Latin America Commentary & Analysis

Brazil Chat Series – Economic Outlook: Can the New Government Revamp Growth?

By Mae Louise Flato

In New York this week, Brazilian President Michel Temer embraced the opportunity to convince investors that Brazil has entered a new era. Brazil’s economy, long in steep decline and with twelve million people unemployed, has started to show signs of rebounding. Inflation is decelerating and analysts have revised GDP growth projections upwards from 0 to […]

Brazil After Dilma: A Reason for Optimism

By Andrea Murta

A year ago, Dilma Rousseff, the former president of Brazil, and Eduardo Cunha, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, were involved in a public duel that threatened the pillars of the republic. Today, both have lost their jobs. That doesn’t mean that a turbulent chapter in Brazil’s history has ended. Now begins an […]

Venezuelan Opposition Looks for Game Changer in Bid to Oust Maduro

Venezuelans currently face “the challenge of beating by democratic means a regime that is not democratic,” said Julio Andrés Borges Junyent, the majority leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly and part of the opposition that is challenging the leadership of President Nicolás Maduro. On September 1, thousands of Venezuelans participated in a protest organized by the […]

After the March: What’s Next for Venezuela?

By Mae Louise Flato

On September 1, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Caracas, voicing their frustration with worsening food and medical shortages, frequent blackouts, and triple-digit inflation. Organized by the political opposition, the march called for a recall referendum to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.

What Does Dilma Rousseff’s Impeachment Mean for Brazil?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Brazil’s Senate on August 31 impeached President Dilma Rousseff, the country’s first female president, on the grounds that she had manipulated the budget to conceal growing economic problems. Jason Marczak, director of the Latin America Economic Growth Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, discussed the implications of the impeachment for Brazil’s […]

Lessons from Colombia’s Peace Process

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Colombia’s government and the leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on August 25 finalized a deal that ends fifty-two years of conflict. A bilateral ceasefire went into effect on August 29. More than 220,000 people have been killed and six million displaced by the armed conflict. The deal will be put […]

Colombia: On the Brink of Peace

By Andrea Saldarriaga Jiménez

Colombia is at the brink of a historical moment. With the conclusion of peace negotiations in Havana on August 24, the country is on the verge of signing an accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Important steps must be taken before Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño, known […]

Winning the Peace in Colombia

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Colombia’s president must focus on shoring up support for peace and reintegration, says Atlantic Council’s Peter Schechter On the brink of ending Latin America’s longest-running armed conflict, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos must now make a concerted effort to convince Colombians that the peace deal he struck with the leftist guerrillas is worthy of their […]

US Energy Partnerships with Caribbean Countries Will Herald Long-Term Benefits

By Nathaniel Sizemore

Since tumbling oil prices began to cripple the Venezuelan economy and hurt the efficacy of PetroCaribe— its oil exchange program—the US has launched strategic initiatives in the Caribbean aimed at providing policy and financial assistance to islands seeking to bolster their energy security. The United States’ broad financing initiatives are an important step in the […]

From Scandal to Silver Lining: Petrobras’ Offering Opportunity for Brazil’s Energy Sector

By Meghan Rowley

The Lavo Jato corruption investigations, also known as Operation Car Wash, into Petrobras, Brazil’s oil giant, shocked the energy sector and helped fuel one of the country’s worst recessions. Nonetheless, some analysts are optimistic that the industry can open itself up to foreign investors and domestic competition to once again generate prosperity. “The energy industry […]