The assassinated Archbishop of El Salvador, Óscar Arnulfo Romero, moved one giant step down the road toward sainthood with his beatification by the Roman Catholic Church on May 23, 2015.  The event occasioned celebrations throughout Latin America, and many observers argue that it revealed the radical nature of changes that Pope Francis is carrying out in

Guatemala’s government faced an expanding wave of criticism that left Vice President Roxana Baldetti particularly isolated after revelations of a multimillion dollar corruption scheme.   On April 17 a joint operation of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), the national police, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office led to the arrest of current and

When reading the murky tealeaves of Argentina’s PASO primary elections (primarias abiertas simultáneas y obligatorias) in Salta, Mendoza, Santa Fe and the city of Buenos Aires in April, various political soothsayers attempted to divine their implications for the presidential election later this year.  Prophecies revolved around each prognosticator’s attitude concerning the left-leaning Peronista bloc of outgoing

U.S. President Barack Obama traveled to Panama for the Summit of the Americas where the region’s leaders awaited his encounter with President Raúl Castro of Cuba with intense interest and anticipation.  There were also concerns over his potentially uncomfortable interaction with President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.  It was expected to be one of the most

Just months into her second term, the Brazilian president faces a political and economic crisis driven by vocal (but not necessarily united) opposition forces, a scandal at the state-owned oil company (Petrobras), and a faltering economy.  The Petrobras corruption case and proposed fiscal adjustments have taken a toll on her approval numbers throughout the country. 

On March 9, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order that declared Venezuela a national security threat to the United States, and also ordered sanctions against seven specific current or former officials under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.  According to the White House, the move was meant as a measured response to target people

While Venezuela’s economic situation seems to teeter closer to the edge, its highly antagonistic political atmosphere also continues to worsen.  As President Nicolás Maduro’s approval numbers have fallen into the low twenties, he has repeatedly blamed the nation’s troubles on international conspiracies (largely originating in the United States) linked to the domestic political opposition.  He

In Mexico the coerced disappearance of persons is occurring throughout the country’s territory, and in many cases these crimes are committed by public servants. This was the conclusion of the U.N. Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), which argued that all levels of the Mexican government must move with deliberate speed to address the problem, most

Alberto Nisman was the prosecutor whom former President Néstor Kirchner’s administration tasked with investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA).  The attack, which killed 85 people, is generally believed to have been carried out by Hezbollah operatives with connections to Iranian intelligence.  Nisman recently

Shortages and long lines have sparked violence and arrests in Venezuela.  Consumers now spend hours in lines for a chance to buy basic necessities, but there are no guarantees about what will be available.  The opposition continues to call for peaceful demonstrations and point to the failure of government policies, while international accrediting agencies warn