Latin America Commentary & Analysis

All commentary & analysis

New Atlanticist

Apr 23, 2020

Coronavirus will worsen Venezuela’s emergency, interim president says

By David A. Wemer

“This right now is an unprecedented emergency,” Guaidó said during an April 23 event with the Atlantic Council moderated by journalist and CBS news contributor María Elena Salinas. “Venezuela cannot survive both a pandemic and a famine,” he explained.

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

EnergySource

Apr 20, 2020

Containing Russian influence in Venezuela

By David L. Goldwyn and Andrea Clabough

The Russian government has been instrumental in preserving the Maduro regime, despite years of intense domestic and international pressure favoring a democratic transition, providing the regime invaluable diplomatic leverage, security personnel, and material, as well as an economic lifeline. The US strategy for a democratic Venezuela must recognize these realities and focus on containing Russian influence in Venezuela, as it cannot end it.

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

New Atlanticist

Apr 17, 2020

US-Mexico security cooperation after the COVID-19 shocks

By Pablo Reynoso Brito

In the post-coronavirus (COVID-19) world, US-Mexico security cooperation will continue to be critical for North America’s stability and prosperity. The current health and economic crises might impact Mexico’s security by causing social instability, straining law enforcement resources in marginal regions, and worsening the migration crisis.

Coronavirus Mexico

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Apr 16, 2020

Mind the gap: Reducing gender gaps will foster long-term economic prosperity in Colombia

By Camila Hernandez

Significant lags in women’s economic and political empowerment remain in countries like Colombia. Having closed educational attainment and health and survival gaps almost entirely, the country still faces important gender gaps in economic participation and opportunity (a gap of 26.5 percent) and in political empowerment (a gap of 68.2 percent). If Colombia doubles-down on its efforts to close these gaps, numerous economic and social benefits will follow.

Colombia Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Apr 14, 2020

President Duque outlines how Colombia is handling dual coronavirus challenges

By David A. Wemer

For most countries around the world, the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has strained resources and demanded singular attention from policymakers. For Colombia, this new crisis must also be juggled with the ongoing collapse of neighboring Venezuela, which has already seen 2 million Venezuelans seek refuge in Colombia. “We have had to manage two crises at the same time,” President Iván Duque explained on April 14, which forced Colombia to take drastic measures to contain coronavirus earlier than many of its neighbors.

Colombia Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Apr 9, 2020

Fighting COVID-19 side by side with migrants

By Walter Cotte and Rebecca Scheurer

In uncertain times humanity historically comes together to embrace our commonalities. In the case of COVID-19, we can achieve more together if we include migrants as active participants in our efforts to quell the spread and impact of this disease.

Colombia Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Apr 7, 2020

Panama’s coronavirus response must not affect constitutional order

By Cristina Guevara

The outbreak will have severe economic consequences for Panama, which is experiencing its weakest economic expansion since the global recession of 2009, but the shock does not end there: from a constitutional perspective, there will certainly be implications for a country characterized by corruption, impunity, and inequality.

Coronavirus Economy & Business

Inflection Points

Apr 5, 2020

Trump lacks options in oil price war; Kissinger warns of “world on fire”

By Frederick Kempe

President Trump doesn’t have good options. He lacks easy leverage over the players, domestic and international, and he’s got even less control over the COVID —19 economic hit. In the end, it is more likely that a U.S. government bailout will save the industry, rather than a global market intervention.

Coronavirus Energy Markets & Governance

New Atlanticist

Apr 3, 2020

The coronavirus infodemic in Latin America will cost lives

By Roberta Braga and Diego Area

Disinformation and misinformation, especially circulating within the biggest economy in Latin America (Brazil) and the country with the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the hemisphere (Venezuela), can foment national catastrophes that will be felt well beyond the realms of the online information space and national borders.

Brazil Coronavirus

New Atlanticist

Apr 1, 2020

Reconciling sanctions and humanitarian need during COVID-19

By Brian O’Toole

As the world economy shuts down to try to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the humanitarian collateral effects of sanctions become more pronounced and potentially deadly. But the argument that the United States should unilaterally roll back sanctions draws a false dichotomy; sanctions do not have to be suspended or rolled back for the United States to better address humanitarian concerns.

Cuba Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion