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Begin New Search Political Geography Latin America Publication Year within 5 Years

151. Conditional Support for Pemex: Achieving Financial Sustainability During the Energy Transition

Author:
Fernanda Ballesteros, Andrea Furnaro, David Manley, and Alejandro Chanona
Publication Date:
11-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
Abstract:
Mexico must reform its financial support for the national oil company, Pemex. Since 2013, the state has given 2.8 billion pesos (about USD 140 million) to Pemex. This support has made Pemex dependent on the state and has led to inefficiencies. In 2025, there is a window of opportunity open to reform state support for Pemex. Mexico’s new government has taken office and will write a new Federal Expenditure Budget, following constitutional reform that has changed Pemex into a Public State Company. There is mounting pressure for reform in the next round of debt refinancing for Pemex. The company’s USD 100 billion debt is alarming creditors, leading them to require higher interest rates from Pemex. Before granting another round of state support, the government should establish clear conditions for such funding. International experience—for example, from Eskom, the state electricity company in South Africa—shows that conditionality contributes to financial sustainability for state-owned businesses. Eskom’s experience offers lessons on how to design and administer support for Pemex. A powerful condition for support could be that Pemex assesses and mitigates the risks for its business stemming from the global energy transition. This could involve scenario planning; aligning its business plan with the country’s climate plan; implementing a just transition plan for oil-producing regions, and managing the closure of petroleum infrastructure.
Topic:
Oil, Sustainability, Energy Transition, and National Oil Companies
Political Geography:
Latin America and Mexico

152. What Explains Support for Populism in Latin America?

Author:
Dinorah Azpuru
Publication Date:
09-2024
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA)
Abstract:
In the 21st century, populism has resurfaced in Latin America, but it has also emerged as a political force in other developing countries, as well as in Eastern European countries and several advanced industrial democracies. The support for populism in Latin America offers a lens through which to understand this phenomenon globally.
Topic:
Democracy, Populism, Ideology, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:
Latin America

153. Study on Civic Culture and Coexistence in Honduras: The Construction of a Democratic Society: An Inconclusive Task?

Author:
Marcelo Varela-Erasheva, Julieta Castellanos, and Ramón Mejía
Publication Date:
10-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
Abstract:
More than four decades after the transition to democracy in Honduras, this study analyzes the political culture of the country. To do so, during 2023, 30 focus groups were conducted in the 18 departments of Honduras and 62 interviews were conducted with people from the world of politics and academia, including social actors and government officials. Among the findings of the research are the diffuse adherence to democratic principles and the option to vote as a form of political participation; the propensity towards nonobservance or selective compliance with laws and rules of coexistence; and distrust of institutions. There is a perception that institutions operate in a clientelist manner, that they are co-opted by political parties, and that the State is discriminatory. Another salient finding is the high level of intolerance towards other political ideas and towards groups with preferences different from one’s own, along with the growing preference for strong leadership, and generalized fear (of institutions, of neighbors, of the future, etc.). The study shows that Hondurans do not like the State that has been built in these decades and are not optimistic about the future. These findings are similar among the general population and the elites, although there are nuances between territories and between groups.
Topic:
Politics, Public Opinion, Elections, Democracy, and Institutions
Political Geography:
Latin America and Honduras

154. The Intersection of Migration with Authoritarian and Illiberal Tendencies: Contextualized in Latin America and the Middle East

Author:
Christy Crouse, Nur Elçik, and Jessica Corredor Villamil
Publication Date:
08-2024
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Dejusticia
Abstract:
Democratic and authoritarian governments alike may respond to migrant flows with authoritarian and illiberal tendencies. These practices tend to negatively impact the inclusion, protection, and humane treatment of migrants. We view this as a problem; migration or the movement of people is a reality, and the response to this reality is a choice that countries are faced with constantly. We wish to better understand the factors that trigger or mitigate these authoritarian and illiberal responses to migration. This exploratory, theoretical study engages with the nuance of both migration and authoritarian tendencies to provide a wide and conversation-starting introduction to the intersection of these topics. For this research, we focus on Latin America and the Caribbean (lac) and the Middle East and North Africa (mena), with examples from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, and Lebanon. These two regions are currently experiencing major migration crises. Our study aims to contribute to the conversation and debate about the ways in which countries respond with authoritarian or illiberal tendencies to migrant flows into, out of, or through them. Our guiding questions include: How are migration flows revealing and provoking authoritarian and illiberal tendencies in countries with different levels of democratic development? What are the illiberal and authoritarian tendencies that we observe in the responses to migrant flows of countries with differing levels of democracy? What are the authoritarian and illiberal practices that contribute to migrants’ low acceptance and integration in destination countries? What factors trigger, or mitigate, these tendencies in both receiving and sending countries? These questions help us explore the relationship between migration and authoritarian and illiberal tendencies. Our findings identify certain factors that we believe either trigger or mitigate such tendencies.
Topic:
Migration, Authoritarianism, and Illiberalism
Political Geography:
Middle East and Latin America

155. Smart Metropolis? Mexico City’s Ongoing Transformation

Author:
María José Salcedo
Publication Date:
09-2024
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Institution:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Abstract:
Throughout history and the globe, cities have been the driving force of development, from commerce to culture. Currently, over 50 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. At this rate, experts expect that the urban population will more than double by 2050, and nearly seven out of 10 people will live in cities.1 Therefore, because cities generate 80 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), urbanization is a means for economic growth in developing countries.2 Once viewed as shrinking, shattered, or overcrowded, cities can now be seen as crucial spaces of economic betterment for most of the world’s poor as well as places where the environmental and social crises of our times are addressed.3 Smart cities are crucial for sustainable development. In 2015, all member countries of the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development comprising 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It recognized that end- ing poverty requires the reduction of inequalities and economic growth, all while tackling climate change. The SDGs are a collective and urgent call for action by all developed and developing countries. Together with the 2030 UN Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement was also adopted in 2015, marking a landmark for multilateralism and international policy.4 The Paris Agreement is the first binding commitment to keep global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius, highlighting the need for achieving more sustainable mobility systems within cities.5 Many countries have committed to reducing their emissions within the agreement, but cities are the main actors that can contribute by becom- ing environmentally resilient, which in practice, translates into strategies that mitigate natural phenomena while greening urban areas. Green infrastructure, street arborization, and flood-friendly parks exemplify how public spaces can contribute to decreasing pollution and emissions while fostering a car-less city.
Topic:
Development, Economy, Smart Cities, and Sustainable Development
Political Geography:
Latin America and Mexico City

156. A post-Western global order in the making? Foreign policy goals of India, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa

