Brazil’s Rare Earths and the Fight for Control of the Value Chain
Abstract Brazil possesses one of the world’s largest rare earth reserves, yet it still faces major limitations in controlling the higher-value stages of production. Amid growing strategic rivalry between the…
Criminal Governance in Venezuela: Armed Groups and Territorial Control
Abstract This article analyzes criminal governance in Venezuela as a hybrid form of territorial power in which armed groups and criminal structures exercise functions traditionally associated with the state. Drawing…
The Venezuela Migration Crisis: Institutional Collapse, Hyperinflation, and Regional Migration Patterns
Abstract The Venezuela migration crisis is the largest displacement event in the modern history of the Americas, with millions fleeing amid prolonged economic and political instability. While external shocks such…
Drug Trafficking Routes in Latin America: From Cartels to Transnational Networks
Abstract This article examines how drug trafficking routes in Latin America have evolved from hierarchical cartel structures into decentralized, transnational networks. It focuses on the roles of Colombia, Ecuador, and…
Chile Border Militarization: Securitization of Migration and Security Policy in Latin America
Abstract This article analyzes the securitization of migration in Chile as a process through which migration flows are constructed as a threat to national security. Using securitization theory, it examines…
Latin American Soft Power: Who Controls the Global Entertainment Economy?
Abstract Latin American culture is gaining unprecedented global visibility through music, film, and streaming platforms. From international pop icons to globally distributed television series, cultural production from the region increasingly…
Venezuelan Communal Councils: Institutional Design, Practical Functioning, and Local Governance
Abstract Venezuelan communal councils (Consejos Comunales) constitute one of the central institutions of the model of “participatory and protagonistic democracy” promoted during the Chávez era. This article analyzes their legal…
Argentina’s Inflation Crisis: Fiscal Imbalances, Currency Instability, and the Milei Shock
Introduction: Understanding Argentina’s Inflation Crisis Argentina’s inflation crisis is one of the most persistent macroeconomic problems in the modern world. Over the past fifty years, the country has experienced repeated…
EU–Mercosur Agreement 2026: Strategic Trade Realignment and Structural Implications
Geopolitical Context of the EU–Mercosur Agreement in 2026 Twenty-six years after negotiations began, the EU–Mercosur agreement approaches signature in a profoundly transformed geopolitical environment. The world of July 1999, when…
Mass Incarceration in Democracies: Comparing the United States and Argentina
Incarceration has become one of the most visible and controversial features of criminal justice systems across the Americas. While extreme imprisonment is often associated with authoritarian regimes or failed states,…