Democracy in Latin America: A Growing Crisis — and Why It Matters for the United States
Democracy in Latin America is entering one of its most serious crises in decades. Across the Americas, citizens are losing faith in democratic institutions and questioning whether democratic systems can…
Concentration Camps in Cuba: Reconcentración and the War for Independence (1895–1898)
Concentration camps in Cuba emerged in the late nineteenth century when Spanish colonial authorities implemented a policy of civilian reconcentración as part of a broader counterinsurgency campaign against independence fighters.…
Bitcoin Law El Salvador: A Technological Dystopia
Since its beginnings, the financial system has inspired suspicion. The 2008 financial crisis, which plunged the world into a prolonged recession, deepened public mistrust of big banks and opened the…
The Refugee Crisis in Venezuela: Where Are Venezuelan Migrants Going?
The refugee crisis in Venezuela has become the most significant exodus ever recorded in the Americas. Recent estimates suggest that more than 7 million Venezuelans have fled their homeland since…
Argentina’s Nestor Kirchner Gas Pipeline: A Matter of State?
Argentina is a country with a long history of searching for messiahs. Far from long-term solutions, much of Argentine society devotes itself to a brilliant leader’s capabilities, or to our…
Mining in Mexico: A Socio-political Analysis of Extractivism
Mexico is the thirteenth largest country in the world. In its almost two million square kilometers there is a diversity of landscapes and natural environments, creating ample mining opportunity and…
Social Cohesion as an Instrument for Addressing Social Problems Among Countries in Latin America
Social cohesion is a paradigm dating back to the 19th century when Émile Durkheim, Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer studied social unity. In the South American region, Uruguayan sociologist José…
Wages in Venezuela: How Self-employment, Policy Change, and Freelancing Offer Hope
Even after a recent hike, the minimum wage in Venezuela remains below 1 dollar (USD) per day. Some critics blame the wages on the nation’s highly centralized, top-down policies. Others…
The Galapagos Islands: Reforestation and Sustainable Development Goals Using Water-saving Technologies
In the Galapagos Islands, a team of scientists is researching modern reforestation technologies to regenerate degraded habitats, support local agriculture, and promote sustainable development goals. This remote archipelago in Ecuador…
Food Insecurity, Poverty, and Social Inequalities in Brazil: Social Chasms Grow
Built on unequal social foundations, Brazil has not yet overcome historic challenges such as income concentration, mass unemployment, and the lack of prospects for the younger generations. The disease of…