Peru's First Elected Female President
On July 28, Peru's independence day, Keiko Fujimori will be sworn in as president — the first woman elected to the office (Dina Boluarte, elevated in 2022, was the first female president). The electoral tribunal certified the result at a razor-thin 50.1% to 49.9%. What awaits the presidency she won on her fourth attempt is a newly bicameral, fragmented congress and three challenges: security, the economy, and dialogue with Indigenous communities.
316 Parties Approved for the First Election in a Decade: Haiti's Steep Road to the August 30 Vote
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has approved 316 political parties for the presidential and legislative elections set for August 30. Yet gang coalitions still control about 90% of the capital, and contributions to the GSF security force are lagging. I look at why the first election in ten years is a question of power, not procedure.
Security or the Rule of Law: The Questions Raised by President Noboa's "Foreign Soldier Immunity" Decree
On June 18, Ecuador's President Noboa declared an internal armed conflict for the third time (Decree 424). The decree grants immunity to foreign soldiers and gives the president the power to pardon without defined conditions. With gang violence at record levels, I look at what it means when the "exception" becomes the norm.
Brazil's Presidential Race: The Field Won't Be Set Until August
Three months from Brazil's October presidential vote, party conventions run July 20 to August 5 and candidate registration with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) closes on August 15, so the field is not yet formally set. A July 1 AtlasIntel/Bloomberg poll gives Lula 48.8% to Flávio Bolsonaro's 42.3% in a runoff scenario. I read the stakes as a Latin America watcher.
Milei Floats a "US-Style Shutdown": Switching Off Ministries When the Money Runs Out
Argentina's President Milei says he is preparing a bill that would automatically "shut down" ministries once their budget is exhausted. He describes it as modeled on the US shutdown, but the substance is quite different. I walk through the points raised by constitutional scholars and the aim of locking "state shrinkage" into law.
The Day the 180-Day Clock Ran Out: Venezuela's Constitution and Its Practice Part Ways
Six months after US forces seized Nicolás Maduro, the interim presidency of Delcy Rodríguez passed the 180-day ceiling on July 3. No election has been called and the National Assembly has said nothing. A look at what Articles 233 and 234 actually say, and at the widening gap between text and practice.
Security Reform in a Country Without an Army: Costa Rica's Second Bill Package Due July 27
Costa Rica's second package of security bills reaches Congress on July 27: extradition, full sentences, illegal mining and a reshaping of the judiciary. Why security reform in an army-less country becomes judicial reform.
Colombia's President-Elect Confirmed｜The CNE's Certificate and the August Handover
Colombia's National Electoral Council (CNE) finalized the June runoff count and formally declared Abelardo de la Espriella president-elect. A look at the domestic politics: the narrowest margin on record, the rejected fraud claims, the search for a congressional majority, and what the Petro government leaves behind.
A Conservative Wave Sweeps Latin America: Chile, Colombia, and Peru All Turn in 2026
On June 23, Keiko Fujimori's victory in Peru became all but certain. Over little more than half a year, Chile (in December 2025), Colombia, and Peru have each chosen right-leaning, conservative governments, sharpening a trend that began with Argentina in late 2023. I unpack what this "conservative wave" really contains.
What 52 Extensions of the State of Exception Reveal: El Salvador, Four Years of Suspended Rights and 500 Deaths
El Salvador's Legislative Assembly approved a 52nd extension of the state of exception by 57 votes to 1. Cumulative arrests exceed 92,000 and homicides have plummeted, yet the Inter-American Commission reports 500 deaths in custody. A look at the two truths of security versus the rule of law.
A Jailed Banker and the "Dark Horse" Funding Allegations｜The Audio Shaking Brazil’s Election
Ahead of Brazil’s October presidential election, audio has surfaced linking right-wing candidate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro to Daniel Vorcaro, a banker held over alleged fraud. The allegations concern funding for a biopic of his father, "Dark Horse," and runoff polls show President Lula ahead. A cautious summary of what has been reported, as of June 20, 2026.
From Fuel Subsidy Cuts to a State of Emergency｜Bolivia Turns to the Military to End 50-Plus Days of Blockades
On June 20, 2026, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a nationwide 90-day state of emergency. Road blockades that began over the removal of fuel subsidies passed 50 days, and disrupted transport left at least 17 people dead. This piece sets out the background to a measure that empowers the army to clear the blockades.
Lula Widens His Lead Again in Brazil's Presidential Race
A June CNT/MDA poll shows incumbent President Lula widening his second-round lead ahead of Brazil's October election. I look at the contest with Flavio Bolsonaro, the security and economy debate, and what social policy means for the result.
Ahead of the USMCA Review: The Line Sheinbaum Drew on Sovereignty, and a Second Door
Ahead of July's first USMCA review, Mexico's President Sheinbaum told the United States in blunt terms to stay out of its internal affairs. At the same time she discussed investment with JPMorgan's CEO. We read this dual track of toughness and courtship through the lens of sovereignty and social policy.
Of Havana's 106 Garbage Trucks, Only 44 Still Run
Four months into the US fuel blockade that began in February 2026, only 44 of Havana's 106 garbage trucks still run. Blackouts are daily, infant mortality has risen to 9.9 per 1,000, and tourism has collapsed.
From Fuel Crisis to Calls for Resignation｜54 Days of Blockades That Shook Bolivia
Protests that began in early May in Bolivia turned wage demands into calls for the president to step down. Blockades spread to six of nine departments and congress authorized the military. After a June 19 deal between the government and the COB, the blockades were fully lifted on June 23, at 54 days.
Keiko Wins on Her Fourth Try｜What Peru’s Runoff Asks
Peru’s June 7 presidential runoff was settled on July 3, when Keiko Fujimori was declared the winner: 50.13% to 49.87%, a margin of about 50,000 votes. Latin America’s rightward turn, the three-generation Fujimori political lineage, and the polarization behind the blank ballots.
49,000 Votes Decide Peru’s Next Four Years｜Fujimori Wins a Razor-Thin Runoff
With 100% counted, Keiko Fujimori defeated Roberto Sánchez by about 49,000 votes to win Peru’s runoff, with overseas ballots proving decisive. Reading a vote map split north and south.
What Colombia's Runoff Was About｜The Stakes De la Espriella and Cepeda Set
In the May 31 first round, the right-wing De la Espriella took 43.7% and the left-wing Cepeda 40.9%. De la Espriella went on to win the June 21 runoff 49.66% to 48.70% and takes office on August 7.
Kast's First State-of-the-Nation Speech: Security and Austerity｜Chile's Shrinking Economy
On June 1, Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast delivered his first annual address to Congress (the Cuenta Publica), framing tougher security, spending cuts and tighter immigration as the pillars of his reform agenda. Yet Q1 GDP contracted, unemployment has stayed above 8% for more than three years, and his approval has fallen. With a divided Congress, how much he can pass remains uncertain. A snapshot as of June 2026.
Colombia's 2026 Election: Right-Winger De la Espriella Tops Round One and Wins the Runoff
In the May 31 first round, outsider lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella led with 43.7%, ahead of President Petro's chosen successor Iván Cepeda (40.9%). De la Espriella went on to win the June 21 runoff by 49.66% to 48.70% and takes office on August 7. What the upset means for health and social-protection reform.
