Ray Walser discusses the Latin American drug debate on PBS. …
An optimistic view of the April 9 meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is that it will produce a stronger relationship with an emerging global power here in the Americas. Despite significant differences on key democracy, human rights, and foreign policy issues, the U.S. must…
Abstract: President Obama will participate in the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Colombia on April 14 and 15. This summit, the Obama Administration believes, offers an opportunity to showcase a policy of accomplishments and innovations. Critics see a distracted Administration that is long…
On April 9, President Obama welcomes Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president, to the White House for an official visit. The White House hopes to showcase a strong, reliable partnership with Brazil. It will focus attention on a broad range of low-cost soft power initiatives aimed at education, technology, energy,…
It’s a well-kept secret, but Latin America boasts one of the world’s 10 freest economies. Chile ranks seventh globally — ahead of the 10th place United States, in fact — according to the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom. That’s cause for celebration in Santiago. Studies show…
The Cuban people, living within the constricted space permitted by the 53-year-old Cuban Revolution, have not benefited from the remarkable leap forward in communication technology over the past few decades. Havana’s repressive regime wishes to shift censorship’s traditional fault lines to the electronic sphere, severely restricting its population’s ability to…
FYI: Heritage WebMemos are now called Issue Briefs. On February 12, nearly 3 million Venezuelans voted in the nation’s first genuine presidential primary. Voters selected a single candidate—Henrique Capriles Radonski—to face Venezuela’s authoritarian populist leader Hugo Chavez in a presidential…
In a blatant show of disdain for the Anglo–American Special Relationship, the Obama Administration has weighed in on the mounting tensions between Great Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Just two days after Prime Minister David Cameron issued a robust statement in the House of Commons in mid-January vowing…
On January 8, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lands in Venezuela to start a brief but highly symbolic Latin American visit. The Iranian leader aims to bolster ties with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and some of the region’s most strident anti-American leaders. For the Obama Administration, the Iranian visit reflects a continuing…
In this week's Heritage in Focus Podcast, Ray Walser discusses the influence of Iran in Latin America. David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more Heritage Foundation podcasts, visit…
Abstract: Over the past 10 years, traversing the U.S.–Mexico border illegally has become increasingly dangerous for would-be immigrants. Illegal immigrants face kidnapping, murder, and rape at the hands of violent drug cartels and ever more ruthless human smugglers. Crossing treacherous desert areas exposes the…
If you're hoping for major changes in Cuba following the White House's announcement Monday of the easing of some restrictions on interactions with the island -- think again. Sure, for humanitarian purposes, it's fine to allow separated families to see each other more regularly than once every couple of years - even though Cubanos aren't…
One of the most fascinating topics in economic and social research is the issue of development. What allows some countries to "quantum leap" to higher levels of income per capita, and how do they remain at those high levels? The literature on economic growth, development, and prosperity mostly agrees that the…
(Archived document, may contain errors) 611 October 22, 1987 PRIVATIZATION IN MEXICO ROBUST RHETORIC, ANEMIC REALITY Few nations are as heavily indebted or in greater need of economic reform than Mexico. The nation's total foreign debt well exceeds $100 billion, and inflation is now running at 130 ercent. In exchange for promises of…
On April 20, President George W. Bush will meet the heads of state of the Latin American countries at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, Canada. This forum will provide him with an excellent opportunity to revitalize relations with America's neighbors to the south, which languished under President Bill Clinton. …
Abstract: The U.S. officially designates four countries as state sponsors of terrorism--Iran, Syria, Cuba, and Sudan. It is high time to add Venezuela to the list. Far from being merely a populist showman and bully, Hugo Chávez is a reckless leader who collaborates with Colombian narcoterrorists and Islamist terrorists, pals…
If Simón Bolívar had returned to Venezuela in 2007 for his 224th birthday, he would have encountered a large man sporting a red shirt named Hugo Chávez exploiting his legacy. Although President Chávez claims to be Bolívar's worthy successor, the Liberator would see red when comparing Chávez's "21st century socialism" with the reality of his regime. …
Those who have not done so recently would benefit from studying what the United States Constitution says about the federal government’s responsibility to provide for the common defense. Most Americans had to memorize the preamble to the Constitution when they were children, so they…
Plan Colombia-a six-year, U.S.-backed plan to help Colombia combat drug trafficking and terrorism and strengthen public institutions-is slated to end in 2006. Developed in 1999, the plan was supposed to boost economic growth, modernize the country's security forces, strengthen the rule of law, and promote internal peace to curb drug smuggling and…
Colombia, America's fourth largest trading partner in Latin America, is the world's largest exporter of cocaine and heroin and a focal point for money laundering and arms trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. Its government has waged a losing battle against insurgents and drug traffickers for over two decades, and drug-related violence is now spilling…
It is a safe bet that Daniel Ortega will be Nicaragua’s next president on November 6. As leader of the disciplined Sandinista party, the 65-year-old former Marxist-Leninist rebel faces a fragmented and poorly funded opposition. He has a robust campaign chest thanks to nearly $2 billion dispensed over the past…
Now that the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has moved from the executive to the legislative branch for debate and pending passage, Members of Congress should reflect on the historic significance of their vote and its implications for advancing U.S. national interests and preserving long-term international leadership. Passage of the…
The White House’s decision to send the pending free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea to Congress for approval is overdue but welcome news. With unemployment still above 9 percent, one can only hope that, nearly three years into office, President Obama is finally shedding his protectionist…
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez has long been Iran’s greatest ally in the Western Hemisphere, but as Chavez’s cancer grows and...…
The society that Pope Benedict XVI will find when he lands in Cuba next week will be a destitute one, prostrate in every...…
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This week, the White House dispatched its peripatetic Vice President Joe Biden south to Mexico and Honduras. Biden...…
Challenges to U.S. international broadcasting and public diplomacy continue to mount. Iran, joining China and Russia,...…
Within 48 hours of the impressive victory in Venezuela’s first-ever presidential primary, the winner Henrique Capriles...…
Never one to shy away from a Left-wing cause, either at home or abroad, Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn has adopted the...…
Be sure to listen to our Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Click here to listen in Spanish. Click here to listen in...…
With economic issues dominating the domestic political agenda and much of our foreign policy focused on combating...…
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