Author:
Sinikukka Saari, Toni Alaranta, Bart Gaens, Katariina Mustasilta, and Lauri Tahtinen
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
India, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa are striving for a more multipolar, post-Western world order in which they would not be seen merely as auxiliary powers to the bigger players, but as independent great powers. For them, a key foreign policy goal is to transform global governance institutions. They all call for a permanent seat for their country on the UN Security Council. To achieve that, the states need backing from more than the Western states – and this logically strengthens the multi-aligned logic of their foreign policies. India, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa see Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and the Western countermeasures from their own perspective. They describe Russia’s invasion as a violation of international law, but see the war primarily as a Western concern, not theirs. Although these states are critical towards the West, they are not anti-Western and they all value multilateral institutions; their foreign policy goals and features offer opportunities for the EU to engage with them, but that needs to happen on a more equal footing than what has traditionally been the case.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, UN Security Council, Multipolarity, International Order, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Africa, Turkey, India, Asia, Brazil, and Latin America

157. Mexico’s domestic decay: Implications for the United States and Europe

Author:
Lauri Tahtinen
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has challenged Mexico’s democratic institutions, including the electoral commission INE, and relies on the military to run sectors of the economy and to provide internal security. Recognizing the continuing strategic importance of its southern neighbor, the United States is attempting to “friend-shore” American industry to Mexico despite trade disputes. Mexico’s economic convergence with the US is giving way to ideological divergence. In the past year, Mexico has called NATO’s stance on Ukraine “immoral” and openly aligned with the leftist, anti-US dictators of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Mexico’s internal development and shifting external stance could spark a return to a United States focused on the protection of its 19th-century borders instead of its 20th-century global footprint. European attention to the future of Mexico can help diversify the country’s trade and other partnerships, as well as shine a light on its democratic decay.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Democracy, Europe, and Economic Policy
Political Geography:
Europe, Latin America, North America, Mexico, and United States of America

158. Continuismo, contra reacción y triangulación: el desembarco de China en América Latina y la coexistencia de líneas de acción exterior de España hacia la región

Author:
Javier Martín Merchán
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
Las relaciones entre España y América Latina siempre han conformado un pilar en la estrategia de integración internacional del país ibérico. No obstante, ante la singular coyuntura que supone el auge exponencial de China en la región latinoamericana, ¿qué riesgos afronta hoy España en América Latina? ¿Ha influido dicha coyuntura en las líneas maestras de acción exterior de España hacia la región? Este artículo arroja algo de luz en torno a tales preguntas, y su conclusión es doble. Por un lado, sugiere que el desembarco chino supone un serio desafío para España. Por otro, se sostiene que la política exterior española ha hecho coexistir tres tipos de actitudes como respuesta: una más continuista, otra que capitaliza esta nueva coyuntura y busca aprovechar sus oportunidades, y una última más reactiva a las amenazas que suscitaría la pujanza china en América Latina.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Economics, Politics, and Trade
Political Geography:
China, Latin America, and Spain

159. La puerta de Latinoamérica: Las relaciones de Panamá con Estados Unidos y China, oportunidades y desafíos

Author:
Rodrigo Matías Martín and Guillermo Enrique Boscán
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
Este articulo analiza las relaciones de Panamá con China y Estados Unidos, las dos mayores potencias mundiales en la actualidad. En primer lugar, se revisan las relaciones que el país latinoamericano ha tenido con China desde la creación de Panamá como país, llegando hasta el cambio de reconocimiento diplomático en el año 2017, así como las nuevas relaciones con la República Popular China. Tras ello se analizan los desafíos que tiene Panamá en el contexto de sus nuevas relaciones diplomáticas. En la siguiente sección se revisan de igual manera las relaciones históricas entre Panamá y Estados Unidos, llegando hasta el día de hoy, y se analizan las oportunidades que ofrecen los Estados Unidos a Panamá.
Topic:
International Relations, Diplomacy, and Panama Canal
Political Geography:
China, Latin America, Panama, and United States of America

160. La evolución de la política exterior ecuatoriana durante el Siglo XXI: Análisis desde la teoría del Realismo Periférico

Author:
Miguel Paradela López and Dalia González Delgado
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
El presente artículo analiza la evolución de la política exterior ecuatoriana durante los gobiernos de Rafael Correa, Lenín Moreno y Guillermo Lasso a la luz de los postulados teóricos del realismo periférico, que sostienen que los pequeños y medianos Estados deben desarrollar una política de colaboración con las grandes potencias y reducir su oposición a aquellos eventos que directamente afectan a los intereses de sus nacionales. Para ello, se analizan momentos clave de cada uno de los siguientes gobiernos, incluyendo el cierre de la Base de Manta, la relación con el FMI, la entrega de Julian Assange o la compra de vacunas contra el Covid-19. El artículo concluye mostrando cómo los tres presidentes desarrollaron estrategias que no maximizaron los intereses ecuatorianos, en tanto que alternaron gobiernos donde el enfrentamiento con las grandes potencias fue generalizado con gobiernos que priorizaron el acercamiento con estos a costa de los intereses nacionales.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, History, Political Science, Strategic Interests, and Peripheral Realism
Political Geography:
Latin America and Ecuador

161. Despliegue del poder blando chino en América Latina y recepción en los países de la región

Author:
Juan Ignacio Brito Munita and Francisco Javier Tagle Montt
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
El concepto del poder blando ha cobrado relevancia en Relaciones Internacionales. Asociado típicamente a EE.UU., en los últimos años también China ha promovido su poder blando, llegando a América Latina. Tras revisar las dificultades para acordar una definición del término, esta investigación observa el fenómeno desde una doble perspectiva: por un lado, analiza el despliegue del poder blando chino en la región; por otro, evalúa la respuesta de los países latinoamericanos ante él. Postula que, mientras China usa una definición amplia del poder blando que aplica en la región y la vincula prioritariamente a aspectos de su política doméstica, la recepción de los gobiernos latinoamericanos la hace depender de la variable siguiente: aunque todos acogen la ofensiva económica china y se acercan al gigante asiático, la manera en que reaccionan a ella está condicionada a la postura que mantienen hacia EE.UU.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Soft Power, and Hard Power
Political Geography:
China, Latin America, and United States of America

162. Entre la pradera, la frontera y el puerto. Cambios y continuidades de la política exterior uruguaya

Author:
Castellar Granados
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
En este artículo se analizan los lineamientos de la política exterior uruguaya hasta la última alternancia política en el Gobierno nacional poniendo especial énfasis en las relaciones con China y Estados Unidos. Para ello se parte de la hipótesis planteada en trabajos previos que apunta a ideología partidaria variable explicativa de los planteamientos en política exterior en Uruguay. Así, en primer lugar, se expone una revisión histórica de los antecedentes de la política exterior uruguaya y de las principales tradiciones intelectuales que ayudaron a formular el pensamiento internacional. En segundo lugar, se explica el marco institucional, los principales ejes en política exterior y los planteamientos del Gobierno de Lacalle Pou en materia internacional. Posteriormente, se analizan las preferencias de las élites políticas en materia de política exterior. Y, por último, el artículo aporta algunas reflexiones finales a modo de conclusión y líneas de actuación para futuros trabajos.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Ideology, and Political Parties
Political Geography:
Uruguay and Latin America

163. Los retos de Honduras en materia de inseguridad. El dilema de Xiomara Castro ante el populismo punitivo y de la seguridad.

