Does populism really threaten democracy?
Marine Le Pen’s far-right political party is looking to deepen its ties to a nascent pan-European populist movement in the run-up to next year’s European Parliament elections, The Financial Times… Read more »
Category: Latin America/Caribbean
Beware the dangers of digital activism
Democracy advocates should be aware of the limitations of digital activism, argues Manal al-Sharif, co-founder and leader of the #Women2Drive movement, founder and CEO of Women2Hack Academy, and author of… Read more »
‘Kleptocratic conspiracy’ pushing Guatemala toward authoritarianism
Hundreds of peasant farmers and indigenous Maya blocked a major highway in Guatemala’s western highlands on Monday, demanding that President Jimmy Morales reverse a policy aimed at forcing a U.N.-backed… Read more »
‘Kleptocracy Curse’ undermines democracy, threatens global security
Federal investigators in Brazil have uncovered corruption at the highest levels of the government and in the country’s largest corporations, according to a Council on Foreign Relations Backgrounder by Claire Felter and Rocio Cara… Read more »
Why is Venezuela collapsing but Maduro still standing?
Venezuela has pledged its oil reserves as backing for a digital currency dubbed the “petro,” which leftist President Nicolas Maduro launched in February. This month he vowed it would be the… Read more »
Is Cuba’s vision of ‘market socialism’ sustainable?
In short, no – at least, according to William M. LeoGrande, professor of government at American University in Washington, D.C. “The constitutional reforms recognizing private property and the new regulations… Read more »
Cuba’s new constitution preserves Communist monopoly on power
Lawmakers in Cuba have endorsed a draft of a new constitution for the communist island nation that could, among other things, allow for the legalization of same-sex marriage, CNN reports. But… Read more »
Market-Leninism: Cuba’s ‘cosmetic’ reforms aim to forge China Model?
Are Cuba’s ruling Communist Party’s proposed constitutional revisions “a way to move the island into the 21st century” or cosmetic changes designed to maintain single-party rule akin to the China… Read more »
Combating Disinformation: The Case for Stepping Up the Fight Online
Social media firms should establish “specialized Russian-focused teams” staffed with experts in Russian language, culture, and internet practices, according to a new report. “Combating Russian Disinformation: The Case for… Read more »
Fighting fake news in Colombia
Over the past year, efforts to weed out fake news have boomed. In 2016, during the peace agreement talks between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),… Read more »