Mothers of May: The Difficult Democratization of of the Genocidal State of Brazil “My son”s name was Edison and he was 29 years old. He was killed on the streets. He just
1. CHILE: Protests Against Alleged Privatization of the Sea Chilean civil society groups and artisanal fishers condemn a bill approved by the parliament in the month of March. This bill, which basically
When representatives from 136 countries attended the high-level International Donors’ Conference in New York on March 31, it looked like good news for Haiti. The conference, co-hosted by the United States and
The recent murder of Silvia Suppo, a key witness in a human rights trial on crimes committed during the Argentine dictatorship, has sparked fears for the safety of witnesses who testify publicly
The arrest of Alan Gross in Cuba last December has proven to be a major headache for the Obama administration. Externally, the arrest jeopardized the notion that the Obama administration could hold
The top brass of U.S. and Mexican security personnel met on March 24 in Mexico City to discuss the failed drug war, amid an onslaught of bad news. Commandos gunned down 15
Carlos Montemayor broke a political taboo. An astute social analyst and prolific writer, Montemayor’s novels about the leftist guerrilla uprisings and state repression of the 1960s and 1970s recovered the memory of
As the IDB (the Inter-American Development Bank) meets in Cancun this month to celebrate its 51st anniversary, its governors are expecting a major birthday present—the infusion of millions of dollars into
Colombia’s congressional elections on March 14 were hailed by the United Nations as the most peaceful in years. The victory of the coalition led by President Alvaro Uribe suggests an easy win
1. COLOMBIA AND HONDURAS: The Violence of the Palm Oil Tree ufeffMonocultures of African, or oil palm, whose oil is used to produce a variety of products ranging from cosmetics to biodiesel,