Author:
Javier Lozano Cobos
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
La militarización y el combate como herramienta casi exclusiva contra la violencia y la inseguridad ha sido el paradigma de profundo calado en Honduras y la mayor parte de la región, lo que implica la solución a los problemas de inseguridad en clave de guerra. Este conflicto asimétrico entre los grupos criminales y los Estados se recrudeció a raíz de la Guerra contra las Drogas iniciada por el presidente mexicano Calderón, y no es sino la continuación de las diversas guerras contra ya ensayadas en Centroamérica bajo inspiración de los EEUU. Con la llegada al poder de la presidenta hondureña, Xiomara Castro, se advertía un cambio en relación a las políticas de seguridad que no se enfocaran exclusivamente en la mano dura, sino que abordara la reforma integral del Estado priorizando la lucha contra la corrupción y la impunidad, así como la mejora de la calidad de la democracia. Una ola de populismo punitivo recorre la región, pero la mejora en los niveles de inseguridad en Honduras no será sostenible mediante el uso exclusivo de la fuerza ni estados de excepción.
Topic:
Corruption, Human Rights, War on Drugs, Democracy, Geopolitics, Inequality, Populism, and Militarization
Political Geography:
Latin America, Honduras, and United States of America

164. ‘Follow the Money’: tracking the diffusion of the American anti-money laundering policy in Latin America (1990s-2000s)

Author:
Mariana Medeiros Bernussi, Priscila Villela, and Lívia Jardinovsky Debatin
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Conjuntura Austral: Journal of the Global South
Institution:
Conjuntura Austral: Journal of the Global South
Abstract:
Given the wide reach of transnational crimes and the illegal flow of money, policing at an international level has become a new frontier for authorities who aim to control these threats. The United States has taken the center stage in this effort ever since the proclamation of the War on Drugs and the continuing War on Terror by promoting the ‘Follow the Money’ principle as a fundamental strategy to be adopted worldwide. The main goal of this paper is to identify the US efforts to formulate and expand the anti-money laundering agenda and policies to Latin America, from the 1990s to the 2000s, mobilizing the policy diffusion approach. By incorporating this thinking tool, we also aim to highlight the United States hegemonic position when establishing agendas and priorities internationally. Therefore, based on a qualitative design, we trace US official documents describing strategies, practices and policies aimed at promoting anti-money laundering policies in Latin American institutions through coercion, competition, learning and emulation mechanisms. As a result, by promoting training events and formulating evaluation mechanisms, the US has stimulated Latin American countries to elaborate their own law enforcement efforts inspired by these same paradigms, indicating that the US uses these anti-money launderinginstruments to promote its policy agenda internationally.
Topic:
War on Drugs, Financial Crimes, War on Terror, Money Laundering, and Policy Diffusion
Political Geography:
Latin America and United States of America

165. Seeing the Forest for More than the Trees: A Policy Strategy to Curb Deforestation and Advance Shared Prosperity in the Colombian Amazon

Author:
Timothy Cheston, Patricio Goldstein, Timothy Freeman, Alejandro Rueda-Sanz, and Ricardo Hausmann
Publication Date:
02-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Abstract:
Does economic prosperity in the Colombian Amazon require sacrificing the forest? This research compendium of a series of studies on the Colombian Amazon finds the answer to this question is no: the perceived trade-off between economic growth and forest protection is a false dichotomy. The drivers of deforestation and prosperity are distinct – as they happen in different places. Deforestation occurs at the agricultural frontier, in destroying some of the world’s most complex biodiversity by some of the least economically complex activities, particularly cattle-ranching. By contrast, the economic drivers in the Amazon are its urban areas often located far from the forest edge, including in non-forested piedmont regions. These cities offer greater economic complexity by accessing a wider range of productive capabilities in higher-income activities with little presence of those activities driving deforestation. Perhaps the most underappreciated facet of life in each of the three Amazonian regions studied, Caquetá, Guaviare, and Putumayo, is that the majority of people live in urban areas. This is a telling fact of economic geography: that even in the remote parts of the Amazon, people want to come together to live in densely populated areas. This corroborates the findings of our global research over the past two decades that prosperity results from expanding the productive capabilities available locally to diversify production to do more, and more complex, activities.
Topic:
Economic Growth, Deforestation, and Green Economy
Political Geography:
Colombia, South America, Latin America, and Amazon Basin

166. Fighting Gangs Under the State of Exception in Honduras

Author:
Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
Abstract:
A year after the implementation of the state of exception on 6 December 2022, this report explores the evolution of violence likely related to gang activity between January and November 2023. ACLED data show that the security measures implemented thus far have yielded mixed results. Armed clashes and violence targeting civilians have continued unabated throughout 2023 due to persisting competition among gangs, especially in the country’s overcrowded prisons where violence has surged. Gangs continue to extort transportation workers in order to generate revenues, albeit the rate of these events has slowed down in 2023 compared to 2022. The geography of the violence points to gang violence moderately increasing and spreading beyond the crime hotspots of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. This finding substantiates claims that criminal groups have expanded to other strategic areas for drug trafficking and production, a phenomenon potentially exacerbated by state of exception measures and increased pressure on gangs in the most populous urban areas due to frequent law enforcement operations.
Topic:
Security, Law Enforcement, Violence, and Gangs
Political Geography:
Latin America and Honduras

167. Latin America and China's Belt and Road Initiative: Challenges and Proposals from a Latin American Perspective

Author:
Victor Ramiro Fernandez, Juliana González Jáuregui, and Gabriel Esteban Merino
Publication Date:
06-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
AUSTRAL: Brazilian Journal of Strategy International Relations
Institution:
Postgraduate Program in International Strategic Studies, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Abstract:
Despite the divergent perspectives that address the presence of China in the Global South through the Belt and Road Initiative, scarce approaches identify how Latin America could face that challenge to reverse its historical dependency and promote economic development. We address this question by recovering and updating structuralist, dependentist, and autonomist contributions developed in Latin America combined with an arrighiean version of the world system. We compare the Latin American and Chinese trajectories regarding regional integration, productive and technological constitutions, spatial asymmetries, and state capacities. Finally, we propose how to forge a relationship with China that enhances Latin American autonomy.
Topic:
Development, Infrastructure, Regional Integration, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Economic Development, and Autonomy
Political Geography:
China and Latin America

168. Monetary policy in Latin America: The easing cycle has begun

Author:
Alejandro Werner
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)
Abstract:
Latin America’s central banks acted promptly and decisively to contain the medium-term consequences of the global inflation shock. Since then, however, headline and core inflation have come down within the region, real growth has slowed, and the US Federal Reserve appears to have settled on a (however brief) pause of its own tightening cycle. Werner says the time has come for a gradual return to looser financial conditions in Latin America. Brazil, Chile, and Peru have already started the process of cutting rates, and there seems to be significant space to continue; Mexico should follow, with Colombia waiting for more clear signals.
Topic:
Monetary Policy, Inflation, Interest Rates, and Central Bank
Political Geography:
Latin America

