The resounding victory of Michelle Bachelet paves the way for another four years of government by Concertación, a centre-left coalition. This will mean a new set of challenges for a singular experience such as that of Chile.
Countries emerging from civil war and repressive dictatorship have tested a variety of transitional justice mechanisms, often in combination with one another. Most have opted for truth commissions, a few have established tribunals, domestic or international, others have purged and reformed key institutions (the security forces, the intelligence apparatus and the judiciary), several have pursued reparations and the occasional country, like Spain, has simply tried to forget. This essay examines the politics of memory in Guatemala, which has been more experimental than many of its peers. Guatemalans have pursued truth, clashed over justice, confronted the challenges of reparations and tinkered with institutional reforms, the first three of which are my principal focus here.
A common suggestion is that the main obstacles to the process of Latin American integration are external ones that most often have to do with the attitude of US governments, which are more interested in policies of ‘divide and rule’ than in promoting unification. This is the same line of thought that in the 19th century referred to the ‘Balkanisation’ of Latin America. However, beyond the rhetoric expressed in different forums (for example, at the recent Summit of the Americas held in November in Mar del Plata, Argentina), the main causes lie in the internal realities of the region. This paper focuses on three of these realities, two excesses and one deficit: an excess of nationalism and rhetoric, but a deficit of leadership
Once again there is an intensifying debate on the efficiency and the future of Mercosur. In this debate, Mercosur’s very existence has been called into question. There is discussion of how to move forward, but occasionally the consideration crops up as to whether it is reasonable to continue on the originally charted route. In recent months, this existential doubt has been especially clear in the Brazilian business sector. The idea of abandoning the customs union and going back to a free-trade zone is once again being considered
Despite multiple –and more intense than ever– calls for Latin American unity, bilateral relations are starting to be affected by a variety of conflicts in a considerable number of countries in the region
In his latest report on global trends, the United States National Intelligence Council mentions ‘militant indigenism’ associated with anti-Americanism as one of the potential hazards for hemispheric security
President Uribe’s Democratic Defence and Security Policy to restore order has seen significant success and has substantially reduced levels of violence, generating a new climate of security. However, to attain total pacification of the country, a number of challenges must yet be overcome, since the guerrillas have a huge capacity for destabilisation and the success of the process of demobilisation of paramilitary units is far from guaranteed
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