President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and Rafael Correa exhibit none of the characteristics of the modern, progressive left—such as, support for indigenous communities’ land rights or LGBT rights—so why are they still called leftists? Because they say so.
Several months ago, former presidents Óscar Arias, Felipe Calderón, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Alejandro Toledo, and Ernesto Zedillo signed an open letter to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressing their concern over the deteriorating human rights conditions in the country and political prisoners such as former Mayor of Chacao Leopoldo López. Here is their letter—though little has changed since they signed it.
Poverty without the violence and economic chaos of Venezuela? CaracasChronicles.com founder Francisco Toro reflects on the different meanings of poverty, inequality, decay, and civility on a stroll through the streets of Kampala’s slums.
The new OAS Secretary General’s swearing-in speech should give us hope, not just because he talked about the OAS’s role in defending human rights and electoral transparency and inclusiveness, but also because of who he is and Uruguay’s principled position in the hemisphere. His first test will be the Venezuelan legislative elections.
Conspiracy theories are a standard way for populists to distract citizens and stoke up their base. But the governments in Argentina, Ecuador and—particularly—Venezuela have turned it into a real art form.
Huffington Post interviewed LatinAmericaGoesGlobal editor Chris Sabatini on the economic situation in Venezuela. We read a lot in the press about Venezuela’s unusual currency system,
Why are Latin American leaders so resistant to speaking out about the deterioration of human rights in Venezuela?
Venezuela’s recently announced legislative elections (in November or December this year) represent one of the last opportunities for the country (and the region) to find an exit to its political and economic deterioration.
Even if you don’t agree with the Venezuelan opposition’s call for “la salida” of President Maduro, leaders like Leopoldo Lopez, now in prison almost 15 months, still have the right to demand the resignation of a president–a right Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rightly supported in her country. Here’s his parents’ story.
Should Scott Walker win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro remain in power until Walker is sworn in (2017), we face the prospect of two formerly mullet-ed presidents in opposing countries. Who’s mullet was better in the 1980s?