169. Rare macroeconomic disasters and lost decades in Latin America: The COVID-19 experience in a historical context

Author:
José F. Ursúa
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)
Abstract:
COVID-19 led to the single largest year-over-year decline in Latin America’s GDP per capita in more than 100 years. Although the region has endured several macroeconomic shocks before, mostly related to financial dislocations, none has been so deep and synchronized. The authors' analysis of the COVID-19 experience for the region and eight economies with available historical data reveals the extent of the damage. Through 2020, four economies suffered “rare disasters” (cumulative contractions by 10 percent or more): Argentina, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Tragically, Venezuela’s macroeconomic collapse matches the largest contraction registered by any country in modern history. In addition, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, together with the Latin America regional aggregate, are undergoing “lost decades” (prolonged periods of stagnation), which are unlikely to end soon. While Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay did relatively better with COVID-19, they still suffered significant recessions, and their economic performance has lost steam compared with prior decades. Overall, COVID-19 will cast a long shadow in Latin America even as economic growth rebounds. The shock also offers opportunities for a reset, with the appropriate set of macroeconomic policies, advances on microeconomic reforms, and the strengthening of institutions. Whether this set of policies will materialize in the midst of challenging political contexts remains an open question.
Topic:
History, Economic Growth, Macroeconomics, and COVID-19
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, and Latin America

170. Good Practices in the Provision of Global Public Goods: How multilateral development banks build on global public goods in their operations

Author:
Johanna Neuhoff and Hannah Zick
Publication Date:
07-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Oxford Economics
Abstract:
In our flagship report, ‘Multilateral Development Banks for Global Public Goods’, commissioned by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Oxford Economics highlighted the positive role that the use of GPGs can play in preventing and addressing crises that cross national boundaries. As part of that work, we wanted to identify and share promising practices and good examples of how the provision of GPGs can be supported through international funding—and in particular through MDBs. We gathered a longlist of 99 examples of MDBs supporting GPG provision based on comprehensive desk research and interviews with over 30 key actors in the realm of project development. From this, we selected 20 case studies to carry out “deep dive” research to showcase good practices of provision of GPGs by MDBs based on whether the intervention: benefitted not only people inside the country of implementation but also beyond the country’s borders; supported the implementation of framework conditions that change the incentive structure for the provision of GPGs; could be replicated in other countries; and rated a good practice in reports or named a good practice by interview partners from MDBs. As a result, we gathered examples of GPG projects supported by MDBs and multilateral institutions at the country level that might not have been intended to only support GPG provision—such as those GPG projects mostly financed via Trust Funds and FIFs—but which also produced high GPG effects by maximising the synergies between national and global benefits. The case studies are designed to inform stakeholders from MDBs and receiving countries involved in the programming and project designing of development cooperation alike. The case studies showcase promising and highly replicable ways of supporting the provision of GPGs in the MDBs’ country engagement—considering both national and cross-country benefits of an intervention. Furthermore, valuable lessons can be learned on the institutional set-up, financing, quantification etc. concerning the support of GPGs by MDBs. They include examples of projects in sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia & Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and South Asia, and which covered issues such as climate and the environment, global public health, peace and security, financial resilience, and a fair international trading system. In a synthesis report, we set out 12 recommendations to organisations implementing GPGs to ensure they maximise the benefits on the ground, based on our findings from the analysis of the case studies. These range from using cost-benefit analysis and focusing on projects with high cross-country benefits to helping coordination of in-country provision and encouraging regional learning.
Topic:
Climate Change, Development, Environment, International Trade and Finance, Institutions, Public Health, and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
Political Geography:
South Asia, East Asia, Germany, Latin America, Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, Global Focus, and Sub-Saharan Africa

171. Global Futures Bulletin: The growing threat of disinformation and misinformation in Latin America and how to fight back

Author:
Igarapé Institute
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Igarapé Institute
Abstract:
The rapid spread and borderless reach of disinformation and misinformation are amplified by our growing reliance on digital connections and devices and supercharged by artificial intelligence (AI). The proliferation of fake news, conspiracies, and malign content coincides with declining trust in mainstream media and waning support for democracy. While all countries are susceptible to an unchecked infodemic, some are more vulnerable than others. Concerns over digital harms are already afflicting the major democratic powers of North America and Western Europe. Yet the threat is also rising fast in emerging nations, such as Brazil, where social media is ubiquitous, and the consolidation of democratic institutions is still underway.As fake and malicious news grew in visibility and audience share across the media, Brazilian authorities moved forcefully to contain the threat, expunge egregious misinformation, and keep elections free and fair. Brazil’s judiciary, and especially the electoral court, spearheaded those efforts, while also enjoining political parties, civil society actors, and social media companies in the campaign. With societies everywhere puzzling over the challenge of how to contain the spread of online harms, Latin America’s largest nation offers lessons that can and should have broader relevance for democracies, globally.
Topic:
International Cooperation, Internet, Disinformation, and Misinformation
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, and Latin America

172. Intergenerational Mobility in Latin America: The Multiple Facets of Social Status and the Role of Mothers

Author:
Matias Ciaschi, Mariana Marchionni, and Guido Neidhöfer
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Abstract:
In this paper we assess intergenerational mobility in terms of education and income rank in five Latin American countries—Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama—by accounting for the education and occupation of both parents. Based on the method proposed by Lubotsky and Wittenberg (2006), we find that intergenerational persistence estimates increase by 26% to 50%when besides of the education of parents we consider also their occupation. The increase is partic-ularly strong when education is more evenly distributed in the parents’ generation. Furthermore, we evaluate the changing importance of each single proxy for parental background to explain inter-generational mobility patterns in each country and over time, and find that the relative importance of the characteristics of mothers have been increasing over the last decades, in line with rising women’s average years of education and labor market participation. Interesting heterogeneities across countries and cohorts are observed.
Topic:
Education, Occupation, Social Status, Social Mobility, and Mothers
Political Geography:
Latin America

173. The Last Hurdle? Unyielding Motherhood Effects in the Context of Declining Gender Inequality in Latin America

Author:
Mariana Marchionni and Julian Pedrazzi
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Abstract:
We assess whether motherhood could be the last hurdle to achieving gender equality in developing countries by exploring the link between motherhood and the overall gender gap in the labor market for 14 Latin American countries over the last two decades. Using pseudo- panels built from harmonized household surveys and an event study approach around the birth of the first child, we find that the arrival of the first child leads to a sharp and persistent 35% decline in mothers’ earnings. This result is explained by a reduction in employment and a prompting shift towards occupations that favor more flexible work arrangements, including part-time and informal jobs. These effects are pervasive across countries and population groups. Furthermore, using an extended version of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, we identify motherhood as the primary source of income inequality between men and women. Motherhood explains 42% of the remaining gender gap and has progressively gained relative importance over the last two decades while other contributing factors, such as education and its associated returns, have shown a waning impact. Moreover, we find no clear cross- country association between the motherhood-related gap and per capita GDP or gender norms, while the contribution of other factors to the gender gap in earnings diminishes with higher per capita GDP and more gender-egalitarian social norms. This suggests that gender gaps stemming from the motherhood effect exhibit greater rigidity than other drivers of gender inequality.
Topic:
Development, Inequality, Gender, Decomposition, Motherhood, and Child Penalty
Political Geography:
Latin America