"Brazil's Biggest Bank Fraud" Shakes the Election: The Banco Master Affair
Called one of the largest bank frauds in Brazil's history, the Banco Master affair left about R$12 billion in missing funds and a record R$41 billion FGC payout to some 1.6 million creditors. The allegations reach both Lula's circle and the Bolsonaro camp, shaking October's presidential race. Is it a new Lava Jato?
Chile Turns to Its Most Right-Wing Government: Kast and the 'Border Shield'
In December 2025 right-winger José Antonio Kast won the runoff with 58% and took office in March 2026. Chile's most right-wing government since the dictatorship runs on a hard line on immigration and security. What the rightward turn means for social policy.
Lula’s Supreme Court Pick Rejected for the First Time in 132 Years: A New Fault Line in Brazilian Politics
On April 29, the Brazilian Senate rejected President Lula’s nominee to fill a Supreme Court (STF) vacancy, 34 in favor to 42 against. It was the first time since 1894 — 132 years — that a nominated justice was blocked by Congress. Ahead of October’s elections, we read what it means that executive-legislative conflict has reached judicial appointments.
Five Months After Maduro: Rodriguez Picks Normalization, Not Transition
On January 3, U.S. forces detained Maduro; two days later Delcy Rodriguez became interim president, the first woman to hold the post. Five months on, the election timeline stays vague. A look at the road Venezuela's Chavista government has chosen.
The 25% Tariff on Brazil Is Final
On July 15, USTR announced a 25% tariff on imports from Brazil under Section 301, effective July 22. The rate is half of last year's 50%, yet Brazilian industry is more worried, not less. How to read the numbers.
Copper Pulls Chile's Economy Back Around: The Finance Minister Declares June the Turning Point
Chile's Finance Minister Quiroz declares a recovery for the second half of 2026. Copper price forecasts have been raised to $12,700 a ton, and the mining investment pipeline stands at $105 billion. I look at what a resource-led recovery under the Kast government's austerity means, and at the gap between the government's above-2% and the private sector's 1.3% growth outlooks.
The $3 Billion Scar Left by 54 Days of Blockades: What Bolivia's 4.82% First-Half Inflation Means
Bolivia's National Statistics Institute reports first-half 2026 inflation of 4.82% cumulative and 9.23% year-on-year. Behind the numbers hit by roughly 54 days of road blockades and a fuel crisis lies the structural collapse of gas revenues. I look at the challenges facing the Paz government and at the people who pay the heaviest price for the blockades.
Monthly 1.9%, Annual 33.5%: How Far Has Argentina's "Normalization" Really Come?
INDEC published June 2026 inflation on July 14: 1.9% for the month, the first sub-2% reading since August 2025. But the year-on-year rate is 33.5% and the first half accumulated 16.8%. When Milei took office it topped 25% a month. I read the gap between the monthly and annual pictures from a Latin American economy watcher's view.
US Proposes 25% Tariff on Brazil
The USTR recommended an additional 25% tariff on Brazilian goods and decided to impose it on July 15, effective July 22. The determination spans six areas including illegal deforestation, but the newest flashpoint is Pix, the free instant payment system run by the central bank. Here is how a payment infrastructure itself became the crux of a trade dispute.
$64 Billion and $6.3 Billion: Sorting Out Peru's Mining Numbers Before Fujimori Takes Office
Fujimori is sworn in on July 28. Her government leans on mining, but two very different figures — a $64 billion pipeline and $6.3 billion of actual 2026 investment — keep getting conflated.
U.S. Refuses the 16-Year USMCA Extension
At the July 1 joint review, the United States declared it would not agree to a 16-year extension of the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). The pact does not expire, but until its 2036 deadline it shifts into a mode of asking 'extend or not?' every single year. We explain what this means for Mexican manufacturing and nearshoring.
Oil Revival or Fiscal Austerity｜The Economic Reset Planned by Colombia's Next President
Abelardo de la Espriella, elected Colombia's president in the June 21 runoff, wants to reverse the Petro government's decarbonization drive and put oil and gas back at the center. Yet he won by only about 0.96 points. Ahead of his August 7 inauguration, we map out where his economic agenda is headed.
Guyana, a Nation of 800,000, Set for Double-Digit Growth Again｜Reading the Region's Fastest Oil Economy
While much of Latin America and the Caribbean is stuck at low growth, only Guyana, a nation of about 800,000, is posting numbers in a different league. Its finance minister projects real GDP growth of 16.2% for 2026, and the IMF forecasts 19.7% for 2027. We read the offshore oil boom behind it, and the risks of Dutch disease and a territorial dispute, based on reporting as of June 2026.
Brazil's Central Bank Cuts for a Third Straight Meeting
On 17 June 2026 Brazil's Copom cut the Selic rate by 25bp to 14.25% — the third consecutive cut after March and April. We look at why the rate remains so high after falling 0.75 points from its 15.00% peak, and what the deliberate 25bp pace signals.
Venezuela’s Oil After Maduro: The Reality of the Recovery the Rodriguez Government Is Betting On
Half a year after Maduro’s detention, Venezuela’s oil output has recovered to about 1.1 million barrels a day, with exports to the U.S. reported up some 192% year-on-year. Sanctions relief and higher output by Chevron and others lie behind it. Yet with over 400 political prisoners still held, the recovery rests on shaky ground.
New Numbers in Milei's War on Inflation｜May Hits an Eight-Month Low
On June 11, Argentina's statistics agency INDEC reported that May consumer prices rose 2.1% month on month, the lowest in eight months. How far has the inflation that peaked at 211% in late 2023 cooled? A look at the numbers of stabilization, and how solid the ground beneath them really is.
Where Latin America's Economy Stands: World Bank Sees 2.2% Growth, Argentina Steady and Mexico Still Low
The World Bank's June outlook puts Latin America and the Caribbean at 2.2% GDP growth for 2026. Argentina holds a steady 3.6% while Mexico picks up to 1.3%—an improvement, but still a low level. With higher energy prices from the Middle East conflict and heavy public debt casting a shadow, I read it by asking who the fruits of growth actually reach.
Argentina's Economy in 2026: Milei's Inflation Win and Its Underside
Inflation came in at 31.5% for 2025, the lowest in eight years, and the budget is in surplus for the first time in 14 years. But some warn the drop in poverty is largely a statistical effect. How austerity lands on social protection.
Honduras Can't Sell Its Shrimp: Three Years After Choosing China
In 2023 Honduras dropped Taiwan for China, expecting a market of 1.4 billion. Instead, over 95 shrimp farms closed and 25,000 jobs disappeared. Exports to Taiwan fell from over $100 million to $16 million. In 2026 a new government is reconsidering.
Bolivia's Economic Crisis: Dollar Shortage, Fuel and Protests
Bolivia faces what's called its worst economic crisis in 40 years. Reserves have collapsed from $15.1bn in 2014 to about $3.5bn by March 2026; a dollar shortage and fuel crisis hit daily life. Ministers have resigned amid protests demanding President Paz step down. How resource dependence unravels.
