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Brazilians justified in support of State surveillance
Residents of Rio de Janeiro have overtaken London as the most watched in the world, with a security camera per 860 inhabitants. But, whereas in the UK there was disquiet from civil liberties campaigners, there appears to have been widespread local enthusiasm for the move in the southern Brazilian city. Given the problems that persist ...
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South America’s Beautiful Game?
Association football came to South America via Europeans, probably through the port of Buenos Aires. Since then, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have all hosted the FIFA World Cup, and have between them won nine of the 19 World Cup Finals. With Brazil hosting in 2014, there are high hopes for further success. Football is a religion ...
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2012: a new cycle of peace?
Rather than heralding the world’s end, as per a dubious interpretation of Mayan prophecy, 2012 may go down as the year when a new cycle of peace-brokering began in the Hispanic world. The most high profile of these projects is Colombia’s negotiation with the FARC rebels, but other programs designed to stifle violence have germinated in El Salvador. Meanwhile ...
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Latin American Policy: Obama has work to do
Barack Obama’s re-election to the White House was in no small part due to the support of the US’ minorities. Latinos may be the largest racial minority in the country, but the President has been lukewarm in his intra-hemispheric relations. Although he received 71% of the Latino vote on 6 November, Latin American citizens and expatriates will ...
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Venezuelan and US elections: a comparison
There are several similarities between the recent elections in Venezuela and the United States. In both cases a charismatic incumbent faced an at times difficult campaign against a pro-business challenger to his right. The elections can also be regarded as referenda on the present governments; administrations that have polarised public opinion. Without seeking to be ...
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FARC settlement? Colombians must be pragmatic
After almost half a century of the FARC conflict, Colombians want peace. Unrealistically however, most of them want it dictated entirely on their terms. The Gallup Poll for the end of October signalled serious paradoxes in the nation’s hopes for the potential peace process with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Despite 72% being ...
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Rio is dead, now the real progress can start
“We need to get desperate,” screamed a thirtyish brunette in baggy jeans. Three hundred voices echoed her words. They were sitting on the dusty paving stones outside the delegate’s entrance at Rio+20, the United Nations conference on sustainable development that took place this past June. Men (there were noticeably few women) in dark suits powered ...
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Es momento: Mr. Peña Nieto set to become the PRI’s first democratic president
An estimated 100,000 supporters packed Mexico City’s Azteca football stadium – the third largest of its kind – to watch the young, telegenic former governor of the State of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, deliver the closing arguments of his almost certain victorious presidential campaign. The crowd chanted “Yes We Can” as the young, energetic politician ...
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Paraguay: the Truth behind the Fiction
By Rose Stokes Email: rose_stokes@hotmail.co.uk Twitter: @RoseStokes Paraguay is not a country that is known for its political stability and this week has proved no exception. The eyes of the world turned towards the landlocked country in South America this week following the swift and highly contested impeachment of democratically elected former President Fernando Lugo on ...