All Latin America Monitor
Guatemalans scale volcano to protest domestic violenceViolence against women has surged in Central America, prompting awareness efforts like the one in Guatemala this weekend.
Cuban 'revolution': 'If I work hard, I'll make more money'Just as Iran's President Ahmadinejad visited Havana and dismissed capitalism as in decay, Cubans are warming to an increasingly free market on the island.聽- Is Brazil about to experience a second golden age of immigration?New immigration policies in Brazil might soon open the door to fast-track visas for skilled workers. My own experience indicates just how badly reform is needed.
Guatemala's military to tackle internal threatsGuatemala isn't the only Latin American nation to use its army to fight internal armed groups, but guest blogger James Bosworth聽warns that 'protect the population' should be part of the mission.
Honduras: home to the most violent city in the hemisphere?Amid rising crime, the Peace Corps pulled out of in Honduras this week.
What Guatemala's new president wants from the USFormer Gen. Otto Perez Molina, who will be inaugurated as Guatemala's president today, plans to push for renewed US military aid, raising concerns among critics of his legacy from Guatemala's civil war.- Hezbollah in Latin America: an over-hyped threat?The indictment of a Lebanese man accused of running a money-laundering and drug-trafficking ring for Hezbollah in Colombia has sparked fresh concerns about the Islamic militia group's connections to organized crime in Latin America.
- Why Mexico is touting an 11 percent increase in drug-related murdersIn previous years, drug-related killings have climbed as much as 110 percent.聽
Brazil cleans house: now what?Brazil's President Rousseff has had a good year in cracking down on corruption. Will the momentum last?- How Mexico's Zapatista guerrillas stayed clear of organized crimeMexico's Zapatistas are distinct from most other rebels groups in Latin America, having remained within a democratic framework without getting involved in organized crime to secure funding.
US expels Venezuelan diplomat as Ahmadinejad makes Latin America tourVenezuela's consul general to Miami was expelled today amid accusations that she assisted with a cyberattack 鈥� coordinated by Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela 鈥� against the US.聽
Iran is not the only 'pariah' looking to Latin AmericaTaiwan courts continued recognition as an independent country from select Latin American nations, while Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to bolster ties to regional allies.- Chile textbook controversy: Pinochet's rule now a military 'regime,' not a 'dictatorship'Chile textbooks will now use the softer term 'regime' to characterize Gen. Pinochet's rule. But revulsion against Pinochet's human rights abuses remains widespread.聽
- Fidel Castro death rumor shows paradoxes in CubaAs 2012 kicks off, blogger Anya Landau French weighs in on the Cuban economic and social developments that she will assess as she visits Havana next week.
Dim forecast for security in Honduras in 2012Despite Honduran efforts to promote police reform and check organized crime, the country has become a major transit point for cocaine, and the future of its democratic institutions looks bleak.- Brazil's bright economy clouded by low productivityBrazil performs poorly on productivity measures in part because of high tariffs.