Trump’s “25%”｜The Logic of the Tariff That Hit Brazil
On June 2, the Trump administration moved to impose a new 25% tariff on Brazilian goods. The stated grounds are “unfair trade practices,” but political anger over the prosecution of former president Bolsonaro hangs over it. The logic where economics meets politics — and the ambivalence of Brazil’s “China exit.”
The 2026 USMCA Review: A Structural Test for Mexican Manufacturing
The first joint review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) took place on July 1, and the United States did not agree to renew the agreement in its current form. Negotiations over autos, agriculture, and rules of origin are unsettling Mexico's export-driven economy. Here is a fact-based read, with a look at what a trade renegotiation means for everyday lives and prices in the region.
What Comes After a Record Remittance Boom: Latin America the Year After Its $173.7 Billion
Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean hit a record $173.7 billion in 2025. But the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) sees signs of a structural end to a boom propped up by migrants' extra effort. Here is what may come in 2026.
A Contraction Before the World Cup: What Mexico's 0.6% Q1 Drop Signals
Mexico's Q1 2026 GDP fell 0.6% from the previous quarter (up 0.4% year-on-year) — the worst first quarter since 2020. Exports and nearshoring investment hold up, but weak domestic demand casts a shadow. We lay out the test facing Sheinbaum's Plan Mexico.
The "25-Year Credibility" That Absorbed the Oil Shock｜How the IMF Reads Latin America's Inflation Stability
Even as oil prices surged in 2026, long-term inflation expectations in Latin America's major economies barely moved. In a May 26 blog, the IMF explains this through the idea of anchored inflation expectations: a quarter-century of central bank independence and inflation targeting absorbing an external shock. Stability, it argues, is the fruit of institutions, not of optimism.
Inside Mexico's 'Record' FDI Quarter
Mexico drew US$23.591 billion in foreign direct investment in Q1 2026, the largest first quarter on record. But 94.2% of it was reinvested earnings by companies already there, and only 7.2% was new investment. In July, the premise underpinning nearshoring shifted again.
Six Weeks Until Brazilian Meat Leaves the EU Market
The EU's removal of Brazil from its approved list for meat exports takes effect on September 3. The legal basis is not deforestation rules but antimicrobial regulation. Brazil tightened traceability in July hoping to reverse it in time — while US tariffs bite from the other side.
Banxico Reaches the End of Its Easing Cycle｜A Final Cut to 6.50%
On May 7 Mexico’s central bank (Banxico) cut its policy rate by 0.25 point to 6.50%, the lowest since April 2022. A tight 3-to-2 board vote and a signal that the easing cycle begun in March 2024 has effectively ended.
Copper and Gold Lift Peru, While Illegal Mining Spreads
Peru's real GDP grew 3.68% year-on-year in February 2026, nearly a point above the regional average. High copper and gold prices drive the boom, yet those same prices pull in illegal miners eroding Indigenous land and rivers.
Colombia's Transition of Power Freezes: Petro Refuses to Recognize the Result, President-elect Calls It a "Coup"
Two weeks after the runoff, President Petro alleges fraud and refuses to recognize the election result, halting the transition process. EU observers have certified the vote as valid. I explain the real-world damage caused by the stalled "Noah's Ark" transition program and the outlook until the August 7 inauguration.
Murders Down 24%, Deaths at Police Hands Up: The Contradiction in Jamaica's Security Story
In the first half of 2026, Jamaica's murders fell 24% and shootings 27%. Yet the lethality rate of clashes with police rose about 25%, and the independent watchdog INDECOM is investigating 143 fatal incidents. Does a drop in murders mean citizens are safer? I look at how the choice of statistics decides the conclusion.
Mexico Takes 17 Migrant Deaths to US Prosecutors
Seventeen Mexican nationals have died in ICE custody or during ICE operations. On July 9 Mexico's Foreign Ministry announced legal action, and from July 13 it filed criminal complaints with US federal and state prosecutors, sent cease-and-desist letters to detention operators, and petitioned the IACHR and the UN.
A June That Rewrote the Record: Ecuador's Manabí and Its Worst Civilian Toll
Per ACLED's July overview, Ecuador's Manabí province logged at least 63 organized-crime attacks on civilians in June — the worst month since tracking began in 2022. I read the Los Choneros vs. Los Lobos fight over the port of Manta and the limits of President Noboa's hardline approach.
An Ecuadorian Gang Becomes a 'Terrorist Organization'
On July 1 the US State Department designated Ecuador's Chone Killers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. We look at the legal effects — asset freezes, a material-support crime, entry bans — at why analysts question this particular target, and at the US-Ecuador military cooperation that followed.
Twin Megaquakes Hit Venezuela: La Guaira Devastated, Death Toll Tops 5,200
On June 24, two earthquakes of M7.2 and M7.5 struck Venezuela 39 seconds apart, devastating Caracas and the port city of La Guaira far from the epicenter. As of July 19: 5,208 dead, 16,740 injured and more than 50,000 missing. A look at a disaster layered on top of fuel blockades and a collapsing health system.
Milei Decree Sends 446 Collective Agreements Back to the Table
Argentina's government has issued Decreto 407/2026, a mechanism that forces the renegotiation of lapsed industry-wide collective agreements — initially about 150, expanded to 446 in June — following February's labor reform law. What happens when the 'wage floor' of sector-level bargaining is hollowed out? We walk through the arguments on both sides.
Haiti’s Anti-Gang Force Moves Toward Full Deployment｜The UN Steps In as 2,300 Are Killed
In the first half of 2026, more than 2,300 people were killed in Haiti and about 1.5 million were displaced. The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) entered an operational phase when Chadian troops arrived in April, and the UN chief visited Port-au-Prince in June. A snapshot as of June 17, 2026, on what comes next.
How Crackdowns Make Crime "Smaller"｜Why Latin America's Cartels Are Getting Harder to Beat
El Salvador's "iron fist" approach has spread across the region, and in 2025 the U.S. designated major cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Yet intense pressure is not destroying these groups so much as reshaping them into something "smaller and more dangerous." Drawing on ACLED analysis presented by InSight Crime on June 2, 2026, we explain how organized crime in Latin America is reconfiguring.
US Strike Kills Tren de Aragua's Leader Inside Venezuela｜Security Cooperation Under the Rodriguez Interim Government
On June 12, President Trump announced that the US military had killed Hector Guerrero Flores, known as "Nino Guerrero," leader of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang, inside Venezuela. The operation was reportedly carried out jointly with Venezuelan security forces, drawing global attention to a new security cooperation between the United States and the Delcy Rodriguez interim government that took office after Maduro's fall in January. A snapshot as of June 13, 2026.
After El Mencho, the CJNG Did Not Shrink
On June 11, as the World Cup opened in Mexico City, five police officers were shot dead in Nahuatzen, Michoacan. Four months after losing its founder, the CJNG keeps pressing deeper into Purepecha self-defense territory. I try to make sense of why festival and violence shared the same day.
"Give Us a Bukele Too": Iron-Fist Security Spreads Across Latin America, and the Wall Ecuador Hit
El Salvador's Bukele-style "iron fist" (mano dura) is reshaping the political language of Latin America. As Chile and Peru clamor to copy it, Ecuador, which adopted it most faithfully, saw crime rise. Here is why the model cannot simply be transplanted.
