Latin America & Caribbean Archives - Page 62 of 189

Review: The Unconquered

by Julia Heath | Jan 6, 2012

Sydney Possuelo is on a mission to find the last uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. A passionate and radical explorer and ethnographer, Possuelo has devoted his life to the preservation of indigenous and uncontacted Amazonian tribes, in addition to creating a team of likeminded activists called the Sertanistas. Possuelo is also the main character in Scott Wallace’s new book,The Unconquered, which chronicles the antics that ensued during a three-month mission into the Amazon to locate an uncontacted tribe called the Flecheiros (Arrow People).

Democratic Speed Bumps in Latin America

by Taylor Dibbert | Dec 9, 2011

After a decade of growing popularity, democracy has hit a slump in Latin America. A recent Latinobarómetro poll cited by The Economist in late October underscores this point. In all but three Latin American countries, fewer people than last year believe that democracy is preferable to any other type of government. In the cases of Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, the drop in support for democracy is significant.

China and the End of the Monroe Doctrine

by W. Alex Sanchez, Lauren Paverman | Dec 1, 2011

The British firm Rockhopper Exploration was the first company to obtain oil off the coast of the Falkland Islands in 2010. Since then, these oil deposits have raised the stakes of the historical territorial dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina over these islands located in the South Atlantic Ocean. A recent report by the pro-military think tank, the United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA), attempts to prove, albeit unconvincingly, that China could conceivably play a leading role in the future of this dispute.

The Modern Gold Rush

by J. Alejandro Artiga-Purcell | Nov 18, 2011

In September of this year, the price of gold reached a record high, breaking $1,900 per ounce for the first time in history. This unprecedented spike in gold prices has come in the midst of the U.S. debt crisis and the financial turmoil sweeping over Europe. Although prices have tempered since then, hovering around $1,650 per ounce in October, the overall price of gold has more than quintupled over the past decade.

Is Alarm About Seven Billion People Just Modern-day Eugenics?

by Russ Wellen | Nov 3, 2011

Many believe that attempts to control population growth are a conspiracy by the “global elite” to keep the world’s population to a controllable minimum.

Travel Writer Michael Jacobs Does Justice to the Andes

by Michael Busch | Nov 2, 2011

Michael Jacobs explored the length of the Andes from the lush jungles in northern Colombia to the snow-covered peaks of Argentina’s southernmost tip.

Cuba’s Culture of Dissent

by Joy Gordon | Oct 21, 2011

When the Cuban government released a number of dissidents earlier this year, human rights groups applauded the decision. But critics also took the occasion to paint Cuba once again as a society where a single word of criticism gets you shipped off to a dungeon, from which you will never return, reduced to being a statistic in an Amnesty International report. This belief may contain a kernel of truth. But in many ways it provides a cartoon version of Cuba, one that misses altogether the texture and reality of Cuban life, particularly its politics and its culture of dissent. And there is a culture of dissent.

The Extraterrestrial Atomic Energy Agency

by Russ Wellen | Oct 7, 2011

In Europe and South America, UFO investigation is taken seriously — not debunked and stigmatized as in the United States.

Panama: Free-Trade Tax Haven

by Tereza Coraggio | Sep 14, 2011

Negotiated by President Bush in 2004-2006, the U.S.-Panama free-trade agreement has since stalled in the face of congressional opposition. However, recent House votes have suggested a renewed interest in ratifying the agreement, which would normalize Panama’s status as a notorious tax haven for U.S.-based corporations, along with other, seedier entities.

Peru’s Leftist Student Revival

by Terra Stanley | Sep 12, 2011

In July, students, political activists, human rights workers, and average citizens in Lima, Peru, joined a march entitled “Ni indulto ni impunidad, asesinos a prisión,” or “No pardons or impunity, murderers to prison.” The event occurred just two weeks before the presidential inauguration of leftist Ollanta Humala Tasso. Humala’s victory has led countless activists across Peru to herald a new era of democracy, freedom of expression, and most of all victory over Fujimorismo.