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Our latest political reviews.
Mr. Uribe Goes to Washington, Again
The Colombian president will once again try to convince Democrats in the White House and Congress of the benefits of signing a free trade agreement with his country.
Gabriela Perdomo - Álvaro Uribe arrives in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jun. 29. He will hold a private meeting with his counterpart Barack Obama in which two major topics will certainly be discussed: one is the continuation of Plan Colombia, a generous yearly aid package that the United States has granted Colombia for the past 10 years. The other one is a stalled bilateral free trade deal.
June 26, 2009
Argentina’s Disappointing Government
The Kirchners have failed to convince their fellow countrymen that their governing duo is the right choice moving forward.
Gabriela Perdomo - Argentina will hold mid-term elections on Jun. 28. The ballot will undoubtedly be a referendum on the government of current president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her predecessor and husband, Néstor Kirchner.
May 08, 2009
Haiti’s senatorial campaign off to a rocky start
Early stages of process show need for inclusiveness.
Rob Annandale - Haiti’s senatorial election campaign officially kicked off last week, but it remains unclear just what the impacts of a long and worrying opening act will be.
March 27, 2009
Spain is Sending Them Back Home
The government tries to tackle unemployment by repatriating immigrants.
Gabriela Perdomo - It has been a challenge for Spaniards to adjust to the huge number of immigrants invited by the government to relocate over the past 10 years. As it is, Spain is today one of the world’s top destinations for immigrants from three main areas: Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Today, roughly 10 per cent of Spain’s population is foreign-born.
March 20, 2009
El Salvador’s Quest for Centrist Politics
It is time to put an end to the far-left, far-right divide.
Gabriela Perdomo - It was an ugly one. El Salvador’s civil war, waged between 1980 and 1992, left a death toll of well over 70,000 and thousands more disappeared. It was only 17 years ago that the United Nations (UN) helped broker a peace deal that would see the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) renouncing violence and becoming a legal political party.
March 14, 2009
Obama’s Honeymoon
The American president is very popular abroad, for now.
Mario Canseco - Barely two weeks have passed since Barack Obama took the oath of office—twice—and the positive feelings towards the administration of the first African American president in the history of the United States are palpable. The first poll of his tenure sees Obama garnering twice the support of George W. Bush in his last days in office, an expected development considering the significance of his victory.
February 03, 2009
How the World Saw the Gaza Conflict
This time around, Hamas and Israel both lost the public relations war.
Gabriela Perdomo - No one would argue that the most recent outburst of violence in Gaza between Israel and the militia-and-political-party Hamas was in any way an advance towards a brighter future in this troubled region. But if by a twisted logic one were to find a positive spin to those horrifying three weeks, it is that people and nations around the world are sickened by the crudity of this conflict, and therefore the international community is more certain than ever to endorse dialogue as the only way out of this mayhem.
January 28, 2009
Lula’s Shoes Will be Hard to Fill
With one more year to go, Brazil’s president has already made his mark on Latin America’s political history.
Gabriela Perdomo - Few Latin American presidents manage to end their terms on a high note—let alone on a higher note than they began with. But Brazil’s Luis Inacio Lula da Silva will likely manage to do just that when his successor is picked next year. At home, Lula will leave behind big shoes to fill. Abroad, he will bestow an important legacy for governance in Latin America.
January 14, 2009
How Livni and Barak Outhawked Netanyahu
The military incursion in Gaza challenged preconceived notions about which Israeli politicians care about security.
Mario Canseco - In the last days of November, a new victory for the Kadima party in Israel seemed implausible. New leader Tzipi Livni had failed in her quest to assemble an administration, and the main partner in the outgoing coalition, the Labour party, had lost support dramatically, even falling to single digits in some prospective seat counts. Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu looked like a prime minister-in-waiting.
January 08, 2009
Terrorism will be Top Issue in India’s 2009 Election
Memories of Mumbai's attack will mark the upcoming legislative ballot.
Gabriela Perdomo - When Indians go to the polls in May 2009, memories of the carnage lived in Mumbai on Nov. 26, 27 and 28 will guide the hands of many. Even as social unrest will likely be less prevalent than it is today—provided there is no new terrorist attack before the election—national security will play a key role in determining who gets voted into office.
December 02, 2008