On the Eve of the Runoff: Armed Groups Shake the Foundation of Colombia's Vote
Ahead of Colombia's June 21 presidential runoff, threats and clashes by armed groups were reported across the country. In rural areas the premise of a vote without violence had broken down. We lay out who was fighting where — and note that turnout ended up at a record 63.6%.
Brazil’s Largest Gangs Labeled Terrorists｜What the U.S. Move Asks
On June 5, the U.S. State Department designated Brazil’s two largest criminal organizations, the PCC and Comando Vermelho, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. It is the first time Brazilian groups appear on the list. The designation’s immediate effects, the Lula government’s pushback, corporate compliance risk, and whether a terror label actually curbs crime on the ground.
Where Being Mayor Has Become One of the Most Dangerous Jobs
Elected mayors are assassinated and town councilors resign under threat from drug groups. ACLED recorded 697 violent incidents against local elected officials across Latin America in 2025, the world's second most dangerous region for them.
Cuba in 2026: A Daily Life Quietly Collapsing
In 2026, Cuba faces blackouts of up to 20 hours a day, more than a thousand protests a month, and the departure of roughly a tenth of its people. A fact-based look at a quiet social collapse, seen through the breakdown of everyday life and social infrastructure.
Twenty Dead on a Palm Plantation｜A Peasant Massacre in Colón, Honduras
On May 21, at least 20 African palm plantation workers were shot dead in Colón, northern Honduras. The attackers wore police uniforms, and behind it lies a long-running land dispute.
The "Reasons They Can't Go Home" Shared by 8 Million｜The Numbers Behind Venezuelan Return
A few months after the fall of the Maduro government, most of the roughly 8 million Venezuelan migrants across Latin America still have not chosen to go home. 44.7% would return "if conditions improve," yet only about one in ten has a short-term plan. A look at what the surveys reveal.
Haiti's Fight Against the Gangs: Kenya Withdraws, a New 'Suppression Force' Arrives
More than 11,000 people were killed in gang violence in Haiti between early 2024 and the end of 2025. The Kenya-led security mission withdrew in April 2026, and a new UN-backed Gang Suppression Force takes over. State collapse and the limits of foreign intervention.
A Country Where 200,000 Came Back: How Do You Measure Whether 'Mexico Embraces You' Works?
Between January 2025 and April 2026, 203,685 Mexicans were deported from the United States and returned home. President Sheinbaum's reception program, México te Abraza, is now a year and a half old. Counting handouts is easy; measuring whether lives restarted is not. Here is which indicator to read.
Ecuador's Security Crisis in 2026: a Record Homicide Rate and Noboa's 'War'
Ecuador ended 2025 with a record homicide rate of 51 per 100,000 — the worst in Latin America for a third straight year. President Noboa is responding with states of emergency, curfews and joint operations with the US. A look at the hard-line approach.
"Intolerable": What US Sanctions on Nicaragua Reveal About the Limits of Pressure
A senior State Department official called the situation in Nicaragua intolerable. Behind it: the death in custody of Miskito leader Brooklyn Rivera, and visa bans on 100+ officials. What sanctions reach — and what they don't.
Cuba's Third Nationwide Blackout in Six Months: UN Secretary-General Warns of Possible "Collapse"
On July 6-7, Cuba suffered its third nationwide blackout in six months. With fuel reserves exhausted under the US oil blockade, the UN says 170 containers of humanitarian aid are blocked, and Secretary-General Guterres warns of possible collapse. I look at the compound crisis through the numbers, including rising infant mortality.
Five Years After Cuba's "11J": 1,306 Political Prisoners, and Protest Returns to Old Havana
Five years after the nationwide "11J" protests of July 11, 2021, human rights groups count a record 1,306 political prisoners in Cuba, and on the anniversary pot-banging protests broke out again in Old Havana. I explain five years of unchanged blackouts, food shortages, and a struggling health system, and the debate over new U.S. sanctions.
"No Embassies in Cuba or Nicaragua": Colombia's Incoming Foreign Minister Announces a 180-Degree Turn
Omar Bula Escobar, foreign minister designate of Colombia's incoming government, announced there will be no embassies in Cuba or Nicaragua and that agreements with UN agencies will be reviewed. I look at the full reversal of the Petro line, the move toward the 'Shield of the Americas', and the cost of losing a channel for dialogue.
"We Won't Hand the Panama Canal to China": Trump's July Remark and the Escalating US-China Tug-of-War
On July 1, President Trump again declared the US will not let China take over the Panama Canal. It began with Panama's Supreme Court ruling against CK Hutchison, and China retaliated by detaining Panama-flagged ships—nearly 70 in March, 136 by April. I read the US-China tug-of-war and the bind it puts Latin America in.
Who Gets to Regulate Chancay? The Homework Peru's Next President Inherits
On July 1, a Lima appellate court threw out COSCO's challenge and reaffirmed that Peru's regulator Ositrán can supervise the Chinese-built Chancay megaport. With Keiko Fujimori sworn in on July 28, here is the balancing act her government inherits.
Mercosur Summit in Asunción: How to Share the Spoils of the EU Deal
On June 30, leaders of the South American trade bloc Mercosur met in Paraguay for the bloc's 68th summit. The focus was how to distribute, within the bloc, the benefits of the EU-Mercosur agreement that entered provisional application in May. The presidency passed from Paraguay to Uruguay, and talks with Japan were formally launched.
Aid in the Cracks of Conflict: The Context Behind Washington's 150-Million-Dollar Venezuela Decision
On June 24, twin quakes (M7.2, M7.5) hit Venezuela, and the U.S. pledged 150 million dollars in aid just six months after capturing Maduro. Why such a large sum for a sanctioned rival? I look at the disaster diplomacy and soft-power race with China, and whether the aid actually reaches the ground.
A Government Trump Helped Elect｜Colombia Moves Closer to Washington
With Donald Trump's "complete and total endorsement," Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly won Colombia's June 21 presidential runoff. He says Colombia will join a US-led security bloc when he takes office on August 7. A look at what this rapprochement, after years of friction under Petro, asks of the wider region.
The Vacuum After Maduro｜Why China Is Redesigning Its Latin America Diplomacy
On January 3, 2026, a US military operation captured Venezuela's President Maduro. Venezuela was China's single largest debtor in the region, and the oil-backed repayment framework is now in doubt. With a wave of conservative election wins across the region since then, Beijing is being forced to rethink its engagement. A snapshot as of June 2026.
Exports to China Up 25%｜What IDB Data Reveals About Latin America’s Trade Shift
New data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) shows that Latin American and Caribbean exports to China rose 25% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, the fastest growth among major partners, against 14% to the United States. Washington keeps the top market, but China’s weight is rising across South America. A look at trade diversification under tariff uncertainty, as of June 2026.
Bonn Climate Talks Close With Adaptation Unresolved
The UN's mid-year climate session (SB64) ran 8-18 June in Bonn and closed without agreed text on tripling adaptation finance, pushing the whole question to COP31 in Antalya this November. Here is what it means for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the calendar to watch.
The U.S. or China?: Why Latin America Refuses the Binary
In December 2025, China released its third policy paper on Latin America. Washington vowed to push back, but Honduras's collapsed shrimp exports to Taiwan and a summit that excluded the region's biggest economies show how the region resists a forced choice.
