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Society and Politics Most Viewed

The Power of Refusal

Despite harassment and assassinations after declaring themselves neutral to Colombia’s armed conflict, The San José Peace Community, a group of brave rural farmers, have proved to be an inspiration for farming communities around…

Venezuela: A Legacy In Jeopardy

The Chavez legacy is omnipresent in Venezuelan society. The Bolivarian revolutionary re-drafted the education system and even built a new city in the northern state of Vargas. However, the administration of Nicolas Maduro is…

Society

Cheap Frills Better than No Frills for Argy women

In post-crisis Argentina, middle class women have been forced to lower their lingerie standards.

Chavez' Victory - A Point Proven?

Hugh O'Shaughnnessy reports from Caracas on an amazingly good electoral process and how cold warriors in some of London´s progressive papers who have been dissing Chavez as a dictator are having to eat their words.

Environment

Bolsonaro’s Brazil 2020: the march of the miners

Mining companies await new laws to unlock protected lands and indigenous reserves

Environment

Covid-19 in Latin America – Update

Latin America passed the dire milestone of a million cases of coronavirus at the beginning of June. Since then, Peru has surpassed Italy in its number of confirmed cases and infection and death rates continue to rise. Nonetheless…

Politics

Abimael Guzman

Yes Peru’s most notorious inmate! I hear he wants another ball and chain...

Brazil: The Morning After the Night Before

So, the Chamber of Deputies has voted to proceed with the impeachment of the President. What next?

Brazil's Scandals; Cunha on the Rack

Brazil’s congressional ethics committee recently voted to remove Deputy Eduardo Cunha, one of the orchestrators of President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment, from his position as Lower House Speaker. This decision comes after a…

Environment

Chevron, Ecuador and the extractor’s curse – part 2

In Part 2 in her story of how the oil company targets the victims' lawyers to avoid paying compensation, Linda Etchart looks at the actions and omissions of successive Ecuadorian governments

Human Rights

Colombia: Will the people say Yes to peace?

With the entire final agreement finally signed in Havana, the peace accords must now be submitted to a national referendum on October 2. The outcome remains uncertain. Gwen Burnyeat is a British anthropologist and writer, who has…

Venezuela: The Alternative of a Coalition Government

Victor Álvarez, a leading Venezuelan economist and winner of the Premio Nacional de Ciencia 2013, was Minister of Basic Industries and Mining during the Chavez presidency. This article, based on a proposal to the EU and ICRC…

... Bogotá

Like strangling puppies or bankers’ bonuses, bullfighting does not enjoy a good press in the UK. Yet here and now in Colombia, it’s fashionable. As a resident of Bogotá’s La Macarena barrio, I could hardly be nearer to the…

Colombia: A Historic Agreement on Peace

From remote cities in Colombia’s South like Pasto, to Bogotá, the financial and political capital, tens of thousands of people turned out to watch the signing of the historic ‘End of Conflict’ agreement on big screens in main…

Politics

Mexico: Trump Weakens Fragile Economy

A sober assessment of the economic impact on Mexico of the promises and policies of the new US President.

This Latino Week

Brazil's Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus, Coronavirus restrictions lifted in Rio and Sao Paulo, Cuba Denounces US Blockade, Colombia extends national lockdown, Change in Dominican Republic as opposition wins…

2012 and The End of the World as we know it… Mayan Prophecy or Hollywood Hoax?

Based on the ancient Mayan prophecy, the recent Hollywood blockbuster 2012 depicts the imminent end of the world. How much of it relays truth as the Mayans saw it and, more importantly, what did the Mayans know that we don’t?

Politics

Dilma's Dilemmas: On the Road to Re-election

With the first round of Presidential elections in Brazil coming up October 5th, how have World Cup protests and the recent death of opposition Socialist candidate Eduardo Campos on the 13th August affected Dilma Rousseff’s re-…

Politics

The Iraq Inquiry Needs this Brazilian!

Few people know that José Bustani was one of the single biggest obstacles to Tony Blair and George Bush’s plans for regime change in Iraq. He had to be got rid of. For the first time the recent Brazilian Ambassador to Britain…

Human Rights

Screaming for Justice

A Chilean brought up in Britain returns home to find that little justice has been achieved for Pinochet's victims, despite four years of a president, Michelle Bachelet, who was tortured under the dictatorship of General…

Latino Living in Chicago and London

In the space of 10 years, a once bustling Latino immigrant community in Chicago has been replaced with boutiques and bars and a clearly whiter demographic. Those that gave Pilsen the flavour that attracted the property…

Colombia's Plebiscite: Catharsis in Writing

Colombians in the UK blog to express their hope, sadness and determination to keep peace alive

Politics

Brazil: Full Speed Ahead for Impeachment

Jan Rocha reports on the attempted impeachment of Dilma and fears of vested interests behind it

Politics

Colombians’ Persistence in the Search for Peace: Interview with ‘Chocolate of Peace’ Producer

Gwen Burnyeat, the producer and co-director of the documentary Chocolate of Peace talks about the ‘persistence’ in peace-building, considering that Colombia is now both implementing the peace agreement with FARC and starting…

Politics

The Change in the Latino Vote

Once thought of as natural Republicans, Barack Obama captured the hearts of Latinos in the last US election. But the words 'American Dream' are no longer enough, they want help to achieve it. In the run up to the 2012…

This Latino Week

Brazil's Bolsonaro, School's out in Chile, Maduro and Putin chat, Riot police in Lima and Gloria Stefan's new Covid-19 tune

Politics

Brazil - Election Post-Mortem

The PT (Workers' Party) fared very badly in the recent municipal elections and is unlikely to recover before 2018. The political system is entering a new era, but no one knows where it will lead.

Would Oil be a Blessing or a Burden? The Cubans Sure as Hell Want to Find Out...

With speculation in the air and a Chinese drilling rig poised off its coast, Hugh O'Shaughnessy visits the island and talks to Ricardo Alarcón, president of the Cuban Parliament, about the country's hopes and fears.

Politics

Cunha: The Man Who Knew Too Much

The arrest of the former speaker of Congress has sent shock-waves through Brasilia.

This Latino Week

Colombian mayor catches Covid, New working scheme in Barbados, Ecuador on alert, Colombian cartels enforcing lockdown, Mexican football league starts again and Bad Bunny's new spotlight story.

The Bogotá Mayor Scandal - separating the politics from the rubbish

Mayor Gustavo Petro's sacking late last year caused public protest and political a political storm. Nevertheless, on the 13th January, the Inspector General confirmed the decision and Petro's cause seemed to be lost,…