Given the existence of a common problem that to differing degrees affects the entire region, it is worth considering whether the changes being introduced by the current populist nationalist governments include measures that will ensure civilian control of the armed forces in the sphere of defence.
The aim of this Working Paper is to provide some conclusions and practical recommendations regarding possible policies to be implemented by governments interested in favouring -as third parties- the success of a gradual democratic transformation of the Cuban regime on the basis of an agreed and non-violent process.
This paper analyses the impact of remittances on a set of human development variables in Ecuador. It is focused on education and health indicators, as well on some other consumption variables. Prepared by Juan Ponce (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales – FLACSO, Ecuador) and Iliana Olivié (Elcano Royal Institute’s Senior Analyst on International Cooperation and Development), the study was presented in two workshops held at the Elcano Royal Institute (Madrid) and at CIDOB (Barcelona) on 3 and 5 June 2008, respectively. It was also presented on 10 June in a specific session on Remittances held at the World Bank’s 2008 ABCDE in Cape Town (South Africa).
President Lugo’s swearing-in as the President of Paraguay marks a major turning-point in the country’s history.
The future of relations between the European Union and Latin America is full of question marks given the ambiguity on the part of almost all the players involved.
The fifth edition of the LAC-EU Summit did not manage to escape the contradictions present at the previous meetings, although this time the Latin American and Caribbean Presidents clearly articulated their desire to receive a European response to the increasing heterogeneity in Latin America within a framework of fundamental asymmetry in the bi-regional relationship.
This Working Paper evaluates the current status of the Cuban economy (Fidel Castro’s legacy), analyses the debate that emerged after a speech Raúl delivered on 26 July 2007 and explores the course of possible reforms.
The critical political, institutional, ethnic and social situation in Bolivia today, aggravated by the referendum on political autonomy held in several regions, could lead to a worrying level of regional instability.
Under the governments of Álvaro Uribe and Hugo Chavez, political and diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Colombia have been increasingly fragile and back-and-forth, jeopardising ties and the precarious stability in the Andean region.
Recent verbal and diplomatic clashes between the governments of Ecuador and Venezuela and that of Colombia, and the final statement at the meeting of the Rio Group, have placed the Colombian conflict in the multilateral realm. This raises new challenges for the region.
South America, like the whole of Latin America, has traditionally been considered to be a region of peace. However, in the last few months two potential flashpoints have emerged in the Andean region: Bolivia and Colombia.
Since the beginning of this century, Latin America has become an increasingly important region on the world’s geopolitical map. Several economic and political features define Latin America’s current geopolitical situation and set it apart from other episodes of the region’s history.