174. Extended School Day and Teenage Fertility in Dominican Republic

Author:
Santiago Garganta, María Florencia, and Joaquín Zentner
Publication Date:
08-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS)
Abstract:
This paper investigates the potential impact of extended school days in reducing teenage fertility. We study the Jornada Escolar Extendida program, which doubled the school-day length from 4 to 8 hours in the Dominican Republic, and exploit the geographic and time variation induced by its gradual implementation. We find evidence that a higher exposure to JEE in the municipality, measured as the percentage of secondary students covered by the program, reduces the incidence of teenage pregnancies, and that the effect is stronger after the program has reached at least half of secondary students in the municipality. The estimates are robust to various specifications and alternative checks. These results suggest that extended school-day policies can have spillover effects regarding teenagers’ fertility choices.
Topic:
Education, Fertility, Risky Behavior, and Teen Pregnancy
Political Geography:
Latin America, Caribbean, and Dominican Republic

175. Chinese Firms and Adherence to Global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Standards in Developing Countries: Is there Potential to Create Common Ground?

Author:
Mike Morris
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:
This paper focuses on analysing how Chinese firms operate in Latin America, Asia and Africa in regard to ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards and sustainability issues. How do they respond to the increasing global value chain requirement to incorporate and maintain ESG standards? Is their space for an alignment between Western development cooperation ESG policies, frameworks, strategies and practices and Chinese political and economic stakeholders in the developing world? The paper uses a variety of case studies covering Chinese firms (disaggregated into SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and large, medium and small private sector firms) operating in various sectors in countries across the developing world. It uses a three dimensional framework to analyse different types of Chinese firms in terms of value chain operations covering many of the ESG standards they are required to meet: 1. Supply chain relations (i.e. approach to supporting upgrading of local suppliers); 2. Internal firm processes (i.e. approach to local labour, training and upskilling); 3. Social licence to operate (i.e. approach to meaningfully engaging with local communities taking account of their social and economic needs).
Topic:
Development, Environment, Governance, Business, and Supply Chains
Political Geography:
Africa, China, Asia, and Latin America

176. A Review of Changes in the Global Value Chain of Latin America

Author:
Sungwoo Hong
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
Based on the findings of the value chain analysis conducted on major Latin American countries, it suggests that these countries may have derived certain economic benefits. This can be attributed to the increased exports to the United States and China, where Latin American countries served as substitute countries for imports during the intensifying competition between the two nations. Amidst the U.S.-China hegemony race and the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a notable shift in focus. Particularly, the United States is actively working to establish secure and stable supply chains, primarily centered around its own country and allied nations, with the intention of reducing dependence on China. As part of this process, the United States advocates for reshoring or near-shoring, which involves relocating production facilities to its home country or neighboring nations. Additionally, the U.S. is implementing various incentives to support this objective. If near-shoring takes place in Latin America, they can be regarded as favorable locations for establishing a foothold to access North America or securing key minerals. Additionally, Latin American countries with substantial backward linkages should be prioritized in trade with the United States. Among them, Mexico and Brazil, which exhibit relatively high levels of backward linkage within Latin America, are considered suitable hubs due to their capacity for generating significant foreign added value in their exports to the United States.
Topic:
Economics, Trade, Global Value Chains, COVID-19, and Minerals
Political Geography:
Latin America and United States of America

177. Betting on Legality: Latin American and Caribbean Responses to the Venezuelan Displacement Crisis

Author:
Luciana Gandini and Andrew Selee
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
More than half, and as many as two-thirds, of the estimated 6.4 million displaced Venezuelans who have settled in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2016 have been granted legal status in their host country. Most of the receiving countries in the region have responded with pragmatic measures that offer some form of legal status as well as the right to access the labor market, basic education, and emergency health care. The measures implemented are uneven and often not fully institutionalized, but they have been surprisingly generalized for a region with limited experience with large-scale immigration. This report explores the response to Venezuelan displacement in the 15 principal host countries in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2016 and 2022. It examines the reach of different mechanisms for providing legal status and humanitarian protection—asylum systems, mobility and residence agreements, regular visas, and regularization campaigns that offer temporary status—and offers estimates of the share of Venezuelans in each country who have obtained legal status. The report also considers the trend of governments coupling measures to provide legal status with new visa requirements that have made it increasingly difficult for more Venezuelans to arrive, pushing some into irregular migration channels. Finally, the report looks at variations in Venezuelans’ access to education and health care across the 15 countries.
Topic:
Education, Governance, Border Control, Employment, Displacement, Immigration Policy, Healthcare System, and Refugee Policy
Political Geography:
Latin America, Caribbean, and Venezuela

178. A Winding Path to Integration: Venezuelan Migrants’ Regularization and Labor Market Prospects

Author:
Diego Chaves-González and Natalia Delgado
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Migration Policy Institute (MPI)
Abstract:
The movement of more than 6 million Venezuelans to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean has challenged the region’s governments to rethink how they manage mobility across their borders and the integration of immigrants within them. Many have launched programs to regularize Venezuelan newcomers. However, the status offered by regularization measures has varied enormously, including in terms of duration and the rights granted. These differences have had implications for Venezuelans’ ability to find work, access services, and plan for the future. This report examines how regularization efforts have affected Venezuelans’ labor market integration. It looks closely at the case of Colombia, which has received the most displaced Venezuelans and operated the region’s largest regularization program, as well as at other countries that make up the Quito Process, which has made Venezuelans’ socioeconomic integration a top priority. Among other sources, the study draws on interviews and focus groups with policy and regional experts, migrants, integration-focused organizations, and private-sector stakeholders. Topics explored include the impacts of granting short- versus long-term regular status, varying rates of labor market informality and labor enforcement, and the significant human capital Venezuelans have brought to many countries. The report also offers recommendations for countries as they continue to refine their strategies for granting Venezuelans regular status and fostering their integration.
Topic:
Development, Migration, Employment, Integration, Labor Market, and Skills
Political Geography:
Latin America and Venezuela