Why the U.S. Can't Push China Out of Latin America
On June 8, Foreign Policy ran an essay arguing the U.S. cannot exclude China from Latin America. Looking at the soybean trade and the region's autonomy, I work through why that is.
U.S. Targets 60 Countries With New Tariffs in the Name of Forced Labor: Ripple Effects Across Latin America
The U.S. Trade Representative has proposed new tariffs on 60 countries under Section 301, citing weak controls over forced-labor imports. Here is why Mexico and Ecuador were named, and what it means for Latin America.
A US Operation in Venezuela Split CARICOM
In January 2026, the US was reported to have carried out a military operation in Venezuela, with Trinidad and Tobago said to have provided facilities. The Caribbean Community, CARICOM, now faces an unprecedented internal rift. I lay out the background and the key questions.
A Report Card for Year Two of Milei: What the IMF's Second Review Shows of Argentina's FX Reform
On May 21, 2026, the IMF completed the second review of Argentina's Extended Fund Facility. Under the roughly $20 billion program, inflation has fallen dramatically, but the pain — eroded pensions and more — is mounting. We weigh the reform's staying power.
Guyana v. Venezuela: ICJ Hearings over Essequibo
Essequibo — roughly two-thirds of oil-rich Guyana's landmass — is at the heart of a territorial dispute with Venezuela now before the International Court of Justice. In May 2026 the court held oral hearings; Guyana argued the 1899 boundary remains valid. Oil, sovereignty and international law collide.
Honduras Rethinks Its Ties With China｜Will the 2023 Break With Taiwan Reverse?
Honduras, which cut ties with Taiwan and recognized China in 2023, is now questioning that choice. President Nasry Asfura, a pro-Taiwan figure who won the late-2025 election and took office in January 2026, says he will review the deals signed with Beijing. Disappointment that the expected economic benefits never materialized is driving the rethink, set against the wider US-China contest in Central America.
The EU–Mercosur Pact Provisionally Takes Effect: The Reality of “One of the World’s Largest Free-Trade Areas”
After more than 20 years of talks, the EU–Mercosur agreement entered provisional application on May 1, 2026. Tariff cuts covering over 90% of trade are now moving between the EU and four countries including Brazil. Three hurdles — environment, agriculture and politics — remain before full entry into force.
The Battle for Panama’s Ports｜China Detains 70-Plus Panama-Flagged Ships
Panama’s top court voided Hong Kong-linked CK Hutchison’s port concessions as unconstitutional. China retaliated by detaining Panama-flagged ships, about 70 in March alone. A look at the U.S.-China contest in miniature.
Shield of the Americas｜An Anti-Cartel Bloc That Split the Map
On March 7, President Trump gathered leaders from 17 Latin American and Caribbean states to launch the “Shield of the Americas” anti-cartel alliance. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia stayed away.
A Single Cable Lays Bare Geopolitics｜China’s Undersea Line Shakes Chile
In March, a single undersea cable took over Chile’s political transition. Over a planned Hong Kong–Valparaíso fiber line by a Chinese state firm, the U.S. revoked Chilean officials’ visas and the handover talk between the sitting president and the president-elect collapsed in just 22 minutes. A look at how an export-dependent small state is forced to choose “China or the U.S.”
Trump and Latin America in 2026: Tariffs, Venezuela, the Panama Canal
Tariffs, the capture of Venezuela's Maduro, and the threat to 'take back' the Panama Canal — in 2026 the Trump administration's Latin America policy is shaking the region. A look at power-first diplomacy.
Can Mexico Reclaim the Rivers of 25 Million People? A 20-Billion-Peso Bet
On July 16, Mexico's government announced 20 billion pesos (about US$1.1 billion) to clean up the Atoyac, Lerma-Santiago and Tula rivers. The more consequential move may not be the money but the publication of 3,202 identified polluting discharges — against a half-century of unkept cleanup promises.
Climate Finance That Never Reaches the Amazon: The Problem Is Not the Amount, It Is the Pathway
Months have passed since developed countries promised to scale up climate finance at COP30. Yet the money that actually reaches the communities living in the Amazon forest remains limited. Architectures that route funds through layer after layer of intermediaries, the barrier of land rights, and the experiments now under way on the ground. I explain the problem of the "pathway."
A First for Latin America: Colombia Legally Recognizes "Climate-Driven Forced Displacement"
Colombia has enacted Law 2577, recognizing climate change, environmental degradation and natural disasters as formal causes of internal forced displacement — the first legislation of its kind in Latin America. I look at what a unified registry of environmental migrants and a legal definition of climate displacement mean, from a social-security perspective.
Amazon Fires Up 30% in the Dry Season: Why Brazil Assembled Its Largest Firefighting Force Ever
Deforestation is at a ten-year low, yet fires are up about 30%. With El Niño already underway, Brazil raised its fire-response budget by 28% and hired 4,410 more firefighters. I explain arson as a tool of illegal deforestation and the climate money that never arrives.
Amazon Deforestation Hits a 10-Year Low: Down 38% in the First Half, and the Real Test Is the Coming Dry Season
Satellite data from Brazil's INPE show Amazon deforestation at 1,295 square kilometers from January to June 2026, down 38% year on year and the lowest since 2016. But the figure only measures clear-cutting. I explain the two variables that remain: "degradation," which affects roughly 40% of the forest, and an El Niño dry season.
Colombia's New Government and 18 Million Hectares of Amazon: The Turning Point of an "Oil Restart"
On June 21, Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidential runoff by about 250,000 votes. If Petro's halt on new oil and gas exploration reverses, 18 million hectares of Amazon and the region's climate policy could be shaken. Here is my analysis.
A Possible Record-Breaker?
In June 2026 the World Meteorological Organization put the chance of El Niño at 80% for June–August, with one analysis warning the most extreme scenario could be unprecedented. A look at the cascading risks for Latin America and the Panama Canal.
Chile's Wetlands Are Drying: AI Data Centers Meet a 15-Year Megadrought
Chile has 33 data centers in operation and 34 more in approvals. Above the Quilicura wetland north of Santiago sits one of Latin America's largest clusters, and groundwater drawn for cooling, combined with a megadrought lasting over 15 years, is visibly drying a wetland that once drew flocks of waterbirds.
A City of 22 Million Nears the "Water Cliff": Inside Mexico City's Crisis
In 2026, Mexico City was counted among the world's eight cities at risk of "Day Zero." Of its 22 million people, 15 million get piped water only three days a week, four hours at a time. I explain the structure behind it: over-pumping, subsidence, climate change, and budget cuts.
El Nino Closes In on the Amazon: Why "Weak" Still Means Dangerous Drought and Fire
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) named El Nino the top climate risk for 2026. NOAA puts its formation odds at 61% for May-July. Even a weak-to-moderate event, on dried-out land, can turn a small spark into a large fire.
Mercury Does Not Stop at Borders
Illegal gold mining in the Amazon cannot be stopped country by country. A year after seven nations sat down to discuss a regional strategy, no binding agreement has been signed — but INTERPOL-backed cross-border operations have produced 198 arrests. Here is where things stand as the dry season begins.
