Security at the Expense of Human Rights: The Case of El Salvador’s “Megacárcel”

Image Source: CNN At the end of February, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the transfer of the first 2,000 prisoners to the “biggest prison in the Americas,” the “Terrorism Containment Center” (Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo - CECOT). The opening of this “megacárcel” (mega prison) is just one of the measures Bukele has undertaken under … Continue reading Security at the Expense of Human Rights: The Case of El Salvador’s “Megacárcel”

The Dragon, the Elephant, and the Jaguar Both Wanted to Tame

Image Source: Vivekanandia International Foundation. Image modified by the author. Guyana is a kaleidoscope of unresolved mysteries in a continent it barely resembles. The country lies geographically in South America. However, no one with a good knowledge of the region would ascribe it to Latin America. Guyanese speak English as lingua franca, yet they are … Continue reading The Dragon, the Elephant, and the Jaguar Both Wanted to Tame

Venezuela Sanctions: The U.S. Needs to Change its Goals

Photo credit: FreightWaves Between 2017 and 2019, former U.S. President Donald Trump instituted comprehensive economic sanctions against the Nicolás Maduro-led Venezuelan government, cutting off access to the U.S. financial system and freezing government assets, among others. The Trump administration also sanctioned state-owned oil gas company PDVSA, state-owned gold mining company, Minerven, and the Central Bank … Continue reading Venezuela Sanctions: The U.S. Needs to Change its Goals

PRC’s Renewed Soft Power Strategy and U.S. Global Health Security Efforts in Latin America

Image Source: Observer Research Foundation, Diplomacy Gone Amiss. When Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” in 1990, he could not have known how strongly the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would buy into the concept; China’s leader Hu Jintao declared in 2007 that the PRC needed to invest more into soft power. Since that … Continue reading PRC’s Renewed Soft Power Strategy and U.S. Global Health Security Efforts in Latin America

Balancing Peace and Justice in the Colombian “Total Peace”

Image Source: Caracol Radio A Note from the Editor: This article was finalized earlier this month, before talks with the ELN began. As these conversations continue and information is released, there may be some changes relative to what is written below. Only six years after the historic peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of … Continue reading Balancing Peace and Justice in the Colombian “Total Peace”

Colombia’s New President Is Right: The U.S. Can End The War On Drugs By Changing The Focus Of Its Counternarcotics Strategy

Image Source: CNN This article is a guest submission from Ivan Thirion Romo. Recently, Colombia’s newly inaugurated President Gustavo Petro delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in which he criticized the dysfunctional policies of the United States’ “War on Drugs.” Petro criticized the U.S. counternarcotics strategy that has primarily focused … Continue reading Colombia’s New President Is Right: The U.S. Can End The War On Drugs By Changing The Focus Of Its Counternarcotics Strategy

The State of Russia’s Influence in the Western Hemisphere Post-Ukraine

Photo credit: CSIS On March 2, 2022, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution to reprimand Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Of the 181 member states that took part in the vote, 141 supported the resolution, while Russia and four of their closest allies (Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea, and Syria) voted “no.” On … Continue reading The State of Russia’s Influence in the Western Hemisphere Post-Ukraine

Mounting a Defense on the Southern Theater: An Analysis of Russian Propaganda Aimed at US-Mexico Relations

Russia reportedly spent $16 million on propaganda targeting the United States in 2021 to create friction between the United States and its partners in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. For instance, Russia Today en Español published an article characterizing the United States’ foreign policy toward Mexico as being “absen[t] of support” for Mexico’s alternative strategies … Continue reading Mounting a Defense on the Southern Theater: An Analysis of Russian Propaganda Aimed at US-Mexico Relations

FSLN’s Grandeur and Decadence

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega during one of his rallies. Photo Credit: Confidencial (a Nicaraguan newspaper founded by the FSLN's former newspaper director) The Sandinista National Liberation Front or El Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) is a political and social movement, founded in 1962 by Carlos Fonseca. In 1979, FSLN efforts overthrew former President Anastasio Somoza, ending … Continue reading FSLN’s Grandeur and Decadence

Thunder over the Falklands: Asian Arms in Latin America

Pakistan Air Force JF-17’s armed with air to air and air to ground munitions. Photo Credit: Pakistan Air Force Last month, local Argentine newspapers leaked news that the Argentinian government intended to purchase 12 Pakistan-Chinese manufactured JF-17[i] Block III ‘Thunder’ fighter aircraft and supporting equipment. This is not new. Argentina’s plan to purchase Chinese fighters … Continue reading Thunder over the Falklands: Asian Arms in Latin America