Nicolas Maduro securing a third presidential term signals a continuation of the current stagnant status quo. The inability to address inflation as well as mass unemployment and exodus of citizens would lead most other leaders to political ruin, however the revenue from state owned petroleum companies is keeping the regime viable. Venezuela and its people are the victim of the resource curse and its decades-long effects on the nation’s institutional, economic, and political stability.
Read MoreMexico City is changing quickly as a result of international migration, implementation of new industries, and foreign investment. These developments modernize and boost the economy, but they also cause gentrification, displacing the local communities, and causing cultural homogenization, which raises concerns about social inequality and the maintenance of local traditions.
Read MoreFacing its latest row of intense challenges, Haiti now seeks a desperately needed cessation of the ongoing conflict between the government and criminal organizations. The current crisis now comes to a head with the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as gangs tighten their grip on Port-au-Prince.
Read MoreNews is ultimately a form of storytelling, a way of informing the public of the events occuring in the world around them. Censoring the press is therefore a way of framing the way people see the world into a picture defined by what is not censored. However, press extends beyond the typical newspaper; even a novel may also be considered a form of press, reflecting societal issues of a certain period, or working to challenge authority. To censor this type of artistic press is to censor imagination, which results in the same effect––a suppression of public opinion. In the Americas, there has been an influx in the censorship of the press, which has taken one of two forms: censorship of the formal newspaper press and book censorship. This article thus examines censorship in the case studies of Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the United States.
Read MoreThe Canadian government recently signed an agreement to transfer full control over the northernmost territory of Nunavut to the territory’s Inuit-dominated residents. This is a huge milestone in the movement for indigenous rights, and autonomy for the region will also bring more sustainable resource assessment and the protection of biodiversity. It could also be a stepping stone for increased indigenous autonomy and biodiversity across the Americas.
Read MoreIn Trinidad and Tobago there has been a record of gang-related violence that has made life unsafe for citizens of the island nation. Moreover, the gangs themselves are deeply institutionalized into Trinidadian society, even serving functions of government, thus making them exceptionally difficult to remove.
Read MoreWhile Venezuela and Guyana have been locked into a cycle of recurring dispute over the vital region of Essequibo, the most recent escalation of the contention over it has raised alarms internationally. While the conflict itself is nothing new, increasingly aggressive maneuvers by the regime of Nicolás Maduro have particularly worried indigenous communities.
Read MoreAlthough menstruation is a natural process, it is shrouded in misconception in various parts of the world. This stigma causes period poverty, characterized by the lack of access to menstrual products as well as limitations in regards to academic, professional, and overall life pursuits. This article seeks to shine a light on this hidden public health crisis, focusing on Latin America and in particular on a group of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil.
Read MoreAs global temperatures increase every year, many institutions, from national governments to private enterprises, are making plans for decreasing carbon emissions. Costa Rica has taken carbon neutrality to the next level by seeking to completely transform not justits energy system but its entire economy.
Read MoreA war is being waged against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has imprisoned and exiled approximately 15 percent of the total Nicaraguan clergy. Among these are figures such as Bishop Rolando José Álvarez, who was recently released from detainment on January 14, 2024. Ortega claims that the Catholic Church is part of a conspiracy backed by the U.S. to overthrow his regime. Such allegations have been derived from protests against Ortega’s government in 2018, along with having historical roots in the Nicaraguan Civil War.
Read MoreIn Guatemala, the January 2024 inauguration of new president Bernardo Arévalo was tense due to the months-long efforts to prevent it from ever happening. Led not by the military, but by the bureaucracy, the coup d’etat that Guatemala avoided highlights how the nature of undemocratic practices is gradually morphing in Latin America.
Read MoreBrazil’s Supreme Court has recently opened up a vote to decriminalize abortion, and a multitude of factors may influence the outcome.
Read MoreOver a year after the election of leftist president Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego in Colombia, his administration is seeking out ways to divert from historically violent ways of waging the war on drugs. While Petro’s policies of investing in rural communities press onward, the path ahead may still be fraught with challenges.
Read MoreDespite the increasing pressure on the precedence of the Salvadoran constitution, the populace of the smallest country in Central America remains adamant about the radical metamorphosis their country has exhibited under the administration of Bukele: a new era of stability and security for Salvadoran society. Marred with criticisms, the Bukele administration remains committed to securing another term in San Salvador, all while inciting concerns for those weary of the implications of future authoritarianism in El Salvador and the Latin American sphere of influence.
Read MoreMany experts and human rights activists have expressed concern for Nicaragua based on actions of the Ortega administration. His administration’s actions have caused widespread impacts throughout various sectors including within the academic sphere, democratic erosion, and violent suppression. The Ortega administration in Nicaragua has engaged in numerous human rights violations, for example repressing academics and revoking the legal status of universities, killing or arresting opponents, denying people due process or their citizenship rights, as well as harassing journalists and repressing freedom of expression.
Read MoreAs the practice of logging increases in Mexico City, the environment faces devastating consequences with little hope of regulating illegal loggers in particular.
Read MoreIndigenous communities in the “lithium triangle” are advocating for the preservation of their way of life while protesting against the power structures that have continued to prioritize industries and corporations conducting lithium extraction. It is imperative that the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile address the problem and prioritize the environment and rights of indigenous populations over business and profits.
Read MoreThe Republican Party’s presidential hopefuls take a stand against the Mexican drug trade in their most recent rhetoric, calling for an American military intervention. This is a departure from former President Donald Trump’s ‘build a wall’ fantasy, but the xenophobic sentiments remain the same. This article examines whether this boots or missiles approach is a realistic expectation, or just another empty soapbox for the GOP candidates to stand on.
Read MoreIn Latin America, the presence of China has become an ever-growing affair of matchmaking between the Asian superpower and some of the world’s developing nations. In the present Bukele-era of El Salvador, an era characterized by doubled-down policies and a crackdown on the social and economic drawbacks, the amity of officials in Beijing has been welcomed with open arms.
Read MoreAfter Title 42 border protocols were lifted in May, the Biden Administration announced several new legislative initiatives to help mitigate the increasing number of refugees seeking asylum in America. Although the White House announced the current administration’s commitment to rebuilding the U.S.’s immigration system and especially the refugee infrastructure, its newly implemented policies indicate otherwise. This article examines these new policies under a critical lens, judging whether they advance or minimize the plight of millions escaping poverty, violence, and persecution worldwide.
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