Greg Weeks, Author at Global Americans

Gregory Weeks, PhD, is a professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science & Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is editor of the academic journal The Latin Americanist, and he is the author of numerous books and articles, including The Military and Politics in Postauthoritarian Chile (2003), Irresistible Forces: Latin American Migration to the United States and its Effects on the South (2010), The Bachelet Government: Conflict and Consensus in Post-Pinochet Chile (2010), Understanding Latin American Politics (2014) and U.S. and Latin American Relations, 2^ndEdition (2015). He blogs regularly on Latin American politics at Two Weeks Notice.

U.S.-Latin America Relations

Bolton’s Bay of Pigs Anniversary speech: Tough talk, election politics and failed policies

By Greg Weeks / April 18, 2019

The Trump administration has doubled down on a failed policy on Cuba, while
talking tough on socialism. Unpopular and ineffective, Cuba policy prescriptions aside, the
venue, policies and rhetoric were focused more on the 2020 elections.

U.S.-Latin America Relations

AMLO’s cautious foreign policy

By Greg Weeks / February 15, 2019

AMLO’s foreign policy is far from the populist, anti-American rhetoric of his campaign and much of his political life. Nevertheless, his make-no-waves position is fraught with contradictions.

Global responses to Rex Tillerson’s trip to Latin America

By Greg Weeks / February 21, 2018

Secretary Tillerson’s Latin America trip triggered a wave of criticisms and repudiations from regional leaders and global powers alike.

U.S.-Latin America Relations

The Trump Doctrine in Latin America

By Greg Weeks / August 16, 2017

In Latin America Vice President Pence finds himself in a role now familiar to many White House officials: telling leaders abroad that they should ignore his boss’ bluster. Truth is there’s often little change from the past.

Brazil and the Southern Cone

Latin America will not unite

By Greg Weeks / March 14, 2017

Pan-hemispheric solidarity and unity has long been a dream of independence fighters, politicians, academics and dreamers. Given the state of the Americas today, you can forget about it.

Brazil and the Southern Cone

Pink tides, pendulums, and presidents: political and economic change in Latin America

By Greg Weeks / January 19, 2017

Conventional wisdom is that the pendulum has swung away from the left and back to the right. Such a view, though, misses the complex positions politicians, governments and voters are taking across the political spectrum.

Democracy & Elections

The still-slumbering giant in a Southern swing state: Hispanic voters

By Greg Weeks / November 2, 2016

Will this be the year that Hispanic voters mobilize and vote Democrat in the all-important swing state of North Carolina?

Central America

Winning the paranoid way in Nicaragua

By Greg Weeks / October 6, 2016

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has one of the highest approval rates in the region, but he is still going to great lengths to secure his re-election November 6th at all cost. Is this just Ortega playing it safe or a permanent power grab?

U.S.-Latin America Relations

An Attitude of Platitudes: The Democratic Party’s Platform and Latin America

By Greg Weeks / July 25, 2016

Beyond a few nice sounding phrases and curious omissions, the Democratic Party platform mentions Trump more than it mentions Latin America.

U.S.-Latin America Relations

Latin America in the Republican platform: Cold War ideology meets the art of the deal

By Greg Weeks / July 20, 2016

The newly released Republican platform twists itself in pretzels attempting to accommodate Trump’s positions, its own historical positions and its need to oppose the current administration’s position wherever possible.