179. Fostering a New Global Conversation: A View from Mexico on Diversifying Inter-Regional Engagement

Author:
Guadalupe González Chávez
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
This essay highlights the importance of fostering a more inclusive global conversation by encouraging both intra- and inter-regional relations. Although one focus will be on fostering more communication between Mexico and the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region with Azerbaijan and the other countries that make up the core Silk Road region, various other regions and mechanisms operating within the contemporary global context will also be discussed. The dimensions of future governance may be examined from the perspective of different world regions’ capacity to communicate, collaborate, and generate a new conversation. A more inclusive approach can result in a more holistic review of different angles and thus bring out more original approaches for prospective geopolitical analysis efforts, policy design, and decisionmaking in their local, regional, and global expressions. Communication, knowledge, and culture strengthen their capacity to influence the conversation if key elements of the global governance agenda are taken as a common ground for analysis when de cisionmak ing depends on the incorporation of broader views. While distant, the location and geographical presence of LAC and the Silk Road regions allow for the possibility to analyze commonalities between these two large and complex communities whilst exploring new pathways for dialogue and international policymaking.
Topic:
International Relations, Communications, Governance, Geopolitics, and Engagement
Political Geography:
Azerbaijan, Latin America, Mexico, and South Caucasus

180. Latin America and the ‘New Caucasus’: Linking Points Between Brazil and Azerbaijan

Author:
Roberto Rodolfo Georg Uebel
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Baku Dialogues
Institution:
ADA University
Abstract:
For those arriving in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, after crossing the Atlantic Ocean and flying over war-torn Europe, in addition to the modern buildings along the Caspian Sea coast and the unique hospitality of its people, what stands out the most is the emerging ‘New Caucasus’ on the horizon. It is a region no longer constrained by the geopolitical, geoeconomic, and cultural ties to the old Eastern Europe and no longer overshadowed by historical hegemons like Russia (most recently) and Iran (previously). When I visited in 2022, I discovered a country, and a region, that masterfully coordinates a pragmatic foreign policy without relinquishing its Caucasian and Caspian values and roots, creating a unique political identity that, to some extent, resembles our Latin American political identity, of course bearing in mind the appropriate hemispheric and historical proportions. My observation is that Azerbaijan is emerging as a strategic actor in the Caspian Sea region as well as in the relations between Central Asia, the Caucasus, the European Union, and the Middle East.
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Economics, and Geopolitics
Political Geography:
Brazil, Azerbaijan, Latin America, and South Caucasus

181. Guyana: Oil, Internal Disputes, the USA and Venezuela

Author:
Raphael Padula, Matheus de Freitas Cecílio, Igor Candido de Oliveira, and Caio Jorge Prado
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Contexto Internacional
Institution:
Institute of International Relations, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Abstract:
Guyana has a strategic geographic position in the Amazon and the Greater Caribbean area, as revealed in the strategic thinking and military presence of the United States (USA). Its territory also possesses abundant natural resources, especially after the recent and significant oil discoveries, having the American company ExxonMobil as protagonist. Meanwhile, the country is characterised by a domestic political and ethnic cleavage. In addition, Venezuela and Guyana are in a historical dispute for the Essequibo area, which is potentially endowed and surrounded by areas with strategic resources. The main argument of the paper is that the oil discoveries in Guyana are leading to geopolitical and geoeconomic impacts regarding the intensification of domestic and foreign disputes, involving American and Venezuelan interests and recent state actions. More broadly, it points out that the north of South America has become one of the stages of the global power strife, in view of the Sino-Russian and American presences, in a context of Brazil’s absence. To survey and evaluate the actors’ actions resulting from the oil findings in Guyana, the paper is based on geopolitical and geoeconomic concepts, energy data, specialised academic and journalistic bibliography.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Oil, Geopolitics, Strategic Competition, and Geoeconomics
Political Geography:
China, Latin America, Venezuela, Guyana, and United States of America

182. Hegemony, consensus building, and pedagogical colonisation: new ways of external interference?

Author:
Camila Vidal
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Contexto Internacional
Institution:
Institute of International Relations, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Abstract:
This study is a theoretical effort to rethink International Relations from the perspective of Neo-Gramscian Critical Theory in which its empirical object is the US hegemony in the scope of Latin America. More specifically, this study refers to the fabrication of consensus directed by an American ruling class through its own vehicle for this – the Atlas Network – which finds legitimacy and support in its Latin American counterparts. Based on primary data, public documents, and specialised bibliography, this study aims to contribute to the rethinking of International Relations using this institute as an object of empirical relation to theoretical study. More than presenting domination strategies through private hegemony apparatus, this study encourages us to reflect on relatively forgotten (or marginalised) practices and concepts in International Relations, such as imperialism, hegemony, and the role of consensus building. Finally, from Critical Theory, it contributes to understand the role of ruling classes in the creation of consensus in subaltern countries and classes to maintain this same hegemonic structure.
Topic:
Hegemony, International Relations Theory, Consensus, and Critical Theory
Political Geography:
Latin America and United States of America

183. Models of Measuring Cooperation: Brazil and Mexico

Author:
José Alejandro Sebastian Barrios Díaz
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Contexto Internacional
Institution:
Institute of International Relations, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Abstract:
Over the past few decades, South-South cooperation has grown in terms of actors, volume, geographic reach, instruments, and modalities, but, statistics on this type of cooperation have been incomplete and fragmented. The technical, political, and institutional challenges in measuring South-South cooperation are emphasised by countries like Brazil and Mexico, chosen as cases to be analysed in the text. The article explores the experiences in measuring international cooperation provided by Brazil and Mexico, starting with the characterization of the two national trajectories in the quantification and the modalities that determine the process, and analyses the main similarities and differences presented between the cases. The analysis of the countries studied in this article evidence the different institutional designs of international cooperation and the establishment of measurement models elaborated by governments based on their own realities of international cooperation, indicating, therefore, that the process of measuring international cooperation is not only a statistical issue, but above all, a political one. Seen in these terms, South-South cooperation measurement exercises have provided more knowledge about how cooperation activities are organized and their relation to global development agendas, and have also consolidated the transparency of public expenditure.cooperation and development; South-South cooperation; public expenditure; Brazil; Mexico; measurement.
Topic:
Development, International Cooperation, Global South, Public Spending, and Measurement
Political Geography:
Brazil, South America, Latin America, and Mexico

184. Dependency and Super-exploitation: The Relationship between Foreign Capital and Social Struggles in Latin America

Author:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Publication Date:
08-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Abstract:
This dossier analyses the role of Marxist dependency theory today as an important scientific tool to understand the current anti-democratic and fascist trends and emancipation processes in the Global South.
Topic:
Capital, Exploitation, Dependency, and Marxism
Political Geography:
Latin America and Global South

185. The Coup Against the Third World: Chile, 1973

Author:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Abstract:
Dossier no. 68 presents an analysis of the 1973 coup against Chile and its effects on the Third World and non-aligned countries.
Topic:
Economics, Sovereignty, Third World, Coup, and International Order
Political Geography:
Latin America and Chile

186. What Can We Expect from the New Progressive Wave in Latin America?

Author:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Abstract:
What are the challenges, limits, and contradictions facing Latin America’s new wave of progressive governments? How does this differ from the earlier wave that began with the election of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez twenty-five years ago?
Topic:
Progressivism, Hugo Chavez, and Regional Politics
Political Geography:
Latin America

