The latest WikiLeaks dump confirms that American officials have been slow to recognize and treat mental health disorders in Guantanamo detainees.
WikiLeaks: No Special Treatment for Non-Compos-Mentis Gitmo Detainees
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Latin America & Caribbean
Chinese Take-Over of South America?
In the wake of Obama’s recent tour of Latin America, media reports and commentators claimed that China has been economically outmuscling the United States in the region. The reality, however, is that Beijing’s economic presence has not come at the expense of the United States. Although Washington still maintains an overwhelming edge, its influence is decreasing. This decline will be exacerbated by Obama’s focus on boosting U.S. exports to the region rather than importing more of Latin America’s manufactured goods.
How Did the Candidates With the Highest Negative Ratings Advance in the Peru Presidential Elections?
At least one of the candidates in Peru’s presidential race, Ollanta Humala, offers an alternative to the existing economic model, which has been of little benefit to most of Peru.
Humala and Fujimori Likely to Compete in Second-Round Vote for Peruvian Presidency
The results thus far reflect the fragmentation of the right and center-right of the Peruvian political system.
Populist Humala, Leading in Peru Presidential Elections, at Mercy of Swing Voters
The daughter of convicted human-rights abuser former President Albert Fujimori also has a chance of winning.
World Bank Horning Its Way Into UN Fund for Helping Poor Nations Deal With Climate Change
More than 90 international environment, development, human rights, and anti-debt organizations from around the world want the World Bank excluded from Green Climate Fund for helping poor nations address climate change.
An Inconvenient Truth in Honduras
At the same time that the police and the Honduran army were brutally repressing popular protests of teachers, students, and resistance members for the sixth day in a row, Julissa Reynoso was greeting Honduran President Porfirio Lobo at the presidential palace. According to the press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Reynoso was there to recognize President Lobo’s achievements regarding national reconciliation, human rights, and the return to democracy in Honduras.
Peru’s Presidential Election: Populist Humala v. MOR Candidates
With the exception of populist Ollanta Humala, Peru’s presidential candidates have little to offer.
Bolivia After the Storm
At the end of December, the first popular uprising in the region against a government of the left took place in Bolivia. It was caused by an excessive increase in the price of fuels. The event demonstrates the difficulties of entering into a truly alternative mode of development, but it also reveals the limits of the Bolivian government’s stated effort to re-establish and decolonize the state.
Obama in Latin America: Another Missed Opportunity
U.S. President Barack Obama’s most audacious phrase during his trip to Latin America that ended this week was “We are all Americans. Todos somos Americanos.” The phrase seemed designed to provoke rants from the right wing in the United States. But in fact, the right wing and the mainstream media largely overlooked Obama’s tour.