long history of erasure for Salvadoran Indigenous communities.
- Topic:
- Civil War, Culture, Minorities, Language, and Indigenous
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, Central America, and El Salvador
159. Communal Resistance and Land Theft Mark Lead up to Guatemala Elections
- Author:
- Gladys Tzul Tzul and Simón Antonio Ramón
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- Mass protests against taxation measures and the forced displacement of Indigenous communities set the backdrop for Guatemala’s upcoming presidential elections.
- Topic:
- Elections, Displacement, Protests, Land Rights, and Indigenous
- Political Geography:
- South America, Latin America, and Guatemala
160. Ecuador Headed for Early Elections After President Dissolves Legislature
- Author:
- Diana Guarnizo Peralta
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- To head off an impeachment vote, Guillermo Lasso chose the nuclear option. Amid polarization and a protracted political stalemate, what comes next remains uncertain.
- Topic:
- Government, Elections, Domestic Politics, Political Crisis, Impeachment, and Guillermo Lasso
- Political Geography:
- South America, Latin America, and Ecuador