URUGUAY: FIFA corruption scandal
Football is at the heart of Uruguayan culture. Multinational corruption is not. So when the two aspects combine amid the on-going FIFA corruption scandal, eye brows haven risen. Last month,…
June 2015
Ecuador: Correa and opposition battle over inheritance tax for wealthiest 2 percent
New inheritance tax proposal met with protests; Tax to affect roughly 2 percent of population; Correa temporarily withdraws proposal; Protests call for Correa’s resignation; Correa remains highly popular thanks to…
Venezuela: Opposition leader Leopoldo López ends hunger strike
Venezuelan opposition leader ends month-long protest; National Electoral Council sets date for parliamentary elections After 30 days of protest, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López finally put an end to his…
URUGUAY and the OAS 45th General Assembly
The Organization of the American States’ newly appointed Secretary General - former Uruguayan Foreign Minister Luis Almagro - has led the OAS 45th General Assembly in Washington D.C. The theme…
COLOMBIA: GOVERNMENT AND FARC AGREE ON THE CREATION OF A TRUTH COMMISSION AS VIOLENCE INTENSIFIES
Truth commission in Colombia to investigate abuses committed during five decades of internal conflict; Escalation of violence in recent weeks places peace talks at risk In the midst of stalling…
Brazil: Dilma turns to private sector with $64 billion fund for infrastructure overhaul
Brazil set for $64 billion in investment; Current infrastructure limiting economic growth; Dilma turning to the private sector; Brazilian government questioned on ability to deliver on projects Last Tuesday the…
CELAC-EU Summit 2015 Brussels: A Synopsis
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union (EU) set “building a common future” as the theme of last Wednesday’s summit. Set in Brussels, Belgium,…
ARGENTINA: Mass social movement focuses attention on rising gender violence in Argentina
Argentines protest en masse against gender violence; Marches organized in more than 70 cities; Femicide rates high across all of Latin America With the presidential elections fast approaching, few issues…
VENEZUELA: Diosdado Cabello: Victim or drug trafficker?
As political crises intensify, so does the crisis of which its main actors face. As the Maduro government prolongs opposition leaders Leopoldo Lopez and Daniel Ceballos’ imprisonment to the point…
VENEZUELA: THOUSANDS OF VENEZUELANS BACK CALL FOR ANTI-GOVERNMENT MARCH
Venezuelans respond to opposition leader’s call for peaceful demonstration; Opposition divided over strategy; Ex-presidents attempt to visit incarcerated opponents Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets last Saturday in a…
URUGUAY: Almagro Becomes New OAS Secretary General
The Organization of the American States (OAS) moves into a new era as the former Uruguayan foreign minister assumes its leadership. Luis Almagro was elected Secretary General of the continental…