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… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
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… Read more
On June 10, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez arrived in Havana for high-level meetings. Two days later, the press reported he underwent surgery to repair a pelvic abscess. Speculation regarding his health increased with each passing day. Possible diagnoses included acute peritonitis, prostate cancer, or liposuction gone wrong. … Read more
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… Read more
Although the votes are still being counted from Peru’s June 5 presidential runoff election, it appears that the leftist candidate and former military officer Ollanta Humala has defeated his rightist opponent, Congresswoman Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed ex-president Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), by a narrow margin. Humala’s election is stoking fear… Read more
The 41st General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) will take place in San Salvador June 5–7. The OAS will convene all members with the exception of Cuba and tackle a 103-item agenda over the course of three meeting-filled days. Since taking office, the Obama Administration has expressed… Read more
Abstract: The United States and Peru have a strong and positive relationship that is helping to strengthen Peru’s democratic institutions and speed its integration into the globalized economy. This April, Peruvian voters will choose a new president, who will hopefully continue efforts to curb corruption, strengthen property rights, and effectively… Read more
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… Read more
Stephen C. Johnson Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for… Read more
Argentina’s ranking in The Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom—now 135th out of the 179 countries ranked in the Index—has declined steadily in the seven years since President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and… Read more
America's southern neighbor is facing trouble on several fronts: Drug-Related Violence Drug-related crime and rampant violence have battered Mexico's sense of public security and confidence in the government's capacity to protect the lives of its citizens. Violence against Mexican law enforcement and military officials, as well as the corruption perpetrated by the drug cartels, is undermining public confidence… Read more
(Archived document, may contain errors) 124 July 18, 1980 THE CUBAN REFUGEE PROBLEM IN PERSPECTIVE 1959-1980 INTRODUCTION On Tuesday; April 3, 1980, six Cubans crashed through the gate of the Peruvian Embassy in Havana seeking political asylum. During the incident a Cuban policeman guarding the compound was killed… Read more
Since Mexican President Felipe Calderón took office in 2006, a virulent war has raged with the Mexican drug cartels, and this drug-related violence has spilled across the U.S. border, threatening U.S. lives and public safety. Geostrategic pessimists fear that the U.S. has been taking Mexico's stability for granted and warn… Read more
As U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill explained to The Financial Times in February, the key factor underlying recent financial crises is not a failure of capitalism, but an "absence of capitalism." Argentina provides a cogent example; its lack of economic freedom--the necessary environment for capitalism to work effectively--resulted in continual economic decline and,… Read more
En una entrevista con el The Financial Times, el Secretario del Tesoro de EE.UU., Paul O'Neill, manifestó su visión acerca de la razón fundamental de las recientes crisis financieras: que éstas no tienen nada que ver con un defecto del capitalismo, sino con una "ausencia de capitalismo".2 Argentina es un trágico ejemplo de cómo la… Read more
During the 1990s, Bolivia was the poster child for reform in Latin America, but overlooked social problems have now provided an opportunity for radical activists to put one of their own in power. Evo Morales, elected president on December 18, 2005, could reverse 20 years of democratization… Read more
President Obama’s visit to El Salvador on March 22 concludes his first presidential trip to South and Central America. In El Salvador, he will meet with leftist President Mauricio Funes, visit the tomb of Archbishop Romero, and tour a Mayan ruin. The visit to El Salvador is designed to shore… Read more
Be sure to listen to our Heritage Libertad Radio Show. Click here to listen in Spanish. Click here to listen in...… Read more
With economic issues dominating the domestic political agenda and much of our foreign policy focused on combating...… Read more
[caption id="attachment_88001" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega greets...… Read more
As he readied for the visit of a close ally, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez undertook a...… Read more
In an infamous and vulgar U.N. speech delivered in September 2006, Venezuela’s populist authoritarian President Hugo...… Read more
There has been a lot of discussion recently of Iranian involvement in Latin America, especially with the recent plot...… Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus, expert Ray Walser discusses the increasingly anti-U.S. policies in Latin...… Read more
An attack on the British embassy in Tehran. A desperate pursuit of nuclear weapons. A plot to assassinate the Saudi...… Read more
Iran is conducting anti-U.S. operations from Latin America, including military training camps in Venezuela, and...… Read more
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez will host what is billed as the founding conference of the Community of Latin American and...… Read more
Research Fellow For Economic Freedom and Growth
Senior Policy Analyst