Latin American's new conflict zones
By Ivan Briscoe (11/07/2008)
Mexico’s attempts to combat drug cartels along its border with the United States and the dispute between Ecuador and Colombia over the bombardment of a FARC camp have shown the extreme difficulties in establishing state control over Latin America's frontiers, and the different views over how this should be done.
Marco Millán/AFP/Getty Images
The state of the negotiated political solution of the Colombian conflict
By Carlos Lozano (04/07/2008)
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe’s policy of “democratic security” is rooted entirely in counter-insurgent warfare and authoritarianism, which have served to weaken the FARC’s military operations yet do nothing to bring about the conditions for dialogue lasting peace.
US foreign policy towards Latin America's oldest guerrilla group
By Sebastián Chaskel (04/07/2008)
US foreign policy toward Colombia is at a crossroads. Colombia’s security achievements – including the recent release of 15 FARC hostages – and prospects for a negotiated solution, coupled with a revived interest in the region’s efforts to solve its own problems, mean that Washington must update its policies in order to further its interests.
Cuba: the end of an era
By Susanne Gratius (21/02/2008)
A new day has finally arrived. Despite all the predictions, the post-Fidel era did not begin in traumatic fashion, but was instead almost stealthy in character. It was an orderly change that took place within the framework established by the regime. Little by little, Cuba and the world can now get used to the idea of life without Fidel. It is a positive development and there is hope that it will mark the beginning of a new era in Cuban politics.
Sven Creutzmann / Mambo photo / Getty Images
Colombia: a paradoxical state
By Kees Koonings, Dirk Krujit (17/01/2008)
Colombia is a paradoxical state, one of stable instability and unstable stability. The spheres of stability and instability, equally persistent, are linked to the country’s recent economic, social and institutional history. In this Comment article, Dirk Krujit and Kees Koonings of Utrecht University explore the unique political and economic factors that give Colombia its firm foundations despite the country’s troubled reputation.
Raul Arboleda / AFP / Getty Images
