Carmen Aristegui, considered the most famous newscast journalist in Mexico, once hosted a daily morning radio talk show followed devoutly by millions of middle-class Mexicans. Her personal brand of investigatory journalism was markedly different from the standard of Mexican media: aggressive, probing—if sometimes lacking in reportorial rigor.
Read MoreSenior Thesis Series (5)
Read MoreTen years ago, hardly anyone would have been able to predict that a new era of relations between Cuba and the United States would start with Netflix. And yet, last month’s expansion of the American on-demand streaming service into Cuba signified the first step of a brighter future between two old North American rivals. For the better part of the 20th century, the bitterly strained relations between Cuba and the United States constituted the prime regional rivalry in North America. The December 2014 normalization of relations between the two nations looks to usher in a new age of economic and diplomatic prosperity. Despite receiving conservative backlash for his actions, Barack Obama, by reestablishing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, has taken long overdue steps to bolster a potentially crucial regional ally.
Read MoreThousands of protesters gathered in the Zocalo of Mexico City, chanting “Fue el Estado”: “It was the State.” As the ornate baroque wood of the Palace, witness to almost four centuries of Mexican politics, was consumed in flames, the protesters’ cries were vindicated. The image created by a few instigators legitimized the protesters’ chant by its dramatic and symbolic force: it seems obvious, almost intuitive: yes, it was the state.
Read MoreNicaragua Lays the Groundwork for a New Canal
Read MorePrivate Security Encroaches on Indigenous Land
Read MoreMatthew Michaelides outlines Brazil's recent economic woes in light of the country's upcoming presidential run-off
Read MoreMatthew Michaelides lays out the case for ending the Cuban Embargo
Read More"Ultimately, what will lead Brazil down the route of a responsible resource-endowed country will be that its national oil company remains competitive and free of political corruption."
Read MoreColumnist Matthew Michaelides reflects on his time in Brazil
Read MoreMatthew Michaelides examines Argentina's second default since 2001
Read MoreThe Brazilian system is nearly-notorious for its arcane system of rules with many loopholes for defendants—as American University Professor Matthew Taylor puts it “the system is set up to leave things unresolved.”
Read MoreCover Story: Winter 2013
Read MoreCover Story: Fall 2012“The problem is that in Brazil you don’t convict. I’ve been in court for seven years, yet this is the second time we attempt to reach conviction. This course of action is still very novel to me and to other judges.”
Read MoreLast Thursday, as part of an ongoing seminar series organized by Columbia’s Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS), professor and author Katherine Hite presented some of her findings from her book.
Read MoreSome of the snapshots from Chile’s ongoing student movement depict a lighthearted mobilization. Led by the charismatic Camila Vallejo, the students have used Twitter and Facebook to stage kiss-a-thons and superhero-themed costume protests. But other images have been more violent.
Read MorePicture a world where the whistle of bullets drowns out the chirping of birds. Where army units patrol violent, poverty-stricken streets. Where farmers walk among fields of poppy, hoping a successful harvest will provide for their families. Where mothers of lost sons gather and pray that each new day may bring a resurrection of peace. This is not a distant snapshot, but a reality close to home. Welcome to the world of narcocultura. Welcome to Mexico.
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