Research Library

Michel Temer’s ability to implement the difficult reforms Brazil needs will determine whether his legacy will be as the person who reconciled the country or as the usurper of Dilma Rousseff’s presidency, writes Latin America Initiative program director Erika de la Garza.

The uncertainty that surrounded Peru's recent elections should alert Peruvians of the need to consolidate democratic institutions, maintain respect for electoral laws and eliminate possible cases of discrimination and inequality in their electoral process.

President Barack Obama’s visit to Argentina launched new bilateral relations in which traditional diplomacy was widely displayed with the signing of agreements in economics, energy, climate change, multilateral cooperation, global health, democracy, human rights, security and defense.

While Mexico may indeed emerge from the recent oil price slump in better shape than most, tinkering with the solid macroeconomic foundations established by the country’s last three administrations could lead to trouble.

Erika de la Garza, program director of the Latin America Initiative, reflects on President Obama's Cuba trip in light of her own visit to the island earlier this month.

Latin America Initiative director Erika de la Garza blogs on the murder of Honduras activist Berta Cáceres, who was in Houston last November to receive an award for her work on behalf of Honduras’ indigenous communities.

As President Obama prepares for a historic visit to Havana, thousands of the island’s residents are rushing to immigrate to the U.S., hoping to beat the rumored end of a policy that lets Cubans who reach American soil remain here. Read Erika de la Garza’s take on the unsought consequences of reestablishing U.S. ties to Cuba.

Brazilian leaders' investment into transforming Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games, even as the country is quickly spiraling into a deep recession and its housing market has declined, illustrates the government's troubling development priorities.

Social unrest over the extraction of Peru’s natural resources has increasingly heightened, as evident in the intensity of citizens’ claims and the resulting levels of violence.

Water scarcity in Jamaica has brought serious development and social challenges, as 30 percent of the poorest households rely on untreated water sources. Proper water conservation, management and adaptation approaches are required to enhance social, economic, food and health sustainability.