What Happens to the Amazon If Satellites Are Silenced? Brazil's Monitoring Limits Bill
Brazil's Chamber of Deputies has passed a bill that would limit the satellite-based system used to police illegal logging in the Amazon. Inserting a prior-notice step would slow every response, and trees fall in the meantime. A look from the angle of governance and open information as the bill moves to the Senate.
75 Million Dollars for an Unpaved Road Across the Amazon｜The Contradiction in the BR-319 Plan
On May 27 Brazil announced it would invest 75 million dollars to upgrade BR-319, the highway that cuts across the Amazon. It unveiled a conservation plan too, but environmental groups are skeptical. A look at Brazil’s contradiction just months after it hosted COP30.
The Andean Glaciers Are Melting, and the Water of 90 Million People Is at Risk: What the WMO Reveals About Latin America's Climate
A May 2026 report from the World Meteorological Organization warns that glaciers in the tropical Andes have lost more than 30% of their area since the 1980s, threatening the water of 90 million people. I read it through the lens of water, public health, and vulnerable communities.
Supreme Court Approves Shrinking a National Park｜Clearing the Path for the Amazon-Crossing Soy Railway 'Ferrograo'
On May 21, 2026, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court voted 8-1 to uphold a 2017 law shrinking Jamanxim National Park, clearing one of the main legal hurdles for Ferrograo, a 933 km soy railway crossing the Amazon. But the ruling does not authorize construction. Here is what was decided, what remains, and why environmental groups and Indigenous peoples object.
Record Heat, a Category 5, Vanishing Glaciers｜What the WMO Annual Report Reveals About Latin America's Climate
In May 2026 the World Meteorological Organization released its State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025. Record heat and drought, floods in Peru and Ecuador, Jamaica's first-ever Category 5 hurricane, and accelerating Andean glacier retreat. Half a year on from COP30, we unpack the climate reality piling up across the region.
The Forest That Breaks at 1.5C: Amazon's Tipping Point Just Dropped
The Amazon was thought to tip into irreversible change at 3.7-4C of warming. A May study in Nature rewrites that: with heavy logging, the threshold falls to 1.5-1.9C, right inside the Paris Agreement's target range.
Mining Claims Ring 278 Indigenous Territories: The Contradiction in Brazil’s Critical-Minerals Rush
As of April 2026, 2,055 critical-mineral mining claims overlap with Brazil’s Indigenous territories or fall within 10 km of their borders, touching 278 areas — 44% of the total. We lay out how the pressure of the green transition for lithium and niobium is closing in on Indigenous land.
The Lithium Triangle in 2026: the Vein of Decarbonization and Its Cost
The lithium triangle of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile is the prize in a global scramble for the mineral of the decarbonization age. In Chile, Codelco and SQM launched a joint venture to 2060, even as fractures appear among Indigenous communities around the salt flats. Resources, environment and rights collide.
Ecuador’s Mining-Law Reform｜The Gamble of “Simplifying” Environmental Licensing
On February 26, Ecuador’s National Assembly passed a law to strengthen the mining sector by a narrow 77–70 vote. It restructures environmental licensing into risk-tiered authorizations, drawing protest from environmental and Indigenous groups. Against the backdrop of an IMF arrangement, a look at where foreign-investment drive collides with environmental protection.
Gold at $5,000 Is Redrawing the Amazon Map｜Peru’s Illegal Mining Pushes Into Untouched Forest
According to reporting by the Associated Press and others in February 2026, illegal gold mining is spreading across Peru’s Amazon. Beyond its long-time hub of Madre de Dios, the frontier is reaching more remote regions such as Loreto and Ucayali. The driver is a gold price near $5,000 an ounce — a record high — raising fears of mercury pollution, deforestation and harm to Indigenous communities.
COP30 and the Amazon's Aftermath: Leaders Spoke, Congress Loosened the Guardrails
In November 2025, the first climate summit held in the Amazon, COP30, closed with no roadmap to end deforestation and no fossil-fuel phaseout in the final text. Days later, Brazil's Congress weakened Amazon protections. The gap between ideals and reality.
Argentina's Fight Over Disability Benefits
For over a year, Argentina has been locked in a struggle over disability benefits: an emergency law passed by overriding a presidential veto for the first time in 22 years, the dissolution of the national disability agency, and an April 2026 bill that would abolish nationwide fixed prices for assistive devices. A look at what is at stake, compared with Japan's system.
Venezuela, Two Weeks After the Earthquakes: PAHO Appeals for $24 Million in Emergency Health Aid
Two weeks after the June 24 twin earthquakes, PAHO released its assessment report and appealed for $24 million in emergency health aid. From a health system that had already lost a third of its doctors abroad, to the risk of infectious disease outbreaks and support for people with disabilities in the recovery phase — a public health reading of the crisis.
The Wave of Disease El Niño Carries: PAHO's Six Risks and Mental Health
PAHO has published an analysis of the potential health impacts of El Niño (2026–2027). Alongside six diseases such as cholera and dengue, it names mental health as a major risk. I explain the asymmetric health risks that floods and droughts create, and their impact on people with disabilities and chronic illness, from a health-care perspective.
Chikungunya Surges Across the Americas
PAHO data extracted on July 9 puts locally acquired chikungunya cases in the Americas at 164,856 for 2026, with 74 deaths. The worst-hit place is Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul — and in the city of Dourados, 12 of 17 deaths were residents of the same two Indigenous villages. Reading the shape of an outbreak from its breakdown.
Not Separating People, Animals and the Environment: Six Agencies Sign a One Health Declaration for the Americas
On World Zoonoses Day (July 6), the Quadripartite of FAO, WOAH, PAHO/WHO and UNEP, together with regional partners IICA and OIRSA, signed a joint declaration to strengthen the One Health approach in the Americas. I explain what it means to protect human, animal and environmental health as one system, and the questions of implementation, inequality and protecting the most vulnerable.
Chile's Disability and Survivor Insurance Becomes Social Insurance on August 1
On August 1, Chile's Disability and Survivor Insurance (SIS) becomes a benefit of the new Social Security Pension Insurance, with the 2.5% employer contribution flowing to an autonomous fund. But AFPs keep running it, and the first new tender is a year away.
Influenza Season Intensifies in the Southern Hemisphere
On July 1, PAHO issued an epidemiological alert on seasonal influenza in the Southern Hemisphere. Alongside H3N2, the share of influenza B is rising, while RSV and COVID-19 co-circulate. A look at the strain on health systems and the challenges of vaccination in care facilities and rural areas, from a health-care perspective.
PAHO Launches ~$25M Health Push in Five Crisis-Hit Countries｜Who Gets Left Behind
On June 24, 2026, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced health projects worth nearly $25 million in five countries hit by humanitarian crises: Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. They will reach more than 1.1 million people directly and close to 900,000 indirectly—roughly two million in all. A look at how a cash-strapped organization holds the front line.
Diphtheria Surges in Latin America: PAHO Issues an Alert, and Haiti Faces "Deaths That Could Have Been Prevented"
On June 15, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert over a sharp rise in diphtheria cases across Latin America and the Caribbean. The first 21 weeks of 2026 saw 163 cases and 5 deaths, already more than double the total for all of 2025. I explain, from a public health perspective, why people still die from a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
PAHO's 178th Executive Committee Maps 2026–2031 Health Priorities: Antimicrobial Resistance, Arboviruses, and Financial Strain
The Pan American Health Organization opened its 178th Executive Committee session, debating major strategies on antimicrobial resistance and arboviral disease even as a cut of 220 posts casts a financial shadow over the Americas' health agenda.
