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The Other Side of Paradise
October 4, 2012
Given the waves of anti-government protests which have recently engulfed Haiti, one would have thought that Haitian President Michel Martelly would have found refuge from controversy while visiting the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Yet this was not the case.
Cuadernos Colombianos
October 2, 2012
Both the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are preparing for their meeting in the Norwegian Capital, Oslo, on October 17. The composition of the facilitators and observers reflect a balancing act between the Santos government and the FARC.
Manufacturing Contempt
October 1, 2012
Guest post by Ansel Herz: In the Christian Science Monitor, the head of a prominent think tank advocates for a continuation of the UN's military presence in Haiti. To do so, he must avoid the UN's responsibility for the country's cholera epidemic, assaults and killings of civilians, and its corruption of Haiti's democratic institutions.
Rebel Currents
October 1, 2012
Rival mineworker factions have signed an agreement with the Bolivian government to end a violent dispute at the Colquiri tin mine. The conflict offers a window into the complexity of Bolivia’s mining sector, and the challenges faced by the government in balancing the competing expectations of salaried and cooperative mineworkers.
Border Wars
September 30, 2012
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican Human Rights Coalition have counted thousands of people who have died in the desert trying to get into the United States. In many cases the cause of death cannot be determined. Sometimes there is not even a way to determine gender. Some have died of violence, car wrecks, even hanging, but the vast majority have died of heat and dehydration.
The Other Side of Paradise
September 27, 2012
Earlier this month, the government of St. Lucia announced that it will be maintaining ties with Taiwan. This came as a surprise to many, but Prime Minister Kenny Anthony argued that it was best for St. Lucia to stay the course with Taiwan and not behave “like a Jack-in-the-Box, jumping from one country to another every few years.”
Cuadernos Colombianos
September 25, 2012
The composition of any negotiating team reveals facts about the importance of the negotiations, the nature of those negotiations, and their prospects for success. Drawing on this understanding, we can make some educated guesses about what to expect from the upcoming negotiations between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Manufacturing Contempt
September 24, 2012
On September 18, the American Enterprise Institute hosted a panel called, “Assange's asylum in Correa's Ecuador: Last refuge for scoundrels?” Remarkably though, its message imploded.
The Other Side of Paradise
September 22, 2012
Belize, like much of the Caribbean, is trapped between high debt and a foreign economic environment hostile to the implementation of progressive economic reforms. On September 21, Belize won a 60 day reprieve after a partial debt payment of $11.7 million, which avoided their descent into a full blown default.
Manufacturing Contempt
September 21, 2012
The mainstream media have falsely portrayed the exploration of the neoliberal charter cities idea—privately owned municipalities dedicated to producing exports—as if a sovereign, democratic government were undertaking the project with the consent of the population.