How does the region stack up in women in political power?

Latin American and the Caribbean have made incredible strides in electing women heads of state and in implementing gender quota laws for national legislative elections. But how well represented are women in current national congresses and parliaments? Not as well as you may think.

Read More »

Voting in UNHRC: Sri Lanka

This week we look at how countries voted in the UNHRC regarding Sri Lanka. The government of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was accused of engaging in genocide against the civilian Tamil population in its military campaign to end the civil war with the terrorist Tamil Tigers.

Read More »

The new and not-so-new foreign policies in the Americas

When we started this website, the idea was to begin a broad discussion of Latin America’s emerging foreign policy and its implications for inter-American relations, economic development and democracy and human rights. Here is the outline for a book chapter I’m working on on the topic of Latin America foreign policy—part of a larger book project by New York University and, later, my own book. Here I post the precis for comments. Any and all are welcome—in the spirit of the website and public debate. (Please forgive any typos.) The goal is to provoke discussion. Your comments will help.

Read More »

Doing business in Cuba–don’t forget opportunity costs

The new, the exotic, the previously forbidden fruit may appear to be the most tantalizing, but objective criteria should form the realist metric on which to measure all business decisions. The incremental and marginal changes in trade with Cuba are just that—incremental and marginal.

Read More »

Raúl Castro: Out from the shadows

One of the world’s more reclusive leaders, Raúl Castro, has recently made two extraordinary public appearances that together begin to etch a portrait of a man long eclipsed by his flamboyant older brother, Fidel.

Read More »

Determining and gaining U.S. influence in Latin America

Rather than focusing old time notions of levels of economic and military aid or large inspiring policy declarations, analysts and policymakers should focus their attention where policy and its return (i.e. influence) is most impactful—communication, contact and exchange that improve the daily lives of Latin American and Caribbean citizens.

Read More »

Cuba: It’s all about the regs

The effectiveness and fate of President Barack Obama’s December 17, 2014, executive actions to alter elements of the U.S. embargo on Cuba will ultimately depend on how the regulations are written and interpreted in the Treasury and Commerce departments. Let’s hope the regulators in those departments follow the spirit of the President’s actions.

Read More »
Scroll to Top