A Hantavirus That Spread From a Cruise Ship｜Andes Virus and the PAHO Response
In April 2026, an Antarctic cruise ship that left Ushuaia in southern Argentina became the site of a hantavirus outbreak caused by the Andes virus, native to South America. The WHO was notified on May 2; as of May 8, eight people were infected and three had died. A look at the closed-ship setting, the rare person-to-person transmission, and PAHO's regional response.
$2 Billion for Primary Care: Where Latin America's "150 Million" Target Stands
On June 9 the World Bank set out a portfolio of more than US$2 billion for primary health care in Latin America and the Caribbean, aiming to reach 150 million people by 2030. The three-agency alliance behind it actually launched in late 2023. Six weeks on, here is how the first-year progress reads.
Boosting Childhood Cancer Radiotherapy in Latin America: PAHO, St. Jude and IAEA Join Forces
On June 3-4, representatives from 19 countries gathered in Cancun, Mexico, to discuss improving access to childhood cancer radiotherapy. Hosted by PAHO, St. Jude and the IAEA, the meeting laid bare a shared regional challenge: a shortage of both equipment and trained specialists.
Ten Years After Elimination, Measles Tops 21,000 in the Americas
More than 21,000 measles cases have been confirmed across the Americas in 2026. Per PAHO, Mexico and Guatemala alone account for roughly 83% of them. About 85% of cases were unvaccinated or of unknown status. From that gap to the World Cup travel advisories, here is what is actually happening.
Zero Cases, Yet the Americas Moved: Why PAHO Got Ahead of Ebola
With Ebola spreading in Africa, the Pan American Health Organization moved in June to strengthen preparedness across the entire region, even though the local risk is rated low. Here is the logic behind acting before a single case appears.
PAHO’s Own Budget Cut by 19%: When the Supporter Shrinks, What Happens to Health in Latin America?
On June 3, PAHO Director Barbosa presented the 2025 Annual Report to the OAS. Behind the upbeat achievements sat one number: PAHO’s own budget will be cut 19% over the next two years. We weigh what this “double withdrawal,” overlapping with USAID’s exit, asks of health in the region from a disability and social-security view.
When Outside Funding Disappears｜The Question USAID’s Retreat Poses to Latin American Public-Health Research
In 2025 USAID terminated more than 5,300 grants and contracts, with some 27 billion dollars in funding lost. Drawing on a Lancet commentary, a look at the structural dependence of Latin American public-health research and the question it now faces.
From Curing to Supporting｜PAHO and Colombia Debate Folding Chronic Disease into Primary Care
On May 27, PAHO and Colombia's health ministry held a workshop in Bogotá on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The question: how to fold heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory illness into primary care, shifting away from reliance on specialist hospitals. We unpack a move tied to the Americas-wide 2025-2030 action plan.
Colombia's Health System on the Brink: the EPS Crisis and a Reform Bill That Died
Colombia's health system is buckling: 15 of the 28 EPS insurers are effectively insolvent, covering over 30 million people, and the four-year reform bill was shelved by a Senate committee in December 2025 and died for good when the session closed on June 20. What it means for people with disabilities who depend on the system for ongoing rehab and assistive devices.
Behind 13,000 Reported Cases: Oropouche Fever Spreads in South America, and the Risk Turns to Pregnant Women
The 2023-24 Oropouche fever outbreak in South America was estimated at about 9.4 million infections against just 13,000 confirmed cases (Nature Medicine). Vertical transmission from mother to fetus, and the risk of congenital disability, are the new focus.
Twenty Years After the Convention: A New PAHO–ECLAC Report on the Health Gap for Persons with Disabilities in Latin America
2026 marks twenty years of the CRPD. On April 30, PAHO and ECLAC, with RIADIS, released a regional report. Written by an author specializing in assistive-device funding policy, this piece unpacks the barriers in routine and emergency care and the long-standing absence of comparable data.
Health Workers Cluster in Capitals, Leaving Rural Gaps｜PAHO Compares Nine South American Countries for the First Time
On April 29, 2026, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) released its first cross-country comparison of the health labor market in nine South American nations, warning that doctors and nurses are concentrated in capital cities while rural and remote areas face severe shortages. A shortfall of 600,000 health professionals is projected for Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030. We unpack what these primary-care gaps mean.
Two Directions for Disability Pensions in Latin America: Argentina's Rollback vs. Mexico's Rights Guarantee
In 2026, income support for people with disabilities in Latin America is moving in opposite directions: Argentina is tightening its non-contributory disability pension, while Mexico is strengthening rights guarantees. A look from a disability-policy perspective.
Eight Million Who Need Care｜PAHO on Latin America’s Care Gap
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) released policy briefs on long-term care in Latin America and the Caribbean. About 14.4% of people over 65 — some 8 million — need daily support, and women provide roughly 70% of it unpaid. A look at a family-dependent care model reaching its structural limits.
Dengue in the Americas: What Remains After a Record Outbreak
The Americas recorded a record ~13 million dengue cases in 2024, and 4.4 million-plus cases with 2,207 deaths in 2025. Cases fell sharply in 2026, but all four serotypes circulate and climate change widens the mosquito's range. A look at the wave, and the health-system preparedness that is tested once it recedes.
Four Months After the Yellow Fever Alert: What Is Happening Off the Map
Four months after PAHO's March 2026 alert on sustained yellow fever transmission, where do São Paulo state and Tolima department stand? The latest official figures.
Beyond a Collapsed Health System｜Venezuela’s Political Transition and the Question of Health
After a US operation detained Maduro and Venezuela entered an unsteady political transition under an interim government, The Lancet asks whether a forced political transition can rebuild a collapsed health system.
How National Care Systems Were Born: The CEPAL–Uruguay–Institutions Lineage
Latin America's national care systems weren't invented by anyone. Feminist economics made unpaid care visible, CEPAL grew it into a regional agenda, Uruguay legislated it first, and the IDB and PAHO drove it — a two-decade lineage.
Making Care the State's Job: From Uruguay, Chile, and Bogotá
Making care a job of the state takes more than one shape: national laws in Uruguay and Chile, and a web of neighborhood care hubs in Bogotá. A look at three Latin American frontrunners.
What Is a "National Care System"? Latin America's Redesign of Care
Across Latin America, the work of caring for children, older people and people with disabilities is being lifted from families — mostly women, unpaid — into state-backed care systems. A look at CEPAL's "caring society" paradigm and what it means.
Guelaguetza Opens in Oaxaca
On July 20 and 27, Oaxaca, Mexico hosts the Guelaguetza, its great celebration of Indigenous culture. The name is Zapotec for 'reciprocal exchange of gifts.' We look at how 16 ethnic groups exchange dances and produce, and at the festival's relationship with tourism and migrant communities.
Record Attendance and a First Netflix Tie-Up: What the 17th Bogota Audiovisual Market Says About 20 Years of Colombia's Screen Industry
The 17th Bogota Audiovisual Market (BAM) closed with a record 2,336 participants. An international program in partnership with Netflix was launched, and narratives of memory ten years after the peace accord took center stage. From two film releases a year to 548 in a decade — I look at Colombia's screen industry more than 20 years after its Film Law.