187. Chrysalises: Feminist Memories from Latin America and the Caribbean

Author:
Dona Nina, Arlen Siu, and Las Bartolinas
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Case Study
Institution:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Abstract:
In this publication, we are setting out to recover histories, struggles, and resistance in Latin America and place ourselves in moments of the history of Nuestra América 1– ‘Our America’ – when women have been on the front lines of the battle to build a more just world. This history encompasses an enormous diversity of sectors, geographies, climates, flavours, and sounds, an entire universe of people, of dissidents, who, step by step, have walked the path of history. We are setting out on a path to recover the history of struggles, resistance, insurrections, and revolutionary dreams that have been led by women and LGBTQ+ people throughout the region at different times in order to find the seeds of the popular Latin American feminisms that exist today. These feminisms emerge from popular, collective struggles that are born as vital means of self-defence on the fringes of the peripheries. To speak of popular feminisms in Latin America and the Caribbean means thinking about all that women and LGBTQ+ people do every day as they fight for the common good in places where precariousness prevails. It is to speak of that intersection where the communal becomes a fundamental space to guarantee life, always in tension with the pedagogy of cruelty that governs our societies. Popular feminism raises the banner of the collective over the individual; it transforms everything that must be transformed for the decent life that the ‘nobodies’ deserve. In addition to being organisers and leaders of national processes in various social sectors, popular feminists have set to work vigorously alongside hundreds of comrades to create and sustain a continental platform of social movements as part of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, or ALBA (which translates as ‘dawn’). Founded one dawn on Venezuela’s Margarita Island by Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro, ALBA is a polysemic concept that is dear to our region. The continent’s platform of popular organisations, known as ALBA Movimientos, seeks to understand the continent’s current context through the eyes of struggle and mobilisation. Of course, in order to do this, it is essential to have material that reclaims the history of the struggles of the women and dissidents of Nuestra América who preceded what today is a struggle for the transformative power of history in every corner of our region.
Topic:
History, Feminism, Memory, and Resistance
Political Geography:
Latin America and Caribbean

188. Colonialism and Racism in Twenty- First-Century Mexico

Author:
Federico Navarrete
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Institution:
Brown Journal of World Affairs
Abstract:
Born in 1821, Mexico is one of the oldest nation-states in the world. Mexico is characterized by a strong national identity that is well-known outside of its borders. This identity defines it as a proudly independent nation with a distinct mixed-race Mestizo population. This article will criticize two central elements of the image that Mexico has built for itself as an independent nation. The first element presents Mexico as a post-colonial state that constructed a new republican order for its popula- tion, treating all individuals as equal. The second element presents Mexico as a Mestizo nation, its population and culture being the result of a confluence between its original Indigenous and Spanish communities, transcending the racism inherited from its colonial past. However, different voices and groups in contemporary Mexican society are challenging these definitions and fighting against internal colonialism and racial discrimination.
Topic:
Discrimination, Colonialism, Identity, Racism, and Post-Colonial
Political Geography:
Latin America and Mexico

189. A shared EU-US economic agenda for the world: Engagement as an imperative

Author:
Lauri Tähtinen
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
It is time for the European Union and the United States to build a shared, positive economic agenda towards third countries. Such an agenda would build upon the bilateral relationship but not focus on it. It would still be shared, even if the parties may have distinct reasons for supporting different aspects of it. The first elements of a shared economic agenda are evident in the EU-US Trade and Technology Council projects for Jamaica and Kenya. However, the political window for further alignment between the US and the EU, as well as for European trade deals, may be closing in 2024. Future initiatives should take into account major economies such as Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia. The entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement should be a high-level priority for both Washington and Brussels. The current state of the EU-US relationship is characterized by a divergence in technology, industrial policy, and environmental policy. To move onto a path of convergence, Washington must reassess its exaggerated fears regarding the regulatory power of the EU, and use the spread of European standards as a means towards shared ends.
Topic:
Environment, Industrial Policy, Science and Technology, Bilateral Relations, European Union, and Economic Policy
Political Geography:
Europe, Latin America, and United States of America

190. Cost of Violence Study: Costa Rica

Author:
Andrés Fernández Arauz and Camelie Ilie
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Center on International Cooperation (CIC)
Abstract:
Costa Rica faces an unprecedented challenge in the form of escalating violence concentrated within specific regions of the country. This report delves into the country’s administrative divisions, shedding light on its eighty-two cantons, where critical security data is localized. Recent statistics up to September 2023 underline a concerning situation. While violence in Costa Rica remains lower than the regional average for Latin America, it is the country in the region where violence has grown the most since 1995.
Topic:
Security, Violence, and Peacebuilding
Political Geography:
Latin America, Central America, and Costa Rica

191. Amérique latine. L'année politique 2022

Author:
Olivier Dabène
Publication Date:
01-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI)
Abstract:
Amérique latine. L’Année politique 2022 est une publication de l’Observatoire politique de l’Amérique latine et des Caraïbes (Opalc) du CERI-Sciences Po. Il prolonge la démarche du site www.sciencespo.fr/opalc en offrant des clés de compréhension d’un continent en proie à des transformations profondes.
Topic:
Democratization, Environment, Political Economy, Sovereignty, Regional Integration, Transnational Actors, and Social Policy
Political Geography:
Latin America

192. The Resilience and Sustainability Trust: Early Learning and Challenges from Costa Rica and Rwanda

Author:
Andrew Wainer
Publication Date:
07-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
In 2022, as part of the IMF’s recent efforts to re-channel Special Drawing Rights, it created the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), facilitating the transfer of concessional finance from high- to lower-income countries for climate resilience and pandemic preparedness. It is the first new such facility following the polycrises of the early 2020s. Demand for the RST is strong and learning from its pilots can inform how future RST financing can be used most effectively. This research provides case studies of two RST pilots: Costa Rica and Rwanda. Lessons from the pilots are not only relevant for future RST recipients. The RST is operational, and therefore, uniquely worthy of analysis in terms of how additional financing—above and beyond the RST—can be effectively integrated. Our analysis finds that the RST is becoming the IMF’s de facto climate finance facility; is government-driven; is being awarded to countries with strong governance and climate credentials; and that authorities are banking on using the RST to attract additional climate finance. At the same time, the RST faces the challenges of being too small to confront climate resilience; has questionable priorities in terms of supporting climate over poverty reduction in low-income countries; is almost tripling the number of IMF program conditions some countries are facing; and is escalating IMF policy influence over governments in an area where the IMF has limited experiences.
Topic:
International Monetary Fund, Finance, Sustainability, Resilience, COVID-19, and Sustainable Development
Political Geography:
Africa, Latin America, Rwanda, and Costa Rica

193. Forest-Based Carbon Markets: Pitfalls and Opportunities

Author:
Julián Cárdenas and Juan Jose Guzman Ayala
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Center for Global Development (CGD)
Abstract:
Forest-based carbon markets could become an important source of income for countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Estimates indicate that under a high carbon prices scenario, the value of the forest-based carbon credit market could increase from US$1.3 billion in 2021 to US$25 billion per year by 2030. Apart from the climate and monetary benefits, forest based carbon markets also have pitfalls that must be avoided. Without the right institutions in place, at the national and local level, forest projects can generate negative externalities, such as population displacement, increases in food prices, and biodiversity degradation. The value chain in carbon credits involves a number of high value-added upstream and downstream activities that tend to take place outside the countries where the projects are located. Industrial policies are required for host countries to receive a higher share of the revenue stream, including in areas such as structuring, monitoring, verification, and surveillance. Countries need to promote actions in labor training, research and development, and access to long-term capital. The paper proposes the creation National Carbon Federations as institutions to resolve several market failures, while preventing conflict, ensuring adequate savings of the additional income, and strengthen democratic governance. These organizations can also provide key public goods, so that local communities benefit from the development of carbon credits from tropical forests.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Climate Finance, Forests, and Carbon Markets
Political Geography:
Latin America

194. Partners in Crime: The Rise of Women in Mexico’s Illegal Groups

Author:
International Crisis Group
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
International Crisis Group
Abstract:
More and more women are joining the criminal outfits battling for turf in Mexico, heightening the dangers these groups pose. To arrest this trend, and to help offenders leave these groups, authorities should cooperate with civil society to provide alternative pathways to earning a living.
Topic:
Civil Society, Women, Organized Crime, and Gender
Political Geography:
Latin America, North America, and Mexico

195. Informe Iberoamérica 2023

Author:
Marcos Criado De Diego, Daniel Gayo Lafée, Marisa Ramos Rollon, Erika Rodríguez Pinzón, Loreno Ruano, and José Antonio Sanahuja
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Fundación Alternativas
Abstract:
Hoy la realidad de los países que conforman la Asociación Estratégica entre la UE y la CELAC es completamente diferente. Si bien tomaron contacto en la última Cumbre Iberoamericana en República Dominicana, prevalecieron las fracturas y las diferencias entre países y posturas. Ambas regiones enfrentan un contexto desafiante. Ha aumentado el riesgo de fragmentación en bloques geopolíticos y económicos. América Latina y el Caribe están ante el dilema de pertenecer al hemisferio occidental o fortalecer su integración intrarregional. Europa con desafíos inéditos, ante una agenda influída totalmente por el conflicto entre Ucrania y Rusia con una fuerte desaceleración de su crecimiento a un magro 0,1% para 2023, con gastos militares crecientes para apoyar a Ucrania lo que implica dejar atrás otras prioridades de desarrollo y con dilemas sociales para preservar su sociedad de bienestar. América Latina y el Caribe por su parte, es hoy una región más desigual, más pobre, más endeudada, más polarizada y más desconfiada. Enfrenta múltiples crisis sufriendo los impactos del conflicto de Ucrania con altos niveles de inflación (7,7% en promedio) a pesar de que los precios de combustibles y alimentos parecen haber llegado a su límite. El impacto de la pandemia, la crisis climática, las disrupciones en las cadenas de suministro, el endurecimiento de las políticas monetarias y el financiamiento internacional y la deuda pública y privada y baja recaudación fiscal agobian hoy día a esta región. Los riesgos económicos han aumentado junto con la incertidumbre y el desencanto social generando mayor polarización política.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, Climate Change, Inequality, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Europe and Latin America

196. The Impact of Populist Executive on the Inflow of Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America

Author:
Seungho Lee
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
Abstract:
Populist forces have been resilient in Latin America and continue to cause instability and uncertainty across the region. Populist figures in the region first rose to prominence during the period of import substitution industrialization in the 1930s, capitalizing on the growing demands for mass politics and better social benefits from the rapidly expanding urban working class. Populism, which had been rampant in Latin America for more than 30 years since then, seemed to fade into obscurity with military regimes which have dominated regional politics in the 1960s and 1970s. However, after a series of democratic transitions, Latin American democracies witnessed yet another wave of populism. A notable number of candidates with a populist discourse have achieved victories in presidential elections in the 1980s and 1990s. With the wave of democratization and the accumulation of public dissatisfaction due to a series of economic crises, some so-called neopopulists took power in a number of Latin American countries. They attracted voters by combining neoliberal economic policies with the typical “us-versus-them” discourse, demonstrating that any economic ideology can be linked to populist ideas. The new millennium witnessed another tide of populist presidents across the region. While a rapid transition to neoliberal policies led to various socioeconomic problems, traditional parties and politicians could not respond effectively to the emerging problems. This time around, left-wing populist figures dominated the region’s political landscapes, combining populist ideas with so-called 21st-century socialism. While the era of radical left-wing populists came to an end, new breeds of populists appeared one after another and were elected to office in the 2010s. Not many expect that populist executives will cease to exist across the region in the near future. Social and economic inequality is worsening in the aftermath of COVID-19, and the public distrust of established party politics and existing democratic institutions is growing more than ever. All in all, there is fertile ground for populist forces to spread even more, who claim that they are the only ones who can eliminate the "incompetent and corrupt" establishment and truly represent the "virtuous" people. Against this backdrop, there is a growing need to improve our understanding of the characteristics of populist governments that have repeatedly emerged in the region. Among many channels through which populist rule influences Latin American countries, Lee et al. (2022) dedicate one of their chapters to analyzing the impact of populist rule on the inflow of foreign direct investment, a variable of much importance in Latin American economies.
Topic:
Foreign Direct Investment, Populism, and Instability
Political Geography:
Latin America

197. The INE Debate and the Formation of the Neoliberal Democracy in Mexico

Author:
Luiz Alberto Gómez de Souza
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
Although Mexico’s electoral institute was originally born out of struggles for democracy, it has since become a guardian of the neoliberal Mexican state.
Topic:
Politics, Elections, Democracy, and Neoliberalism
Political Geography:
Latin America, North America, and Mexico

198. The Causes Behind the Ciudad Juárez Migrant Detention Center Fire

Author:
Josiah Heyman and Jeremy Slack
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
The fire that killed 40 people on March 27 is the foreseeable consequence of binational immigration enforcement measures by the United States and Mexico.
Topic:
Law Enforcement, Border Control, Immigration Policy, and Migrants
Political Geography:
Latin America, North America, Mexico, United States of America, and Ciudad Juarez

199. El Salvador: Surfing in the “New Land of the Free?”

Author:
Julián Reingold
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
The expansion of the Surf City tourism project towards the eastern and unexploited part of the country raises concerns over democracy, sustainability, and land ownership.
Topic:
Tourism, Democracy, Land Rights, Sustainability, and Surfing
Political Geography:
Latin America, Central America, and El Salvador

200. Transgressive Notes from Ecuador’s Prisons

Author:
Luis Barrios
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Abstract:
President Guillermo Lasso’s Commission for Penitentiary Dialogue and Pacification was a failure. Now, a new Prison Observatory seeks to generate broad-based solutions to Ecuador’s prison crisis.
Topic:
Human Rights, Prisons/Penal Systems, and Crisis Management
Political Geography:
South America, Latin America, and Ecuador