Argentina, the Last South American Side, Reaches the Semifinal
On July 11, Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to reach the World Cup semifinal. Of the South American teams that made the knockout stage, only one is left. The July 15 clash with England is their first World Cup meeting of this weight since the 'Hand of God' in 1986 — but the continent's support is not as united as it was in 2022.
A Century On, Central America and the Caribbean Gather in Santo Domingo: The 25th Central American and Caribbean Games
On July 24, the 25th Central American and Caribbean Games (JCC) open in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A hundred years after the first edition in 1926, more than 6,000 athletes from 37 countries and territories will take part in the oldest surviving multi-sport event in the Americas. I look at what to watch, and what a regional games means in an age of division.
A Co-Host Falls, a Miracle Comeback Rises: Latin America in the World Cup 2026 Round of 16
On July 5 and 7, the World Cup 2026 Round of 16 split Latin America's fortunes. Co-host Mexico lost 2-3 to England, while Argentina roared back from 0-2 to beat Egypt 3-2 and reach the quarterfinals. With Colombia and Brazil both eliminated, I read the weekend through a Latin American football lens.
'Uniqueness Is the New Luxury'
From July 25 to 31, Medellín is set to host Colombiamoda, one of Latin America's biggest fashion fairs. Its 37th edition runs a full week under the theme 'Uniqueness is the New Luxury.' We look at the industrial pivot of a city that has been making cloth since 1907.
How Brazil Saw Japan: The 90 Minutes of Round 32 and a Closing Gap
On June 29 (June 30 in Japan), Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the Round of 32 at World Cup 2026 to reach the last 16. Kaishu Sano's opener was overturned by Casemiro and Martinelli. I read the match from Brazil's side and explain the 48-team format and the depth of South American football.
Ayacucho Opens Its Kitchen: What "Perú, Mucho Gusto" Says About Food and the Regions
On June 27, one of Peru's largest food fairs, "Perú, Mucho Gusto" 2026, opened in the highland city of Ayacucho. With more than 50 exhibitors, it becomes a test case for a strategy that opens Peru's capital-centric food diplomacy to the regions. Here is why Ayacucho matters.
Ecuador Stun Germany 2-1: A "Small Miracle" at the 2026 World Cup
On June 25, Ecuador beat Germany 2-1 in the third and final Group E match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, booking a place in the knockout stage. It was their first win over a UEFA nation since 2013. Here is what the 48-team format means for giant-killing.
Brazil, Argentina and Mexico Reach the Knockouts｜How Latin America Is Faring at the 2026 World Cup
On June 24, 2026, Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 to win Group C, with Vinícius Júnior scoring in all three group games for four goals total. Mexico routed Czechia 3-0 to go three-for-three, and Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, topped Group J. Five of South America's six entrants reached the round of 32 — Uruguay were the only ones to go out.
The 48-Team Era Begins: Highs and Lows for Latin America｜Reading Matchday 1 of World Cup 2026
World Cup 2026 has kicked off with 48 teams for the first time. After Matchday 1, only Argentina and Colombia won among the South Americans, host Mexico booked its place with two straight wins, and small Caribbean nations reached a historic first stage. A snapshot as of June 19, 2026 (end of Matchday 1).
The Andean Festival of the Sun, June 24: Cusco’s Inti Raymi and a Four-Nation Tie-Up
On June 24, Cusco, Peru holds Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. The large-scale re-enactment of an Inca rite draws over 100,000 people each year, and this year four Andean-Community countries jointly market Andean cultural tourism under the Caminos Andinos brand. We also weigh the question between tourism and Indigenous culture.
Maná at 40: A Five-City Latin American Tour｜Vivir Sin Aire Tour Announced
On June 11, 2026, Mexican rock band Maná announced the Latin American leg of its 40th-anniversary Vivir Sin Aire Tour. From November to December the band will play Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. We break down the announcement, made the same day as the band's World Cup opening-ceremony performance, on the facts.
The Night the World Was Greeted in Mixtec: Indigenous Culture at the 2026 World Cup Opening
At the 2026 World Cup opening ceremony, Oaxaca-born singer Lila Downs welcomed the world in three languages: Spanish, English and Mixtec. I look at what it means for an Indigenous language to ring out on a global stage, and at the debate over who gains from the spectacle.
Messi's Last World Cup: One More Dream for Latin America Before He Leaves the Pitch
The 2026 World Cup has opened across three North American host nations. For Messi, who turned 39 during the tournament, it is likely his last. Latin America and the Caribbean send a record 10 teams. We look at what football carries amid hard economic times.
From a Stadium Lost to Gangs｜Haiti Returns to the World Cup After 52 Years
Haiti will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which opens June 11, for the first time since 1974. The team played every qualifier abroad, its home stadium still controlled by armed gangs.
The Night Forró Was Honored: The 33rd Brazilian Music Awards and a Tribute to Cazuza
In June 2026, the 33rd Brazilian Music Awards took place at Rio's historic theater, where young Northeastern singer João Gomes swept the night. Alongside a tribute to the late Cazuza, the ceremony revealed a music market split into niches.
Lima Named the World's Best City for Food in 2026
Time Out's Best Cities for Food ranking for 2026 puts Lima, Peru, in first place, based on a survey of more than 24,000 residents across 150 cities. Here's what the ranking actually measures — and where to eat cebiche, anticuchos and lomo saltado when you get there.
Medellin's Tango Festival Turns 20: The Bond Gardel's Death Forged
From June 8 to 14, Colombia's second city Medellin is hosting its 20th International Tango Festival, with more than 40 mostly free events filling the streets. It all traces back to singer Carlos Gardel, who died here in 1935.
Mexico for the Third Time｜The 2026 World Cup and the Distance Between Festival and Reality
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on June 11 in Mexico City. Mexico becomes the first country ever to host three times (1970, 1986, 2026). The opening-ceremony lineup, what a “third time” means, and the gap between festival mode and everyday city life — read against Latin America today.
Brazil’s June Belongs to São João｜3.45 Million in Campina Grande
June in Brazil means the Festas Juninas. Campina Grande’s “world’s largest São João” opened June 3 and ran 33 days. A look at 3.45 million visitors, the sound of forró, and a 2026 June that overlaps with the World Cup.
Latin America's First Three Michelin Stars｜São Paulo's Evvai and Tuju
On April 13, 2026, at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, the MICHELIN Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo 2026 awarded three stars to São Paulo's Evvai and Tuju. They are the first three-star restaurants in Latin America's history, placing Brazil on a global list of fewer than 160. A look at what it means.
The Night Bad Bunny Painted the Super Bowl in Spanish
In February 2026, Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl halftime show — the first Latino solo headliner, an almost entirely Spanish-language set, 128.2 million viewers. Why those 15 minutes were a cultural event, seen from someone learning Spanish.
Lima's Maido, the World's Best: Where Japan and Peru Meet
Maido, a Nikkei restaurant in Lima, Peru, was named the World's Best Restaurant 2025. Nikkei cuisine — Japanese technique meeting Peruvian ingredients — is a food culture born of migration. The meaning of this dish that connects Japan and Latin America.